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Old 01-01-2005, 01:50 PM   #1
rames14
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GPS and Microsoft Streets and Trips '05

This is a very specific question regarding a Garmin 60C and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I just upgraded to the 2005 MS&T and hooked my GPS up. I used the NMEA Input/Output on the GPS unit. The 60C is a USB device. Evidently, Streets and Trips is looking for a Com port and the 60C is a USB device. I find it hard to believe that Microsoft has not foreseen the USB port in their software. Could it be that I can't use the Garmin GPS with Streets and Trips. My laptop doesn't have a serial port, which is one of the reasons I am not using the GPS II Plus any longer. Thanks in advance in helping me find what I'm missing.
 
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Old 01-01-2005, 02:05 PM   #2
vickir
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Ron, I also have 2005 S&T although I use Street Atlas when on the road. My GPS is also USB. There is a driver you need to make S&T see the usb port as a com port. I'm drawing a blank whether the driver came with the GPS or with S&T. I am pretty sure it came with S&T, though. You might check the readme's or help on S&T or look around on the S&T cd. Sorry I can't remember the specifics. It does work, I did use it.

--- Steve
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Old 01-01-2005, 03:36 PM   #3
rames14
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Steve -

Did a search of past items, and if I recall you got your GPS with Streets and Trips. When you get the receiver with the program they include a .inf file on the install disk. I didn't have that file. I think that's correct, but not sure. I wrote an e-mail to Garmin. Microsoft doesn't even include the 2005 version on their support page. Oh well, I'll get it figured out somehow. I also have a copy of Delorme Street Atlas 2005 coming and we'll see how that works.
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Old 01-02-2005, 12:57 AM   #4
steves
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I contacted Garmin on the this issue....they told me to use A patch cable (converts a usb to serial port connection). Radio Shack has the cable.
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Old 01-02-2005, 07:13 AM   #5
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If you use a patch to serial cable then you also have to somehow power the GPS, right? The USB GPS takes power from the usb port but that's not normally available on a serial port. I have a serial GPS around here and have to plug it into 12v. The usb gps takes power from the usb port. Steve, did it work foryou without auxillary power?

Ron, I did get S&T with GPS so the inf file likely won't work with the Garmin. I can email it to you if you want to try it anyhow.

Ron, check this site
http://www.garmin.com/support/downlo...ils.jsp?id=595

Looks like it may have the usb drivers you need. Here's a partial quote:

Notes:

This setup will install / pre-load all Garmin USB Drivers on your system and upgrade older versions if found.
These drivers are designed for use with those GPS units that support USB transfer of data to/from the PC - not to include the iQue. This setup also includes the drivers for the USB Data Card Programmer.
This setup combines the initial install and updates for both the USB GPS drivers and the USB Data Card Programmer drivers.
WARNING: If this software is uploaded to a device other than that for which it is designed, you will not be able to operate that device.
If attempts to upload software fail, you may need to return the device to GarminŽ for service.

----
If that link won't get you there because it bypasses the agreements page, go to www.garmin.com, click on updates & downloads, then scroll down to 'usb card programmer'. Turns out that link has more than it appears.
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Old 01-02-2005, 02:41 PM   #6
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SteveS and Sreigel -

Thanks for the ideas. Steves, my laptop doesn't have a serial port, which is one of the reasons I liked the new USB GPS. Steve R. - I couldn't find the .inf file on my MS S&T disk. There wasn't a GPS directory. Not quite sure how to install a .inf file anyway. I had downloaded the latest Garmin driver, but it looks like Microsoft wants to use the darn serial port. I've read about software that creates virtual serial ports, but even if I had a program, how do you link USB to the virtual port? I sent a customer support question to Garming and will try to send something to Microsoft as well.
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Old 01-03-2005, 12:19 PM   #7
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Ron, that link in my post above should have the drivers to create a virtual serial port out of a com port and should work with your Garmin. At least that's what it says.

If you find an inf file, just rightclick and select 'install'. Not real intuitive, but there it is.

Good luck with it. We hit the road in the morning, weather permitting, and should be back online in about a week, if not before.
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Old 01-04-2005, 03:29 AM   #8
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I've been going through a similar problem. For Christmas I got a Magellan Sportrak Color GPS and tried to hook it up to my laptop. The Magellan comes with a really silly cable that has a serial connector. Hello! This is 2005, who still uses serial? My laptop has only USB. I bought a Radio Shack adapter cable and managed to get it sort of working if I booted the PC first with only the adapter attached and plugged in the GPS once the Streets and Trips software was running. Otherwise, the PC crashed and rebooted.

I figured, who needs this hassle so I am selling the Magellan on eBay.

Then I bought Delorme Earthmate and Street Atlas software. Works like a dream and I love the voice directions but the software interface is not as smooth as Microsoft Streets and Trips and Street Atlas doesn't include any detail maps of Canada whereas Streets and Trips does. (Excuse me for saying something nice about Microsoft.)

Then I tried to use Streets and Trips with the Delorme Earthmate. S&T wouldn't recognize the Earthmate GPS. I had installed the driver. Had to go through a bunch of hoops to get it seen by the laptop and once it was it seems to interfere with my mouse!

