Solved PC will not "See" Garmin Etrex Vista

[BuckSkin]

I have searched this problem and all I have found are blind rabbit holes that look promising but are not.

I have a just-opened brand-new 2001 vintage Garmin Etrex Vista hand-held GPS device.
Instead of USB, it has a 9-pin PCI-32 some-such-or-other; most of my machines just happen to have a receptacle to receive such a plug.

When connected to the computer, the Etrex Vista shows up immediately in Garmin BaseCamp; and, I can communicate and transfer stuff back and forth between the device and BaseCamp, so I know I have a good connection.

However, the device is also supposed to show up in "Computer", just like a Kindle or Card Reader, or such.

There are some things that must be drag/dropped into the Garmin and I cannot do this when it refuses to show up.

In the device, in Setup > Interface, it was at first set on Garmin (the default); I changed this "Serial Data Format" to NMEA-IN/NMEA-OUT = didn't help a bit.

I have restarted the PC several times and still no show.

Does anyone have any experience with these devices and how to make Windows 7 see them ?

 

[SIW2]

Have you got an id for it in msinfo32>components>problem devices

 

[BuckSkin]

Have you got an id for it in msinfo32>components>problem devices

Thanks; my first time for accessing msinfo32.
The problem devices page is blank/empty.

Garmin BaseCamp, installed on the computer, sees and communicates with the device - no problem; otherwise, it is as if it does not exist.

I get no evidence of anything happening when I connect or disconnect the device.

On YouTube videos I have watched, those people connect their device to the computer and it opens up an Autoplay or just shows up in Explorer as a portable device.

 

[SIW2]

The problem devices page is blank/empty

Can you find it in device manager? Type devmgmt.msc in start search box

 

[BuckSkin]

Can you find it in device manager? Type devmgmt.msc in start search box

I looked in every field and nothing looks like it would be it; it definitely is not in Portable Devices.

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I am not at all familiar with connections using that weird 9-pin port and this is the first and only device I have ever connected to it.
Is it possible that something needs be turned-on/ activated/ drivers in order for that port to be seen ?
It is weird that Garmin BaseCamp program sees and recognizes it when I can find no evidence whatsoever of it within the computer anywhere.

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I looked up the proper name for the connection that the Garmin uses; it is 9-pin RS-232 Serial Port
Although the connection has nine pins, the cable and device itself has only four wires/contacts = Ground, Data IN, Data OUT, and Power
USB has the same four.
What would be the outcome if I took a Male USB connector and connected the four wires to the appropriate pins on the RS-232 cable, homemade adapter style ?

 

[SIW2]

I have no idea. I am not familiar with Garmin Basecamp, it sounds like a gathering place for desert rodents.

 

[BuckSkin]

It appears there is more to this adapter business than just matching wires:

DIY USB to RS232 adapter - Do It Easy With ScienceProg

 

[SIW2]

Is it something like this? There are several similar under different brands

Sabrent USB to RS-232 DB9 Serial 9 pin Adapter (Prolific PL2303) (SBT-USC1K): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

 

[BuckSkin]

Is it something like this? There are several similar under different brands

Yes; Thanks.

 

[townsbg]

Since that is a specialty device I would say to try their forum. Garmin Forums

I also found a few third party forums:
Garmin forum - GPS Review Forums
Garmin Sonar/GPS
Garmin
Garmin Forum

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Since that is a specialty device I would say to try their forum. Garmin Forums

I also found a few third party forums:
Garmin forum - GPS Review Forums
Garmin Sonar/GPS
Garmin
Garmin Forum

If it was released in 2001 that predates XP much less 7. It might not be compatible. You might also have trouble find help for something that old.

I did find this comment on the ebay page for that device:

This etrex Ledgen was a Very expensive mistake on my part!

Buyer Beware, Software version 2.0 on this device requires updates. You will need a serial port and an old outdated computer. This unit would be be used as a museum display. I is missing the basic map called "americas marine point basemap jan 2001" is missing on this device. Very expensive mistake on my part! I have one other Etrex Legend that I love, it works but is starting to misbehave this unit was supposed to replace that device. What a bummer! Instructions for uploading the new software to your eTrex Legend using Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT: 1. Download the appropriate self-extracting archive file for your eTrex Legend onto your hard drive. 2. Unzip the files in the archive by running the downloaded executable file. 3. Connect your eTrex Legend to a free serial port (Com 1, 2, 3, or 4) on your PC with a PC interface cable. 4. Turn on your eTrex Legend and ensure the Serial Data Format is set to "GARMIN". You can find this setting in Menu Page - Setup - Interface. 5. Change to the directory in which you unzipped the files, (i.e., C:GARMIN), and run the update program, updater.exe. Select the appropriate serial port and click "OK" to begin the software upload. During the upload, the eTrex Legend's display will indicate "SWT LOADING" The upload process should take 5-10 minutes to complete. When the upload is completed, the eTrex Legend will reset itself and turn on normally.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New

That confirms my suspicion. It isn't designed for USB and the software is designed for Windows 95/98!!! I'm surprised that the software is working at all. Check with one of those forums and hope that someone there has a work around.

