Laptop GPS World

Hi MARVIN .... THANKS for the Welcome

Forgive me for just posting away here and starting a new thread.

I have been lurking and reading the posts but have so far not found what I am looking for hopefully some help and answers

I own a DELL Laptop with the embedded Novatel Mobile Broadband data card
( Expedite EU870D )

This device although a broadband 3G HSDPA data card also has a GPS function. The included software from DELL ( Dell Mobile broadband Connection Manager) pops up a little window that shows all the GPS stats.

OK fine -- NOW I would like to run all this wonderful software I hear about here -- GARMIN MOBILE PC --

So I download and manage to get installed nRoute , SourceMap , as well as the "Trial" version of GMPC.

The problem is that none of these programs want to recognise the embedded GPS device --

According to Windows XP Pro the GPS port is on COM 8. (The Broadband Modem is on Port COM 3 & COM 4 )

The "modem" side of things works 100% fine -- & -- the provided software gets the GPS going and I can get TEN Sats and three FEET " Uncertainty"

What sort of language the GPS is talking I have NO idea The software interface does not allow me to find out that info (at least I have NOT found it yet ) SO I cannot chnage it to GARMIN / HOST or whatever other protocol these things use.

Garmin Mobile PC does show a list of serial ports to choose from ( looks like it gets the list from Windows Device Manager ) and COM 8 IS listed. However I cannot get GMPC to recognise it or connect to it

As I am in South Africa I realise that the map set provide is NOT going to be of much help -- BUT -- we do have our own set of Garmin Maps here. Have a look at..........

http://www.garmap.co.za

SO maybe one might be able to import these via MapSource

BTW ; I notice someone mentioned a " LADYSMITH" wellll I do know where that one comes from

Anyway -- until I can get the embedded GPS device to TALK to the Garmin software I am up a creek without a paddle -- and the banjo players are getting closer


ANYONE got a DELL and got this stuff to work

Thanks

N, it's supposed to be the other way around: 1) First you post something, and then 2) I say

I love people who post, and those who start new threads, and even lurkers

Make sure no other GPS application is using the GPS receiver (normally only one program can use a GPS receiver at a time, unless you have some GPS signal splitter).

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

Hi Marvin ,

NO problem -- welcome both ways

I do know about the COM port being taken and in use not being available -- but I have been sure to close everything else ( unless there is something "hidden" that is running in the background.)

Perhaps I need to find some sort of utility that will tell me if the port is free or not ?

Will Garmin Mobile PC DEFINITELY identify and be able to use NON-Garmin thrid party GPS's even if they are not in a standard GPS format

What worries me is the instruction to make sure the GPS is plugged in an switched on

If I had to guess I would assume that it is permanenlty plugged in and continuously ON -- just waiting for the software to connect to it

I will go back and see if I can find anything using that COM port. I however do not think that that is the problem. As mentioned , the DELL Connection Manager manages to bring it up OK -- EVERY TIME !

Thanks for the suggestion.


GPS -NOT at the moment

Garmin Mobile PC indeed works with non-Garmin GPS receivers - as long as they support NMEA standard (most do).

Yes, that would be my guess, too.

Very likely it's just something simple. Does the laptop user manual say how to setup GPS navigation software to use the integrated GPS receiver? Did the laptop come with some mapping program installed? Which one?

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

The software for accessing the GPS function is basic to non-existant. There were NO Mapping or other similar type software included.

I read somewhere that DELL were talking about mapping Applications -- but I could never discover what these were I have tried Googling for more info but without success.

There is a manual of sorts for the GPS which I downloaded once -- will have to go and look for it again. As far as I can see there is NO place / software interface for making any configuration changes or accessing any of the GPS functions

Sent email to GARMIN -- will see what transpires. But as you say --perhaps just something simple -- perhaps just a registry entry or change


Thanks so far

Are you sure Expedite EU870D includes GPS? I looked up some info on the web, but I see no mention of GPS. However, I see mention of GPRS - but that's no GPS.

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

OK -- I think that I might have found the answer

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...g/advanced.htm

To use GPS:

1. In the Main window, select GPS Status from the Tools menu, or click the GPS Status button in the tool bar.
2. In the GPS Status window, click Start GPS.
   If the GPS position cannot be obtained within 5 minutes, a warning message appears: “Unable to obtain a GPS fix. Please make sure you have a clear view of the sky. Would you like to stop GPS?” Make sure the system has a clear view of the sky and click Continue Searching, or click Stop.
3. Once location information appears in the GPS window, open the mapping software and configure the correct COM port. The GPS COM port can be found in the GPS Status window as shown above.

=================


Please note Step THREE

It appears that you must have acquired a SAT FIX FIRST -- BEFORE trying to activate the Mapping Software and setting the COM Port. I would have thought that this method would have tied up the COM Port Apparently NOT

I will give this a try tomorrow. I could get TEN Sats in the morning lying in bed lets see what happens.

It would be nice to have got it to all work BEFORE any of the "experts" come up with a reply


Keep your fingers crossed and hope that the skygods are in a good mood

Cool , disregard my message above yours. Obviously you do have a GPS there .

