PDA will not pick-up integral GPS locator signal- Help!!

[Gin]

You may remember from an earlier post that I wanted to test gps charting on a PDA before going the whole hog on a serious upgrade of my boat system.

I bought a Fujitsu-Siemens Loox N520 with integral GPS and now I've loaded Map-Tech OS and marine charts to test it out (I couldn't get on with the Seaclear method of scanning and cropping/stitching).

The Map-Tech manual tells me what to do with Garmin/Magellan units but for others tells me to select NMEA 0183, a Baud rate of 4800, which I have done, and the software should be able to receive the GPS signals- it doesn't!

I am leaving the GPS locator running in the background, checking evry now and then to make sure it still has a signal but all I get on the chart page is 'Communication timeout' and this is what the manual troubleshooter says
"Communication timeout
The software was not able to receive any data from the GPS and has given up. It will try to re-establish communication in a few seconds. If this persists, see "No data" above".

Nothing happens however long I wait.

I reckon this is operator error but for the life of me I cannot improve the situation. Any ideas guys/gals??

Be warned to those helpful souls who answer, there is another question lurking about loading up extra charts on an SD card, and being able to find them on the 'Programs' list but this should be simple and I shall work on that before having to admit, as Arnie does "I'll be back"

 

[cozzykim]

Hi, I'm not familiar with the Loox but I have an XDA Orbit running various GPS apps.
Two questions - have you selected the correct COM port for Map-Tech, look at the settings>gps info to find out which port and data speed is used by the GPS receiver?
Is the Loox capable of sharing GRS data with more than one application, if not you may need to use something like gpsgate to share the data
Hope this helps, post back if more info needed

EDIT: The Loox N520 *is* able to share its GPS data between several apps and is a modern SIRF receiver.
Look at the settings for "GPS Locator" - COM port and baud rate and apply these settings to Map-Tech, it sounds to me like Map-Tech isn't communicating with the hardware at the moment

Regards

Kim

 

[Gin]

Hi Kim,

Com1 seems to be the port of choice, although I've tried a couple of others, which Map-Tech didn't like(" unable to open Com2" etc.) so I've gone back to Com1 and checked that IR, which also uses that port is disabled.

The result's the same' Communication Timeout'

Since nothing else is active would I really need the ballgate route?- nothing mentioned in either the FS or Map-Tech help screens?

just seen your edit " [ QUOTE ]
it sounds to me like Map-Tech isn't communicating with the hardware at the moment


[/ QUOTE ] That's exactly it in my opinion but I can't see or work out how to overcome it

 

[cozzykim]

Hi, I've downloaded and installed the demos for Memory-Map (Laptop) and Pocket Navigator, I presume it's pocket navigator that you're playing with?
They're both crippled as demos /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif but I've managed to get P-N working on my Orbit
Once it's running I went to Menu>GPS>Setup and selected Manufacturer - NMEA (It doesn't work with SirF for some reason /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif)
Port - COM4 (which is the one my other apps use although the hardware reports "COM3 GPS Port /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif)
Baud - 4800

Then "OK"

Menu>GPS>Satellites

Shows the sats in view as grey bars, changing to green when data is received.

I think you need to find out which COM port your Loox uses for GPS data.

As a matter of interest I have also tried Memory Map Navigator demo/GPS2Blue to connect my laptop to my Orbit GPS via Bluetooth thus using the Laptop as a Chart Plotter (although its a pig to setup GPS2Blue's com ports /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif )

Keep at it - I'll try to help - try looking at the Loox's "GPS Locator" settings to get the correct COM port from a working application to put into P-N

Regards

Kim

 

[Gin]

I don't think I've done anything different, except that I didn't sample Com4,I used other ports, but when you say:-
[ QUOTE ]
- NMEA (It doesn't work with SirF for some reason

[/ QUOTE ]
this could be the problem, in which case there may be an incompatibility problem- perhaps I should contact Map-Tech for advice

 

[cozzykim]

I just found a forum where the GPS COM port for the Loox 560 is quoted as COM8 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif so maybe try that one for your n520

BTW my SirF receiver does work when set as NMEA in P-N, NMEA is the default protocol so it should always work even if your receiver is capable of better

 

[CPD]

I use maptech on pda's and have for a couple of years. if you can see the chart on the pda then the prob is almost certainly te com port choice. try each one. When it works it is brilliant, which i have found to be most of the time. when it doesnt, it tends to be hardware related. boats arent pda friendly. i have invested in an otterbox - expensive but worth it. good luck.

 

[Gin]

Map-Tech confirm no problem with SIRF and recommend closing down the GPS Locator, which I've had running in the background, to no avail so far.

However what you say about COM8 is interesting as I recall COM1 and COM8 were the original setups for GPS comm. port and hardware comm port, respectively-BUT I could have got that the wrong way round so I shall switch them and see what happens