Problem with Bluetooth GPS

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nevis

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Afternoon all.I hope some of you tech guys can help.I have just purchased a Bluetooth USB GPS from Visit my harbour,to use with their charts and sea clear.Unfortunately my new netbook Asus Aspire one D255E wont talk to the GPS.The charts are all loaded ok and i have made the GPS visable.I cannot get the applicable Baud rate to fire up the GPS. the GPS Dongle is working ok and it found the satellites within a minute.The Bluetooth logo shows on the toolbar but when i click add a device the screen tells me it is serching for a device and to make sure its discoverable.Another problem is that my netbook has an instant on Android which when i go ito the android settings it discovers the gps and tells me its paired but not connected.Also i paired the Gps on my laptop and got it working in less than a minute. Your help would be much appreciated as its doing my head in after playing about with it for hours. Thanks
Derek
 
I'm slightly confused. Is your netbook (Asus Aspire?) running Android or Windows? If it's Windows, which version - XP, Vista, 7?

I've used a Bluetooth GPS with both W7 and XP without too much trouble - but Bluetooth and COM ports can be a bit of a pain.

When you got the GPS running on the Laptop (Windows?) did you have to load a driver or did it just use existing drivers?

If your problem is with Android then I won't be much help as I have no knowledge of this (except on my wife's phone!).
 
Playtime said:
I'm slightly confused. Is your netbook (Asus Aspire?) running Android or Windows? If it's Windows, which version - XP, Vista, 7?

I've used a Bluetooth GPS with both W7 and XP without too much trouble - but Bluetooth and COM ports can be a bit of a pain.

When you got the GPS running on the Laptop (Windows?) did you have to load a driver or did it just use existing drivers?

If your proble m is with Android then I won't be much help as I have no knowledge of this (except on my wife's phone!).
Click to expand...

My netbook is running both, i believe the android bit is running on linux and the other is windows7.I can start in the android mode and then go into windows but the gps will only work with windows.as for the Laptop i had to download the driver by plugging the Bluetooth device into a USB
 
I wonder if the fact that Android boots first, and automatically pairs with the GPS, is what's causing the problem. When you then start Windows 7 maybe the GPS still thinks it's paired with the Android system.

Have you tried turning off the GPS before you start the netbook and then power it back on after you've loaded Windows 7?

Just a guess but it would be easy to check out.
 
nevis said:
My netbook is running both, i believe the android bit is running on linux and the other is windows7.I can start in the android mode and then go into windows but the gps will only work with windows.as for the Laptop i had to download the driver by plugging the Bluetooth device into a USB
Click to expand...

I'm afraid it's still not clear what you are doing. If you start the netbook in Android are you then running a Windows emulator (i.e. Android is still providing the 'real' hardware interfaces) or do you reboot the netbook with Windows?

If the former, then the link between the bluetooth GPS, running in Android, and the COM ports in the emulated Windows system, is probably the problem. I have no idea what that problem could be, though.

If you are running Windows in native mode (i.e. without Android underneath) then look in Device Manager/Ports and report what you see for Bluetooth devices and COM ports. We'll then see if we can suggest anything.
 
Playtime said:
I'm afraid it's still not clear what you are doing. If you start the netbook in Android are you then running a Windows emulator (i.e. Android is still providing the 'real' hardware interfaces) or do you reboot the netbook with Windows?

If the former, then the link between the bluetooth GPS, running in Android, and the COM ports in the emulated Windows system, is probably the problem. I have no idea what that problem could be, though.

If you are running Windows in native mode (i.e. without Android underneath) then look in Device Manager/Ports and report what you see for Bluetooth devices and COM ports. We'll then see if we can suggest anything.
Click to expand...
I think the OP is describing an Acer Aspire dual boot netbook. It boots Android by default (cos it's so quick) but you can then reboot it with Windows 7 if you wish.
 
Danny said:
I think the OP is describing an Acer Aspire dual boot netbook. It boots Android by default (cos it's so quick) but you can then reboot it with Windows 7 if you wish.
Click to expand...

Understood. It sounds like the usual Windows COM port problems then! Either that or he hasn't loaded the right driver.
 
