paperless geocaching using a magellan sportrak map

[+threebs1984]

First off thank you for reading my post. I am in need of serious help here. I have a Magellan Sportrak map and was told that I can download coordinates if I had a USB to serial adapter. I have bought two of these and I cannot get it to work at all. I thought maybe the first one was defective but now I think I am the defective one LOL! I just bought a Tripp-lite model U209-000R USB to serial adapter and placed the little disk into the CD-Rom. I also plugged the adapter into the USB port. It says that it is installed but I cannot get anything to work at all. First off the lights on the adapter has not came on at all. When I went to the geocaching.com site I do not know what I am doing to download the cache to my unit. I have clicked different buttons and still no luck. I am pretty dense about these things but I am also getting tired of hand entering coords to my unit. Can someone help me here?

Thank you so much.

threebs1984@roadrunner.com

[Motorcycle_Mama]

It does not appear that the Magellan Communicator plugin is compatible with that GPS unit.

 

Check out this page from the Magellan website on which units are compatible with their plug-in.

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/map.asp?PRODID=2301

[+user13371]

SendToGPS plugin probably won't work, but downloading LOC files (or Pocket Queries, since you're a premium member) should get you data you can use with GSAK.

 

But discussing how to download files from GC.com and use GSAK to transfer them might getting ahead of ourselves -- gotta have a working serial connection first. As I recall from those dark ages, the adapter should set up a "fake" COM port for serial devices to talk to. It would have a name like COM1:, COM3:, or something like that.

 

Does the documentation that came with your adapter show how to check or set the serial port? Making sure that works is the first thing to do, before trying to get it to talk to the GPS.

 

---

Edit to add: I just found the manual for the adapter you mentioned, here:

http://www.tripplite.com/shared/techdoc/Ow...B-932072-EN.pdf

is that the right one? If so, have you checked the installation and trouble shooting notes?

Edited October 1, 2010 by lee_rimar

[+handymantim]

I have the Sport track color. And had the same problem. I bought the junkie cables also. Mine works but I have to plug it in 2 or 3 times to make the drivers pick up.

 

The Magellan communicator will not help you. I have to use: ExpertGPS to send info to my unit. But will only work when you get the cable working. And the settings right.When cable is plugged in try this:

 

Start menu,My computer, then right click in field and select properties. Under Hardware tab select Device manager.

 

In the Device manager go down to ports and open tree. You should see you cable(not GPS) listed as Com2 or Com3. If not you need to check your drivers from Cd again. Try plugging in in and out a couple times.

 

It is a pain to get everything working but once you get it, it is nice just to click button and install.

[+Semper Questio]

I started out with a SporTrack Map. I eventually went to a USB/Serial adapter. I just bought an el-cheapo cable and it worked for me right out of the gate. However, you DO have to be sure you use the right COM port and that nothing else is tying up the COMs. Sorry, but that's all I really remember. It's been a while. You will just have to dink with it. If you aren't terribly computer literate get some help from someone who is. In any case, remember that your GPS ONLY KNOWS SERIAL (COM) PORTS! So don't try to send stuff to it using USB. It won't work. You have to send it to a COM port which the USB/Serial converter should be able to map for you. Sometimes this junk just comes down to trying stuff till you find the right combination.

 

I do also know that you cannot use the Send To GPS function. You will have to use some other software to send the data from the LOC files or the GPX files to the GPS. I used EasyGPS at first and now use GSAK.

 

In any case, you will never be able to do paperless caching with just the GPS. You will also need some kind of PDA or similar device. You will also need to use a piece of software to get that info to that device.

 

My configuration for paperless caching was always, and still is, the GPS (now a Garmin 60CSx), a Palm PDA (now a Palm TX. Have used a IIIc and Tungsten E, but pretty much any of them will work and you can get them cheap on eBay and elsewhere), my PC (of course), GSAK (PC Software that exports data to the GPS and to the PDA), and CacheMate (which runs on the PDA to show me the data exported to the PDA via GSAK).

 

Hope some of this helps.

Edited October 3, 2010 by Semper Questio

[+threebs1984]

Thanks to all who has replied. It has given me things to think about. I will try to process everything and figure out what is best for me. Once again thanks so much!

threebs1984