MaxSea, Garmin Handheld and Windows Vista

[demonboy]

Using GPSGATE I've successfully got my Garmin Vista Cx to talk to my computer using the serial cable. However when I try and open it up in Maxsea it comes up with 'unable to open COM4'. I have no other devices attached to the laptop.

Using Device Manager I note that the Garmin GPS appears as an independent device.

When I do all this in XP I can go straight in to Maxsea and use the GPS.

Any advice on how to open up that COM port or clues on what I should be doing?

 

[FAITIRA]

I am an utter computor dodo, but I have Maxsea and I recently bought a GPS unit for it, the unit came with an installation disc, any relevance to your problem?

 

[Danny]

Assumption: You now have Windows Vista and you're connecting an eTrex Vista Cx h/h to the PC (via USB). You can 'talk' to it with GpsGate but not with MaxSea S/W. It all used to work on Windows XP.

Did you reload the drivers that came with the eTrex when you upgraded to Vista? You also need to check that the drivers are version 2.2 (Vista support).

Are you using GpsGate to convert from Garmin USB to Serial port (COM4) for MaxSea? This should work OK if GpsGate is talking to the eTrex, as you state. You'll need to define COM4 as a virtual output port in GpsGate of course.

 

[beneteau_305_553]

Try going into maxsea
Go to utilities, then data input output sttings
Click on add instrument and serial port input. Click on check data and look for gps data input. Select active port. Return to Input settings menu.
Then highlight active port and click advanced settings
set position to GLL
and SOG and COG to VTG

 

[FAITIRA]

[ QUOTE ]
Try going into maxsea
Go to utilities, then data input output sttings
Click on add instrument and serial port input. Click on check data and look for gps data input. Select active port. Return to Input settings menu.
Then highlight active port and click advanced settings
set position to GLL
and SOG and COG to VTG

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey!, my little €50 do dah worked no bother.

 

[demonboy]

[ QUOTE ]
You now have Windows Vista and you're connecting an eTrex Vista Cx h/h to the PC (via USB). You can 'talk' to it with GpsGate but not with MaxSea S/W. It all used to work on Windows XP.

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct.

[ QUOTE ]
Did you reload the drivers that came with the eTrex when you upgraded to Vista? You also need to check that the drivers are version 2.2 (Vista support).

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct. The driver I downloaded from the Garmin site is 221 and it must support it as Vista can see the handheld, as can GPSGate.

The problem is that when I try to assign COM4 as a virtual output port in GPSGate it just says 'Failed to create virtual port'. When I open up Maxsea it comes up with 'Can't open serial COM4'.

 

[demonboy]

Hunter - this is the normal procedure I follow but in Vista it keeps popping up 'can't open serial COM4' when I click on 'check data'. The problem is occuring before I even open up Maxsea so this is a Vista configuration issues, not a Maxsea issue I believe.

With other devices you can normally use Device Manager to change the port settings, especially the old serial to usb devices, but in Vista it sees the Garmin Handheld as a serparate device.

Anyone know how to open up this COM4 port?

 

[Danny]

[quoteThe problem is that when I try to assign COM4 as a virtual output port in GPSGate it just says 'Failed to create virtual port'.

[/ QUOTE ]In Vista (if you have UAC on - which is the default) you'll need to run GpsGate in administrator mode. (Close the current GpsGate instance; right click the program icon and click "Run as administrator"). Hope that fixes it....

 

[demonboy]

Funnily enough I just read that solution, Danny. It works! Ta.

 

[Danny]

That's good. You may have already done this but just in case... so you don't have to remember whenever you start GpsGate you can do the following:
<ul type="square"> [*]Right click the GpsGate shortcut and click "open file location". [*]Right click the GpsGateXP.exe icon and click "Properties". [*]Click the compatability tab and tick the "Run this program as an administrator" box. [*]Click OK. [/list]