MaxSea 10 and USB GPS...URGENT!

[Captn_Black]

HI all, setting sail very soon, but I can't get a GPS input from my USB GPS (gosget bu-358) to Maxsea 10, or anywhere else for that matter, it is installed and in device manager I can see that it is working, but how can I get my co-ords? Even just knowing what my GPS co-ords are, even if I can't link it to Maxsea would be better than nothing.
Only a few days left now, so its rather urgent.

[s/v Jedi]

So short with time and navigation not working?? first fix the boat, then plan departure!

Well, assuming contacting MaxSea for support isn't an option, you need to look at the manual about the GPS setup and study the windows under "Data input/output settings" menu. Here you define ports, speeds and can monitor incoming data etc.
Some USB drivers are known not to work so you might have bought a device that isn't compatible with maxsea. You can still use it with additional software. Google for GPSgate as one solution.

cheers,
Nick.

[Sunspot Baby]

I'm not a MaxSea user but have had problems with other software. If you can see the port number where the GPS is, it may not be one that MaxSea looks at in its default settings. With CPAN Voyage, you can go into the setup (*.ini) file and tell it where to find the GPS.

Also, different USB sockets on the computer have different addresses so you might fix your problem by plugging into a different socket. Does MaxSea have a help function? If you haven't tried it go there first.

George

[idpnd]

I have installed the BU 353 on a friend's XP computer, the included CD provides a USD->serial driver. At least on that model, can look up the port number on the "devices" list in the system panel. The port number is dynamically assigned and differs for each usb port, so you have to use the same one every time.

[Captn_Black]

It supports NMEA 0183 as does Maxsea, baud 4800, com port 3, all these things I have set on MaxSea, and have checked on device driver and original ad for item. Will try getting Maxsea support tomorrow, but time is short. I did order this 3 weeks ago, but the company didn't ship, or tell me they weren't shipping it, b ecause I have a non-US paypal account.

http://www.bedoxinc.com/gobusiiiiusb.html

[idpnd]

With my GPS USB BU 353, I also got a testing utility - you may wish to use this to see if the GPS is working at all..

[Captn_Black]

Hi, yea, I went to Data input/output settings and the gps co-ords are there under the check data tab when I click display. But not in data display...

[s/v Jedi]

If you see the raw data coming in but maxsea doesn't pick position, cog etc. your gps is sending sentences that maxsea doesn't look for.

How to correct that: probably, your gps is sending the GGA sentence while MaxSea is looking for the GLL sentence. You correct that by going into the advanced settings (a button somewhere in the "Data input/output" settings and selecting the GGA instead of GLL sentence. You can match every data value within maxsea to a nmea0183 sentence here.

Another way to fix this is by going into the configuration utility that came with the GPS and change it's nmea version to a higher level, like to 3.0 from 1.5. It might start sending the newer GLL sentence that way.

As long as you see the raw data coming in and it's readable, you will get it to work here.

cheers,
Nick.

[MarkJ]

Click Display / Nav Data

Its in that tool bar.

If its not then go back to

Utilities / Data Input

and click on another Com Port. Its could be any number up to about 10. The different com ports are the different USB holes you can connect to. So, of course you can also try connecting the GPS to another USB hole.

You could just try buying the program as the real one should work better than the pirate version

[galleyslave]

s/v Jedi is correct. If you are in Utilities/Data input and can see the data coming in, you have one more hoop to jump through. I'm writing this from home and the GPS is aboard and I cannot check but there is a way to stop the data scrolling past and freeze the screen so that you can read the various 'sentences'. From memory, clicking on the right hand button in the Check Data window. The left one chooses the COM port.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by galleyslave

s/v Jedi is correct. .

Whaaaat? Nick? Correct???????????

Watch out boy-oh! He'll have you up some crocodile infested creek in the middle of central America....

I'm sure he's lost.





Mark

[Captn_Black]

Thx guys, will try that now.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You could just try buying the program as the real one should work better than the pirate version

....
But then I couldn't fly my jolly roger!!

[Captn_Black]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

If you see the raw data coming in but maxsea doesn't pick position, cog etc. your gps is sending sentences that maxsea doesn't look for.

How to correct that: probably, your gps is sending the GGA sentence while MaxSea is looking for the GLL sentence. You correct that by going into the advanced settings (a button somewhere in the "Data input/output" settings and selecting the GGA instead of GLL sentence. You can match every data value within maxsea to a nmea0183 sentence here.

Another way to fix this is by going into the configuration utility that came with the GPS and change it's nmea version to a higher level, like to 3.0 from 1.5. It might start sending the newer GLL sentence that way.

As long as you see the raw data coming in and it's readable, you will get it to work here.

cheers,
Nick.

Big thanks for you sir!
The compatible setence was GGA btw.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Captain Jaz

Big thanks for you sir!
The compatible setence was GGA btw.

Good to hear it works now. It was just over a week ago that I fixed this on another boat in under a minute after their "expert" gave up after an hour. He was silently cursing me not believing his eyes when maxsea sprang to life much like Mark is ;-)

Watch out boy-oh! He'll have you up some crocodile infested creek in the middle of central America....

Normally I would be happy to ship a couple of crocs over to you but there's only one in the marina now and some locals are hunting it so I'll have to skip that this time ;-)

But joking aside, this was the quick and dirty fix. Next time you have time you should try to get that GPS to output NMEA0183 v3.x so it starts sending GLL.

ciao!
Nick.