On Sun, 11 Jan 2015 20:13:14 -0500, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Jan 2015 06:31:37 +0700, wrote:

On Sun, 11 Jan 2015 15:49:04 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Jan 2015 17:01:48 -0500, "Sir Gregory Hall, Esq."
wrote:



I purchased an HP Stream 8 tablet and one of the reasons I
got it was it has a built-in Broadcom GPS. I have Open
CPN installed on my Toshiba laptop and it works great in
conjunction with my GlobalSat BU-353S4.

The laptop is Windows 8.1 and so is the Stream 8 tablet.
OpenCPN installed perfectly on the Stream as it did on
the laptop. It found and configured all the charts when
I pointed it to the chart folder.

However, OpenCPN can't seem to *find* the built-in
Broadcom GPS although it finds and works just great with
the BU-353S4, The Broadcom internal GPS connects via
COM1 serial port while the BU-353S4 creates a virtual
com port it calls COM3. The only difference I can see
is COM3 defaults to 4800 baud while COM 1 defaults to
9600. But, even if I change it from 96000 to 48000 it
still won't connect.

Anybody know why not?

As a workaround I have just ordered a microUSB thumb
drive GPS which has drivers for both Windows and Android
devices so if I can't get the OpenCPN software to
recognize the Stream's internal GPS, I'll be able
to plug in the thumb drive and it will then create
a virtual Com3 port there so the Open CPN will be
able to enjoy the benefits of GPS.

Here is the Micro USB thumb drive GPS-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Notice the price. Cheap, huh?

Oh, the internal Broadcom GPS on the Stream tablet does work
because I downloaded and installed a car GPS navigator and it
manages to see and connect to the built-in GPS.

===

Have you asked on the OpenCPN forum he

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f134/

There are a bunch of world wide experts on there as well as some of
the software authors.

I'm a bit embarrassed to ask, but did you "read the f--king manual"? I
ask as the manual does have a section concerning setting up a GPS
which includes instructions for CPN to work with "strange" GPS',
including a source for some drives such as a "Port Splitter" to allow
(example) port 10.


Bruce, of course I read the freaking manual. And it was no help.

Here's proof from the forum WayneB kindly provided. It seems
like I'm not the only one having the same problem.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-139272.html

I've even installed that same stupid TCP locator app but it's wildly
inaccurate and only updates every 30 seconds or so. It is relying
on any Wi-fi signals it manages to pick up. That's going to do
NO GOOD AT ALL out on the ocean where there are no wi-fi signals.

Duh.

What's needed is for Broadcom to get off their stupid asses
and provide device and bus drivers that output NMEA sentences
the lack of which I have concluded is the problem.

Either that or OpenCPN coders need to emulate how android
apps and at least a few windows apps manage to connect to
the Broadcom GPS and derive all the satellite information
therefrom thus managing to use the GPS without the benefit
of these NMEA sentences.

Well, good luck.

I ran CPN for about two years plugged into a little USB GPS gizmo. I
don't remember the cost but it was pocket change as I remember. But,
of course, I had it connected to a lap-top.

But after re-reading your post I doubt that you don't have a real GPS
in that tablet as from what you say it only works with wi-fi. Called
AGPS or some such thing.

Strange you know. Every hand-phone I've had that had a GPS worked with
or without wi-fi.
--
Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok