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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 1:51 am Post subject: Software that doesn't support Bluetooth |
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Hi.
First of all a thank you to the owner(s) of this site (Dave, is it?). It's an invaluable resource, with fresh reviews and news and has been really helpful for me...a GPS newbie.
Secondly, an apology to those who have read my tiresome newbie posts. I promise they will diminish with time - my socket GPS should arrive tomorrow, so the dull posts will be replaced (hopefully) with posts that use the right terminology and make sense(!)
Right, I've come across several software packages tonight which claim to interact with GPS devices via the serial port. I think JGui's "Followme" was one of them. Will this be a problem with my Bluetooth device? Will I have to map a virtual serial port to the BT or something, or will it simply not work?
Cheers
Will |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 7:20 am Post subject: |
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Hi Will, no problem, this is what the site is for!
You should be able to use any application with a Bluetooth GPS, most Pocket PC's use the Bluetooth Receive port as COM8, so providing the application can support up to COM8, then it will talk to the BT GPS via the Bluetooth Manager on the Pocket PC which listens on COM8, and acts as the intermediary between the two. |
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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Dave. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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And there is always an exception. In this case it's Microsoft Pocket Streets which doesn't support the range of COM Ports necessary for BT _________________ Darren Griffin |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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That's true, I haven't tried Pocket Streets 2004, it's supposed to be much better (AutoRoute that is), with GPS support but don't have it here to test though. |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Just installed Pocket Streets 2004 and am glad to confirm that Microsoft have resolved the issue in this release. You can now select (at least on my 2210) Com Ports 1,2,3,5,6,& 8 which finally allows me to configure a BT GPS. _________________ Darren Griffin |
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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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That's good news. I wonder if Pocket Streets covers Sydney and/or other Australian cities...
Will |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I'm going to have to buy Oziexplorer for my trip. I'm still annoyed and confused about the availability of maps for Aus. Without a scanner and/or an internet-connection, finding maps to calibrate is going to prove nigh-on-impossible. So - and thoughts on this would be very welcome! - I'm going to find as many as I can online beforehand, for each of the areas I'll be going, and then work out how you calibrate them. Obviously I'll need to find free non-copyright-restricted ones which is going to prove even harder.
Sorry, gone off-topic
Will |
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Darren Frequent Visitor
Joined: 11/07/2002 14:36:40 Posts: 23848 Location: Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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I'd begin by downloading all the free city maps Ozi have, they also have links to commercial maps that are Ozi compatible. It may also be worth asking around on the OziExplorer Yahoo Groups as to sources of other reliable public domain maps as someone may already have jumped this fence :D _________________ Darren Griffin |
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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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All good advice, thanks. Most of all I'll be really interested to see how the BT device performs when it's stuck in my camera-bag. I'm *hoping* the bag won't be too restrictive on its ability to get a fix - have read a few of your reporting success with yours in the glovebox of cars, so hopefully should be fine.
Will |
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Dave Frequent Visitor
Joined: Sep 10, 2003 Posts: 6460 Location: UK
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:33 am Post subject: |
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Which Bluetooth GPS do you have ? If it's an Emtac/Socket then you shouldn't have much problems as it will pull the signal in better when tucked away, some of the other Bluetooth GPS's may not bring in the signal quite as good though. |
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Will Occasional Visitor
Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, it arrived today. Tiny! I bought my brother one of those Navman sleeves for his Ipaq when he emigrated last year - getting a fix was nearly impossible where we live, with all the trees. But just now the Socket managed 5 Satellites underneath a pine tree (but the sky's still visible - just about) so it's pretty impressive.
On the hunt for software now
Will |
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