GPS with Map Source on my Laptop

[Jono Garton]

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

[Ribald]

I can sell you an old laptop with a serial port.

[pettal]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

The only way I know how to do this is by buying the Garmin USB data card reader. Do Garmin not do a USB version of their cable? It's quite unusual to get a laptop that doesn't have a serial port!?

Having said that, if you have a plug and play serial adapter it should still work as in effect the USB is masquarading as a serial port. The computer should recognise the port and mapsource I would have thought would recognise it as a serial port.

Have you tried the send to device and then find device in mapsource?

I'll have another look tonight.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Hi

I plan to use Mapsource on my Laptop with a Garmin GPS 72 plugged in to it.

However the garmin leed is to a serial port, doh, i dont have a serial port on my lap top so got a usb conversion, however Mapsource will not search for a usb only serial.

Can anyone help me ???

Jono, Mapsource will shearch for a USB because the latest Garmins use USB. However, I had a problem of a unit not being recognised by mapsource. I had to start the software with the unit connected and it had to be set to speak garmin to garmin before the software was started. I'd better add, in my case this was for downloading mapsets not for providing an input for navigation. I've only done that on the serial port. I'll go and try my map76 on the USB for navigating. I'll report back later.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by pettal

...It's quite unusual to get a laptop that doesn't have a serial port!?

Not nowadays it's not. Most upmarket laptops don't any longer support serial. The cheaper ones do, though.

[Jono Garton]

Dont think Garmin do a 72/76 etc to usb do they?

Ist def searching for a Serial Port

[Jono Garton]

cheers for help by the way

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Dont think Garmin do a 72/76 etc to usb do they?

Ist def searching for a Serial Port

Yup they do. I just plugged it in.

Right, I started everything up and the unit was unrecognised as you said. Interogated Windows a bit and it said there was a problem with the driver. Shut down and restarted Windows and it was happy.

Started mapsource and had to go to; Tools, Get unit ID, click on USB, OK. After that the 76 ID was read by Mapsource and everything is hunky-dory.

You have clicked on Start Tracking under the GPS tab....of course you have.

Hope this helps.

Edit: Don't know about the 72 but, with the map76 if you go to the setup menu, interface, then it will tell you whether it is speaking to the USB or not.

[pettal]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Not nowadays it's not. Most upmarket laptops don't any longer support serial. The cheaper ones do, though.

Hey! Your talking to techie toy boy here and have the latest top of the range Dell Centrino Laptop........and I got a serial port (in fact two)!!

At the risk of sounding geeky, my top bollix poweredge server also has 4 serial ports.......I've got more than I know what to do with......maybe if I snap one off and send it to Jono!?

Going back to the Garmin problem, I had a chat with a bloke I know from Garmin and this is a known problem. The driver (wait for it technical term coming up) "Gets it's knickers in a twist" and should be fixed in the next release of the software. He said exactly what has been posted is the correct fix, although suggested contacting Garmin and one of their techies maybe able to offer a better solution.

Having said that though he promised me that the cartography around Guernsey would be updated too......and that was a year ago!

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by pettal

Hey! Your talking to techie toy boy here and have the latest top of the range Dell Centrino Laptop........and I got a serial port (in fact two)!!

Really.... cool.