Question About Laptop/ GPS

[Texgun]

I have a Garmin 76s GPS receiver and I got a laptop yesterday. I have loaded the MapSource software on to the laptop.
Can I use my present receiver with the laptop as a GPS with a bigger screen or do I need to get a different type receiver that works with Streets/MapSource?
Thanks.

[Siskiyou]

I have used my Garmin Legend, and my 76C and 76Cx with laptops.

Suggest that you download nRoute which is a free auto routing program designed to work with your Garmin receiver.   http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=575
 It has been a year since I worked with it.  The nature of my driving has changed from heading to a lot of unknown locations across the State, to traveling to known locations.  Another factor was my wife preferred her knitting over the laptop setting in her lap.

Copied from Garmin.com

Notes:
·   Brings Garmin's award-winning auto-routing navigation to your laptop, utilizing the larger screen to display a large map and easy-to-read directions.
·   Performs turn-by-turn route assistance and previewing, including spoken turn reminders and automatic recalculation when off-route.
·   Tracks your location using either north-up orientation or vehicle-direction up.
·   Finds places and easily routes to all points of interest and addresses that your MapSource product provides.
·   Allows you to customize the places that you want to find and route to quickly using 'Find'; for example, 'Nearest Gas' or 'Nearest Italian Food'.
·   Provides driver with information, including upcoming cross-streets, street addresses, speed, bearing, and elevation.
·   Provides multiple trip computers that allow you to track distance, time, and speeds for business or personal use.
·   Allows importing and exporting of user data to and from MapSource files.
·   Works with all MapSource products. Note that BlueChart and MetroGuide 5 or greater will not support some features.
·   Designed for use with the GPS 18 and GPS 10, but will work with almost any Garmin GPS over serial or USB.
·   Available to MapSource owners as a significant improvement and expansion of the real-time tracking capability. Takes advantage of your installed map product's capabilities. For example, you can find an address and it will auto-route on any auto-routing map, like City Navigator.
·   This version of nRoute no longer supports Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows NT
·   

[Texgun]

Siskiyou,
Thank you very much. I will give it a try.

[Texgun]

Siskiyou,
I got the GPS to work with the Garmin software on my laptop but not with streets. Did you use Streets

[Siskiyou]

If you are referring to Microsoft Streets & Trips I was not successful once I switched from the Garmin Legend to the 76C & 76Cx.  I believe the problem is that the version of Streets that I own does not have USB drivers.  It had serial port drivers.  Once I had City Navigator I did not need Streets.

I will give it a try using my 4-pin cable off the port in the back and see if I can get to work.  I have a USB to serial port adapter to USB for my laptop.  It may be a day or to, I’ll be out most of tomorrow.

[Siskiyou]

I am using my cable that hooks up to the Serial Port on my computer, and on the other end it has the round 4-pin female connector which plugs into the round 4-pin Male External Data/Auxiliary Port located under the weather cap on the back of the unit.


Using my GPS 76C which shares the same operating system your unit has I have gone to Main Menu>Setup>Interface Icon>Enter>to Serial Data Format selected the drop down arrow and selected NMEA in/NMEA Out.  It gives a baud rate of 4800

Bringing up the Microsoft Streets & Trips software I select Tool from the tool bar, GPS, Configure gps.  At this point Streets & Trips was recognizing my gps and located my position.  This was done on my at home Computer tower which as a dedicated serial port.

My next move is to try my laptop using a serial port adapter into a USB port.  Again I went to configure receiver, it showed COM 4, and when I selected the scan option it again showed com4.  (When I was connected to the tower it showed COM 1)  I went back to the Streets & Trips tool bar and selected Track Position, and it identified my position.

I switched to USB to Mini-USB and streets & Trips would not recognize my gps.  I went into setup, and interface and changed back to Garmin.  Map Source immediately recognized my gps unit.  But Streets & Trips would not.

The Garmin 76s does not have USB connections, just a round 4-pin connector to the serial port.  On my USB only laptop I use a Cables Unlimited USB 2.0 TO SERIAL ADAPTER.  It comes with a mini cd with drivers.