They say that the definition of insanity is when you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.... Well, I'm thinking of getting the Microsoft Streets and Trips GPS now.....

Oh well...
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Old 01-09-2005, 05:09 AM   #9
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Jim, I have both the Earthmate/Street Atlas 2005 and the MS GPS/S&T 2005 setup. I really prefer S&T's mapping interface but prefer SA's tracking/voice capability including showing me the next two turns visually along with a continually updating miles to next turn and to end of day. Yesterday we tried S&T for tracking again and at a rest stop switched back to SA. Sure wish one would buy the other and combine the best of each into one great product. Of course, they might do just the opposite and combine the worst of each.
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Old 01-10-2005, 02:25 AM   #10
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I agree Steve. StreetAtlas is great with the voice help. I can put aside the laptop and just wait for instructions in voice. Just yesterday my wife and I were testing that feature and deliberately went off route in an area we knew well. StreetAtlas immediately warned us and within 30 seconds had recalculated directions on how to get back on course. Most of the time the new directions were the best way although a couple of times where a u-turn would fix the problem SA recommended a five mile detour. For route planning it sucks. I still can't find an easy way to put waypoints in that are not part of the existing database (like my address - which by the way, shows up in Streets and Trips.)

Streets and Trips on the other hand I can lay out a route with stops and all kinds of bells and whistles in a couple of minutes and if I don't like the route chosen I can drag parts of it to where I want it!
For me, if Microsoft simply added voice prompts it would be enough although I do like the visual turns indicators too.

I finally got both working with the Delorme Earthmate GPS on a regular basis!

FWIW, I bought Street Finder yesterday to try and it combines the worst of both so I guess Microsoft can't fill that niche in a future release.
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Old 01-10-2005, 09:06 AM   #11
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I have the Garmen 60CS also. It uses USB port to connect to the MapSource software which you can use to plan trips and transfer routes. When connecting to Streets & Trips you need to connect with NMEA protocol. This is a serial connection. Garmin sells a combined cable that connects the data ports and provides 12 volts to power the 60C.
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Old 01-10-2005, 04:52 PM   #12
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Jim, rightclick/insert via at the point you want. You can use the Find to locate a particular place (by name or address, etc.) or point (longitude/latitude) then when it finds it do the insert via at that point. Occasionally it gets confused and gets the via in the wrong sequence. You can correct that on the route/advanced tab. The "insert via" puts it in the correct (usually) sequence while "add via" puts it at the end. I always use insert.

Also, I turned off the feature to auto back on track because the max distance to determine off track is 500 feet. Some roads are not exactly where the map says (true for s&t also) and then it starts recalculating and recalculating and recalculating as we drive. With this feature turned off when you reach that off track distance the software speaks up and says 'off route'. I've been using SA long enough I've finally learned where to find the various features. Sure wish they'd let me move things around on the real estate. As a retired IS person, I just think they need to fire their system designers or consign them to use the software every day for a few months. Then the interface would improve. But for my use it's still the best at actually tracking my route. I sure wish I could create a route in S&T and import it to SA for tracking.
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Old 01-11-2005, 01:09 AM   #13
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by BigBlue

I have the Garmen 60CS also. It uses USB port to connect to the MapSource software which you can use to plan trips and transfer routes. When connecting to Streets & Trips you need to connect with NMEA protocol. This is a serial connection. Garmin sells a combined cable that connects the data ports and provides 12 volts to power the 60C.
Since the 60CS is a self contained GPS unit with its own power supply, why would you care if there was power to the 60CS? With receivers like
the Garmin GPS18 that are USB and get their power via the USB I
understand the need. I'm not sure why you would want to run a 60CS with Streets & Trips. I don't believe you can load the maps on to the 60CS and it would be a bit redudant to be using both a laptop and a
fully functional GPS unit at the same time..?
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Old 01-13-2005, 03:52 PM   #14
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315RLS -
You are correct, the GPS60C is self-contained and you can load mapsource maps onto it. However, you can only load the equivalent of a few states, or just the area along your route at a time. The screen is acceptable, but not as good as a laptop screen. Another point is that Mapsource software doesn't have the zip codes in, which I use for setting up my satellite receiver. And, although the power is self-contained, it is battery powered. That means that you expend money on batteries. I like using the power cable for the GPS60. The laptop I use does not have a serial port. By using the laptop, I can also have the low clearance points, which Steve Reigle provided me, as push pins on the map. And we all know what a mess it makes when you pull a Montana through an 11' underpass. So, I have a variety of reasons I would like to use my GPS with Streets and Trips. One of the advantages of Streets and Trips over Delorme Street Atlas is the fact that you can load the entire program on the laptop, without using CD's. And, when you load mapsource details maps onto the GPS60, it overwrites the POI database.

