GPS with Map Source on my Laptop

Jono Garton · 13 January 2005, 17:27

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

Ribald · 13 January 2005, 17:48

I can sell you an old laptop with a serial port.

pettal · 13 January 2005, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

The only way I know how to do this is by buying the Garmin USB data card reader. Do Garmin not do a USB version of their cable? It's quite unusual to get a laptop that doesn't have a serial port!?

Having said that, if you have a plug and play serial adapter it should still work as in effect the USB is masquarading as a serial port. The computer should recognise the port and mapsource I would have thought would recognise it as a serial port.

Have you tried the send to device and then find device in mapsource?

I'll have another look tonight.

jwalker · 13 January 2005, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

Jono, Mapsource will shearch for a USB because the latest Garmins use USB. However, I had a problem of a unit not being recognised by mapsource. I had to start the software with the unit connected and it had to be set to speak garmin to garmin before the software was started. I'd better add, in my case this was for downloading mapsets not for providing an input for navigation. I've only done that on the serial port. I'll go and try my map76 on the USB for navigating. I'll report back later.

jwalker · 13 January 2005, 19:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by pettal

...It's quite unusual to get a laptop that doesn't have a serial port!?

Not nowadays it's not. Most upmarket laptops don't any longer support serial.

The cheaper ones do, though.

Jono Garton · 13 January 2005, 20:09

Dont think Garmin do a 72/76 etc to usb do they?

Ist def searching for a Serial Port

Jono Garton · 13 January 2005, 20:12

cheers for help by the way

jwalker · 13 January 2005, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Dont think Garmin do a 72/76 etc to usb do they?

Ist def searching for a Serial Port

Yup they do. I just plugged it in.

Right, I started everything up and the unit was unrecognised as you said. Interogated Windows a bit and it said there was a problem with the driver. Shut down and restarted Windows and it was happy.

Started mapsource and had to go to; Tools, Get unit ID, click on USB, OK. After that the 76 ID was read by Mapsource and everything is hunky-dory.

You have clicked on Start Tracking under the GPS tab....of course you have.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Don't know about the 72 but, with the map76 if you go to the setup menu, interface, then it will tell you whether it is speaking to the USB or not.

pettal · 13 January 2005, 22:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwalker

Not nowadays it's not. Most upmarket laptops don't any longer support serial.

The cheaper ones do, though.

Hey! Your talking to techie toy boy here and have the latest top of the range Dell Centrino Laptop........and I got a serial port (in fact two)!!

At the risk of sounding geeky, my top bollix poweredge server also has 4 serial ports.......I've got more than I know what to do with......maybe if I snap one off and send it to Jono!?

Going back to the Garmin problem, I had a chat with a bloke I know from Garmin and this is a known problem. The driver (wait for it technical term coming up) "Gets it's knickers in a twist" and should be fixed in the next release of the software. He said exactly what has been posted is the correct fix, although suggested contacting Garmin and one of their techies maybe able to offer a better solution.

Having said that though he promised me that the cartography around Guernsey would be updated too......and that was a year ago!

jwalker · 13 January 2005, 22:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by pettal

Hey! Your talking to techie toy boy here and have the latest top of the range Dell Centrino Laptop........and I got a serial port (in fact two)!!

Really.... cool.

DJL · 13 January 2005, 23:29

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but does anyone know when Mapsource 7 is being released?

Alex Brown · 14 January 2005, 09:04

With this problem in mind, could you not use something like this to generate a serial port through the usb?

http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpr..._id=VDK2499G01

-Alex

pettal · 14 January 2005, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Brown

With this problem in mind, could you not use something like this to generate a serial port through the usb?

http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpr..._id=VDK2499G01

-Alex

I think this is something similar to what Jono already has.

As for mapsource 7.........not a clue as the bloke I know doesn't work in that department and he won't go and find out for me the miserable begger.

However they have just released an update with quite a few fixes and improvements.

DJL · 14 January 2005, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by pettal

As for mapsource 7.........not a clue as the bloke I know doesn't work in that department and he won't go and find out for me the miserable begger.

However they have just released an update with quite a few fixes and improvements.

I'm pretty sure its soonish - City select Europe’s already on 7. It would be very annoying to unlock version 6.5 and then have to pay $125 to upgrade to version 7 two weeks later. Their upgrade fees are ridiculous!

pettal · 14 January 2005, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJL

I'm pretty sure its soonish - City select Europe’s already on 7. It would be very annoying to unlock version 6.5 and then have to pay $125 to upgrade to version 7 two weeks later. Their upgrade fees are ridiculous!

Complete change of subject but has anyone got the city select and is it much different from 6.5?

Like.....have they added some of the new roads in France in, as the last time I used the car GPS in France I was apparently in the middle of a field instead of the nice new payage I was actually on!?

Jono Garton · 14 January 2005, 11:10

John

Have you got the garmin part number for the usb lead as i am next to the garmin and smg stand and they say they do not do one, i would love to prove them wrong.

Mark Halliday · 14 January 2005, 11:27

Jono

At last a question that I really do know the answer to, that is if you are running XP. It may well work for other versions of windows.

Plug your adapter into the USB port. After the Bing-Bong select the following:-

Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Ports

You will see the USB to Serial port listed with the assigned Com port in brackets.
It will probably be COM 5.

Set that as the port to read, and off you go.

Jono Garton · 14 January 2005, 14:17

cheers will try

usb to 76mapColour is the only one available

stevetheboat · 15 January 2005, 21:11

BUY A GARMIN 276C - and get something that really works (without spaghetti and a watersolubale laptop!).

Remember you can lead a laptop to water but you cant put in a waypoint!

Fnarr Fnarr

DJL · 17 January 2005, 12:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJL

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but does anyone know when Mapsource 7 is being released?

Just got an email back from Garmin - MapSource 7 should be available in 2-3 weeks.

So if you've just bought a Garmin chart plotter at the LBS don't unlock your charts until then!