Where am I?

[Mike Sibley]

OK, this is probably a stupid question, but I am well qualified to ask.

I recently tried to hook up my Garmin 72H (handheld GPS) to OpenCPN running on my desktop computer, which runs Windows 7. When I connected the 72H to the computer, Windows 7 automatically installed a driver. All went fine and when I hit the little red auto follow button at the top of the OpenCPN screen, it takes me to my correct location in New Orleans, LA. All OK at this point.

Then I tried to do the same on my laptop computer, which runs Windows 10. Windows 10 did not automatically install a driver for the GPS, so I downloaded the Garmin driver and installed it then went to tools tab on OpenCPN and entered the same info as on the desktop. It appears to have made a connection, but when I hit the little red boat icon, it shows that I am located in the Sampit River in South Carolina. My Garmin 72H still says I am in New Orleans, so there must be a problems with the connection. Any suggestions? (Please avoid any reference to quantum mechanics.)

[nohal]

Mike...
Please read GPS Setup and Status | Official OpenCPN Homepage
What do you see in the GPS status window in the upper left corner of you screen? If it is not green, you don't get data from your GPS.

Pavel

[bcn]

upper right corner...
Ok, depends from the IALA region I suppose

[Mike Sibley]

I understand that OpenCPN is not receiving valid GPS input - if it was I assume it would display my correct location. The question is why is it not receiving valid information. Given that it all works on my desktop (with Windows 7 and automatically installed driver) but does not work on my laptop (with Windows 10 and Garmin driver), I assume that the problem traces to either the driver or the operating system. The OpenCPN instructions for setting up GPS describe the steps for Windows 7, but these seem to have little relevance for Windows 10. I did ask Garmin if they had a driver for Windows 10. They replied that they did not but they thought the existing (old) driver probably should work with Windows 10.

I was hoping that perhaps someone had encountered this problem and had figured it out.

[44'cruisingcat]

We recently bought a new laptop with windows 10. I won't use it. It's awful. It's really depressing that you just KNOW every new version of windows will be bigger, slower, use more computer resources, be more awkward to use, and just a complete PITA... and it happens every time.

[bcn]

Do you know at which COM port the Garmin is? Physical or Virtual (USB-COM with some converter in between)?
If USB, does it show up as device without any yellow or red warnings?

The next thing you can try is to open a Terminal program with correct baud rate looking if you get some response. But OCPN should see it at the drop down selector forCOM ports at connections anyhow.

When you go through the manual or searching the forum for Garmin GPS you will find that these devices are not standard at all.

We have other GPS connected to Windows 10 without problems - FTDI USB-COM is something to look at when selecting your GPS.
And the same for W8.1, W7, XP....

[Mike Sibley]

I figured it out. I guess I should have known from the start, but I am not a computer whiz.

The Garmin installer put the driver in System32. When I copied the driver (two separate files) to SysWOW64 and rebooted the system, all works perfectly.

[bcn]

Don't tell us you don't anything about software...
"Just copied the drivers..." Lucky boy