Laptop GPS World

In earlier versions (up to 2006 AFAIK), S&T would not talk to a GPS via USB, serial only was supported. Now that MS sells their own GPS using USB, the question arises about non-MS GPS receivers.

Will Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 talk to my Garmin GPSmap 60C via USB?

__________________
Arnie
Software:
MS S&T 2008
Garmin nRoute 2.7.6
iNav iGuidance 4.0
Franson GPSGate 2.6
Hardware:
Thinkpad T60p
Microsoft (Pharos) GPS
Garmin eMap GPSMap60C

I don't think Microsoft has changed anything in the program. If your Garmin worked with S&T 2006, it should still work just fine with S&T 07, and S&T 08.

The optional GPS receiver included with S&T uses a virtual com port - so Streets & Trips views it as a serial GPS receiver.

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Marvin Hlavac

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

That's the problem, Marvin - the Garmin USB GPSr does NOT work with S&T 2006. However, since they seem to be using a virtual COM port in 2007 and 2008, then my Garmin USB-connected GPSr should work, but I would like to be sure.

__________________
Arnie
Software:
MS S&T 2008
Garmin nRoute 2.7.6
iNav iGuidance 4.0
Franson GPSGate 2.6
Hardware:
Thinkpad T60p
Microsoft (Pharos) GPS
Garmin eMap GPSMap60C

Check settings of your Garmin to see if it is possible to set it to output NMEA (instead of Garmin protocol).

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

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

Of course it is possible, and I have tried both. S&T 2006 finds only COM ports, none of which have the GPSMap 60C connected since it is on the USB port! Furthermore, I am well aware that S&T 2006 expects NMEA 2.0 protocol. Still, this is not my question. I really don't care about S&T 2006 - I am interested in the operation of S&T 2008. I want to know if it will work before I buy it. I appreciate your efforts to help troubleshoot, but that's not the problem.

Someone out there must have Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 and a USB connected non-MS GPS receiver. Do they talk together.

__________________
Arnie
Software:
MS S&T 2008
Garmin nRoute 2.7.6
iNav iGuidance 4.0
Franson GPSGate 2.6
Hardware:
Thinkpad T60p
Microsoft (Pharos) GPS
Garmin eMap GPSMap60C

There are a couple of things you could try even now, with your S&T 2006, to test it (before you buy Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008). If this works w/S&T06, it will work just the same w/S&T08.

* One possibility is to use a 3rd party utility application called Franson GPS Gate: http://franson.com/gpsgate/guide.asp?section=Garmin_USB_GPS_200&platform=winx p There is a free trial you can download to test it. If it works for you, and if you decide to buy GPS Gate, you can just get the less expensive "Express" version.

* Garmin has a software solution which should achieve the same, and I believe it is free. Check that out: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=1627

I personally never used a Garmin unit as a GPS receiver for S&T, so I cannot give first-hand feedback, but others have used the above mentioned solutions successfully.

Other alternative would be to consider buying an inexpensive 3rd party USB GPS receiver. Nowadays they cost only about $50 (or even less). Here are some: http://www.semsons.com/mousgpsrec.html

__________________
Marvin Hlavac

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

Arnie and Marvin,

GPSGate will probably work with the receiver in standard NMEA mode.

Spanner probably won't. I'm pretty sure Spanner is just for the GPS 18 receiver.

If you already have the Garmin receiver and Garmin maps, another, probably better, solution would be to download the Garmin nroute program.

It has all the features and functions for trip planning of Garmin's MapSource program on the PC but it also includes navigation using the GPS.

Sorry to butt in here with a pointer to a Garmin solution. I'm just new here so I hope I haven't stepped on any toes. I just got nroute and S&T 2008 working on my Vista laptop using GPSGate and the receiver that comes with Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008. I have to say that the S&T North America maps are a little prettier than the Garmin maps but it's the same Navteq data under the covers. Here in Western Canada that's not a good thing.

...ken...

Arnie,

I re-read your previous messages and took a look at what comes with the 60C. I see that I didn't give you an answer that will be very useful to you, I think.

I assume the reason you want to use S&T is for its detailled maps, which do not come with the 60C. Is that correct? If so, try GPSGate with your 60C and S&T 2006. If it makes your 60C work with S&T 2006, there's no reason to think it won't also work with 2008.

