Thread: BU353 Mounted Outside

A few people have put their GPS receivers outside the car. I know there has been a few destroyed by moisture. Not exactly sure what brand or models they were. It might say waterproof, but do you really want have to buy a new receiver because it got water damaged? If you plan to do this, make sure you go around the joins with some sealant. A little insurance cant hurt.

mines been outside .. almost a year.. survived just fine even after bein buried in snow for 3-4 days. The case is designed so that the bottom part has groves that go up into the top part of the shell.. not much is gonna fit between that minute about of space AND go against gravity to do it.

I wouldn't worry about water/snow/heat/cold (but that's me). However, I would be more concerned about a possible damage to the thin cable at the point where it enters your vehicle. It could break over time, etc, but it depends how you do it.

Most users will perhaps not noticeably benefit by placing one of these new SiRFstarIII receivers on the roof of their vehicle – their sensitivity is so good that they perform satisfactorily even inside cars. But in difficult environments, such as among tall buildings or under heavy tree cover, there you will notice a substantial advantage in your receiver being outside.

I have my BU-353 sitting on my desk about 6 feet from the closest window and I can still grab 5 satellites, so I can attest that it's sensitive.

I have used it outside of the car on a long trip to FL when it was raining. I ran it out the car door and stuck it on the roof (the cable shut in the weatherstripping when the door shut). There were no adverse affects, but I don't recommend shutting the wire in the door for an extended period of time.

When mounted in the car it will be in the back next to one of the windows inside.

Mine is mounted under my rear deck next to my stereo speakers and I consistently get nine sats. As long as it's mounted in a place where there is not metal directly above it, you should get plenty of signal.

i live in turkey and i have left the bu-353 on top of my car a lot .Even in rain or snow it worked well.

I was actually thinking about mounting mine outside. Right now it sits on top of my rear deck but I don't get any satelites in my garage and I usually can't get a lock till about 3 or 4 minutes of driving. I'm not 100% sure but I also think my tint is metallic so that certainly doesn't help the cause.

Originally Posted by Lazyflip

I was actually thinking about mounting mine outside. Right now it sits on top of my rear deck but I don't get any satelites in my garage and I usually can't get a lock till about 3 or 4 minutes of driving. I'm not 100% sure but I also think my tint is metallic so that certainly doesn't help the cause.

same situation here..sometimes i get a lock in 10 seconds, sometimes 3-4 minutes..when it is outside the lock is a lot faster..
but i wouldn't ever put it outside...

Im my Subaru I've mounted it under the centre clock snap-in part in the dash (the recessed area above the HVAC vents)


By the time the computer has booted and my music is playing (around 20 secs), the GPS has already locked onto around 8-10 sats. It's nice and safe in there and is unobstructed by any metal (besides the electronics in the clock sitting above it). You can bury it under a fair bit of plastic before you'll start having problems as long as it obstructed by the least amount of metal possible