Which Palm?

[+5nomads]

OK. I've decided on a Palm for my gc accessory, due to the large library of software.

 

However, I can not find info on which units have serial connection ability. I have read some posts here that some of the Tungsten units do not and there is no info on the Palm website. I would ideally like to go with a high resolution screen as on the Zire 72, Tungsten E, or T3 (T3 being number 1 with higher memory and fastest processor).

 

Any guidance from Palm users out there? I will be connecting to 60CS.

 

Thanks,

[+embra]

I have a Tungsten|T, the first in the series. I can confirm that it has USB, and I'm reasonably sure that feature extends on up the line.

 

I'm not sure about the Zires. I think that you could find serial connections running up through the Palm V. Older units are prevalient (and inexpensive) on eBay.

[+TresOkies]

Your choices for current palmOne devices are:

• Tungsten T3
  
• Tungsten C
  
• Treo 600
  

In the recent models, you can also use a Zire 71, Tungsten T2, and Tungsten T. The discriminating factor is the "Universal Connector".

 

You cannot use

• Tungsten E
  
• Zire
  
• Zire 21
  
• Zire 31
  
• Zire 72
  

I have a Tungsten C and I like it very much. The WiFi and keyboard make it a good unit for me. It has the same xScale 400 processor that the T3 has. It does not have the expanded 320x480 display though. I use it in a limited fashion to connect it to my GPS for some programs I've written.

 

The thing that I would recommend, first and foremost, is a hard case. That is, a metal case that surrounds your device as opposed to a leather wallet-type case. Screen breakage is a very real threat if you are taking your Palm into the field. If your screen breaks, it is not a warrantied repair.

 

Good hunting.

 

-E

Edited September 21, 2004 by TresOkies++

[+NightPilot]

Yes, the universal connector has both serial and USB circuitry, so you must have a universal connector to connect your GPS. The T3 will work. The Zire 72 will also work, if you have a bluetooth GPS, which the 60 is not. I don't know of any standalone GPSrs with bluetooth - only dumb mouse type with no display, which cost about as much as a standalone GPS. The only advantage of these is that you don't need a cable. They do use battery power on the PDA at a fairly rapid rate.

[moopgroop]

Your choices for current palmOne devices are:

• 
   
  
• Tungsten T3
   
  
• Tungsten C
   
  
• Treo 600
   
  

In the recent models, you can also use a Zire 71, Tungsten T2, and Tungsten T.  The discriminating factor is the "Universal Connector".

 

You cannot use

Tungsten E

Zire

Zire 21

Zire 31

Zire 72

 

The thing that I would recommend, first and foremost, is a hard case. That is, a metal case that surrounds your device as opposed to a leather wallet-type case. Screen breakage is a very real threat if you are taking your Palm into the field. If your screen breaks, it is not a warrantied repair.

 

I may be wrong, but if your GPS has USB, I think you can use at least some of these because the Tungsten E has a miniUSB port on it.

 

And AMEN to a hard case. I had to replace my Vx due to a broken screen, way after the warranty expired, but it is usually not cost effective to replace the display.

[+TresOkies]

I may be wrong, but if your GPS has USB, I think you can use at least some of these because the Tungsten E has a miniUSB port on it.

The mini-usb on the T|E is a slave USB only. It cannot be used to communicate with a GPSR.

[+NightPilot]

The Tungsten E can connect to a GPS - exactly one. Kirrio has produced a GPS for the T|E that has USB master circuitry in it. It costs about as much as the T|E, and has no display, it's just a mouse receiver.

 

I repeat, the only way to connect anything to a Palm or PPC is to have that device be a USB master. There are very few master devices other than PCs. Having a mini-USB port does not in itself allow connecting anything other than a PC to the device. It's a poor specification, but it's what Lord Bill has provided for us, and we should be grateful and fall down and worship him. Riiggghhhtt!

[moopgroop]

The mini-usb on the T|E is a slave USB only. It cannot be used to communicate with a GPSR.

I see said the blind carpenter.