Microsoft has offered me a refund on the MS S&T software. They have said that the only options with the current NMEA interface is to have a serial port or a virtual serial port. Microsoft also said that the Delorme software will work with USB ports. So, given the fact that both laptop and desktop PC's are shipping without serial ports anymore, and Microsoft is touting the expanded GPS capability of MS Streets and Trips, I am curious how their business plan works. So, I forwarded Microsoft's response to Garmin to see if they have an answer. The saga continues.
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Old 01-14-2005, 02:14 AM   #15
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I did use a Magellan Sportrak with a serial interface with a laptop with only USB. I did have to buy a serial to USB adapter cable for about $50.00 and it was a real pain to reconfigure the OS to recognize the Magellan. I just couldn't see driving around with all the cables and adapters so I sold it and bought the Delorme Earthmate unit. I still prefer Microsoft Streets and Trips over StreetAtlas for trip planning and most navigating but I do like the voice prompts from StreetAtlas so I have both and can now make either work with the Earthmate GPS with minimal changes to the OS. Given that Microsoft (like the Borg) assimilates everything in its path I am sure that we will see voice prompts in Streets and Trips 2006....

Also, I am surprised that Microsoft would say that Streets and Trips will not work with USB as they sell it with a Microsoft USB GPS for $119.00 at Staples.
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Old 01-14-2005, 02:49 AM   #16
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by rames14

315RLS -
You are correct, the GPS60C is self-contained and you can load mapsource maps onto it. However, you can only load the equivalent of a few states, or just the area along your route at a time. The screen is acceptable, but not as good as a laptop screen. Another point is that Mapsource software doesn't have the zip codes in, which I use for setting up my satellite receiver. And, although the power is self-contained, it is battery powered. That means that you expend money on batteries. I like using the power cable for the GPS60. The laptop I use does not have a serial port. By using the laptop, I can also have the low clearance points, which Steve Reigle provided me, as push pins on the map. And we all know what a mess it makes when you pull a Montana through an 11' underpass. So, I have a variety of reasons I would like to use my GPS with Streets and Trips. One of the advantages of Streets and Trips over Delorme Street Atlas is the fact that you can load the entire program on the laptop, without using CD's. And, when you load mapsource details maps onto the GPS60, it overwrites the POI database.

Microsoft has offered me a refund on the MS S&T software. They have said that the only options with the current NMEA interface is to have a serial port or a virtual serial port. Microsoft also said that the Delorme software will work with USB ports. So, given the fact that both laptop and desktop PC's are shipping without serial ports anymore, and Microsoft is touting the expanded GPS capability of MS Streets and Trips, I am curious how their business plan works. So, I forwarded Microsoft's response to Garmin to see if they have an answer. The saga continues.

I'd be very interested in what you hear from either MicroSoft or Garmin as I've a not so useful copy of Streets & Trips that I can't really use with my GPS18 Garmin Receiver and Garmin 60CS. thanks.
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Old 01-14-2005, 06:40 AM   #17
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315RLS -

I have heard back from Microsoft. They offered me a refund and told me how to get it. I forwarded that response to Garmin and am awaiting a reply. I will give them another day or so and then call them. Some Garmin units work and some don't, so it has to be in the driver that Garmin is using for their GPS units - which differs by model. My guess is they are looking at it right now to see if they can modify the code. But I'm the eternal optimist. I have Delorme Street Atlas U.S.A. coming, but if its like past copies, you need to use the CD to run. At work, they have us locked out of loading programs, but I have gotten Street Atlas to work because all it loads is the script to access the CD. When I travel, it's nice to be able to have mapping software, but they won't let us put it on the machine even if we buy it. For a while I was taking my home laptop on business trips, which just didn't make sense. I'll let you know if I hear back from Garmin anytime soon.
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Old 01-15-2005, 04:25 AM   #18
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315RLS
Yes the Garmin is battery powered. I use the truck power to save on batteries. Also the screen is small and with my eyes it's very difficult to view the map. Thelaptop provides a much better view of the map. I purchased the 60C to be available for hiking, geocaching etc. and it made sense to me to use it as the receiver for traveling.
I found that I like Streets & Trips better than Map Source for trip planning. It's a lot easier to adjust the route if you don't like what the program automatically plotter. Also Streets & Trips is easier to find locations and faster.
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Old 01-16-2005, 01:17 AM   #19
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by BigBlue

315RLS
Yes the Garmin is battery powered. I use the truck power to save on batteries. Also the screen is small and with my eyes it's very difficult to view the map. Thelaptop provides a much better view of the map. I purchased the 60C to be available for hiking, geocaching etc. and it made sense to me to use it as the receiver for traveling.
I found that I like Streets & Trips better than Map Source for trip planning. It's a lot easier to adjust the route if you don't like what the program automatically plotter. Also Streets & Trips is easier to find locations and faster.
So you have got MicroSoft's Streets & Trips to use your 60C as the GPS receiver for your laptop. If so can you please elaborate? thanks
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Old 01-16-2005, 05:23 PM   #20
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Ron, you do not need the CD to run SA and haven't since at least the 2003 version. It's not well publicized but on the data CD is a 'setup' that will install the data on your harddrive and change the registry setting to point to it. I did that with mine. If I recall, the 2005 version asks if you want to do this when you install the main app. When they install SA for you tell them to be sure to have it install the data as well.
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