Garmin 18x LVC GPS Navigator Unit

by Garmin

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4 x 2 x 4 inches ; 4.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0016O3T7A
• Item model number: 010-00321-36
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Product Description

GARMIN 010-00321-36 GPS 18x LVC. The GPS 18x is a GPS sensor targeted to OEM clients for use in automotive, fleet vehicle, and electronics applications where a small, highly accurate GPS receiver is needed. This 12 parallel channel, WAAS enabled GPS receiver is available in either CMOS level serial or USB 2.0 full speed versions, and comes with an integrated magnetic base. The puck like receiver is 2.4 inches in diameter and weighs just ounces, making it an ideal solution in applications where space is at a premium. The GPS 18x is offered in three different cable configurations: A style USB, DB 9 pin serial with 12 volt cigarette lighter adapter /PC, or bare wire /LVC. The PC and LVC versions both default to output data in the industry standard NMEA 0183 data format, but may also be user programmed to output data in the GARMIN proprietary format. The USB version produces data only in the GARMIN proprietary format. All three versions of the GPS 18 come complete with non volatile memory for storage of configuration information, a real time clock, and raw measurement output data for sophisticated customer applications. The LVC version additionally provides a pulse per second logic level output whose rising edge is aligned to the UTC second within 1 microsecond. The USB 2.0 full speed version of the GPS18 is also compatible with USB 1.1 full speed hosts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent PPS time source, April 2, 2010

By 

Brian SwanSword "Prophet of God" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin 18x LVC GPS Navigator Unit (Electronics)

The Garmin 18x LVC is a bare lead OEM GPS unit with a measurement pulse output aligned to the Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) second, within a maximum error of 1.0 microsecond (1.0 millionth of a second) Only the LVC variety outputs the measurement pulse (Pulse Per Second) signal. As a retail item this unit is primarily used for very accurate timekeeping. One could theoretically use it for navigation, but with bare leads you need to solder a connector on the unit, and there are other 18x models, not the LVC, that have connectors from the factory.

But the 18x models with connectors DO NOT output the precision measurement pulse, so they are useless as reference clocks. You may wonder why anyone would need a clock accurate to within 1.0 microsecond. The clocks inside computers are notoriously inaccurate, sometimes up to an hour off per day. So, the Internet is peppered with reference clocks. People interested in time keeping will place a reference clock server online, and thousands of Desktop PCs also connected to the Internet can poll these servers to accurately set their clocks. The reference clocks need to be accurate, because of dispersion in distribution (i.e it takes a small bit of time for the client PCs to receive the time from the time server. Having microsecond accurate time servers insures no client will ever drift past 1/2 second from UTC.

It's all automated. The user doesn't do anything. It just happens. So that is what this particular unit is for, from a retail perspective. There is a web page, [...] , explaining in very simple terms how to make a time server. Soldering skills are required for individuals to make use this unit. The 18x USB, not the 18x LVC, is handy for navigation via a laptop.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for time keeping, June 22, 2010

By 

Fiat Lux (New Haven, CT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin 18x LVC GPS Navigator Unit (Electronics)

This unit is fine for experimenters who can manage a little soldering and a little software, too. You can provide it with 5 volt power and simply use the 1pps output, or you can also connect it to a serial I/O port (default 4800 bps) or a USB-to-serial converter.

I use it with my Ubuntu 10.04 Linux system for ntp timekeeping and for GPS position measurement using xgps and other software. See [...] and [...] for more information.

The 1 usec timing precision is nice, but with common PCs and operating systems, your software timing is subject to millisecond or greater fluctuations. The GPS clock does assure good long-term stability, however, independent of Internet connections.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works great, October 19, 2009

By 

T. Shearer (Kingston, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin 18x LVC GPS Navigator Unit (Electronics)

This unit performs well, no trouble getting a signal indoors.
It quit working after 13 months.
UPDATE: failure found due to broken wire, not GPS unit. Unit is still functional.