Here is the link to the Microsoft support page.  It applies to software versions back to 2005.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894511/

I will do a little more research on the subject. 

[Siskiyou]

I have modified an earlier post trying to sort out why Streets & Trips will not recognize your 76s.  If you have an early 76s you need to bring the unit software up to date.  A number of software updates involve NMEA.  And your gps interface has to be set on NMEA to communicate with Streets & Trips because it is communication via a Serial Port.

I am using my cable that hooks up to the Serial Port on my computer, and on the other end it has the round 4-pin female connector which plugs into the round 4-pin Male External Data/Auxiliary Port located under the weather cap on the back of the unit.

Using my GPS 76C which shares the same operating system your unit has I have gone to Main Menu>Setup>Interface Icon>Enter>to Serial Data Format selected the drop down arrow and selected NMEA in/NMEA Out.  It gives a baud rate of 4800

Bringing up the Microsoft Streets & Trips software I select Tool from the tool bar, GPS, Configure gps.  At this point Streets & Trips was recognizing my gps and located my position.  This was done on my at home Computer tower which as a dedicated serial port.

This should work with your 76s gps unit.  Referred to page 54 of your manual regarding NMEA.

Have you updated you gps operating software.  The best way is to download Webupdater from this link to a folder.  I created a Folder on My computer in My Documents.  You can call it Garmin downloads.  Download WebUpdater Ver.2.4.1 to the folder.  After the download is complete go to download in the Folder and double click on it and select run.  After it is installed, go to Start>All Programs and find Garmin.  Select Garmin and you will find WebUpdater.  Your Serial Data Format for this must be set on Garmin.  Which means it must changed to NEMA when you get ready to use Streets&Trips.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27

If you use WebUpdater you fill not need the following.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=155

I made a major mistake a couple post back.  The 76s does not have a USB connection.

[Siskiyou]

I have never had a computer with Windows 2000, but I have used Windows 2000NT at the Emergency Command Center.  Both the State and Feds were using it until this summer.  The point is that it has been a very stable system for networking.  I doubt that it is the problem.  I was a hoping it was not a Mac.
Based on an earlier statement your laptop recognizes your gps when Map Source is on the desktop.  Map Source and your 76s speak Garmin.  S&T software speaks a different language called NEMA.  But your Garmin gps is smart and can switch languages. 


Lets try kind of a checklist approach.

Is your interface option set to NEMA as pictured on page 54?  Link to 60s manual

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMAP76S_OwnersManual.pdf

It should show NEMA.

Quit that page, and you must have lock on three or more satellites.

Have your gps connected to the laptop by way of the provided cable.

With S&T showing on your desk top:

Go to Tools  >>Go to GPS>>>select Configure GPS>>>

Port: There should be one or two choices in my case they are identified as Communications Port (COM1) OR Communications Port (COM3).  If one does not work try the other.

Your version of S&T might give you the option of scanning for the correct Port.

Select and click OK.

If the Port is available but you are not getting a signal message go back to your gps and make sure the interface is changed to NEMA. (I just had to go back and change mine.)

I have now gone back to Tools, and selected GPS,  >>TRACK POSITION

The correct Map popup showing a Car in a circle and has a GPS Sensor box in the right corner showing my LAT/Long, Altitude, Time of fix: and Status:  Receiving data.

Let me know if you have tried a checklist process and how doing.

[deltecs]

I have used Streets on my Toshiba laptop with Windows 2000 Pro.  One must configure the data exchange to be set for NEMA 0183.  I tried to use the same setting for my MapSource chart plotter and had to change the setting to Garmin/Garmin for the plotter to indicate position on the chart.  I had to download nRoute for the Garmin/ Garmin connection to work though.  I was using an old GPS 40 for the GPS data and works fine for that.  Will be interested to know if it works when you get it reconfigured. 

[Texgun]

After I got the GPS configured for NMEA and 4800 Baud rate it works with Streets. No voice commands but that only works with Windows XP and newer.
Thanks so much for all the help.

[Siskiyou]

Texgun:  I appreciated the question.  It is easier for me to do the hands on gps adjustments then putting the adjustments into words But I enjoyed responding to your question.  You and yours have a safe holiday.