Acer Aspire One--Can it handle Delorme Topo USA 8.0??

[crusader]

Running Delorme Topo USA 8.0 on my Acer Aspire One notebook (windows 7 starter OS) and it works wonderfully for route and trip planning, but keeps locking up or crashing in GPS tracking/Nav modes. Antenna/GPS is a GlobalSat BU-353.

Anyone else having this problem? Anyone running a similar setup and not having this problem?

I think the GPS tracking is overwhelming the little Aspire, but can't really be sure...

 

[1leglance]

I am running an Acer Aspire One w/ 10" screen.
Windows XP and I will have to dbl ck ram & HD size.
I run Delorme Topo & Ozixplorer at the same time with GPSGate (alt+tab) to switch.
Been running this combo for almost a year I think no issuses. Can be slow but doesn't crash.

 

[crusader]

Thanks Lance--I wonder if Windows 7 is my issue...

At some point while tracking, it freezes up. When I use the manufacturer's software to check the GPS/antenna, it can no longer locate the device on any of the (virtual) com ports.

 

[spacer]

Different software, but I've been using MS Streets and Trips on my XP Aspire One for over a year without problems.
I'd love to see if I can use a good topo GPS app on it, though.

 

[PhulesAU]

Both Deorme packages, with their antenna. No problems with XP. I kinda wonder if an ATOM processor can handle 7.

 

[crusader]

Both Deorme packages, with their antenna. No problems with XP. I kinda wonder if an ATOM processor can handle 7.

Well, not counting my woes with Delorme Topo 8.0 in GPS tracking mode, I've had absolutely no problem with the Aspire and Windows 7 and the Atom processor.

I now think my issue may be related to the driver for the GlobalSat BU-353 antenna/GPS, though I'm not really that tech-savvy, so I can't say for sure.

Here's why I suspect the driver: The driver tricks the computer into thinking that the USB port the antenna is plugged into is a COM port, since the Aspire doesn't have any real COM ports. Using just the driver to do this eventually causes Topo 8.0 to lock up or causes the whole computer to crash. BUT...

I installed GPSgate so I could monitor the GPS signal in a GPS utility program while simultaneously tracking in Topo 8.0, and it hasn't crashed since. I think that the Aspire or Delorme likes the mulitple fake COM ports that GPSgate is presenting much more than the one fake COM port that the antenna driver was presenting. Perhaps the BU-353 driver isn't as compatible with with Windows 7 as is suggested by the manufacturer?

To summarize: When using an Acer Aspire One (Windows 7 starter version) with DeLorme Topo 8.0 and a GlobalSat BU-353 GPS/antenna, I need to run the signal through GPSgate to keep the system from eventually crashing or the program from eventually locking up in GPS tracking mode. So far anyway... I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[crusader]

Confirmed.

Confirmed it today with a 200-mile 3-hour trip. My Topo USA 8.0 will (only) track flawlessly on my Acer Aspire One (windows 7 starter) using the BU-353 GPS/antenna if I am also running GPSgate. Without GPSgate, it is unusable for GPS tracking due to crashes/lockups. Don't know why--Doesn't really matter at this point...all I know is that it now works, thanks to GPSgate.

For anyone else having this issue, there is a certain order in which you must do things to get everything properly recognized:

1) Turn on computer.

2) Plug in BU-353, activating its Prolific USB to COM driver

3) Run the GPSgate program

4) Open DeLorme Topo USA 8.0 & start GPS

 

[PhulesAU]

I understood about every third word.:snorkel: Glad you got it working!

 

[evldave]

Glad this is working for you...you can also try 'XPort' instead of GPSGate. Been running it for awhile now on 2 different netbooks and seems to be solid (using Delorms + NatGeo + Streets and Trips at the same time no problems).