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Wherigo w/ PocketPC Emulator + Garmin 60CSX


benh57

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Not sure if anyone else has done this yet..

 

This was pretty tough to get going but it works! I can play the 'real' Wherigo without a real PocketPC device.

 

Some may say it'd be easier to just buy a PocketPC w/GPS, but this was a fun challenge. :laughing:

 

I don't have time right now to write out a 'full' howto, but the summary:

 

- Windows XP on laptop

 

- Garmin 60CSX connected to it via USB.

 

- Windows Device Emulator 3.0 (this is a PocketPC emulator for Windows)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

 

- Virtual PC 2007 (needed for networking component by device emulator images installer)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;DisplayLang=en

 

- efp.msi - PocketPC OS images.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

 

- MS ActiveSync

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/act...tivesync45.mspx

 

- PocketPC launched via start -> Windows Mobile 5.0 Images -> PocketPC (coldboot)

 

- .Net Compact Framework v2.0 update installed on the windows mobile image, after it's running

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

- Active sync to install that

 

However since the 60CSX is a USB device and the PocketPC emulator needs serial GPS data, you need to emulate that too:

 

- Franson GPSGate installed on both XP and the pocketPC:

http://franson.com/gpsgate/

Settings on XP version of GPSGate: (In: Garmin USB Out method: Active Sync)

Settings on PocketPC version of GPSGate: (In Method: ActiveSync Out: COM4)

- tweak until PocketPC gpsgate says it is getting GPS data.

 

- GPS setting in PocketPC Settings -> System -> GPS set to COM4.

 

- Wherigo PocketPC player software installed.

 

When all is working, Wherigo shows full green bars for GPS signal, and i can put my GPS in 'demo mode', move the pointer around, and the distance to the next Wherigo point is correct. So if i were to take my Laptop out to the park, it'd work. ;)

 

-Ben

Edited by benh57
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Alright! Now we are talking. I have been trying to work out how to do this on a eee. You are using a hand held GPS but I think a blue tooth GPS would work just as well. Now all I have to work out is if I am going to get the 700 now or hold out for the new 900 with xp already installed?

First things first I am going to try your what you have outlined on my big chunky compax. Thank you! I am only technical enough to get myself stuck or crashed but I believe I can follow this., maybe, give me a week and wish me luck! If I succeed then I might post how well I did, if not well, I might be flooding your in box looking for help.

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Hey it works! :( Thanks for posting that information.

 

A couple of notes on my installation;

 

I used a Garmin etrex Vista. It seems to work just fine, although I haven't been outside yet to test it with an actual satellite lock! :D

 

I didn't use the ActiveSynch. It was already installed for my PDA & didn't detect the emulator. I used a Shared folder (under the Emulator Properties ->General) and installed the .NET framework and the player from there. The hardest part was trying to install the framework!

 

After much trial and error I copied the file "NETCFv2wm.armv4i.cab" from the Program files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\CompactFramework\v2.0\WindowsCE\wce500\armv4i directory. (the framework was already installed on my laptop)

 

After installing the player I went to the Emulator Properties again (File->Configure), select the Peripherals tab, and set "Serial port 0" to the port where my GPS is installed on my computer. (In my example, this was COM2). Then, inside the emulator, I select "Start" "Settings", click on "System", and select "GPS". Under the Programs tab, I selected COM1 (any free port). Then click on the "Hardware" tabl and select the port that you configured in the Emulator Properties, ie COM2 in my example.

 

Now, before opening the player, make sure that on your GPS you set the interface to NMEA In/NMEA out, 4800 baud. (On my Vista I go to Setup -> Interface).

 

Finally, go into the Player. If it doesn't detect your GPS, uncheck the auto configure and manually set it to match what you entered in the "Programs" tab of the GPS settings (ie, COM1).

 

Make sure you save your Emulator settings (File -> "Save State and exit") after doing all this so you don't have to do it again! :D

 

Now you should be able to test your settings using the Wherigo Tutorial.

 

As for copying cartridges, again I copied them using the "Shared Folder". Copy them to the "My Documents"\Groundspeak\Wherigo\Cartridges folder on the device.

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Well I tried your steps but I confess I have no idea what I am doing. But I have been digging and thinking. Has anyone thought about using Franson GPS gate with the Google earth plug in with the builder? Think that would work? I might be able to follow two or three steps instead of installing a whole new framework.

So what I guess i am asking is will this work with the builder?

http://franson.com/gpsgate/guide.asp?secti...;platform=winxp

And if it does how about posting a two or three step for us that are not programmers.

I will have some time this weekend to try to make work. If by some divine intervention I do make it work I will post. But I will let someone else take the credit if they beat me there. :anibad:

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Thanks for posting this information, benh57. I used your list of software and made it work in the field. I was able to play a Wherigo cartridge using an XP SP2 laptop and a 60CS connected via USB. It was a bit cumbersome, but it works. ;)

 

-David

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Alright! Now we are talking. I have been trying to work out how to do this on a eee. You are using a hand held GPS but I think a blue tooth GPS would work just as well. Now all I have to work out is if I am going to get the 700 now or hold out for the new 900 with xp already installed?

