Magellan GPS - explorist 500 - unknown USB device

Author

explorist 500 - unknown USB device

Olaf Noehring

2007-07-24, 4:33 am

Hi

I have bought the
Magellan Explorist 500 LE (North America)

It has recorded quite some data on the internal memory and the SD card I
put in.
How can I access the data from my PC?
When i connect it using the USB cable Windows XP tells me it's an unknown
device - even though I had installed the driver from the installation disc.

Olaf

Ron Hunter

2007-07-24, 4:33 am

Pieter

2007-07-24, 10:33 am

You shouldn't have any problem interfacing to XP - I have a 600 and use XP
all the time. If its working right, the GPS should recognize that it is
attached and present you with a menu after being turned on. It sounds like
your PC "sees" the GPS because it gives you a message about an unknown
device, but apparently is doesn't recognize it as a "disk drive." Try
turning off (power off, not just reboot) the PC, start up the GPS, then turn
on the PC. Sometimes changing the power up sequence changes the results of
a new hardware install on power up.

There are two modes for connecting my 600, and I assume your 500 GPS to a
PC:

Select "file transfer" mode to transfer tracks and waypoints (history
files). After this is selected, the PC or laptop should see the GPS as just
another disk drive - usually the last letter in the alpahbetical sequence of
drives. Your GPS may default to this mode on power up. The PC or laptop
should do this without your installing any drivers. But this is ONLY true
of XP - Windows 98SE or any earlier version will require a USB to serial
driver to recognize the new "drive." There should be some other posts on
this newsgroup that identify which drivers will work.

The second mode is for "moving map" where the GPS is sending constant
position updates in real time, like when you are using a program on a laptop
to navigate in a boat or car. I don't ever use this mode, but to do so,
select "NMEA data comm" from the GPS menu. You may need to install a driver
for this mode that makes the PC or laptop "think" the USB port is attached
to a serial port so that navigation programs expecting a serial port input
can "see" the GPS.

Another post suggests removing the SD card and employing a card reader.
That is a good choice, and a cheap SD card reader may cost less tham $20.00.
But this ONLY works for history file data transfer - track logs, waypoint
files, and background maps. It will NOT work for real time navigation. You
may have already received one with a digital camera or other device. My
wife's HP photo printer has one built into it. In essence, it is exactly
the same as using the GPS in file transfer mode, but you can't access the
internal memory of the GPS only the SD card. Therefore you may have to use
the GPS to copy files from the internal memory to SD card memory to transfer
using an external card reader. I often use an external card reader, so I
save ALL my files to SD card when operating the GPS and never concern myself
with internal memory.

If you are transferring files, you may have to translate the data in the
files to use it with some programs after transfer to the PC or laptop.. But
that's another story.

I miss the "old days" when all GPSs had nothing but serial ports and rs-232
connectors. The connections were simple. But the extremely slow speeds of
those ports made map uploads almost impossible. While USB ports cables and
modes are very confusing, the are much much faster.

First - you want to do file transfers. Connect the GPS to the USB port,
turn it on, and select "file transfer" mode. I'm assuming here
"Olaf Noehring" <olaf0000@team-noehring.de(0000=year)> wrote in message
news:Xns997767D6ED3C
0teamnoehring@195.14.215.228...
> Hi
>
> I have bought the
> Magellan Explorist 500 LE (North America)
>
> It has recorded quite some data on the internal memory and the SD card I
> put in.
> How can I access the data from my PC?
> When i connect it using the USB cable Windows XP tells me it's an unknown
> device - even though I had installed the driver from the installation
> disc.
>
> Olaf

Jim Townsend

2007-07-24, 10:33 am

0000=year wrote:

> Hi
>
> I have bought the
> Magellan Explorist 500 LE (North America)
>
> It has recorded quite some data on the internal memory and the SD card I
> put in.
> How can I access the data from my PC?
> When i connect it using the USB cable Windows XP tells me it's an unknown
> device - even though I had installed the driver from the installation disc.