GPSGate (Express version) has a free trial period. That's what I'm on now. It works so well that I'm about to purchase it. It's really easy to install and to configure. There's a wizard that makes it a real no-brainer to get things working with it.

My suggestion to use Garmin's nroute on the PC was based on the (wrong) assumption that you already have detailled Garmin maps. My apologies. However, you might want to download it and play with it anyway. The Satellites tab will let you see what info the receiver is passing to the PC, giving you information that I have not found in S&T yet.

...ken...

Thanks for the replies, everyone and thanks for the pointers to various potential solutions. However, I can now report that Streets and Trips 2008 will not read signals from any USB connected GPS receiver other than the Microsoft (really Pharos) receiver included in their product.

My original question was simply an attempt to save some money. I wanted to upgrade from S&T 2006 to 2008 without buying the MS GPSr. However, in my shopping, I found that Best Buy (USA) was selling S&T 2008 with GPSr for only $60 US (regular $99). I couldn't resist! S&T 2008 works fine with the MS GPSr connected by USB. However, it simply does not see my Garmin GPSMap 60C at all. I do have the 60C on NMEA 2.0 but S&T simply ignores it. On the other hand, nRoute (which I have used for years) works fine with the Garmin USB connected GPSr. I have not tested nRoute with the MS GPSr.

Basically, the bottom line is that S&T seems to work only with the MS USB connected GPSr. In addition, I am finished fighting with S&T to make it talk to my Garmin GPSr - I succumbed to the low price sale.

Thanks again for everyone's assistance.

__________________
Arnie
Software:
MS S&T 2008
Garmin nRoute 2.7.6
iNav iGuidance 4.0
Franson GPSGate 2.6
Hardware:
Thinkpad T60p
Microsoft (Pharos) GPS
Garmin eMap GPSMap60C

Arnie,

If you use, and like, nroute I can guarantee that GPSGate works great with the MS receiver talking to nroute. I looked at the GPSGate site again and I'm positive that once it's installed it would also allow your 60C to talk to S&T (eg. Garmin GPS to standared NMEA application), so you could have it both ways: grab whichever receiver is handy and have it talking to both nav programs, simultaneously if you wish. Did I mention before how easy it is to use? And that it has a free trial period so you can just toss it if you don't like it?

I bought Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 (on sale, too) mostly for the receiver because I have a bunch of Garmin maps for my iQue 3600 that I can use with nroute on my laptop, but didn't have a receiver for my laptop. As you discovered, this was a quick and cheap way to get a good one. I'm still playing with S&T and if I ever figure out how to use it I might decide that the software and maps are a minor bonus.

Whatever you decide, I'm glad you have something that you are already happy with. Good navigating!

...ken...

I have S&T2007 and 2008, and have used them with a USB GPS puck I bought some time ago. The brand is GlobalSat. The puck came with a small driver that seems to bridge the USB GPS to a regular COM port in the software. The driver is from a company called Prolific and is called the PL-2303 driver. It may be specific to the interface chip in the GPS puck. Here's a link to the driver:
Prolific PL-2303 Driver

I think you'll find that any USB device will need software to look like a COM port.

Rick

Hi Rick,

The Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008 USB GPS receiver comes with its own driver that does the same thing. It installs automatically at the same time you are installing Streets & Trips.

I'm surprised that in 2007 we still have most of the GPS nav software insisting on using archaic COM port code to communicate with the GPS receiver instead of talking directly through the USB port. That's what makes these silly drivers necessary. I guess it keeps the computer programmers in business, anyway.

...ken...

Just to close off this thread (from my point of view), nRoute will NOT work with the GPSr included in MS S&T 2008. This isn't particularly surprising, I think, considering that nRoute expects Garmin format, whereas the MS GPSr puts out NMEA.

Perhaps some kind of interface utility might do all the conversions, but as I said before, I am not about to wrestle with all these packages.

Come on, Garmin and Microsoft (and all the others). Pick a standard and use it.

__________________
Arnie
Software:
MS S&T 2008
Garmin nRoute 2.7.6
iNav iGuidance 4.0
Franson GPSGate 2.6
Hardware:
Thinkpad T60p
Microsoft (Pharos) GPS
Garmin eMap GPSMap60C

Just a note on S&T 2006. I have a SkyCaddie Golf GPS that outputs NMEA thru USB cable and 2006 sees it fine