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tomslusher
Geocacher
Joined: 02 Jan 2003
Posts: 182
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 Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 9:08 pm Post subject: GPS and Laptop |
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Any of you computer genuses out there?
Sorry about the spelling but I was trying to make myself look like a helpless idiot.
I have a GPS/laptop problem. My laptop does not have a serial port so I bought a serial to usb cable to hook to the serial plug on the Magellian Sportrak data cable. For some reason it seemed to work for a while but now it refuses to recognize the GPS or even the adapter (I think).
Anyone out there want to give free technical advice? It wouldn't have to be free if you didn't want it to be. I would gladly accept payment for receiving your advice.
Thanks,
tomslusher |
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s4xton
Past MnGCA Board
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Posts: 1070
Location: Minneapolis, MN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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I can't promise further help, but I can help facilitate this thread:
* Windows or Mac?
* What specific Serial->USB adapter?
* What application are you trying to use the GPSr in on your laptop? |
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tomslusher
Geocacher
Joined: 02 Jan 2003
Posts: 182
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2003 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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Alright,
I looked into my problem a little deeper and here is what I came up with.
By the way, I have a Gateway laptop using Windows XP and a Prolific USB to Serial adapter.
Mapsend Topo keeps looking for my GPS at COM1 - COM4.
The computer keeps assigning COM6 to the adapter. Why is that and how can I reassign it to COM3 or COM4? I have tried reinstalling everything and it keeps assigning COM6.
I appriciate any help. Thanks,
tomslusher |
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Marsha and Silent Bob
Past MnGCA President
Joined: 02 Sep 2003
Posts: 6261
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2003 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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| tomslusher wrote: |
| The computer keeps assigning COM6 to the adapter. Why is that and how can I reassign it to COM3 or COM4? I have tried reinstalling everything and it keeps assigning COM6. |
I don't know (with the advent of more intelligent Windows versions) but in the past COM1 was the same as COM3 and COM2 was the same as COM4. I am assuming that Windows is assigning COM6 to this adapter because of that.
You can try and disable COM1 and COM2 in your BIOS and see if Windows then reassigns the adapter to COM1 or COM2. If it does, you are good to go 
Anyone else, please correct me if I am wrong about COM1/COM3, COM2/COM4.
Silent Bob. |
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tomslusher
Geocacher
Joined: 02 Jan 2003
Posts: 182
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| Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2003 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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After delving deeper into my computer I discovered I can reassign COM ports up to COM256. I don't know if these are a kind of "virtual" COM port or what. I was always tought just what marsha&bob wrote and also that there was only 4 COM ports available.
But I reassigned my modem from COM3 to COM7 and made the adapter COM3. That seemed to work for my adapter.
Now we will have to see if the modem still works. I use a network adapter for home use but once in a while while out on the road I use my internal modem. At worst I will have to readjust the COM ports again.
Thanks everyone for the help.
tomslusher |
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