 

[BuckSkin]

I also found a few third party forums:.

Thanks; much appreciated.

Although I bought it new, in the original unopened box, I paid very little considering how such things go; twenty bucks + tax if I remember correctly; of course, if I lost a twenty-dollar bill, I would stop everything and turn the earth over to find it; they are not easy to come by.

I have seen three others on EBay, exactly the same as mine, selling as "Parts Only", priced in the forty-dollar range; now, that is getting a bit ridiculous.

The main reason I got it (and didn't want to get in too deep money-wise until I saw how it played out) is, I have one camera that GPS stamps the shots and about a dozen others that do not.
I was hoping to synchronize the clocks between the Garmin and the cameras that lack GPS and use the track log to pair up the GPS locations with the camera shots.

If it plays out well, I may get in a bit deeper and get a more recent version.

 

[Barman58]

Do you have a Smartphone? If you do there are several "Apps" that will use it's Built in GPS to automatically create a Track and then tag a series of images automatically

I have had good results with Geotag Photos Pro for iPhone and Android you have to set the timings for when to take a GPS reading and then just carry the phone with you. Of course if you are a landscape photographer, where you are often stationary at one site for a good period, It may be simpler to use something like the Map module in Adobe Lightroom, or even Google Maps to tag images, but where you are walking the app is much better set the "granularity" to a few seconds and the accuracy should be enough for anyone The app has a wide range of time settings, and can also create tracks for publishing, there is a PC component so you can simply perform the tagging at home

 

[Barman58]

Do you have a Smartphone? If you do there are several "Apps" that will use it's Built in GPS to automatically create a Track and then tag a series of images automatically

I have had good results with Geotag Photos Pro for iPhone and Android you have to set the timings for when to take a GPS reading and then just carry the phone with you. Of course if you are a landscape photographer, where you are often stationary at one site for a good period, It may be simpler to use something like the Map module in Adobe Lightroom, or even Google Maps to tag images, but where you are walking the app is much better set the "granularity" to a few seconds and the accuracy should be enough for anyone The app has a wide range of time settings, and can also create tracks for publishing, there is a PC component so you can simply perform the tagging at home

 

[BuckSkin]

Do you have a Smartphone?

No smart phone; I have a TracFone in the truck that only gets turned on once in a blue moon when I need to make a call --- emphasis on the "need"

If I am expecting a dispatcher to call me with important information concerning the load I have on, I will turn on the TracFone; as soon as I have the information I need, I turn it back off.

My wife, on the other hand, has absolutely worn out at least two per year; she is probably the only human alive that has worn a hole through the screen.

I am wondering, she has a drawer full of her old phones; would one of them need to be service connected for such things as the GPS as you describe to work ?

 

[Barman58]

No the only thing a contract gives you in reality is an ability to make and receive calls/Texts etc. The wifi on the phone will work at home for transferring the data to the PC app and the GPS is an always on service - you may not see the map when travelling as I believe this is obtained over the Cellular Network,[to be honest my phone when I'm out and about is in my pocket], but the GPS points should be saved without a problem - There is a free version (for android at least), so you should be able to give it a trial to see if it meets your needs

 

[BuckSkin]

No the only thing a contract gives you in reality is an ability to make and receive calls/Texts etc.

Thanks; I need to charge up some of her old relics and see what I can do with them.
There is one I probably won't mess with as she dropped it beside her parked car and when she missed it and went back to look for it --- she ran over it; believe it or not, with the screen broken in a million places, it still worked as good as it did before.

 

[Barman58]

I change my phone at least every two years, as it comes with the contract which renews every two years.

I have only ever have one break due to a fall from a good height and that still worked as far as I could see, I currently have my last two phones which are in fully working order and normally kept charged. I only keep them for my Son and Daughter, who find themselves without a phone fairly regularly Either lost or damaged by being sat on

 

[torchwood]

Hi

dont you just love legacy devices.......

the OS is detecting it purely as a peripheral, such as a keyboard, not a device, and therefor not allocating it a Drive letter, so it wont show in computer and more importantly Disk management, so no drag an drop etc

have a look at this thread
Windows 7 does not assign drive letters to external HDDs Solved - Windows 10 Forums

see post 9

 

[townsbg]

If you really want to sync your device you might try looking for an old computer to use it on. I don't know if it the sync would work with XP. You can check with the garmin forum on that.I would look for a 98 computer since that is what's listed. Look for one that says it has a serial port and stay away from any that say that they are for parts. I would also check with the forum to see if they know of a work around to use it on Windows 7 using USB.

 

[BuckSkin]

Well, I have lost ground instead of gaining on this situation; now, BaseCamp program no longer can find the device.

I have found a few references that say to go to Device Manager >

Multi-​

port serial

adapters --- the problem is, I have no listing anywhere in Device Manager titled Multi-​

port serial

adapters.

Extensive searching on the lack of the heading only bewilders me more.....
​