 

 

To his deaf wife.

 

 

Over the phone.

 

 

As he picked up his hammer and saw.

[+TresOkies]

The mini-usb on the T|E is a slave USB only. It cannot be used to communicate with a GPSR.

I see said the blind carpenter.

...

Well, you did get into a technical discussion...

[+TresOkies]

The Tungsten E can connect to a GPS - exactly one. Kirrio has produced a GPS for the T|E that has USB master circuitry in it. It costs about as much as the T|E, and has no display, it's just a mouse receiver.

 

I stand corrected. Thanks for the information. I found this on the Kirrio site. For those of you who subject to the "hate France" mentality, don't bother.

 

http://www.kirrio.com/uk/products/palmone_....php?cat=0&id=0

 

It has a list price of 429 Euros. Oy! I couldn't find any place in the US that actually sells it. Plenty of places in the UK do. It looks like expansys will eventually carry it.

 

It's a poor specification, but it's what Lord Bill has provided for us, and we should be grateful and fall down and worship him.  Riiggghhhtt!   

 

<LECTURE>

Well, it's not Bill's fault that the Tungsten E is so poorly outfitted. The problem was that palmOne had a target Bill of Materials (BOM) cost so they could reach the street price mandated by marketing. The Tungsten E was designed to be an "entry level business unit" and any advanced features would've been removed or reduced to meet the low BOM cost. This is a common driving force in the consumer electronics market, especially one that is rapidly being commoditized.

</LECTURE>

[+5nomads]

Thanks to everyone for their very useful input. It has been especially useful to see all the Palms that are capable of communication with GPSr's

 

I plan to purchase a Palm T3, connect to 60CS via serial connection from a Universal cable.

 

From what I have read, I need the following to be fully set-up:

 

- Palm universal cable (to connect from Palm mini USB to serial cable)

- Serial/USB cable (to connect from Universal to GPSr)

- Cachemate

- Garmin GPS Query/Upload 1.23 plugin

 

Is this everything I need to get things working?

[+myarch]

Check the cachemate website. You may also need SerialFix to fix a bug in the T3. I connect my T3 with both a garmin rino120 and a garmin map76s with custom cables from PC-Mobile, but I needed SerialFix. I also use cachemate and GSAK.

[+TresOkies]

From what I have read, I need the following to be fully set-up:

 

- Palm universal cable (to connect from Palm mini USB to serial cable)

This is not quite correct. The connector on a Tungsten T3 is not a "mini USB", that's what's on the Tungsten E and most of the Zires. The T3 has what is called a "Palm Universal Connector" on it. This connector supports both serial and USB connections. Most cables with a Palm Universal Connector on them are USB cables for Hotsync and charging.

 

What you want is a serial cable with a DB9 serial connector on one end and a Palm Universal Connector on the other. You most likely will not find this cable at an office supply store or CompUSA. This will connect to the serial data cable that comes with your 60CS. You will likely also need a gender changer and a null modem adapter in between, which you can get at Radio Shack.

 

Or, you could get a specialty cable that is meant for going directly between the two. There are several places online where you can get such a beast. Two that I have dealt with are http://www.pc-mobile.net and http://www.pfranc.com/.

[+NightPilot]

I agree that MS had nothing to do with Palm's mini-USB port, I was talking about the USB specification. It didn't have to be that way, but lack of foresight makes for problems in the long run (for us, not for MS).

[+EScout]

Many other Palm OS PDAs have serial connnections including the Sony S, N and TJ series. I have a TJ25, with 360X360 resolution screen. These are cheap and work very well.

[marty621]

I can say definitively that a Sony Clie SJ20 has a serial connection. I believe that the entire SJ series has serial connections. Mine works well with w/ GPS.

[+Learned Gerbil]

My Clie SJ22 works well with GPS but I found I needed a lead from PC-Mobile to get it to work properly as a normal serial lead with null-modem adaptor failed to work.

 

The PC-Mobile lead is extremly well made, the right length and light to carry arround. I thoughly recommend them.