 

Definitely let us know how it works out with the eee. I was thinking the MSI Wind may be cool to.

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Alright! Now we are talking. I have been trying to work out how to do this on a eee. You are using a hand held GPS but I think a blue tooth GPS would work just as well. Now all I have to work out is if I am going to get the 700 now or hold out for the new 900 with xp already installed?

 

Definitely let us know how it works out with the eee. I was thinking the MSI Wind may be cool to.

Now I love my little 900 eee but... I have not yet worked out how to get the eluminater working on it. The builder works just fine but I believe I only have to do a few tweeks and such and the player thing should work but I have other things on my list.

Bottom line I think the ee is a better buy, more stable and more rugged then the wind.

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I got as far as installing Wherigo player on the emulator. ActiveSync was not working for me either, so I had to use shared folder. But then I tried using GPSProxy instead of (paid) GPSGate and the darn thing refused to work. I was not able to set up the port redirecting.

After two days of hard work on it, I switched to openWIG :grin:

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Slightly more than 2 years after benh57's description I've mirrored his success. This time with an Acer Netbook paired with a Garmin GPSmap76CSx. While his technology roadmap was sketchy on details, it was an easy go for the most part. It was the 'tweaky' part at the end that took the most doing.

 

Anyway, I verified the job done with a successful FIND for GC20P5Y. While it was a bit strange wandering around with a netbook, tied to a GPS in my pocket ... it worked. :)

Edited by cache4pat
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I Have tryed to Wereigo on my PDA. Which is a HP JORNADA 568 Conected Via a cable to a Garmin Etrex Vista.

The GPS & The PDA do talk to each other but the probulam i em having is the my pda is saying that the wereigo programe is not made for my pda.

Can some one Please help me get it working as i would love to play some of the wereigo caches.

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I tried the Notebook - GPS combination on Windows Vista and after some tweaking got it to work.

I used the following softwares and parameters :

 

- Windows Device Emulator 3.0

- Virtual PC 2007

- efp.msi - PocketPC OS images.

- .Net Compact Framework v2.0

- Franson GPSGate

as proposed in previous logs

 

- Wherigo player

- Windows Mobile Device Center (as it's Vista)

 

I used the shared folder as well to pass the softwares to the virtual PDA.

 

I took the NETCFv2.vm.armv4i.cab file from the Program Files/Microsoft.NET/SDK/CompactFramework/v2.0/WindowsCE/wce500/armv4i folder (created after the installation of the .NET framework.

 

To get the Windows Mobile Device Center to work correctly, I had to start this application and then choose "connection settings". Here I had to choose "Allow connections" above the string DMA.

 

Via the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Device Emulator\1.0\dvcemumanager.exe I then had to select the string under 'others', rightclick on it and choose "Cradle".

This puts up the connection between the WMDC and the PDA-emulation.

 

Parameters :

On the virtual PDA : Start-settings-system-gps.

In the Tab "Programs" : COM4. In the Tab "Hardware" : COM2 at 4800 baud.

 

Within GPSGate on the PDA : "Manual" , INPUT : Active Sync (click on "Open"), OUTPUT : VIRTUAL PORT (click on Add) and then COM2.

 

Within GPSGATE op the PC : INPUT : GARMIN USB, OUTPUT : Active Sync.

 

Launch the Wherigo Player and if the GPS is not detected automagically, go to menu - settings and unselect autodetection. Choose COM4 at 4800 baud.

 

Now all is ready to launch the cartridges (have to be in folder My device - my documents- groudspeak - Wherigo - cartridges)

 

This does the trick for me. A rather heavy procedure, but it works better than my Mio 168... :unsure:

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This does the trick for me. A rather heavy procedure, but it works better than my Mio 168... :unsure:

 

Well, there's an easier way.

 

I installed DesktopWIG (a java Wherigo player) and GPSGate. Just plug the GPSr in the USB port and turn it on. Then start DesktopWIG and you can now tie it to the GPSr through a TCP socket. You're ready to start playing.

 

If you want to simulate walking, just use the simulator part of GPSGate.

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This does the trick for me. A rather heavy procedure, but it works better than my Mio 168... :unsure:

 

Well, there's an easier way.

 

I installed DesktopWIG (a java Wherigo player) and GPSGate. Just plug the GPSr in the USB port and turn it on. Then start DesktopWIG and you can now tie it to the GPSr through a TCP socket. You're ready to start playing.

 

If you want to simulate walking, just use the simulator part of GPSGate.

 

Thanks for the info! I spent WAAAY too long trying to get the Pcoket PC Emulator to install Wherigo. This method worked quickly and easily. Thanks again!!!

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