gps/laptop connections

[masterofnone]

My laptop doesn't have a 9 pin serial port. My intention was to buy a garmin cigplug/gps/pc cable (maplins £30), only to discover I also req usb adaptor£25 approx. Should I buy another gps/usb so I have a spare? or buy the original cable split it to provide other links to vhf/repeater and the usb adaptor . Anyone any other ideas how to connect this lot together.

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[paulburton44]

i bought my adapter of ebay ?

try this..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1502&item=6724116635&rd=1

cheap as chips...

<hr width=100% size=1>www.withamsailingclub.co.uk

 

[Talbot]

cheaper option is to buy a gps usb mouse from Ebay - total abt £30 +p&p , and then you have a second GPS and no connection worries!

It will probably be only an 8 channel receiver at that price, but doesnt seem to make any diference when I use it on Autoroute!

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[moodycruiser]

Absolutely agree - did the same and now have second system on the laptop in addition to the Garmin gpsmap in the cockpit. Gps mouse put me right on the button in Maptech when anchored in newtown and agreed with the Garmin. Nice to know I've got the back up there /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony

 

[boatmike]

Be afraid! I started a string on this recently and a lot of people have problems.
Having now sussed it out I would summerise thus.
DONT whatever you do buy the Garmin USB lead. It's very expensive and DOES NOT WORK. Unless you are running windows 98 or 2000 your computer will recognise the GPS input as a serial mouse and your screen will go bananas.
I am running a Garmin to a PC using windows XP. I use a cheap USB to serial adaptor that I bought from Tiny computers on line for about 12 quid. It comes with a "driver" disk that you load to your PC to tell it what it is and it works great. If using a Garmin ensure that it is outputting NMEA info. You can change this in its menu of options (look in the book)
Alternatively as Talbot says you can use a GPS mouse and there are many of these around but they dont give you a strong signal inside the boat. A fixed GPS with an external antenna is better. If you need more info PM me.

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[geoffatstanpit]

According to Garmin at the SBS they have no plans to do a cig/usb adapter for their GPS. You need a serial-usb cable (with supplied driver on CD) from e.g. Maplin and you also need to tell the GPS to talk NMEA (same as serial) rather than the Garminspeak it comes set up for.

That done, mine works fine. But the laptop still runs out of puff after 3 hours. Need to look for solar cells and windmills at LBS!

Geoff

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[Gunfleet]

or a bluetooth mouse, which takes the least connecting of all!

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[Talbot]

Theoretically you are right, but not I have found in practice (and I connect my laptop by bluetooth to my phone)

Furthermore, it takes less power (and less likelihood of connection interrupts) to use USB, and the USB cable provides the power for the GPS mouse.

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[Clive]

I had the same problem connecting my Garmin 76 to my laptop, I had a cable which came with the GPS but it had a plug which connected to the com port on the laptop, however my laptop only had USB ports.

I bought a conversion thing, from PC world, which links a com output from the Garmin to a USB on the lap top, then using the disk supplied, it converted one of the USB to emulate a com port.

It worked very well, once I realised that I also had to tell the GPS to send data. Accurate to ½ a boat length, when in Yarmouth Harbour and on my mooring in the Hamble.


<hr width=100% size=1>Clive

 

[Solitaire]

Funny how things occur without having to ask. I've just got a 76 and when I went to plug the lead into the laptop I discovered that same problem - PC World you say. Right off I go!

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