GPS-Laptop-Com Port ?

[Fascadale]

I can't get my (oldish) Garmin eTrex GPS position to show up on my (perhaps not entirely pukka) Maxsea software

The Garmin does show up on my (pukka) Memory Map, so the Garmin and its connection are working.

Might there be some sort of Com Port problem and how might this be remedied?

Maxsea will only offer to communicate via one com port, have tried adding new device option, but it only offers to add software?!

Laptop is running Vista, connection lead has weird looking plug onto Garmin and odd looking plug onto USB socket.

Garmin "interface" is set on NMEA 183 Out at 4800 Baud (whatever that means)

 

[deaks]

Hi, I'm sure there will be more experienced sailors along shortly but have a look in the maxsea set up and see if the baud rate matches the 4800baud rate that you say is set on your Garmin.
I take it that you have a usb lead from the Garmin or do yu have a serial plug to USB adapter?
Check to see that MAxsea is set to the correct Com port that the adapter (if used) as been allocated.

 

[wotayottie]

not familiar with maxsea, but usually you will find in maxsea has a setting that allows you to nominate the port it expects to get data from eg port 5. Then on the pc go into settings>control panel>system>device maneger and make sure that the software you are using (often Prolific) is set to use the same port at the same speed.

dont get confused by physical plugs and sockets. these ports are virtual ones. your physical system sounds as if its working OK

 

[beneteau_305_553]

try going to maxsea then utilities then data input output. click on the port and set to active. set this also as master.Then go to advanced settings and set position to GLL and

if it still doesn't work go to my control panel, system, device hardware, ports or usb devices , right click on the gps device, select properties the select baud rate and set to 4800

 

[Mrnotming]

franson gps gate fixes a lot of problems and it is not very expensive, for the basic version.Enables one gps input to be shared out amongst several devices www.franson.com/gpsgate is where to find them. I used the prog on my asus eeepc which has windows xp.Good sailing to all.

 

[John_Parkes]

I am experiencing the same problem with XP and C-Map. As you need to have some sort of junction box ( in my case terminal block) to feed nmea to other equipment I thought it would be a simple matter of connecting the +data, -data and gnd on a usb plug! Apparently not!

 

[whipper_snapper]

Maxsea will not directly see a GPS on a USB port. You have 2 choices,
1. Make the USB port look like a serial port
2. Really use a com port! By taking data from the power/data plug

1. Is usually more convenient. As said above, Franson GPS gate does this very nicely and gives you some useful extra things. That is what I do. Some Garmins (I am told) come with drivers to do this for you, mine does not. One way or another, you need to fool maxsea into thinking it is reading data from a serial (com) port.

 

[[3889]]

If the above don't resolve your problem you can force the GPS prolific port to match the port available in Maxsea. Go to device manager, select ports, right click the prolific driver and select properties. You will see the com port in use and you can type over it to match the com required by Maxsea.
Andy

 

[wotayottie]

now c map and xp I am familiar with having had to help others set it up

get the hard wiring correct to start with. then if you havent already got it download the prolific usb to serial converter software (foc). then follow what I said above starting with the cmap configuration program which is seperate from the operating program..

 

[beneteau_305_553]

I have Vista and maxsea 10 running on a usb gps reciever and also though a usb to serial port adapter and that connected to a garmin etrex data cable as backup.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

I have had good experience using Garmin and Maxsea via the Franson software (£15). You just plug in and choose the COMS port that works!!

 

[demonboy]

Yeah, Franson should sort you out. You could also try selecting COM4 as your port. Someone told me this trick in the dim and distant past and twice it solved two installations I undertook. Don't ask me why.

 

[emsworthy]

FWIW my experience is that Garmin devices do not output standard NMEA sentences as a default. I discovered this when trying use a mates Garmin handheld with my similarly "pukka" Maxsea last weekend although it was connected to the serial port (com 1) I couldn't get a position.

The trick I found was to go into the settings menu of the Garmin and change the output to "NMEA" rather than "Garmin". Sorry I can't remember exactly what menu it was but something like "settings" seems to spring to mind. I then got a position that was updated but the SOG and COG sentences where not transmitted/received. This I managed to sort out by clicking a few boxes in the "advanced" menu in Maxsea. Sorry it was a bit trial and error so I can't quite remember which ones. (It was pretty obvious though IIRC).

Hope this helps a bit.