Re: [NTLK] Free your GPS

From: RAParker (RAParker_at_Quadzilla.NET)
Date: Mon Apr 18 2005 - 15:33:48 PDT


On Monday, April 18, 2005, at 05:48 AM, Adriano wrote:
> First thanks to all of you for sending your appreciations on my little
> work,
> your words let me make things better

"One of us"

Do you have a plastics factory at your disposal? Even though the
pictures are blurry, these adapters look professionally manufactured.
You are doing very nice work.

> Before the NewtNAV setting up a GPS station with your MessagePad was a
> bit elaborate as you could see on the link:

> http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/HikingNewtonHardware

Don't forget to put your URL's on a seperate line with no extra
characters...don't want your fan mail being mis-directed ;-)

As for my Hiking Newton, this (somewhat) elaborate setup does
(actually) have a lot advantages. The camo case has a couple pockets on
the back side and I needed to fill them up with something, but what?
Cables & extra batteries! Everything just seemed to fit, the USB
battery pack, the USB micro hub, the USB Flex light, even the DB25->DB9
adapter is (itself) providing a place to magnetically mount the GPS
antenna plus provide a place wrap the cable around (easily extending it
to the roof of my jeep).

For the 2x00, it is (no doubt) a fabulous thing.

> As i could make a NewtNAV for MP1x0 too, although it will have a direct
> data connection, it would have a splitted usb connector for taking the
> power from an external usb battery-pack.

> If you will want one, i will
> be more than happy to make it for you,

When I move onto the second (of the pair) of Hiking Newtons, I would be
definitely be interested in doing something different. I'd like to try
to design something in black, a little shorter, reducing the extra
cabling, possibly small enough to allow me to put the RS-232 tester
(back) in-line and to add the blinky lights (back) into the see-through
mesh pocket.

> - Some notes about NetwNAV:
> Every GPS producer on the market mind its own commercial interests,
> this is why they realize a proprietary pin-out for every GPS you will
> ever see.

> So although a GPS plug is usually made on a PS/2 connector,
> sometimes the various receivers will differ first for the gender, then
> the pin-out will usually NOT coincide.
>
> Although i cannot make a universally compatible NewtNAV, i could make a
> NewtNAV for each GPS on the market.
>

For the 2x00, you may just want to bypass this whole PS/2 gender thing
all together and simply focus on developing your NewtLITE as a
USB->RS-232 (GPS capable) adapter. Ultimately, this would be the
cleanest connection to a GPS mouse style antenna and would be basically
usable by all 2x00 users with or without a GPS. Besides, USB variety of
GPS mouse antennas are even more commonly available (than the PS/2) and
for good deals as well.

You could call it...the Newton NavLight adapter.

>
> So if you want a NewtNAV for your specific GPS receiver, just take
> contact with me privately and i will make one for you at cost. This way
> it will need that some "pioneers" will ship their own GPS receivers to
> me first and have a new NewtNAV packaged in the returning GPS box.
> Please notice that i will agree to pay myself the returning shipment
> cost.

> [As 'Kasko is been the first "pioneer" on that, he will receive his
> NewtNAV in a few days.

Congrats DJ

> I just hope he will share with us his experience on using it]
>

> Then when/if i will have the chance to make a NewtNAV for each GPS
> which (as mentioned above, the gentle "pioneers") you will be able to
> ship to me, i will then be able to start selling the NewtNAV
> alone....if there will remain someone still interested on it....
>

I'll figure out where to add some contact info for Andriano to the
HikingNewton pages in the next few days.

> A quick note to the NewtWikiPedia,
> which is a powerful information resource about the GPS (and about all
> the available Newton-related arguments too):
> http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/
> HowToNavigateWithYourNewton
>

Vacation time is coming...more updates are on the way.

Ron

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RAParker
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