+Texsox Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 I would like to hook my eTrex Legend to my laptop, but i don't have a 9-pin serial connection. I saw a $50 solution from Garmin via USB, but I'm guessing there is a cheaper way? Quote Link to comment
+New England n00b Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 This adapter was found with a quick search - $36 instead of $50. As far as conveting teh serial to something else, I think teh Serial-USB converter is going to be your best bet. Shop around for a converter, you may find one (even on that site I have here) cheaper! /You laptop doesn't have a 9-Pin serial port? *sigh* I can't stand when laptop makers do that. Quote Link to comment
+Texsox Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 This adapter was found with a quick search - $36 instead of $50. As far as conveting teh serial to something else, I think teh Serial-USB converter is going to be your best bet. Shop around for a converter, you may find one (even on that site I have here) cheaper! /You laptop doesn't have a 9-Pin serial port? *sigh* I can't stand when laptop makers do that. I found some as cheap as $16, but I always get leary when there is that big of a difference. Quote Link to comment
+New England n00b Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 This adapter was found with a quick search - $36 instead of $50. As far as conveting teh serial to something else, I think teh Serial-USB converter is going to be your best bet. Shop around for a converter, you may find one (even on that site I have here) cheaper! /You laptop doesn't have a 9-Pin serial port? *sigh* I can't stand when laptop makers do that. I found some as cheap as $16, but I always get leary when there is that big of a difference. Mmmm, it might be OK. Do a google search for teh manufacturer name and see if there are any complaints. Quote Link to comment
+Adrenalynn Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 This adapter was found with a quick search - $36 instead of $50. As far as conveting teh serial to something else, I think teh Serial-USB converter is going to be your best bet. Shop around for a converter, you may find one (even on that site I have here) cheaper! /You laptop doesn't have a 9-Pin serial port? *sigh* I can't stand when laptop makers do that. I found some as cheap as $16, but I always get leary when there is that big of a difference. Not much to be leary about. USB is serial. There's not much other than a line driver and a few pieces of "glue" electronics to making one. I've built a few with $9.00 in parts from a RadioShaft. That said - you can find 'em all over around here for ~$20. It's hardly worth building them. The caveat is if you're running Windows98 (and I don't want to hear about it...) - then it comes down to where they get their device drivers. If you have 2k or XP - you're golden as they're supported natively in the OS. Quote Link to comment
+Texsox Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 This adapter was found with a quick search - $36 instead of $50. As far as conveting teh serial to something else, I think teh Serial-USB converter is going to be your best bet. Shop around for a converter, you may find one (even on that site I have here) cheaper! /You laptop doesn't have a 9-Pin serial port? *sigh* I can't stand when laptop makers do that. I found some as cheap as $16, but I always get leary when there is that big of a difference. Not much to be leary about. USB is serial. There's not much other than a line driver and a few pieces of "glue" electronics to making one. I've built a few with $9.00 in parts from a RadioShaft. That said - you can find 'em all over around here for ~$20. It's hardly worth building them. The caveat is if you're running Windows98 (and I don't want to hear about it...) - then it comes down to where they get their device drivers. If you have 2k or XP - you're golden as they're supported natively in the OS. XP Pro, so I shouldn't have a problem. I can't believe anyone would ship an accessory with a serial connecton in 2006 that could be made with USB. Thank You. Quote Link to comment
+gof1 Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 I use this one with my Legend. Serial to USB Quote Link to comment
+Texsox Posted April 26, 2006 Author Share Posted April 26, 2006 I use this one with my Legend. Serial to USB Thank you, $50 down to under $10 and knowing it works Quote Link to comment
+crodad Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I bought one for $0.48 that's 48 cents plus $5 shipping on EBAY. Quote Link to comment
+Firefighter Skippy Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 I use this one with my Legend. Serial to USB Thanks. Thats just what I was looking for and a good price too. Quote Link to comment
ghost cat Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Will a standard standard Serial to USB cable work with a Garmin Etrex? I thought that I read somewhere that Garmin used a non-standard serial port. Quote Link to comment
+Polar B's Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 That can't be true. If it was then everybody would have to install a special serial port on there computer. The serial to USB adapters are just a converter and so any device that uses the standard serial port, will work with a the adapter. Quote Link to comment
+Adrenalynn Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 Well, it might have been the case back when I started in the 80's and we called "RS232" "Random Standard"... Now-adays, there's DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and DCE (Data Communication Equipment). The only difference is that TX and RX are reversed. If that were the case, you'd get a null modem and plug that in between and life would be grand. The upshot is that the garmin is intended to plug into a PC (DTE) so it's wired DCE. Which *is* backward from the intended standard, incidentally. The PC was wired to be a terminal to a mainframe - but that's getting off in the weeds... Anywho - it's intended to plug into a PC. So any USB->Serial adapter is going to work since it's also intended to behave as a PC-side port. A note for technical accuracy so I don't get called on it: There is some oddball equipment that wants certain pins high and certain pins low for stupid nothing-reasons. So there are different types of null modems. DSR pulled high, CD pulled high or low, etc. But those aren't consumer devices, such as GPSrs are. Quote Link to comment
+gof1 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 To TEXSOX and FIREFIGHTER SKIPPY, you are both welcome. You are going to have to set the addapter and the GPSr to the same com settings, I had to call my sister to figure that out. To the rest...um...I don't have a clue what any of that means, but I guess you all know so, cool, thanks for the info. Um, I should realy learn what these new fangled tv looking things are all about. Quote Link to comment
Dale_Lynn Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 IF anybody wants to drive them selves crazy, here is all you ever wanted to to know about RS-232 http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/info/RS-232_specs.html http://www.lammertbies.nl/comm/cable/RS-232.html Dale Quote Link to comment
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