Software that doesn't support Bluetooth

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

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

Dave · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 7:20 am Post subject:

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.

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

Thanks Dave.

Darren · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 8:08 pm Post subject:

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 Crying or Very sad

_________________
Darren Griffin

Dave · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:45 pm Post subject:

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.

Darren · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:14 pm Post subject:

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

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

That's good news. I wonder if Pocket Streets covers Sydney and/or other Australian cities...

Will

Darren · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:40 pm Post subject:

Unless there is a version of AutoRoute available that covers Australia then it's a no I am sorry to say. Microsoft have maps of certain cities available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/mappoint/business/pocket/mapdownload/psmapsearch.aspx but Sydney and indeed any other Australian City is not on the list.

However have you looked at OziExplorer? They even have a pre-calibrated Sydney map available to use with the registered version. See our review at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/oziexplorerce.php
_________________
Darren Griffin

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

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

Darren · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 10:51 pm Post subject:

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

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

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

Dave · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:33 am Post subject:

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.

Will · Occasional Visitor Joined: Nov 09, 2003 Posts: 44

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

	PocketGPS
	Web