[gps-talkusers] Re: Earthmate USB cable

  • From: " Mary Ellen Earls" <meearls@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 07:24:46 -0700

Aren't they? This has made my gps experience having a light probe.
Mary Ellen
----- Original Message ----- From: "rosemary teehan" <rateehan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 7:00 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Earthmate USB cable



Hi, What Scott is saying is true for me, too. I have more trouble sometimes figuring out how long exactly to push the button to turn the receiver on, and I was just about to look into buying a light sensor, but a very practical friend sent it to me as a gift. It's wonderful!
Rosemary
----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott E Ford" <w8sef@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 8:37 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Earthmate USB cable



Hello Everyone,
I have to agree with Mike. I have been using my Bluetooth earth
mate since March. I have never had it encounter interference, in fact I
even have a wireless network in my home and nether one interfere with one
another. When I mentioned that I had my blue logger say that it was not
connected was in a park. I have only had that happen three different times.
I have worked around computers a long time. When something that happens
only three times and lasts only seconds that is not an issue. In fact I
actually think that I am getting more information as to how things are
working. Now to address them damn wires on the BN. I did a GPS weekend
last weekend. at camp "T". Between batteries and cables I thought pairing
with the PK was a cake walk. I actually have more difficulty getting my
darn blue logger turned on or off. Then I do pairing it. This is starting
to get long. Later.
Scott



-----Original Message----- From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael May Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 12:56 AM To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Earthmate USB cable

One of the reasons many companies stayed away from USB, not just HumanWare,
is the fact that different drivers have to be loaded that are specific to
each device. Since the PK or mPower cannot load the Earthmate software, one
has to bank on a generic driver working.
There is no call for drivers for Bluetooth.


At the end of the day, I believe the benefits of the wireless Bluetooth
technology far outweigh the inconvenience and relative fragility of wires.


Mike




At 09:15 PM 9/1/2005, you wrote:
Hello, Charles,
Well, it is kind of discouraging to hear that.  I thought the ability
to supply power to small things was one of USB's attractive features.
And now, of course, the Bluetooth feature is showing its true worth in
many cases by being reluctant to work anywhere nearly as well as a
direct connection.  I guess that is what you get when you have too much
confidence in one new and unproven technology and try to re-invent the
wheel.  The whole thing is much too restrictive when you consider the
price.  It is gratifying that the M-Power has at one standard USB port,
which means to me that someone suddenly realized the error of his ways.
So, if the PK users want to revert back to the tried-and-true USB, they
are going to have to shell out another wheelborrow full of money for a
trade-in to the M-power.  Oh, well.  I don't suppose a retro-fit to the
PK would be possible?  I know that all this is not your fault.  There
was very little warning that Bluetooth would create problems in a
mobile and noisy environment.  Also, there was undoubtedly some concern
for the life of the PK battery.  If it has to run a GPS receiver, the
battery might be sucked dry in a lot less time, since it is known that
those GPS chip-sets are heavy drinkers of power.

Dick Myers

(8):[(8)


From: Charles La Pierre <lapierre@xxxxxxxxx> Reply-To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Earthmate USB cable Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 19:26:49 -0700

Hello everyone,

I just want to clarify, a USB GPS receiver does not work with either
the mPower or the PK.  The PK's USB port is non-powered I.e. its a
slave only USB port.  The mPower has both master (I.e. powered) and
slave USB ports, but since I only received my mPower just before we
released the GPS product I could not get working the GPS receiver on
the master USB port on the mPower.  Maybe in a future release of the
GPS software will this be an option for the mPower, but since the pk's
USB port is not a master a USB solution on the PK is not possible.

Our main goal on both the PK and on the mPower was to get bluetooth
working and have a wireless solution, so having a USB solution as well
was a lower priority.

Charles.

At 06:25 PM 9/1/2005, you wrote:

Hello, Mary Ellen,
I ordered my Earthmate from DeLorme, and it came packed with the USB
cable.
If your PK has a USB port, chances it is a standard port, the flat
4-wire jack.  The Earthmate receiver end of the cable has the proper
connector for fitting directly into the Earthmate GPS receiver without
the need for the battery pack.

Walk in sunshine

Dick
(8):[(8)


From: " Mary Ellen Earls" <meearls@xxxxxxx> Reply-To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Multiple repeat, BT 338 fine Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 17:41:20 -0700

Yes that makes sense but as of right now, I know of no cable to fit
the pk for the earthmate, otherwise I would use it.
Mary Ellen Earls
----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Myers"
<dkmyers28@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 5:05 PM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Multiple repeat, BT 338 fine


Hello, Mary Ellen,
I guess it is easy for those wireless GPS receivers to get confused.
The satellite signals are just fine in most cases, but the Bluetooth
wireless connection may be getting a bit offset by automatic door
openers, radio-controlled signal lights, and police speed detectors,
all which use the same kinds of signals.  I use the USB cable on my
Earthmate, and have never had a problem with dropout.  I like the
Earthmate receiver.  Now, if only they could get their software
problems fixed........

Walk in sunshine

Dick Myers

(8):[(8)


From: " Mary Ellen Earls" <meearls@xxxxxxx> Reply-To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Multiple repeat, BT 338 fine Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 09:15:46 -0700

Mike, then maybe heaven forbid we need to look into going to a wired
receiver with the pk.
I have noticed one thing and that is that it has been extremely
difficult to get the blue logger set up with the mpower.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael May"
<mikemay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 8:31 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Multiple repeat, BT 338 fine


Vicky,

Weather should have little impact on GPS reception.

I have been testing the BT339 and Holux and will soon also have a
Fortuna Slim to test. For our UK friends who have tried that
receiver, it runs at 38.4 baud so that is why it won't work with the
BrailleNote PK. The standard for receivers is 4800 baud. We may add
a 38.4 selection if it appears that more than this one receiver are
going that route.

One thing to check with these new receivers is their connectivity. I
have experienced more drop outs than with the Blue Logger or Garmin
receivers. By this I mean that the new receivers I am testing
completely disconnect and the PK says Bluetooth not detected or
sometimes they just flick to no detection for a second and then
reconnect. You can always press G to see the receiver status and
with these new receivers, I would do that frequently to test the
connectivity.

Mike

At 05:50 AM 9/1/2005, you wrote:
Hi All,

Well, when I tried the BT 338 receiver this morning, it worked just
fine with the multiple repeat commands.  So, who knows.  Either I
was doing something wrong before, or the number of satellites and
weather conditions made the difference.  For, the last time I tried
with the BT 338 when it didn't work, I normally got 4 or 5
satellites and it was cloudy, while I got between 8 and 10
satellites today and it was sunny.






Charles M. La Pierre CTO Sendero Group, LLC

Lat. 37 15' 25" N  Lon: 121 53' 04" W




Michael G. May

CEO Sendero Group

Developers and distributors of BrailleNote GPS Distributing BrailleNote,
VoiceNote, Miniguide, The Tissot Silen-T tactile watch, Talks cell phone
software and the ID Mate, bar code reader

MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.SenderoGroup.com

(1-888-757-6810, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007 Sendero Group,
LLC
1118 Maple Lane, Davis, CA 95616-1723, USA

Latitude, 38 33 9.239 North
Longitude, 121 45 40.145 West














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