Caching Software For Wince4.2.net On Medionpna200?

[+HooloovooUK]

I have a portable SatNav GPSr, it is a Medion PNA200 (aka 95900) from Aldi.

 

It works great as a car SatNav, and I have worked out how to enter direct coordinates into it (after a fashion.... it can be a PITA sometimes). This gets me to whatever road is nearest to a cache.

 

What I need now is some better software for the walk from the car to the cache. I have hacked the PNA to give me access to the OS. I have installed BeelineGPS which seems a great piece of software. But unfortunately it is designed for PocketPC not WinCE and while it runs it doesn't work properly.

 

BeelineGPS will run and talk to the built in GPSr, but I can't access the menus since the menu bar doesn't appear. Also, I can't use the tap-and-hold method to access the menu because it doesn't do anything. So the program works I just can't actually enter any waypoints, making it useless.

 

There are two basic problems that I can see. The device is WinCE which rules out the majority of PocketPC applications, even though I have downloaded and installed various .DLLs that claim to make PocketPC apps run. Also the device only runs in landscape mode. This means even if I do get a pocketPC application to run if it is badly programmed and hardcoded to run in portrait mode rather than querying the display driver, I can't access the bottom of the screen.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this device, and can suggest any good geocaching software that actually works with it?

 

Thanks!

Edited August 18, 2005 by HooloovooUK

[+RumJungle]

PocketPC is WinCE with all of the software components installed. The Medion has a custom version of the WinCE OS. Microsoft allows manufactures to pick and choose different components of the WinCE OS to include into their custom system. The desktop shell is usually not one of them and GPS manufacturers will create their own. Finding an application that will work will be a challenge especially if they have their own screen resolution or non-standard orientation. Most CE apps are not resolution aware. The new 5.0 CE Apps have to be.

 

Actually that fact you were able to get BeeLineGPS to function tells me that at least OS version 3.0 is installed in the unit with the correct MS DLLs. Since tap-and-hold does not function, that may be because of an early 3.0 version of the OS.

 

To answer your question I don’t think you will find an app that will function normally "off the shelf". It may be a trial-and-error project for you.

 

Good luck…

[+HooloovooUK]

Yes, the OS is version 4.2.net.

 

BeeLine doesn't run on the stock unit. I downloaded a set of .dlls that claim to help PocketPC apps run. After installing them I got BeeLine to run, but without the menus or tap-and-hold it is useless because I can't load any waypoints.