GPS unreliable - Please help desparate first time user!!

Steedy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 4

Delighted to have found this Forum and hope that someone can hel a desparate first time Sat Nav user - well, I hope to be when I get it working! :lol:

I have just bought iPAQ 1940, GPSmart and TomTom Nav2 (all Bluetooth). I have paired the two devices (i am pretty sure) but cannot get the sat signal when I load TT2.

I have installed the latest patches (TT2.24 and GPS2.08) from the TomTom site and have tried absolutely everything I can but I still cannot get that connection!

The instructions said that the Bluetooth Port on the 1940 was com8, but in another GPS forum I saw a reply which said that it was com5. I have tried BOTH - still nothing.

I am getting a sat signal on the GPSmart.

I hope that someone can help me ! I am desparate! Please!

Dave · Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2003 6:33 am Post subject:

Hi Steedy, the com ports can vary, but on the later iPAQ's, esp 2210 it's COM 8, so I suspect the 1940 will be COM 8 also.

In TomTom GPS driver, try setting it to NMEA 4800 COM 8, you might not get the option of selecting COM8, it may come up with a Fortuna driver or GPSMart. What should happen is that the Bluetooth Manager in the 1940 should then pop up and ask which Bluetooth device you want to connect to. If it's doing this, then Bluetooth Manager is behaving itself, but if you can't get a connection it should keep popping this up and annoying you.

I'm not sure what the default factory settings are for the GPSmart, whether it's NMEA or SiRF and the baud rate, you may need to experiment a little on the driver before you get a connection. Most GPS Receivers will work out of the box with NMEA 4800 but some differ from this.

If you want to test it with another program, we have WinFast Navigator on our Downloads page under Leadtek utils and a document to guide you through using WinFast Navigator at http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/winfastnavigatorppc.php

Steedy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 4

Many thanks for your help Dave - much appreciated. I tried what you said but still no luck I'm afraid. Trouble is I think I have altered so many things I had better delete everything and start again from scratch!

By the way, have confired that the port is 8. You say to try setting it to NMEA 4800 COM 8, should that be the NMEA Bluetooth (as I am using Bluetooth)?

Also, is there a correct way of connecting? - eg start the receiver first and get a signal, then connect the PDA via bluteooth, then TT2 and connect GPS?

Sorry to be a pain but I am new to GPS!

Colin

Dave · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 6:45 am Post subject:

There's no special way in connecting them, you should just be able to switch the receiver on, connect the Pocket PC and even though it hasn't got a fix, WinFast should show data coming through. If it doesn't, then either the wrong COM port is being selected, baud rate or protocol (NMEA or SiRF).

MikeB · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 10:29 am Post subject:

Colin,

Again I have no experience of the 1940, but when I reviewed the GPSmart with TomTom I set it up as Dave has described, but I selected the Emtac Wireless driver in the GPS settings.

If you have paired the two devices then you must have a connection between them so the Bluetooth is working correctly, and it connects to com8 then this should work.

The startup sequence is correct GPS on first then PDA then TomTom. One thing you could try is to make the GPS connection before starting TomTom by going into the BT manager and selecting the GPSmart icon and connecting to the serial port. If you then select TomTom all should work correctly.
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Mike Barrett

Steedy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 4

Checking my BT pairing it shows Outgoing (GPSmart Slave) but under incoming there's nothing. Could this be the prob?

Also, trying the options on Winfast, tried all options combinations - nothing! Does it take a while for the connection or should it connect immediately?

MikeB · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2003 11:22 am Post subject:

Once the BT prompt has gone away then you will either be connected or the connection will have failed. In the case of a failed connection you will normally get the BT connection screen back up again.

In the BT manager you should only have an outgoing connection it doesnt define the direction of the data, just which side initiated it. So one connection is what you would expect.

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly so I am a little stuck now to offer further advice. If the connection is shown and is made it is not the BT that is at fault, so this implies that the GPSmart is not sending the data for some reason.
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Mike Barrett

Steedy · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 22, 2003 Posts: 4

Me again! I have realised that the Outgoing port is 5 (incoming is 8) on the iPAQ1940. However when I choose the TomTom Wireless GPS I do not get option COM5 just COM8 - could that be the problem?

Also, I have resinstalled the TomTom GPS 2.08 driver from their site, but it displays on the PDA as TomTom GPS ~ and I still have the old TomTom GPS showing. Another likely cause ?

I have just bought the GlobalSat BT308 but I still get no signal (although Bluetooth connection OK)
Rolling Eyes

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