Customer Reviews and Ratings for Garmin GPS 18x High-Sensitivity LVC |
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100% of our reviewers recommend this item.
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Mario
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Jan 13, 2012
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GREAT GPS
A great improvement over the last version of this GPS. Amazing speed and sensitivity with a good price. In my case, the PPS (unique in this class) is a must. I have 5 of these to synchronize race car timekeeping equipment and they work perfect.
Recommend? YES
10 viewers found this helpful.
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Mike
Sherbrooke, QC
Jan 11, 2012
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EXCELLENT PRODUCT
Perfect for a GPS NTP Time Server.
Recommend? YES
1 viewers found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?
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Mario
Brazil
Nov 9, 2011
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GREAT OEM GPS
The best in class.
Recommend? YES
18 viewers found this helpful.
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David
Raleigh, NC
Nov 22, 2010
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QUALITY RECIEVER
Bought this receiver to connect to my Linux server for a time reference for NTP. This receiver is sensitive enough to receive data from inside my attic.
Recommend? YES
85 viewers found this helpful.
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Emmanuel Gamby
Brussels, Belgium
Nov 8, 2010
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GOOD GPS FOR TIME SYNCHRONIZATION
This GPS has a PPS output which allows you to synchronise your PC with a great accuracy. It is just a pity that the PC version does not provide this output: you have to buy the LVC version and wire it yourself.
Recommend? NO OPINION
105 viewers found this helpful.
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ludo
MOON
Nov 1, 2010
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GPS 18X
Use with MOTEC ecu
Recommend? YES
93 viewers found this helpful.
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RicardoBarron
Jalisco
Sep 29, 2010
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EXTRAORDINARY RECEPTION
Pros: very good reception sensitivity
Receives 6 to 10 satellites even in hard reception places like indoors.
Recommend? YES
124 viewers found this helpful.
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AwesomeMachine
Milwaukee, WI
Jul 13, 2010
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PRECISION TIME KEEPING
Pros: durable, precise, precision, sensitive, reliable,
Cons: requires soldering skills
This unit, the GPS 18x LVC 5M, combines a high quality GPS receiver and internal antenna, and 5 meter, bare wire lead. The unit also implements the GPS specification measurement pulse output, so it's perfect for precision timekeeping (1.0 microsecond precision) The retail consumer application of this unit is: hobbyist/experimenter gadgets.
The end user must solder a DB-9 female connector on the bare leads. And timekeeping software that will capture the PPS signal works with Linux, with some Windows support using Cygwin. In any event, the software configuration requires persistence, time and experience.
But the bare lead (LVC) version is the only one, among the Garmin 18x series that implements the precision measurement pulse output (adjustable duration electrical pulse (20ms - 900ms, software adjustable), the rising edge of which is synchronised to the UTC second within 1.0us.
The GPS specification, which is the specification of The United States Government Global Positioning System, specifies the availability of a precision measurement pulse. Though nearly zero GPS units are designed to use it.
The configuration software, availalble from Garmin's website: SNSRXCFG.exe, in the OEM section, is a Windows executable, which thankfully works on Linux using wine (Windows emulator for Linux).
The unit firmware-updating program does not work under wine. A Windows installation is necessary to update the 18x firmware. A word of warning: If the GPS 18x is connected to the PC before Windows boots, after it boots, the mouse cursor might jump around by itself.
Windows configures the GPS 18x as a serial mouse, and since the GPS unit outputs data every second, the cursor moves in bizarre patterns, driven by the GPS. So, you want to plug the GPS into the serial port after Windows is up. Contrary to popular belief, standard RS232 ports are for the most part hotpluggable, just like USB.
I have seven of these units, all with a DB-9 serial connector for termination. I live where it the temperature gets to 100 F (38 C) in summer, and down to -20 F (-29 C) in the winter.
I have placed the units outdoors, and run the leads indoors. The little 2" (5 cm) black pucks do not fail in my climate. Some of them have been running non-stop for years. Most GPS units have a temperature sensor, so the unit can make adjustments based on temperature. This unit is no different.
The GPS 18x has a small rechargeable battery that will preserve the volatile data held inside the unit, even if the unit receives no external power. I have found that they can sit for six months, and the volatile data is still intact.
It's not really a big deal if the unit loses it's volatile data, it will just get it back from the GPS satellites, but it takes about a half hour. Also, buy the unit from GPSCity.com, because they sell a lot of them, and theirs haven't been sitting on a shelf for aeons.
If run continuously, perhaps once a year the unit must be reset, either using software, or cutting power to the unit. The unit outputs the number of satellite it's fixed on, the UTC time, and positioning information.
The output can be configured using the software from Garmin's website. It's hit or miss whether or not the measurement pulse output will be enabled from the factory. Once again, use SNSRXCFG.exe to enable it. I find 200ms duration optimal. More information is available on the web.
Recommend? YES
105 viewers found this helpful.
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Henry B
Calgary, AB
Apr 1, 2010
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LOW COST, HIGHLY SENSITIVE
Pros: works well. small and sensitive.
Cons: cord could be a little longer (8m would be great).
The GPS 18x is very small and light. Despite this, it's very sensitive, as compared to prior Garmin OEM products (it will obtain a GPS fix inside many structures). The built-in magnets are strong enough to keep this antenna secured to most metal rooftops. This model has a pulse-per-second line which is perfect for precising timing applications. I can attest to the PPS staying locked for months at a time.
Recommend? YES
124 viewers found this helpful.
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BV Communications
Trail, BC, Canada
Mar 29, 2010
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GREAT OEM GPS
Pros: easy to wire
I have used this GPS in conjunction with 2 way radios to track vehicles. This unit is easy to wire, quite sensitive and comes with ample wire to locate just about anywhere on a vehicle. I highly recommend this unit.
Recommend? YES
129 viewers found this helpful.
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Tinkerer & Maker
Ottawa, Canada
May 21, 2009
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GPX 18X LVC, A VERY NICE UNIT
Good Lock and Fix even indoors when raining Compact Magnetic base Threaded Mounting insert underneath Long cable Good NEMA-based data selection Quite inexpensive better than home-built.
Recommend? YES
214 viewers found this helpful.
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JT
Lenexa, KS
Mar 9, 2009
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NO ALTITUDE LIMIT.GREAT FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOONS
Pros: fast acquisition.
Just an update concerning the other review that talked about the 60kft altitude limit: That was a bug that was fixed several months ago. As long as you have firmware version 2.80 or later the altitude performance of the 18x is the same as the prior non-X versions of the GPS 18. This was corrected many months ago so all units now shipping and those shipped in the last several months do not have the 60kft altitude limit. If you have an older visit Garmin's web site to upgrade the firmware.
Recommend? YES
233 viewers found this helpful.
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Francois R
Montreal
Feb 16, 2009
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GOOD OEM GPS
Good unit, worked plug and play with the device we use.
Recommend? YES
225 viewers found this helpful.
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Ron Malinowski
Sep 20, 2008
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ALTITUDE LIMITATION COMPARED TO OTHER 18 MODELS
These work great, but be aware they have a 60K altitude restriction, where as the other 18 models without the x designation can go higher for High Altitude balloons projects.
Recommend? YES
270 viewers found this helpful.
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