Perhaps the issue is that you are testing it lying in bed.

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

I'll look forward to hearing if that does the trick. In the meantime, and just in case it doesn't, I'll share one of the problems I encountered. I have a Palm device which uses the Palm Hotsync Manager to sync it with the Palm Desktop on the computer.

If Hotsync Manager is running it does wierd things to the com ports. Garmin Mobile PC will not find the GPS if the Hotsync Manager is running.

This is true on my laptop running Vista Home Premium and on my desktop running XP/SP2 (yes, I've got pretty good sat reception in my basement office where my desktop lives and the trip meter has recorded my house moving at speeds of up to 2km per hour. It has even moved outside my property boundaries on occasion.)

...ken...

SUCCESS -- SUCCESS

Sitting on the verandah using the WiFi part of my LAN and typing this with MOBILE PC RUNNING AND with the GPS recognised AND WORKING



I followed instructions and hey presto -- GMPC recognised the GPS port straight away and just started using it. REMEMBER REMEMBER RTFM !

NOW to find out how to get some MAPS from the proper SA Dataset into Garmin Mobile PC

IF that works looks like I will purchase the product -- especially as Google Earth has just released an updated SA overlay.

I will put the whole saga together somewhere as a short blog for anyone else that has a DELL D830 and wants to get GPS & HSDPA working on their machine -- & GMPC -- when I get that sorted.

Thanks to everyone -- MARVIN (KEN -- you better explain) you can achieve great things lying in bed -- just ask WINSTON CHURCHILL


the ECSTATIC one

http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/m...ectSAFRICA.jsp

Terry

Congrats! Do let us know how you like Garmin Mobile PC with maps of South Africa.

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

Laptop GPS software reviews | Stores offering discounts to our members: Semsons & Co. Inc. and Deluo Electronics

Hi Terry ,

Thanks -- that product has been discontinued -- according to what I read on the Garmin page. Please note -- price of US$120 for ONE CD vs US$100 for the WHOLE GMPC package.

We now have a company in SA called GARMAPS

http://www.garmap.co.za

Their mapping is actually done by a company called GEORIGIN

http://www.georigin.com

&

MapIT

http://www.mapit.co.za


What I am discovering is that the SA GARMAP product is hard wired to an actual Garmin physical device or so I am told.

When you come to install the software it asks you for a GARMN Device SERIAL number

One of the techs was telling me that this serial number is hard wired into MapSource -- hardly believable

I have just spent half an hour on the phone to the local SA agents without getting to speak to a human.

So if an anyone has an old defunct Garmin device lying in the reject bin somewhere please could you send me the serial number.( I promise I won't tell anyone )

After that I still have to pay for and unlock the mapping set I am interested in -- and then see if I can get it out of MapSouce and into GMPC -- before my trial ends.

AFTER that I will be able to tell you what I think about the product in SA (You guys have it real EASY there where you are )

Well miracles might happen -- and the agents might phone me back

Try the Software Unit ID found under Settings - About. It is the substitute for a serial number when unlocking maps.

Terry

Thanks Terry got that -- found the number and thought that that was what it might be. WHAT happens though when the "trial" period runs out ?????

Just having a lot of fun here playng around with the software and getting to grips with GARMIN and GPS

I have managed to navigate my way through all the hurdles up to the point of paying for a map set -- but I discovered some serious security flaws on the vendors so called ecommerce website. I will have to tell them about that -- but perhaps I will only do that WHEN / IF they ever bother to phone me back.

I spoke to one of the big wigs here at the certified Garmin agents ( Got his mobile number by a bit of round about way )

http://www.avnic.co.za

Apparently they are planning an African release of Mobile PC which will then have a link into the local GARMAP African mapping data set. Much the same thing as you guys have over there. BUT he cannot tell me when this is likely to take place --he tells me that if I go ahead and purchase the current version of GMPC I will be wasting my money as I will have to pay over again when the FINAL -- LOCAL product is released. Apparently most of the time is being spent on concentrating on the new fancy mobile handsets that are now coming out with everything except the kitchen sink

SO -- WHAT do I do in the meantime ?

I have actually been thinking of obtaining a very basic used Garmin unit just to get around all this nonsense -- problem is here even the most basic units are expensive -- and the whole idea was not to buy what I already have. Unfortunately the bug has bitten

The road and routing info is nice but I am basically a mapping person. I have installed and use Google Earth -- by which one can link into Google Maps etc etc.

I think that I am seeing a lot of overlap ????

Here one can obtain a set of DVD's from the Surveyor-General at a very minimal cost that contain all the Topographic data sets for the whole country.

I am still new to the whole GPS thing a la GARMIN -- I do not want to get to the end and discover that it is a bit of an anti-climax. I am also thinking of installing some of the ESRI products "ArcGIS" nice fit to the GPS and Satellite stuff. No way to run "ArcGIS" on your PDA -- or perhaps you can ?

I am making an appoinment to go see my fundi mapping contact . NO point in re-inventing the Wheel (mapping protocols)

In the mean time I have to find a way of running GMPC -- without buying it -- while I WAIT for the local version release date.

Life is sometimes a bit of a beatch -- especially when the tide is out