Nobeltec Visual Navigation Suite

[MJH]

I have been using Nobeltec VNS v4.1.347 on an older Toshiba laptop for a number of years with XP. Two months ago it operated normally, that is, announcing that it could not find port COM1 but connecting with COM9 and functioning OK.

A month ago it gave the same opening announcement BUT there was no GPS input; charts come up OK but no navigation due to no GPS input. GPS data is provided by a Garmin GPS 76 or GPSMAP 76 via USB-RS232 converter. As this is a dedicated navigation computer, it was only connected to the Internet for monthly Microsoft updates; that is once between working and not working before the problem started.

I have uninstalled then reinstalled both the USB to RS232 cable converter and also Nobeltec software without any improvement except that now it doesn't make the previous announcement for not finding COM1, an improvement I would think. The XP Device Manager shows no problem with either the Ports or the Universal Serial Bus Controllers but is now reflecting COM8 for the USB-RS232 which I have now selected in Nobeltec Input Ports.

Everything seems to be what it should be but I still have no GPS input from Garmin. I'm frustrated and open to suggestions.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ Mike

[colemj]

I don't have an answer for you - just wanted to note that VNS v4.X is over 15yrs old and predates WindowsXP itself!

Mark

[mcm]

Have you tried disabling the pointing device in device mgr. sometimes Win. sees gps as a mouse device.

[JRM]

Doh, I just lost my whole reply...

Fire up hyperterm and verify that data is present on the serial port. Try 4800 baud to start. If you get properly formatted NMEA strings, the issue is likely software or software settings. If you get string data at all, cut and paste some here so we can see the format. If you get nothing, you'll need further hardware troubleshooting.

JRM

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MJH]

It has been fixed. Another forum suggested checking the Garmin output which had been accidently changed from NMEA to GARMIN. After changing it back to NMEA all worked fine.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ Mike