nicks90 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 slightly off topic question - but does have some landrover content... Honest! this weekend I'm doing a navigational scatter with yorkshire offroad club. This is a totally road based 4x4 event and requires the use of a gps and OS map. Well you could do without the gps, but you'd need to be able to read the OS map super accurately to find the grid refs on little country lanes and complete the challenges. Normally we punch all the grid refs into my garmin 60cs (takes ages and screen is rubbish for this sort of thing) and use this to pinpoint the exact location and use the slightly cumbersome paper OS map for general road map reading between the points. Question is:- Our lass has a nice laptop and i have a copy of the ordnance survey mapping software to put on it. Is it possible to somehow plug the garmin 60cs into the laptop and use it as a standalone gps receiver for the mapping software (like just using a regular holux gps receiver) because that means i could just type in all the grid refs and we'd be off with a nice moving zoom-able OS map on the laptops screen with >10 foot position accuracy. No stupid programming the refs onto the gps, no unravelling of OS maps, orientating the map whilst doing 60mph down country lanes and all that jazz! Or is it impossible to use a handheld gps as a receiver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Certainly not impossible, I use my Garmin eTrex as a GPS receiver for memory map, PC navigator etc. You will need a PC data cable for your GPS, which will obviously need to have a connection for said cable. you will need to check if the cable is available in USB or serial, and then possibly look at a USB < > serial converter if you don't have a serial port on the laptop. Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco_al Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 or nip to maplin and get a bluetooth gps receiver, and tesco for a bluetooth dongle. that's what i use with memory map on the laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeSheds Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I have done this myself with an old Garmin Etrex - as was said you need a data cable and in my case the batteries in the Garmin were used at an alarming rate (only lasted a couple of hours max) but it all interfaced easily with the software (serial in my case) and worked a treat - showing my current pos as a little red circle centred at all times. I did find though that it wouldn't automatically move to the next map on mine, but then my software is a bit old.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yes you can, as I have connected my 60cs to laptop via standard usb cable supplied with it. Only one issue is you'll have to buy Franson's GPS gate or similar to get it working. Trust me there is no other way with the 60c/cs/csx GPS Gate works straight away and it works well with Memory Map. Having said that, I recently bought a Holux M1200 bluetooth receiver, as gps technology has moved on and the gps tracking time and reliability of signal in woods etc is much better than 60cs. Also one less wire to atach Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 'GPS2Blue' works nicely with my windows powered PDA to my laptop, it essentially forwards the built-in GPS receiver data to a com port via activesync, if you google for it there's a great how-to guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yes you can, as I have connected my 60cs to laptop via standard usb cable supplied with it. Only one issue is you'll have to buy Franson's GPS gate or similar to get it working. Trust me there is no other way with the 60c/cs/csxGPS Gate works straight away and it works well with Memory Map. Having said that, I recently bought a Holux M1200 bluetooth receiver, as gps technology has moved on and the gps tracking time and reliability of signal in woods etc is much better than 60cs. Also one less wire to atach Cheers Steve scratches head... so if i install memory map and active gate, plug in my garmin via usb - then run active gate and add my garmin via the app and then just launch memory map and all should be ok? sounds sweet, too good to be true............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 scratches head...so if i install memory map and active gate, plug in my garmin via usb - then run active gate and add my garmin via the app and then just launch memory map and all should be ok? sounds sweet, too good to be true............ Don't know active gate, but for Franson's GPSGate you install it, plug in your garmin via USB. GPSGate detects it and adds a COM port to it. You set the Garmin C60cs to NMEA output, and Memory map to NMEA input and the COM port GPS Gate gave you and that's it. IIRC GPSGate will also accept the Garmin output and translate it, but I didn't bother with that. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 If the laptop has bluetooth why not use the Holox GPS receiver? I use the Holox with my phone to run Tom Tom, but it works really well with the laptop and mapping software too. It's more accurate and has better battery life than my Garman Emap, which is still an excellent bit of kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henk Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I use a Holux gr-213 or M-215, both with usb connector: you never need to change batteries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_J85JTY Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Try X Eng for their X Nav. It was free a while ago, you might find it still is if you speak to Si. It allows you to input and store grids very quickly, then lets the GPS guide you to the nearest or one of your choice. I run a Etrex to my laptop, with a data cable that also charges the etrex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicks90 Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 got it all sorted - gps gate and memory map. works a treat via usb, and didnt need to bother resetting any of the garmin settings to nmea, MM v5 is happy to accept garmin protocols via a virtual com port. thanks very much guys. jsut need to find the northern map 1:50k somewhere now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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