GPS Hookup to USB
 

Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with hooking my
Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial port. Never had to
experience the trial and error of of USB connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no low-end
notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by whatever
means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin serial port.

Thanks,
Len

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Len Krauss wrote:
Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with
hooking my Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial
port. Never had to experience the trial and error of of USB
connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no
low-end notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by
whatever means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin
serial port.

Thanks,
Len

--
Eliminate "ns" for email address.

Faced with the same problem on my new laptop, and a usb-to-serial converter
that would work fine with Win98 and Win ME, I thought all I had to do was
load the software to my Win XP-Pro machine.

Alas, the OS rejected the drivers, and gave dire warnings that the laptop
might explode if I proeeded to load the older driver.

A search through the Net revealed that the driver manufacturer had been
taken over about 4 times, eventually finishing up as the subsidiary of a
subsidiary of Intel. Result- no drivers for Win XP.

I went onto Ebay and found a supplier of new usb -to-serial converters, with
a WinXP- compatible driver, and am pleased to say all is well! My new laptop
works with my Garmin, no problems. Cost me about £15UK.

Dennis.
Remove "nospam" from return address.


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Get a cable that is USB at the PC end and Serial at the GPS end. I saw one
advertised in today's paper, probably at Fry's. If they have it, any PC
place hould have it.


"Len Krauss" wrote in message
...
Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with hooking
my
Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial port. Never had
to
experience the trial and error of of USB connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no low-end
notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by whatever
means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin serial
port.

Thanks,
Len

--
Eliminate "ns" for email address.

William G. Andersen wrote:
Get a cable that is USB at the PC end and Serial at the GPS end. I
saw one advertised in today's paper, probably at Fry's. If they have
it, any PC place hould have it.


Didn't know there was such a thing! TheGarmin plug wired to a USB plug?

"Len Krauss" wrote in message
...
Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with
hooking my Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial
port. Never had to experience the trial and error of of USB
connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no
low-end notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by
whatever means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin
serial port.

Thanks,
Len

--
Eliminate "ns" for email address.

--
Remove "nospam" from return address.


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In article ,
"Len Krauss" wrote:

Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with hooking my
Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial port. Never had to
experience the trial and error of of USB connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no low-end
notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by whatever
means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin serial port.

Thanks,
Len

I find that most, if not all USB/Serial converters have drivers for both
MacOS and WinDoz (98-XP) available on the net. I use them all the time
for GPS connections and other serial type connections, and they work
very well for me.


Bruce in alaska
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add a 2 before @

JGS wrote:
On Sun, 05 Dec 2004 18:09:18 GMT, "Dennis Pogson"
wrote:

Len Krauss wrote:
Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with
hooking my Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial
port. Never had to experience the trial and error of of USB
connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no
low-end notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by
whatever means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a
new notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin
serial port.

Thanks,
Len

--
Eliminate "ns" for email address.

Faced with the same problem on my new laptop, and a usb-to-serial
converter that would work fine with Win98 and Win ME, I thought all
I had to do was load the software to my Win XP-Pro machine.

Alas, the OS rejected the drivers, and gave dire warnings that the
laptop might explode if I proeeded to load the older driver.


It is not uncommon but more often the rule that a USB to Serial
Driver does not have the M$ stamp of approval. I have installed
numerous USB to RS232 converters and have yet to find one that comes
with a M$ certification. I just ignore the warning and install the
driver. Never ever had any problems.


I tried this (ignoring the warning), but the driver refused to work, and I
got frequent warnings about the driver file from WinXP, so I deleted it.

The new one works fne.

We use the laptops for industrial Automation Control systems and I
used it for connecting a new laptop to an old GPS II.

A search through the Net revealed that the driver manufacturer had
been taken over about 4 times, eventually finishing up as the
subsidiary of a subsidiary of Intel. Result- no drivers for Win XP.

I went onto Ebay and found a supplier of new usb -to-serial
converters, with a WinXP- compatible driver, and am pleased to say
all is well! My new laptop works with my Garmin, no problems. Cost
me about £15UK.

Dennis.
Remove "nospam" from return address.


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Regards
JGS

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Dennis Pogson wrote:

William G. Andersen wrote:

Get a cable that is USB at the PC end and Serial at the GPS end. I
saw one advertised in today's paper, probably at Fry's. If they have
it, any PC place hould have it.



Didn't know there was such a thing! TheGarmin plug wired to a USB plug?


There has been a lot of interest in adapting Garmin GPS to various
ports. I think Garmin has two or more proprietary plugs called
something like the "eTrex plug" and the "round four pin" plug. There
are adapters for those to DB-9 and USB serial ports. A web search will
bring up a lot of info on this:

http://www.pfranc.com/cables/index.mhtml
http://www.gomadic.com/latogpsca.html

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jacker at midmaine dot com

I've been using a Keyspan USA-49W under XP with no problems.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Len Krauss" wrote in message
...
Thus far I've side-stepped legendary compatibility problems with hooking
my
Garmin 48 GPS to notebook PC by always using 9-pin serial port. Never had
to
experience the trial and error of of USB connection.

As everyone knows, it's getting to the point where virtually no low-end
notebook PC's have 9-pin serial ports.

Has this GPS-USB hookup problem now been reliably addressed by whatever
means ( XP op system, Garmin software, etc)???

Comments would be appreciated as I'm getting to the point where a new
notebook PC may be in my future and it's unlikely to have 9-pin serial
port.

Thanks,
Len

--
Eliminate "ns" for email address.

Thanks guys. Very good input and suggestions on adapters.. Looks like the
problem's been solved since I last looked in on it. Now I can shop for a
low-end notebook with no worries.
Len

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Eliminate "ns" for email address.