Using a bluetooth GPS on WM6.1

[Big DUtch]

Hi All,

I've been browsing the forum for quite some time now but I haven't found a definitive answer to my question yet so here it goes...

Some time ago I upgraded my 6700 to WM6.1 (ROM version 3.61.00 WWE) with the Manilla2D interface. All was going well until I tried pairing my bluetooth GPS (Pharos iGPS-BT). When I try, it doesn't seem to accept the 0000 passcode but it does show in the device list. Then I can't change any settings (com ports and such). One post I found stated that WM6.1 has funky com port behavior. Does anyone know whether there's a fix that will help me get the GPS connected?

Thanks,
Edwin

[cowboy66]

We had no problems with the GPS bluetooth device with WM6.1. There are several little settings you have to do for the phone to "see" it properly.

First is delete the device from your phone and start fresh.
Go to Settings and select "beam" and check "Receive all incoming beams"
Next go to External GPS and make sure GPS program port is (none), hardware is (none) and Manage GPS automatically is checked (not sure if it matters too much if it isn't checked) sometimes you ahve to play with that manage part for the phone to connect properly.
Next go into Bluetooth and click on bottom tab "Mode" and make sure both boxes are checked,
Next go to the "Devices" tab and click "Add new device..." (if your GPS is there delete it first)
Once it finds the device enter your code if you need to.
Click on the "COM Ports" tab at bottom and select New Outgoing Port" and I don't remember exactly but there should be a check box for a serial port (it may be in this screen or the one right before) make sure that is checked.
The com port should be COM6
Security tab, I have that section unchecked.

Open your GPS software and pair the device with COM6 let it search and you should be all set.

[Big DUtch]

Hi Cowboy and thanks for the elaborate post. The first part of this all works well and is about how far I've come. The problem comes when I need to go to the COM ports tab to select "New Outgoing Port". In that tab no options are available which has me wondering whether I left something out when I cooked the ROM.

I have a trip coming up this weekend for which I had hoped to use the GPS. If that means I have to re-flash my phone, I can do it once I know what I did wrong the first time. Any and every bit of information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Edwin

[cowboy66]

Okay that has to do with allowing wm6.1 to manage the gps. Uncheck this in the Settings / Connections/ External GPS program, then go back into the Settings / Connections/ Bluetooth and delete the GPS device from the phone and start all over again... Don't use the "External GPS" at all. Just use the Settings / Connections / Bluetooth to hook it up again. If that doesn't work, let me know.

[cowboy66]

Oh yeah, when you delete the GPS soft reset the phone before trying to pair it again.

[cowboy66]

One thing you may also need to do is go into your dialer, hit on bottom right "menu" bring up the "options" then select the "services" tab and click on "location setting" and "get settings" this should be "ON"... not sure if it matters for this phone, but mine is set to "ON" ....

[Big DUtch]

OK, I've tried all possible combinations of the suggestions made above. The GPS pairs with the phone and shows up in the device list. However, when I select it, I don't get any services available to select so I don't think the pairing is normal. Changing the setting to let Windows manage the GPS doesn't make a difference either even after soft resets. No COM ports show up under the BT settings tab. Does anyone have any other suggestions? They would be greatly appreciated.
Thx, Edwin

[cowboy66]

Okay...I uninstalled mine and I'm going to take it step by step again...

1) uninstall the device from the bluetooth menu
2) search for bluetooth devices
3) when the device is found click on it to highlight it and click next in the bottom corner
4) enter your passcode
5) click next, should say device added
6) click on Advanced (this is the part I forgot where it was)
This will bring up a Services Box
7) Check the Serial Port Box
click save (bottom corner)
This will bring you back to the main screen
9) Click on Com Ports tab on bottom
10) Click on New Outgoing Port
11) Click on your bluetooth device name to highlight and click next
12) Choose com port from the drop down menu (I always use COM6) and Uncheck secure connection
13) Click Finish
Pair the device, open your GPS Software, point that to COM6 and let it find the device and update.

Whew! I actually missed a few steps above in my other post, sorry about that!

[Big DUtch]

Cowboy, first I want to thank you for your amazingly giving help. I really appreciated it!!!

I finally figured out what was going wrong. It turned out to be the pairing. Despite the phone telling me that it paired with the GPS and the GPS showing in the device list as an active device, the pairing did not go right. For some unknown reason the phone didn't accept the passcode (probably due to a dead spot on my touchscreen, I'm waiting for hte HTC TP but I'll have to get by until 12/1). Once I entered the code using the slide-out keyboard the phone paired correctly and gave me the advanced screen you mentioned. From there it was all a piece of cake (stukje taart we say in the Netherlands) and my TomTom software found where the heck I was.

Thanks again,
Edwin

[ststephen]

I had something similar, I got the GPS and phone paired, but hadn't set a com port. Once I did that, I was good.