Fujitsu LOOX N560 PDA/GPS, help please

[+Pendle Witch]

I have just purchased this PDA with built in GPS. I'm not very technical and am having problems setting up the com ports so that it will show the present location on Memory Map. MM advise com port 8 and a bawd rate of 9600. I have read somewhere that the GPS program port should be set to GPD9. However when the GPS has a fix MM still comes up with message 'Can't open Com Port'. I have tried other com ports and both hard and soft resets and re-installing MM but still get this same message. Has anyone any experience of this PDA or any ideas please?

[+drdick&vick]

Found this on line so might be worth a try:

 

The settings I am using in Memory Map are - Manufacturer=NMEA Port=COM8 Baud 9600

[+Pendle Witch]

Found this on line so might be worth a try:

 

The settings I am using in Memory Map are - Manufacturer=NMEA Port=COM8 Baud 9600

 

Thanks very much for looking this up but this confirms my settings are correct for MM.

 

When I first put this in, over a week ago, it actually worked for a few minutes but when I turned it back on the next day I got the message that MM could not open com port.

 

There seems to be two sides to this - one from MM and the other from the GPS within. MM is set up as above but the actual GPS under settings for the program port has two sections - One for when the GPS will need to communicate with this port - presently set at GDP8 and the other for GPS hardware port settings which is the same as MM at Com8 and a bawd of 9600. This is when I get the message 'can't open com port'. I have altered this to None and tried several other ports but seem to be going round in circles with either nothing showing up on the MM map or the message that it can't open com port. Feel like throwing it in the bin.

[Pajaholic]

I have an N520, which has the same SiRFStar III GPSr as your PDA. There are two ports involved. To get at them, tap Start -> Settings, then on the System tab tap the GPS icon.

 

In the Programs tab of the GPS Settings dialog, I have COM8; in the Hardware tab, I have COM4 set to 57600 baud. "Out of the box", the only change was the default baud rate setting was 9600.

 

There is a third setting that can affect things. In the GPS Settings dialog, open the Access tab. "Manage GPS Automatically" should be checked. This permits Windows Mobile to mediate between the GPSr and any application that requires GPS data and is usually more reliable than allowing each application direct, exclusive access.

 

Additionally, although I don't have Memory Map, every GPS-based application I've installed on my N520 has had to be configured for GPS ports etc. All so far have an option for automatic configuration somewhere in the Settings (or similar) dialog box of the application.

 

Lastly, the time to first fix for these devices can be very long (several minutes), and some applications (e.g. Navigon) report that they cannot connect until a viable signal is established. So it could be that all you have to do is leave it for a few minutes to get a fix.

 

HTH,

 

Geoff

Edited October 7, 2009 by Pajaholic

[+Simply Paul]

MM and TomTom can clash- make sure you only run one at once. My Loox 720 likes COM6 and doesn't care about speed, using a bluetooth GPS. You could try some TomTom/Loox forums too? Good luck with it.

[+Pendle Witch]

I have an N520, which has the same SiRFStar III GPSr as your PDA. There are two ports involved. To get at them, tap Start -> Settings, then on the System tab tap the GPS icon.

 

In the Programs tab of the GPS Settings dialog, I have COM8; in the Hardware tab, I have COM4 set to 57600 baud. "Out of the box", the only change was the default baud rate setting was 9600.

 

There is a third setting that can affect things. In the GPS Settings dialog, open the Access tab. "Manage GPS Automatically" should be checked. This permits Windows Mobile to mediate between the GPSr and any application that requires GPS data and is usually more reliable than allowing each application direct, exclusive access.

 

Additionally, although I don't have Memory Map, every GPS-based application I've installed on my N520 has had to be configured for GPS ports etc. All so far have an option for automatic configuration somewhere in the Settings (or similar) dialog box of the application.

 

Lastly, the time to first fix for these devices can be very long (several minutes), and some applications (e.g. Navigon) report that they cannot connect until a viable signal is established. So it could be that all you have to do is leave it for a few minutes to get a fix.

 

HTH,

 

Geoff

Thanks very much for all this detail. I have altered the GPS Programs setting to COM8 and in the Hardware tab to Com4 and baud to 57600. The Access has always been set to Manage GPS Automatically so I should have the same set up as you. I waited until after the GPS had had a fix for about 10 mins with 10 satellites showing and then opened Memory Map. Unfortunately it showed 'cant open com port' yet again.

