BC-307 and a Toshiba e740... no fix!

RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

Hello all, please be gentle to this newbie! Wink

I recently got a BC-307 off eBay (sheesh, I'll never do that again, I actually won a Holux GM-270 but that's another story) and tried it in my Toshiba e740 PDA.

Using the GPS Info software provided, the CF GPS shows up in COM1 and when I start up the GPS I get strings and strings of GPS gibberish, but I cannot get a fix. I've even sat outside in the park next door in the open for fifteen minutes waiting for a fix but to no avail.

Just wondering if this is a (1) e740 PDA issue (2) incorrect settings on my part or (3) a dodgy unit.

many, many thanks in advance

Rob

lbendlin · Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:40 pm Post subject:

I would bet on (2) - the CF card is not normally on COM1: Rather on COM5: or so - check out the other ports that your PocketPC offers.
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RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

Thanks for the tip, I'll give that a try tonight.

But when using the GPS Info app, I do a scan of the COM ports and COM1 is the only place the CF GPS turns up. I'll try the other ports tonight.

Thanks

Rob

DavidW · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 1:25 pm Post subject:

If you install Winfast Navigator (which is available via the Download pages of this site) and insert the card with that program running, it'll tell you what port number has been created.

I believe the e740 is one of the Toshibas that lacks a serial port and instead has USB host capabilities. It's therefore possible that COM1: is not already used by the serial port (and is therefore available for allocation to your GPS) - unlike the situation with most Pocket PCs.

David

iancjc · Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2004 5:17 pm Post subject:

Radiodog

yours got lost in the post as well did it :o

What mapping software are you using - in tomtom gps I just selected the holux 270 cf unit and cf generic port (you probably have to select com1) and I got a 3d fix in less than five minutes (I plugged it in and left it to get a coffee and returned and it had a 3d fix).

It actually showed the first sat (greyed out) about 10 seconds after I plugged the card in. Due to the delay in the holux arriving I've subsequently got a haicom bt unit and the global sat performed as well as this whilst on the dash of my car with no external antenna as the haicom does with an external antenna.

In my ltd use of this card it looks really good to me. (Ive used it in an ipaq 3850 and ipaq 2210)

Ian

RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

iancjc · Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 9:13 am Post subject:

I'm realy surprised about needing the external antenna - I got 10 sats without it.

What happens when you stand in the open with a fix and then unplug the external antenna?

as for techworldg I would probably buy from them again if I wasn't in a hurry and the price was right - I only paid £43.50 inc shipping plus £7 at the post office for the duty and collection fee.

RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

iancjc · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 10:28 am Post subject:

I got the haicom unit from www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk.

Note : I cannot get the haimcom to work with my 2210 in CF mode (works with my 3850) but no problems using bt.

Cheers

Ian

DavidW · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 2:03 pm Post subject:

I'm pretty sure there's problems with RF interference between some Toshiba Pocket PCs and some CompactFlash GPSes.

I have a similar issue with a laptop - my CompactFlash GPS card in one of the PC Card slots won't pick up any usable signals (indeed, bringing the same GPS card in my iPAQ alongside the laptop when it's on leaves me with, at the most, two satellites fixed and more usually zero).

The best answer is to use an external antenna.

David

RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

Darren · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2004 8:54 am Post subject:

If it is indeed an interference issue then yes this is likely to be a probelm with all CF format GPS receivers. I tested the BC-307 and found it had very good reception performance without the antenna. It is always possible that the internal patch antenna in your unit is faulty but you would need another non-Toshiba PPC to confirm this.
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RadioDog · Occasional Visitor Joined: Feb 16, 2004 Posts: 10

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