As Pieter says in his reply... it should just work. I have a 500LE and use
it with my desktop and laptop computers. Both computers are running XP and
recognized my 500 LE as soon as I plugged it in.

I don't know what to suggest to get your system to correctly identify your
eXplorist, but Microsoft has a support page for diagnosing USB problems:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310575

You might also want to phone Magellan tech support.

agent86.ca

2007-07-24, 10:33 pm

Olaf Noehring wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have bought the
> Magellan Explorist 500 LE (North America)
>
> It has recorded quite some data on the internal memory and the SD card I
> put in.
> How can I access the data from my PC?
> When i connect it using the USB cable Windows XP tells me it's an unknown
> device - even though I had installed the driver from the installation disc.
>
> Olaf

This is the same error message I get under Vista x64 about 80% of the
time. Wish I could tell you what I do differently the other 20% of the
time, but truth is it seems to be a random phenomena. I seem to have
the most success by powering off the unit, physically disconnecting the
cable from the GPS unit and then reconnecting and powering on, but this
is far from a guarantee of success.

Are you by chance running the 64-bit version of Win XP?

Samuel Oliver

2007-08-11, 3:33 pm

Had the same problem at first, found out I was putting the USB
connection to the device in upside down. It even had a little notch
that looked like it was made for the cord on the device. The cord
should be running down the device, not up. So if your doing that,
loosen and reattach going down. The device should be recognized fine.

Sam.

On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:12:26 +0200, Olaf Noehring
<olaf0000@team-noehring.de(0000=year)> wrote:

>Hi
>
>I have bought the
>Magellan Explorist 500 LE (North America)
>
>It has recorded quite some data on the internal memory and the SD card I
>put in.
>How can I access the data from my PC?
>When i connect it using the USB cable Windows XP tells me it's an unknown
>device - even though I had installed the driver from the installation disc.
>
>Olaf

2007-11-06, 10:33 am

I have 2 machines side by side both running windows xp, One recognizes the
usb connection and works fine the other doesn't..good luck

"Samuel Oliver" < nospam_smoliver@yaho
o.com> wrote in message
news:pavrb3dhntser1t
ge805fboh5pf9p3emsc@
4ax.com...[color=darkred]
> Had the same problem at first, found out I was putting the USB
> connection to the device in upside down. It even had a little notch
> that looked like it was made for the cord on the device. The cord
> should be running down the device, not up. So if your doing that,
> loosen and reattach going down. The device should be recognized fine.
>
> Sam.
>
> On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:12:26 +0200, Olaf Noehring
> <olaf0000@team-noehring.de(0000=year)> wrote:
>

Pieter

2007-11-06, 10:33 pm

It is always helpful to give full info - what operating system are you
using - Win98SE, WinXP, Win2000???
The USB GPS will be treated as a USB mass storage device (disk drive) by all
three, but getting connected is quite different.

< hogeysheroes@hotmail
.com> wrote in message
news:ek_Xi.22$Jh.7@newsfe06.lga...
>I have 2 machines side by side both running windows xp, One recognizes the
>usb connection and works fine the other doesn't..good luck
>
> "Samuel Oliver" < nospam_smoliver@yaho
o.com> wrote in message
> news:pavrb3dhntser1t
ge805fboh5pf9p3emsc@
4ax.com...
>
>

Pharmer484

2008-01-28, 7:33 am

I have the same problem with my 500LE. I have windows
XP and went 11 months with no problem. After 2 long conversations with
Magellan customer service, they said they would send me a new cable which
will take 1 to 2 months to arrive. Occasionally I can connect and a transfer
will work, but this does not often happen.
"Pieter" <pvcl@*nospam*plitch.com> wrote in message
news:47310708$0$3252
9$4c368faf@roadrunne
r.com...
> It is always helpful to give full info - what operating system are you
> using - Win98SE, WinXP, Win2000???
> The USB GPS will be treated as a USB mass storage device (disk drive) by
> all three, but getting connected is quite different.
>
> < hogeysheroes@hotmail
.com> wrote in message
> news:ek_Xi.22$Jh.7@newsfe06.lga...
>
>

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