Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 5:55 pm Post subject: Dell Axim x51v tt5.21 and Haicom III
Hi All
Santa was very nice and brought me a nice new Dell Axim x51v. Knowing that this was coming and that it has a nice CF slot i set about looking for unit to go into it. I did a small amount of research (not huge) but the unit i was thinking of would not work in the axim according to the live support from PGPS. So i asked about others eventually after asking all my questions etc i purchased the Haicom CF 303 III becuase i was told it was compatible with the Dell and all the major software.
I have now tried setting this up and have given up after 2 days. I have done shed loads of reading over those two days and tried everything full resets install, uninstall etc etc. Basics are that unit is selected in tom tom as nmea other GPS, 4800 baud, CF_CARD GE. TomTom refuses however to recognise and says "no gps device". Ive read that lots of others have had problems and reverted to older software, however as this is windows mobile 5.0 device i dont have that option.
I have tested the GPS unit with the haicom test programme which finds the device and shows satellites etc and the nmea data flowing in the viewing screen. Sometimes using the test programme its a bit finicky about restarting but i can normally get it to work by shutting off software and removing CF GPS then restarting.
All i want to do is get it running with TT5. I would be grateful for any advice, did i purchase the wrong unit CF haicom, is there a better one? I purchased this because of the sirf star 3. Would it have been better to go for a blootooth device? I only chose the CF cos i thought it would be better attached to the PDA.
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 17983 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 7:56 pm Post subject:
Maverick, Welcome to the forum, go to the TomTom Gps setup screen and is the yellow/ blue icon (top RH spinning) if so the Dell is communicating with the GPS unit, if this is working take the whole lot outside and give it a 15 - 20 min clean view of the sky, it should lock to the satelites in this period, after this it should be quicker (but not inside a house etc sirfIII units are good but you asking too much if inside), if the icon I mentioned earlier isn't spinning then you have something wrong with the set-up as far as TomTom is concerned, also make sure you shut down the GPS Haicom software, as this could hog the GPS data (start/ settings/ System tab, select memory running programs tab and stop all) before trying the above - Mike
use all other ports... one will work. try them all
Thanks for taking the time to respond. The only rational selection is the self detected CF_CARD GE. The others refer to other ports on the device. The bbok that comes with the GPS unit lists the device as NMEA0183 with baud rate as 4800. The other test programme from haicom lists the detected device as COM4 CF_CARD GE, so i think i have it set correctly.
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 17983 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:18 pm Post subject:
Maverick, Please re-read my post and get back to us to help out, what I want to know is what is happening inside the TomTom application within the GPS settings not the third party stuff as that is not at fault - Mike
Cheers for helping, its been very frustrating last couple of days i can tell you.
For your info i AM inside the house, but, sat in front of a huge bay window rather like a windscreen. The Haicom GPS info programme for the PDA finds the sats no problem from that position. Do you not think that TT5 should also?
I am aware that i cannot have two pieces of software running at the same time to use the the GPS unit so have shut the test programme down every time. Its just very strange that the Haicom test software fires up every time and finds about 9 satelites. In the display it colours the ones in the middle of the screen and the world solid blue, in bargraph display below it has bars which are solid. Generally i get anything from 3 to 5 sats solid and thats from inside sitting in bay window.
In the whole two days trying the tt5 software ive only seen the little yellow and black thingy spin a few times. Mostly it justs sits their doing nothing. The bit i dont understand is if the haicom test unit shows sats in under two minutes how come tomtom needs 15-20?
I am at work tomorrow, so ill try the outside thingy and see what happens.
Its all very frustrating maybe i should have purchased one of the cheaper all in one units! trouble is i wanted the pda for work as well and thought id buy a decent pda and then bolt on the gps, beginning to feel as though ive wasted my money!
Maverick, Please re-read my post and get back to us to help out, what I want to know is what is happening inside the TomTom application within the GPS settings not the third party stuff as that is not at fault - Mike
Hi mike, sorry i was responding to you individually.
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 17983 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 10:28 pm Post subject:
Mav, make sure the little icon is spinning and then wait (Outside and clear of buildings if in a built up area), I have done this myself, fired up the GPS suppliers program and it works, but TT takes an age to lock on, give it a shot outside - but if the icon isn't spinning then it will not work, that is the only indication you have of a true comunication between the PDA and GPS unit when in TT, until it locks on and then you know its working. Once this initial is sorted out it should be OK - Mike
PS no need to appologise, if you want to get a response its probably quicker in the forum, that way we all learn from open information, if private use the PM or e-mail even MSN for thouse that enable it.
until it locks on and then you know its working. Once this initial is sorted out it should be OK
OK, ill try tomorrow and let you know how i get on. Just smiled to myself typing this, wonder how the dealers do it sending out all these preconfigured units, must spend an age on the rooftop of them office blocks
Quote:
PS no need to appologise, if you want to get a response its probably quicker in the forum, .
