Hello,

Under KSTARS and INDI, GPSD is PPS based under Ubuntu. With Raspbian, CHRONY provides time. I would suggest using GPSD and properly configure it. I never thought to use GPS for time. PPS was it.

If a fixed pier is an astronomer’s site, yes, a GPS dongle is wasted money. My site is variable. A GPS dongle solved one problem, taming KSTARS. Stellarium can use INDI to talk with an astronomer’s equipment. Stellarium can use all equipment in INDI. Best $7 I spent to fix my position during my variable session.

U-Blox 7 device provides PPS. PPS is part of their setup requirements. Besides, my KSTARS GPS sampling rate is 15 minutes. Within KSTARS, I can update as needed manually. As long as I know where I am, a GPS dongle, (properly configured), is a welcomed addition.

A more stable site is required for a non GPS use. Preconfigured can be setup. Besides, this is my first thread I have read which said strange things about GPS dongles. I configured mine to meet recommended settings. It worked fine. When I looked CGPS output, I saw 9 or more satellites it was polling from. If a clear line of site, time is pretty stable under PPS.

Not everyone needs a GPS dongle. Setting up a fixed position is one step. Resetting the RPI4B clock requires logging in and setting it manually within a terminal window. All of these steps work great for a remote and fixed site with internet. Internet NTP is pretty stable. GPS dongle is not needed.

No power, no internet, and a variable location is the realm of GPS dongles. Proper setup of GPS dongle use is required. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

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