[Mogul, XV6800 ROM Development] dsiminiuk:
ok, I'm new to using portable GPS devices but am very familiar with the GPS system infrastructure (satellite constellations and radio data transmission aspects). I have a Sprint PPC6800 Mogul (HTC TyTn), and I recently updated the ROM to enable the GPS. Old toys are new again!

I had little to no trouble with iNav iGuidance 3.0. I used the Astro GPS Launcher to initialize the GPS and kick of iGuidance. The fact that the maps were not current (and not updateable) was the driving factor to upgrade to iGuidance 4.0. I like 4.0 much better in that the TTS is faster, the TTS also speaks the street names now, and oh yeah, the map data is more up to date.

However, getting iGuidance 4.0 working properly has been a chore and I'm not all that happy about the complexity needed to make it work. Launching iGuidance 4.0 on it's own does sort of work but the screen doesn't update when you navigate or move. Launching iGuidance with the Astro GPS Launcher appears to make no difference. Once in awhile the screen will update if you touch the screen or a button. The GPS data appears to be valid and updating every second as expected. You can even record the track to a file -- play it back later and it appears to track as expected (screen updates fine during playback).

I've read about using GPS Gate to start the GPS and fracture/split the GPS signal to many output devices, but it does not start the GPS by itself. "Error opening Com Port", "No data" etc.

I fnally got it all working but it's a pain:

1) Start GPS Gate 2.6 (build 308). Pre-set Input to COM4, 4800 baud and Output to Virtual COM8.

2) Start Google Maps (uses 615 KB RAM), Pre-set Menu->Options->GPS Settings… "Set by Windows".

-or-

Start MAPSware GSPMeterPE 4.10.3 (uses 1.8 MB RAM). Set Menu->GPS->GPS Auto Connect (FYI it detects COM4 at 38400 baud).

3) Start iGuidance (with or without Astro GPS Launcher). Tools->GPS Options->COM Port->COM8 (4800 baud). GPS seen in about 15 seconds. Works great now.

However, It appears that I have to leave the middle app running (Google Maps or GPSMeterPE) to keep the GPS up so that GPS Gate will stay connected. If I close it, GPS Gate loses the connection and the whole thing dies. Connecting the middle app to GPS Gate on the virtual com port instead of Windows directly never initializes the GPS receiver.

Wouldn't it be nice if GPS Gate initialized the GPS like Google Maps/GPSMeterPE does? Then I wouldn't need Google Maps/GPSMeterPE at all.

Wouldn't it be nice if Astro GPS Launcher initialized the GPS like Google Maps/GPSMeterPE does? Then I wouldn't need GPS Gate or Google Maps/GPSMEterP at all.

Wait! I have it!! Wouldn't it be nice if iGuidance initialized the GPS like Google Maps/GPSMeterPE does? Then I wouldn't need anything else! What a great concept!

None of this addresses turning off the timeout for the backlight or other luxuries like that, I'm just trying to get GPS working in a stable, predictable, sensible manner for simple basic navigation.

Is this a hardware (HTC TyTn) issue? A WM6 issue? Or just poor programming? I certainly don't know.

Does anybody have issues like this with other Navigation software on this phone?

Does anybody have simple success with other Navigation software on this phone? TomTom?

--Daniel