The state of the art in GNSS receivers has advanced considerably in those 15 years. In October 2026 I bought a modern GNSS receiver with multi-constellation capabilities (GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, and BEIDOU) and multi-signal (L1/L5 and E1/E5), with 200 channels (correlators), amazing sensitivity, 10-Hz update, and a USB interface, and for only $43: the YIC model GU-605GGBL5-USB. This device has astonished me with its performance.
The receiver was delivered just yesterday afternoon. Connecting it to a USB port for my Apple Mac Mini M4 computer took a bit of configuration, as a device driver had to be downloaded and installed. (More on this later.) However, on being connected and powered on the USB bus, and just sitting on the window sill of a south-facing second-storey window, the USB 115,000-BPS connection began reporting a position solution in a matter of a few seconds.
My initial curiosity was to see what constellations and how many satellites were in view, and also to see if the L5 and E5 signals were being received. The results were mind-blowing. Here is a sample of the NMEA-0183 data coming from the receiver that reports "satellites in view":
$GPGSV,3,1,11,03,47,253,35,04,39,310,37,09,00,000,22,16,51,190,42,1*68
$GPGSV,3,2,11,26,77,107,25,28,33,070,31,29,16,055,34,31,60,052,34,1*60
$GPGSV,3,3,11,32,11,128,34,44,00,000,41,46,00,000,33,,,,,1*5E
$GPGSV,2,1,08,03,47,253,26,04,39,310,41,16,51,190,00,26,77,107,32,8*67
$GPGSV,2,2,08,28,33,070,35,29,16,055,00,31,60,052,00,32,11,128,25,8*6C
$BDGSV,3,1,09,14,72,224,38,21,55,170,30,22,07,150,16,24,19,237,38,1*70
$BDGSV,3,2,09,26,66,244,36,33,11,320,18,36,00,000,00,39,51,052,41,1*7F
$BDGSV,3,3,09,42,62,292,35,,,,,,,,,,,,,1*41
$BDGSV,2,1,07,21,55,170,27,22,07,150,20,24,19,237,31,26,66,244,27,3*7B
$BDGSV,2,2,07,33,11,320,26,39,51,052,33,42,62,292,40,,,,,3*43
$BDGSV,2,1,08,14,72,224,00,21,55,170,00,22,07,150,00,24,19,237,00,5*70
$BDGSV,2,2,08,26,66,244,00,33,11,320,00,39,51,052,00,42,62,292,00,5*7C
$BDGSV,2,1,08,21,55,170,29,22,07,150,16,24,19,237,35,26,66,244,33,2*7F
$BDGSV,2,2,08,33,11,320,11,36,00,000,00,39,51,052,39,42,62,292,13,2*70
$GLGSV,2,1,08,78,38,037,36,70,26,325,33,80,27,227,32,79,81,278,28,1*7A
$GLGSV,2,2,08,69,78,330,39,68,46,144,21,67,00,000,00,87,02,029,00,1*73
$GAGSV,3,1,09,07,34,113,37,10,00,000,00,19,37,306,28,21,33,191,32,7*76
$GAGSV,3,2,09,27,66,112,33,28,00,000,00,29,83,030,40,30,31,048,39,7*76
$GAGSV,3,3,09,33,03,242,14,,,,,,,,,,,,,7*48
$GAGSV,2,1,07,07,34,113,28,19,37,306,25,21,33,191,32,27,66,112,26,1*7E
$GAGSV,2,2,07,29,83,030,32,30,31,048,26,33,03,242,11,,,,,1*4E
As can be seen in the above, the NMEA sentence GSV (satellites in view) is now showing four different constellations. The prefix $G* and $BD identifies the four constellations, as follows:
$GPGSV = U.S.A. GPS
$GLGSV = Russian GLONASS
$GAGSV = European GALILEO
$BDGSV = China BEIDOU
To parse the NMEA-0183 sentences I asked GROK.com to assist. Grok reported as follows:
Parsed satellites in view from the supplied GSV sentences
GPS (GP) – system ID / signal ID mostly 1 or 8
Total reported in view: up to 11
PRN Elev(°) Azim(°) SNR (dB-Hz) Notes / signal
03 47 253 35 / 26 Signal 1 & 8
04 39 310 37 / 41 Signal 1 & 8
09 00 00 22 Signal 1
16 51 190 42 / 00 Signal 1 & 8
26 77 107 25 / 32 Signal 1 & 8
28 33 70 31 / 35 Signal 1 & 8
29 16 55 34 / 00 Signal 1 & 8
31 60 52 34 / 00 Signal 1 & 8
32 11 128 34 / 25 Signal 1 & 8
44 00 00 41 Signal 1 (SBAS)
46 00 00 33 Signal 1 (SBAS)
BeiDou (BD)
Total reported in view: up to 9
PRN Elev(°) Azim(°) SNR (dB-Hz) Notes / signal
14 72 224 38 / 00 Various
21 55 170 30 / 27 / 00 / 29 Multiple sets
22 07 150 16 / 20 / 00 / 16 Multiple sets
24 19 237 38 / 31 / 00 / 35 Multiple sets
26 66 244 36 / 27 / 00 / 33 Multiple sets
33 11 320 18 / 26 / 00 / 11 Multiple sets
36 0 0 00
39 51 52 41 / 33 / 00 / 39 Multiple sets
42 62 292 35 / 40 / 00 / 13 Multiple sets
GLONASS (GL)
Total reported in view: 8
PRN Elev(°) Azim(°) SNR (dB-Hz)
78 38 37 36
70 26 325 33
80 27 227 32
79 81 278 28
69 78 330 39
68 46 144 21
67 0 0 00
87 2 29 00
GALILEO (GA)
Total reported in view: up to 9
PRN Elev(°) Azim(°) SNR (dB-Hz)
07 34 113 37 / 28
10 0 0 00
19 37 306 28 / 25
21 33 191 32 / 32
27 66 112 33 / 26
28 0 0 00
29 83 30 40 / 32
30 31 48 39 / 26
33 3 242 14 / 11
For even a better indicator of how many satellites where available in the four constellations, I asked Grok to produce a sky view polar plot. It took a rather long 40-seconds to produce the graphic:
- Fig. 1. Polar plot of satellites in view using the modern YIC GNSS L1/L5 USB receiver. This instance is with the receiver indoors and sitting on a south-facing window sill.
- T3EkZ.jpg (75.26 KiB) Viewed 83 times
There were a possible 37 satellites in view. There were good signals (elevation > 0-degrees and non-zero SNR reported) from 34 satellites. The sky polar plot only shows 20, which perhaps is just a limitation of the AI graphic generator. There are some errors; for example, there is no GPS PRN "33" listed, but the plot shows a GPS satellite "G33". I think GROK had a few glitches generating the polar plot of satellites in view.
The data shown are just from a random moment in time at a random location in southern Michigan with an indoor antenna location. For me, the results are just amazing, compared with what a GPS-only c.2010 receiver would be able to produce. Both the L1 and L5 civil signals on GPS were received, and both the E1 and E5 signals on GALILEO were received. All four GNSS constellations were received. All that for $43.