When people hear the word “GPS” they instantly think about the in-car systems from the likes of Garmin, but the GlobalSat BR-355 is different. It can be summed up as a mouse GPS receiver unit that only costs $40. In terms of size, it is very small and compact as the image reveals.

The waterproof unit is priced at $40 and features the usual SiRF Star III chipset with firmware version 3.1.1. Accuracy is good with a range of 5 meters, and by default the Wide Area Augmentation System is turned on. There are 2 options for the starting process: cold mode takes 40 seconds, and hot mode only 1 second.

An LED light lets you know when it has a satellite lock and if for some reason you are having difficulty acquiring a lock the base of the unit is magnetized so it can be placed on the roof of the car to improve reception.

(more…)