Playtime said:
Understood. It sounds like the usual Windows COM port problems then! Either that or he hasn't loaded the right driver.
Click to expand...
Maybe, but I'd like him to try my suggestion in an earlier post. He mentioned that, when Android started up on the netbook, it automatically paired with the BT GPS device. If he then booted Win7 (replacing Android on the same netbook) I think there's a possibility that the BT GPS still thinks it is bonded and won't respond to Win7.

If he leaves the GPS powered off until after Win7 is booted then maybe it would work.

Warning: these are the thoughts of an optimist - not those of a BlueTooth expert!:)
 
Danny said:
I think the OP is describing an Acer Aspire dual boot netbook. It boots Android by default (cos it's so quick) but you can then reboot it with Windows 7 if you wish.
Click to expand...

Absolutely correct.I have switched the default start to windows and disabled bluetooth in the Android (also disabled wifi just in case) still no joy
The comms box in bluetooth settings is empty ,discovery is allowed, connections are allowed
but still will not load.In devices and printers on the desk top shows a generic bluetooth radio.I will phone Visit My Harbour this morning for advice and failing that i will speak to the company who fix my computers when there is a problem. many thanks for your help and suggestions
 
Going back to the original question, why do you need both Bluetooth and USB for a single GPS receiver? Either Bluetooth or USB can be used to connect a device to a PC but I do not understand why you would use both.
 
Before you give up there is something you can try.

Can you check that bluetooth in W7 is working on the netbook with something other than your GPS e.g. wireless keyboard, mouse or phone maybe? In Devices and Printers you should be able to see the bluetooth (BT) receiver and the 'new' device. If that is not working then the problem lies with W7 and bluetooth, not with the GPS.

If there is any problem, go to Device Manager (Start, right click Computer, left click Manage, left click Device Manager) and look for Bluetooth Radios and also Ports. You should see something like the attached if all is OK.

Give that a whirl and report back.
 
Dave_Seager said:
Going back to the original question, why do you need both Bluetooth and USB for a single GPS receiver? Either Bluetooth or USB can be used to connect a device to a PC but I do not understand why you would use both.
Click to expand...

If it's like my "Copilot" GPS, the usb only charges the battery, and can be disconnected . Data connection is BT.
 
Playtime said:
Before you give up there is something you can try.

Can you check that bluetooth in W7 is working on the netbook with something other than your GPS e.g. wireless keyboard, mouse or phone maybe? In Devices and Printers you should be able to see the bluetooth (BT) receiver and the 'new' device. If that is not working then the problem lies with W7 and bluetooth, not with the GPS.

If there is any problem, go to Device Manager (Start, right click Computer, left click Manage, left click Device Manager) and look for Bluetooth Radios and also Ports. You should see something like the attached if all is OK.

Give that a whirl and report back.
Click to expand...

Wireless mouse is working.The supplier is sending me a couple of replacement bluetooth dongles as it appears someone else had the same problem with W7,also i downloaded a driver for a USB GPS which i have had for some time, this is working ok
 
nevis said:
Wireless mouse is working.The supplier is sending me a couple of replacement bluetooth dongles as it appears someone else had the same problem with W7,also i downloaded a driver for a USB GPS which i have had for some time, this is working ok
Click to expand...

OK - it is clearly the BT GPS or it's driver that is faulty. It will be interesting to see if the replacement works.

BTW - is the driver known to work with W7? Some older hardware won't work on W7 as the drivers haven't been updated.
 
Playtime said:
OK - it is clearly the BT GPS or it's driver that is faulty. It will be interesting to see if the replacement works.

BTW - is the driver known to work with W7? Some older hardware won't work on W7 as the drivers haven't been updated.
Click to expand...

Problem solved,the supplier sent me a couple of bluetooth dongles to try and hey presto the first one i tried immediately found the GPS and loaded it,so all works nicely now.Thanks for all the help and tips
 
connecting GPS to asus aspire

I had similar problems although I don't use a bluetooth link. The problem seemed to be that the GPS requires access to a serial port which a net book (and, I think, laptop) does not have. I had to download software from the GPS manufacturer to create a virtual serial port. Unfortunately, I never had any real success (had to download the software on a number of occasions) and, being someone with no stamina, ended up buying a chartplotter which I use for pilotage and continue using my utterly faultless Yeoman for passage planning and overview.
 
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