Not quite what i meant, i'm a mod on another forum so i know the protocol. What i meant was i was responding individually to your post, in the forum.
OK, ill try tomorrow and let you know how i get on.
Set up
Dell Axim x51x running Windows Mobile 5.0
GPS Haicom HI-303III
Software TTNav5.21 - set as "Other NMEA GPS", 4800,CF_CARD GE
Location
Sudbury Suffolk UK. PDA located on the roof of car in middle of open car park to get best signal / satellites.
PDA was soft reset with Haicom inserted after boot. no other software was run. The GPS unit incidentally has led lights on side which show solid for no fix and flashing for data/fix. After inserting GPS unit solid light for 5 secs then flashing.
Started TT and tap screen, go to "change preferances" and select "show gps status". Little yelloe blue icon is intially spinning quite slowly sort of half a turn at a time, message shows "no viable satellite signal" (or similar), this then changes after about 2-3 minutes to "no GPS device" and the little icon then ceases to spin. I left the unit on top of my car for a full 25 mintues without success.
As a comparison the Haicom test util was fired up and obtained a lock in under 2 minutes.
I am now a little lost as to how to get it working.
I have read on some other forums that people have the Dell and tomtom working, is it a case of choosing the CF device that is causing me problems?
I have read on some other forums that people have the Dell and tomtom working, is it a case of choosing the CF device that is causing me problems?
Thanks
Mav
I guess no body knows the answer then.
Done some still further testing with the flowing results.
Loaded a copy of pocket streets i have and the local map downloaded from microsoft. On initial running of the programme on the pda it searches the device to try and find the GPS (noted by the auto switching on of the blootooth and then switching of again). Once it had found it it duely locked on to 6 or 7 satellites from my bay window in the house, giving exact location on the map.
Whilst playing with the device i noted that if you happen to shut software down and restart then no matter what you did it could not find the gps unit. Only removing and reinserting, a sort of mini boot for gps, returned it to life. Once you dont this and then re run software away you go.
I also managed to download an old version of TT 3 drivers for the GPS. I loaded these all on their own and again in the set up which is wildly different from the new version i used the drop down boxes to select nmea 4800 and the known com port (4) for the cf haicom. i then selected the square box to say go and within 2 secs had locks on 7 satellites, now why cant TT5 do this!!
It was interesting to note that when using the tt3 drivers i could select sirf drivers which worked just as well but seemed to switch the GPS unit over to sirf mode. This was noted because pocket streets stopped working and this is only compatible with nmea protocol. Switching back to the nmea slection in the tt3 driver then switched the GPS back again and pocket street fired up.
I guess that becuase of the reset thingy in the Cflash device tT5 dont like it, i guess its openeing and closing the port during the software somehow which then kills the connction to the Cflash GPS unit, same as all others. So onto solution which i guess will be to return the Cflash unit as not usable with the software and go for a bluetooth device, not what i wanted, but i do want it to work.
Any thoughts people on my report or suggestions for good bluetooth unit?
[
Any thoughts people on my report or suggestions for good bluetooth unit?
In my quest to find a solution i have also found out from tomtom that
"The following types of GPS receiver solutions are not supported: CF GPS receivers , SDIO GPS receivers, GPS Jacket/sleeve. Connectivity to a Bluetooth GPS receiver via a CF or SDIO Bluetooth card in a PDA that does not have built-in Bluetooth is also not fully supported.
So seeing as i made this plainly clear to the sales people at globalpositioningsystems.co.uk before purchase i shall be returning it as "not fit for the purpose", i think they allow a 7 day return anyway.
Cheers for any advice on a good replacement unit, how about a Holux 236?
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 17983 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 9:55 pm Post subject:
You won't go far wrong with the GPSlim236 from Holux, its the best GPS related purchase I have made in quite some time, decent battery life and it even works inside (some) buildings - very impressive with short time to fix (usually around 5 to 10 seconds) - Mike
You won't go far wrong with the GPSlim236 from Holux, its the best GPS related purchase I have made in quite some time, decent battery life and it even works inside (some) buildings - very impressive with short time to fix (usually around 5 to 10 seconds) - Mike
Thanks Mike. To be honest i cant fault the Haicom unit for fix time its a sirf III unit and is very fast. Its just this annoying compatibility issue. TT have clearly medled with the GPS driver and the ability of the user to be able to specify when to switch it on, which would solve the issue for the CF devices.
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