[aprssig] APRS and Garmin Nuvi

Fri Feb 1 15:49:43 UTC 2008

I would suspect that any of the models listed here might be made to 
work, but I wouldn't promise anything:

http://www8.garmin.com/solutions/pnd/supportedproducts.jsp

And how do you pry what open?  The only thing I'm planning to pry open 
is the circuit on the cable, which looks like it's a welded plastic 
shell - not an overmolding, hopefully.

Scott
N1VG

Wes Johnston, AI4PX wrote:
> DO you think this would work on the 260?  I know someone who just got 
> one.  Also, how do you pry the little critter open?
> Wes
> 
> On Feb 1, 2008 1:18 AM, Steve Noskowicz <noskosteve at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:noskosteve at yahoo.com>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>      In case you didn't know, Garmin has the complete Nuvi interface
>     protocol spec
>     on their web  site.  I got a 750 and saw reference to their
>     interface 'cable'
>     and I downloaded the spec.  I was curious, but just glanced at it
>     since I don't
>     plan to get into USB just yet.
> 
>     73, Steve, K9DCI
> 
> 
>     --- "Greg D." <ko6th_greg at hotmail.com
>     <mailto:ko6th_greg at hotmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>      >
>      > Wow, I wonder if this would work on the other Garmin USB-based
>     GPS's?  I see
>      > it's not listed for their service, but I have a eTrek Vista HCx
>     in the mail,
>      > due for delivery tomorrow.  I figured I would have to keep using
>     my GPS-III
>      > (with the display going out), or pick up a simple serial GPS
>     module and put
>      > it in a plastic box, for attachment to my Kenwood D7.  Instead,
>     maybe this?
>      >
>      > Does the cable have a standard mini-USB end on it (the small
>     kind), or is it
>      > something special?  If standard, then they must be emulating a
>     USB host in
>      > there, because there aren't any extra pins on the connector to do
>     anything
>      > other than USB.
>      >
>      > Greg  KO6TH
>      >
>      >
>      > > -----Original Message-----
>      > > From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
>     <mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org>
>      > > [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
>     <mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org>]On Behalf Of Scott Miller
>      > > Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:01 PM
>      > > To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
>      > > Subject: [aprssig] APRS and Garmin Nuvi
>      > >
>      > >
>      > > I discovered something interesting today.  Here I've been
>     telling people
>      > > all along that the newer USB-only Garmin receivers like the
>     Nuvi are
>      > > worthless for APRS.  Turns out I was wrong.
>      > >
>      > > When I heard about Garmin's fleet management interface, I
>     decided it'd
>      > > be worth checking out.  It needs a special cable, though - for
>     the Nuvi
>      > > 350 I picked up, it's Garmin p/n 010-10813-00.  By the looks of
>     it, it's
>      > > probably just got a level converter inside, but I'm not sure.
>      > > Apparently there's a serial interface of some sort that can
>     share the
>      > > USB connector.
>      > >
>      > > The fleet management protocol looked suspiciously like a subset of
>      > > Garmin's regular binary serial protocol, so (once I figured out the
>      > > cable pinouts and soldered on a DB9) I fired up the test
>     program I'd
>      > > written, and sure enough, it spit out a list of supported
>     protocols.
>      > >
>      > > I plugged it straight into a stock Tracker2 and the activity light
>      > > started blinking green, showing a good fix.  I piped in some
>     recorded
>      > > APRS traffic and the map screen started showing APRS stations.
>      Here are
>      > > some pictures I took (haven't tried the screen capture program
>     yet):
>      > >
>      > > Map screen (2D mode): http://n1vg.net/images/nuvi-map.jpg
>      > > Waypoint list: http://n1vg.net/images/nuvi-list.jpg
>      > > Station detail: http://n1vg.net/images/nuvi-detail.jpg
>      > >
>      > > It's not perfect - the waypoint set is different, for one.  You
>     can see
>      > > that all of the cars are now up on lifts with the hood up!  The
>     digis do
>      > > show up as antenna towers, at least, and the houses are there.
>      I'll
>      > > have to find out if it'll take custom symbols.  Also, it seems
>     to have
>      > > some quirks about showing waypoints at different zoom levels.
>      > >
>      > > The Nuvi 350 has a USB port on the side and another one on the
>     clip-on
>      > > base, so you can power it and plug it in to the tracker at the same
>      > > time.  When I find out how the serial interface adapter works,
>     I'll see
>      > > if I can power it from the tracker, or maybe vice versa.  I'll
>     also see
>      > > about a cheaper substitute for the cable - this one cost me $30
>     after
>      > > shipping.  It probably wouldn't be hard to build an equivalent
>     circuit
>      > > into a DB9 shell.
>      > >
>      > > The bad news is that the Tracker2 (at least the OT2m version)
>     is totally
>      > > sold out right now.  My only two spares are going out for CE EMC
>      > > certification shortly.  The factory producing the boards is
>     snowed in
>      > > right now and hasn't even been able to get the parts for the
>     next batch
>      > > - DHL's had them sitting at the depot for days.  It'll probably
>     be the
>      > > end of February before I have any more.  The T2-135 (for the Alinco
>      > > DR-135) is shipping, albeit slowly due to limited production
>     capability
>      > > here.  (The Tracker2 page has moved to
>      > > http://www.argentdata.com/products/tracker2.html if you're
>     looking for
>      > > more information.)
>      > >
>      > > Hopefully by the time the boards come in I'll have figured out
>     all of
>      > > the Nuvi's quirks and dealt with them.  I also hope to make
>     some use of
>      > > the fleet management interface for some new features.  Most
>     importantly
>      > > - it does text messaging.
>      > >
>      > > Scott
>      > > N1VG
>      > >
>      > >
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>      > >
>      > >
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> 
> 
>     --
>     73, Steve, K9DCI
> 
> 
>        
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