 

I decided to try it again some time later and hey presto it worked and I was watching the ring on the map move as I walked down the road. I have just been out again (twice) and get the same old message - can't open com port

 

There does not seem to be any automatic com setting within MM and MM themselves, when contacted previously, advised me to set up the connection to the GPS in MM using Com8 with a baud of 9600.

 

I feel at least one step nearer but cannot understand how it works one minute and not the next without any alterations. This is proving to be a real pain to set up but thank you for your help.

[+The HERB5]

FYI

For caching you need to turn on Static Navigation (SN), older versions of MM had a Sirf chip option, latest doesn't.

There's a MM executable somewhere that turns it on, and probably a thread discussing it....

 

PS I have a LOOX N500 for sale £40.....

[+Pendle Witch]

MM and TomTom can clash- make sure you only run one at once. My Loox 720 likes COM6 and doesn't care about speed, using a bluetooth GPS. You could try some TomTom/Loox forums too? Good luck with it.

 

Thanks for this but I don't have TomTom. The only extra program on the PDA is Memory Map. I have tried altering things to Com6 but with no luck!

[Pajaholic]

Try setting the baud rate in the GPS Settings Hardware tab to 9600. FWIW, I only set it higher to try and improve communications with another application (BeeLineGPS). It seemed to help a little, so I left it at 57600. However, the default setting is 9600 - which is what MM seems to expect.

 

Another thing to try might be the FastFix update. In this post, Smurf gave me instructions how to do this. However, please be aware that this updates the firmware of the GPSr and that after you do this you'll need to download the satellite almanac from the Internet (via an applet you install during the update) rather than directly from the satellite constellation, and you need to do this during the three days prior to using the GPS. AFAICT, the update can't be rolled back once applied.

 

HTH,

 

Geoff

[+drsolly]

I use an external bluetooth GPSR with my Loox, and on the Loox I use:

 

Manufacturer: SiRF

Port Com6

Baud 4800

[+Lost in Space]

I find, with my i-Paq, that if I do not close the MM application before turning off the PDA, I get the Com port message next time I power on. (A soft reset fixes it)

Edited October 8, 2009 by Lost in Space

[+Pendle Witch]

A BIG THANK YOU to all who tried to help this dozy old witch. I seem to have misunderstood how MM and the PDA integral GPS work together. I find that the main mistake I have been making is to boot up the GPS Locator first and then go into Memory Map. MM will then show the message ' Can't open COM port'. When I switch MM on outside WITHOUT the GPS first booting up, I realise now that that is how it works.

 

So, just in case there is anyone else out there who knows nothing about how MM works with a GPS within a PDA or Bauds and COMs etc, for a Fujitsu LOOX N560 and maybe other models too, this is how it works for me:

 

Open MM on PDA and go to GPS and setup it up as

Manufacturer - NMEA

Port COM8

Baud 9600

 

On PDA go to SETTINGS

SYSTEM

GPS

Programs

Set program port to GPD8

Hardware

Set Hardware port to COM8

Baud rate 9600

 

Go outside and open MM and wait for it to get a fix. If the little padlock, at the bottom of the screen, goes green then you have a fix and may need to press on it to let MM show exactly where you are on the map.

 

Thanks again to all.

[+G7HRP]

A BIG THANK YOU to all who tried to help this dozy old witch. I seem to have misunderstood how MM and the PDA integral GPS work together. I find that the main mistake I have been making is to boot up the GPS Locator first and then go into Memory Map. MM will then show the message ' Can't open COM port'. When I switch MM on outside WITHOUT the GPS first booting up, I realise now that that is how it works.

 

So, just in case there is anyone else out there who knows nothing about how MM works with a GPS within a PDA or Bauds and COMs etc, for a Fujitsu LOOX N560 and maybe other models too, this is how it works for me:

 

Open MM on PDA and go to GPS and setup it up as

Manufacturer - NMEA

Port COM8

Baud 9600

 

On PDA go to SETTINGS

SYSTEM

GPS

Programs

Set program port to GPD8

Hardware

Set Hardware port to COM8

Baud rate 9600

 

Go outside and open MM and wait for it to get a fix. If the little padlock, at the bottom of the screen, goes green then you have a fix and may need to press on it to let MM show exactly where you are on the map.

 

Thanks again to all.

 

I was just about to post some settings but you have worked it out , must admit when i read your post i thought 'oh no ' as i had only the evening previous ordered one of these , great value and for the only purpose of memory map and cachemate.

