Looking for eTrex cables

[+EclectEcon]

Hi,

 

I bought a basic eTrex a bit over a month ago just to take hiking (I knew nothing about geocaching at the the time). Since then, I have been introduced to geocaching, found a few caches, and have been having a wonderful time searching for and finding caches, and surfing the Groundspeak forums (fora?).

 

If I do much more geocaching, though, I will soon want to be able to download waypoints to my eTrex. I know there's a serial cable available, but we don't have any computers in the house with serial ports (all we have are PCs with USB ports). So we would also have to buy a serial-USB cable PLUS the Garmin eTrex-PC serial cable. Buying the two cables amounts to some serious money. It might just be better to buy a new/different gps unit and not be out much more money.

 

I am writing to ask opinions/sources. Does anyone know of a reliable place via the internet for someone in Canada to get inexpensive cables? And if not, does it make sense just to buy, say, a LegendCX rather than shell out for the cables?

 

Thanks!

[+PDOP's]

Have a look at Syzygy Research & Technology which is A Canadian member of www.pfranc.com Home of the Purple Open Projects & first ever ShareHardWare. They'll sell you the connectors if you're handy with a soldering iron or prebuilt cables.

 

There are a ton of third party aftermarket accessories available for Garmin but mostly from US retailers. www.gpscentral.ca is one trusted Canadian retailer that does have the eTrex Series PC Interface Cable.

[+Red90]

A LOT cheaper out of the states. GPSCity.ca used to carry non-Garmin brand cable, but they seem to have stopped.

 

http://www.gpsgeek.com/products/pc-interfa...rs232-connector

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-PC-Interface-Cable...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Same with USB to serial adapters.

Edited June 24, 2007 by Red90

[+guiderchachi]

I have a Garmin eTrex...the yellow one. I went to Walmart here in Newfoundland and bought the cable for 39.96. The Source has them for around $50.00 and have to order them in. In Walmart, look in the Sporting goods/hunting/fishing dept. Best $40.00 I ever spent!

Good luck

Guiderchachi

[+guiderchachi]

we don't have any computers in the house with serial ports (all we have are PCs with USB ports). So we would also have to buy a serial-USB cable PLUS the Garmin eTrex-PC serial cable. Buying the two cables amounts to some serious money. It might just be better to buy a new/different gps unit and not be out much more money.

 

Thanks!

 

I didn't get all of your post, I missed the part about not having the right plug-in. The Source sells the serial-USB cable for 20.00 to 30.00

Guiderchachi

[+Kojak27]

How handy are you with soldering irons?

 

I wasn't gonna waste $40+shipping for a $2 cable, plus I didn't want to wait for a week, so I ended up making my own cable with a serial plug and a stereo jack for my Garmin Foretrex. I got the pin configuration from this site:

 

http://pinouts.ru/DevicesCables/garmin_foretrex_pinout.shtml

 

Worked like a charm. I had a 9-pin serial plug and a stereo plug both came from a box of surplus cables I kept over the years. In the end, it took me half an hour to put it together, just soldering the right connections together.

 

As for the USB part, I'm not sure that the software you run (GSAK?) that would communicate with your Garmin would recognize your GPSr as being connected to your USB port (it would look for a COM (serial) port, not a USB). But I leave that one to the experts. I know GSAK can do many wonders, after all.

[+Red90]

How handy are you with soldering irons?

 

I wasn't gonna waste $40+shipping for a $2 cable, plus I didn't want to wait for a week, so I ended up making my own cable with a serial plug and a stereo jack for my Garmin Foretrex. I got the pin configuration from this site:

 

http://pinouts.ru/DevicesCables/garmin_foretrex_pinout.shtml

 

Worked like a charm. I had a 9-pin serial plug and a stereo plug both came from a box of surplus cables I kept over the years. In the end, it took me half an hour to put it together, just soldering the right connections together.

 

As for the USB part, I'm not sure that the software you run (GSAK?) that would communicate with your Garmin would recognize your GPSr as being connected to your USB port (it would look for a COM (serial) port, not a USB). But I leave that one to the experts. I know GSAK can do many wonders, after all.

 

Etrex units have a special Garmin only plug unlike the Foretrex units.... You can buy the plug cheaper from pfranc as mentioned above, but it is still not cheap and spending $20 on one out the states is just as cheap and less work.

 

As to USB/serial adapters....it does work. The adapters have software to port the usb to a virtual serial port.

[+paulmc]

How's this for a deal. Send me your address and I'll send you one of my 2 spare pfranc plugs for free - with instructions. Like the other replies mentioned, you need to be handy with a soldering iron. You'll also need an old serial cable with one end cut off.

Something else to keep in mind - the newest geocaches have 7 character names and the eTrex yellow only accepts 6 character names. I don't know how the software and gps will deal with this because I haven't downloaded waypoints with my old eTrex yellow since I got a new yellow eTrex Venture Cx.

I don't check the forums regularly so drop me a line at xpaulmx@yahoo.ca.

 

paulmc

[+tavernspite]

My apologies, please ignore. Didn't realise that this was posted in the Canada section of the forums. Sorry.

Edited June 29, 2007 by moche

[+gillingham]

i got mine on ebay for $8 american and i think it was $2 for shipping...

[Mag Magician]

Search on ebay for "serial to usb adapter" You will come up over 100 listings at any one time, and at least 5 of them will be listed as Garmin. I bought 2 at 99 cents each, plus 5 bucks shipping.