Garmin GPSMap76CS Serial to Bluetooth
John Smith
Plug, will it bluetooth enable my GPSMAP 76CS?
In other words ...
Can I plug my Garmin GPSMAP 76CS into this cable:
and then plug that cable into the Free2Move Serial Bluetooth Adapter:
http://www.expansys-usa.com/product.asp?code=BTP_RS232
and then receive my Garmin GPSMAP 76CS NMEA data through the Free2Move
bluetooth adapter into my bluetooth enabled laptop (or other bluetooth
device)?
Thanks
(I know there are tiny bluetooth GPS devices, but I'd like to bluetooth
enable my GPSMAP 76CS)
Peter
> If I plug my Garmin GPSMAP 76CS into the Free2move Bluetooth Serial Port
> Plug, will it bluetooth enable my GPSMAP 76CS?
>
> In other words ...
>
> Can I plug my Garmin GPSMAP 76CS into this cable:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ubt6
>
> and then plug that cable into the Free2Move Serial Bluetooth Adapter:
>
> http://www.expansys-usa.com/product.asp?code=BTP_RS232
>
> and then receive my Garmin GPSMAP 76CS NMEA data through the Free2Move
> bluetooth adapter into my bluetooth enabled laptop (or other bluetooth
> device)?
It's not clear to me how that device gets its power. If it requires
powering through the RS232 connection then you'll have a problem since
the 76cs won't provide it.
I haven't used it, but the PC-Mobile bluetooth adapter is made to work
with GPS devices:
http://www.pc-mobile.net/bta.htm
John Smith
> powering through the RS232 connection then you'll have a problem since
> the 76cs won't provide it.
From the following document, it says:
Power supply
The serial port plug needs to be powered by an external voltage of 4.0 -
5.0V.
Power can be supplied either via the DC-connector or via the DSUB-connector,
pin 9.
http://www.free2move.se/pdf/Datasheet_F2M01C1.pdf
Of course, I have no idea what this means. Does this mean the Garmin will
use its power to power the free2move device?
> I haven't used it, but the PC-Mobile bluetooth adapter is made to work
> with GPS devices:
> http://www.pc-mobile.net/bta.htm
I tried the pc-mobile bluetooth device with my GPSMap76CS but I can't get
any data transmission activity (Red LED). The bluetooth connection is always
dropped after about two and half minutes as well.
The GPSMap76CS is configured to output NMEA (4800)
Peter
>>It's not clear to me how that device gets its power. If it requires
>>powering through the RS232 connection then you'll have a problem since
>>the 76cs won't provide it.
>
>
> From the following document, it says:
>
> Power supply
>
> The serial port plug needs to be powered by an external voltage of 4.0 -
> 5.0V.
>
> Power can be supplied either via the DC-connector or via the DSUB-connector,
> pin 9.
>
> http://www.free2move.se/pdf/Datasheet_F2M01C1.pdf
>
> Of course, I have no idea what this means. Does this mean the Garmin will
> use its power to power the free2move device?
It means that you'll have to provide a 5 VDC power supply connected to
a miniplug that fits the DC power connector jack somewhere on the
free2move device. The other way that it can get power is through pin 9
of the RS232 cable, but Garmin's cable doesn't have anything connected
to pin 9 and there's no corresponding pin on your 76cs anyway (it only
has connections to pins 2, 3, and 5 of the RS232 plug); so the external
DC power supply is the only way to go.
>
>
>>I haven't used it, but the PC-Mobile bluetooth adapter is made to work
>>with GPS devices:
>>http://www.pc-mobile.net/bta.htm
>
>
> I tried the pc-mobile bluetooth device with my GPSMap76CS but I can't get
> any data transmission activity (Red LED). The bluetooth connection is always
> dropped after about two and half minutes as well.
>
> The GPSMap76CS is configured to output NMEA (4800)
That should work. I'd try connecting the 76cs to an RS232 port of your
PC and use hyperterminal to see if you're getting NMEA messages out.
If that works and you still don't get any data indications from the
Bluetooth adapter then check with PC-Mobile's customer support.
Stuart Middleton-White
> Does this mean the Garmin will use its power to power the free2move device?
No. The 76CS (and others) provide no power at all via the serial port.
Also the units two AA batteries are only going to get you 2.4-3.0
volts depending on the battery type so tapping into those isn't an
option.
However it'd be possible to make a custom power/serial cable using a
Pfranc connector (http://www.pfranc.com/) such that both the Free2Move
and GPS were powered together. However that defeats the whole wireless
idea (i.e. if you need a cable for power what's the point?).