 

It arrived yesterday and i set it up without any major problems but did have the advantage of knowledge from setting up an old PDA with a SiRF3 bluetooth GPS previously (settings pretty much the same just com port differences).

 

On a different note i loaded MM , cachemate and BeeLine GPS, tried all 3 apps running to see if the GPS auto management worked , no probs with cachemate and MM but when BeeLine was introduced the PDA hung and in the end i did a hard reset and reloaded cachemate and MM as MM would no longer boot and kept throwing a .exe error. don't need BeeLine as i have a Garmin but would have been nice if i only had the PDA with me however cachemate has a basic navigator attached so thats fine.

 

Only other comment would be regarding the GPS side of things i have seen several complaints that this device takes an age to lock (not on caching forums but when used as a sat nav). I have found by doing a couple of hard resets that when the PDA starts from absolute cold it has to decode the almanacs from the sat's , this took about 10 mins when left out in the open sky but was taking forever indoors as you would expect ! , once that has been done once i get a fix from atleast 3/4 sats within about 20 seconds in the house , its currently sat on the windowsill receiving 11 sats.

 

At the moment i'm more than happy with it and on £99 + VAT as well.

 

Ian G7HRP

[Pajaholic]

Only other comment would be regarding the GPS side of things i have seen several complaints that this device takes an age to lock (not on caching forums but when used as a sat nav). I have found by doing a couple of hard resets that when the PDA starts from absolute cold it has to decode the almanacs from the sat's , this took about 10 mins when left out in the open sky but was taking forever indoors as you would expect ! , once that has been done once i get a fix from atleast 3/4 sats within about 20 seconds in the house , its currently sat on the windowsill receiving 11 sats.

WRT slow time to first fix: in a previous post, I linked a thread that gave a fix for that (thanks, Smurf). This lets you download the almanac from the Internet and considerably speeds things up. Go to http://uk.ts.fujitsu.com/support/downloads.html and enter your model (N560) and look for "GPS Instant Fix". This is a two stage update that first updates the SiRFStar III firmware, then installs the QuickGPS application. The latter downloads the almanac from the Internet and can be set to do this automatically each time you sync the PDA. Once this is applied TTFF comes in seconds "warm" in the open and within a couple of minutes "cold".

 

FWIW, I don't have MM. Instead, I'm using Geoscout. This can use downloaded mapping from a variety of sources, including Virtual Earth hybrid, with which you can see your track on an aerial/satellite image. This has proved really useful since it lets you visually triangulate using identifiable landmarks (e.g. individual trees) that I suspect aren't shown on MM etc.

 

Geoff

Edited October 9, 2009 by Pajaholic

[+Pendle Witch]

QUOTE: I was just about to post some settings but you have worked it out , must admit when i read your post i thought 'oh no ' as i had only the evening previous ordered one of these , great value and for the only purpose of memory map and cachemate.

 

It arrived yesterday and i set it up without any major problems but did have the advantage of knowledge from setting up an old PDA with a SiRF3 bluetooth GPS previously (settings pretty much the same just com port differences).

 

On a different note i loaded MM , cachemate and BeeLine GPS, tried all 3 apps running to see if the GPS auto management worked , no probs with cachemate and MM but when BeeLine was introduced the PDA hung and in the end i did a hard reset and reloaded cachemate and MM as MM would no longer boot and kept throwing a .exe error. don't need BeeLine as i have a Garmin but would have been nice if i only had the PDA with me however cachemate has a basic navigator attached so thats fine.

 

Only other comment would be regarding the GPS side of things i have seen several complaints that this device takes an age to lock (not on caching forums but when used as a sat nav). I have found by doing a couple of hard resets that when the PDA starts from absolute cold it has to decode the almanacs from the sat's , this took about 10 mins when left out in the open sky but was taking forever indoors as you would expect ! , once that has been done once i get a fix from atleast 3/4 sats within about 20 seconds in the house , its currently sat on the windowsill receiving 11 sats.

 

At the moment i'm more than happy with it and on £99 + VAT as well.

 

Ian G7HRP

 

Thanks for the information. I agree that it is a great value PDA with a super bright screen and now that I have got it working with MM it soon gets a fix - even in the house.

I will be trying Cachmate soon (another thing that I have no experience of at all - watch this space) but first must master how to get on the internet. We have a wireless router but so far no luck with a wireless connection like we get on the laptop - but will persevere..................!

Edited October 9, 2009 by Pendle Witch

[+His 'n' Hers]

I bought mine a few weeks ago.

The first one had to be returned with a faulty memory card reader.

The second one had a faulty battery cover.

Very prompt response in both cases by TotalPDA.

 

I am now up and running at last.

 

I have downloaded Cachemate and it works very well.

 

I have downloaded MM from my PC once I realised you cannot have the whole of North England downloaded in one go and it looks good.

 

The GPS is working well in conjunction with Cachemate and took me straight to some new caches this morning.

 

Should I be getting the caches appearing on the maps?

If yes then I must be doing something wrong as I cannot get them to appear.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

[+The Blorenges]

I've written an easy to read guide on how to get cache icons onto a PDA using GSAK. It also includes how to get a database for cachemate into the PDA quickly and easily.

 

One thing with Memory Map. If you use the option to transfer the files directly to the PDA from MM itself it is very slow. You can copy the files you need directly to a PDA. With my Mio P550 I just copy the .qct files to a memory card. It is much faster.

 

The information and the guide are on my resource website - www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk - go to the 'Paperless' link on the left of the page.

 

Chris (MrB)

Edited November 9, 2009 by The Blorenges

[+His 'n' Hers]

I've written an easy to read guide on how to get cache icons onto a PDA using GSAK. It also includes how to get a database for cachemate into the PDA quickly and easily.

 

One thing with Memory Map. If you use the option to transfer the files directly to the PDA from MM itself it is very slow. You can copy the files you need directly to a PDA. With my Mio P550 I just copy the .qct files to a memory card. It is much faster.

 

The information and the guide are on my resource website - www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk - go to the 'Paperless' link on the left of the page.

 

Chris (MrB)

 

Chris - many thanks, it looks like I have it all up and running, very impressive.

That must have taken you hopurs to work out.

Thanks again.

reg

[+drdick&vick]

Or if you dont already have GSAK why not try Geocache Log as it does it all for you as well.

[+Pendle Witch]

I've written an easy to read guide on how to get cache icons onto a PDA using GSAK. It also includes how to get a database for cachemate into the PDA quickly and easily.

 

One thing with Memory Map. If you use the option to transfer the files directly to the PDA from MM itself it is very slow. You can copy the files you need directly to a PDA. With my Mio P550 I just copy the .qct files to a memory card. It is much faster.

 

The information and the guide are on my resource website - www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk - go to the 'Paperless' link on the left of the page.

 

Chris (MrB)

 

Great website that I have added to my bookmarks. Thanks very much for this.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Pendle Witch

[+His 'n' Hers]

And finally (he says hopefully!!)

 

I have set up the caches on MM within a 10 mile radius of home from a PQ.

It looks good but as it is a bit cluttered in places I have removed the labels.

 

That just leaves the little blue dots but they are just a bit too small to see on their own.

 

Holding the cursor over the blue dot still brings up the cache page so that is better.

 

Is there any way I can double the size of the dot?

 

Again many thanks in advance for any assistance.

[+drdick&vick]

Have you tried using the great LordELph icons, they look really good on my PDA.

I wont mention on here how I get them into Memory Map but I am sure that GASK has a method to do it same as the program I use does.

[+His 'n' Hers]

Have you tried using the great LordELph icons, they look really good on my PDA.

I wont mention on here how I get them into Memory Map but I am sure that GASK has a method to do it same as the program I use does.

 

Thanks, I found the icons and the page to direct you how to install them.

 

However - when I open MM on my PC under "overlay/icons" where I am supposed to delete existing icons there are none there to delete!

 

I am not sure therefore wherfe the blue dot comes from to be able te remove and replace it.

 

I have tried to add my own icon which shows up now in the "overlay/icons/remove" area but all I still get is that little blue dot.

 

Can anyone please tell where and what I need to tweak to get a decent icon on my maps. Many thanks.

[+drdick&vick]

The blue dot is the defaut icon when setting a route.

Not sure hown you get them in, I used my caching programe to create a set of cache waypoints using the LordElph icons and they have always been in the list since.

WHich program are you using to insert the caches into Memory Map?

[+His 'n' Hers]

The blue dot is the defaut icon when setting a route.

Not sure hown you get them in, I used my caching programe to create a set of cache waypoints using the LordElph icons and they have always been in the list since.

WHich program are you using to insert the caches into Memory Map?

 

GSAK.