Anyone know if this is going to be fixed in mistral? I still have this problem in the beta and it really makes it unusable. It would be so much more fun to play with if I didn't always get frustrated almost to the point of throw my 770 across the room.

Some have reported that using rfcomm instead of letting Maemo Mapper handle the connection may eliminate the problem. You can specify an rfcomm device (e.g. /dev/rfcomm5) in Maemo Mapper as of v0.2.4 and v1.0, so give it a shot.

For best results, go into root and use rfcomm bind; otherwise, an rfcomm connect is sufficient, but you'll have to do it every time you want to connect to the receiver.

I have never seen a hang in my limited testing with rfcomm-based connection, but then again, I also haven't seen a hang in the hours of continuous without rfcomm in the 2006 OS (I saw the hang a few times in the 2005 OS, but not as much as others have seen it).

Thank you Gnuite. After playing with it briefly, that does seem to work much better.

This problem has been reported in mistral bugzilla and it is thought to be a problem with the bluetooth firmware. So it will require a fix from the BT chipset manufacturer. Still, there's hope we will get a proper fix.

BRAND: Socket
MODEL: Cordless GPS Receiver (8550-00004E) BT
TYPE: NMEA-0183 (v2.30)
Works ?: somewhat (using rfcomm)
Startup Time (avg): 1m
Personal Rating: 6/10
Other Comments: Works great using gpsd and GpsDrive, but Maemo Mapper cannot reliably establish connection. Looking forward to Maemo Mapper version with gpsd support.

UPDATE: Was able to get connection to GPS by doing:
rfcomm connect /dev/ttyS3 00:0E:6D:6B:37:6F 1
in xterm; which resulted in:
Connected /dev/rfcomm0 to 00:0E:6D:6B:37:6F on channel 1
Press CTRL-C for hangup

then entered /dev/rfcomm0 into Maemo Mapper -Thanks Gnuite!

Unfortunately it doesn't work as well as gpsdrive. I often have to quit and relaunch a few times before it starts to work. Also, In my hilly area, I lose fix for a ffew minutes sometimes. When this happens, I have to go through the whole process again. GpsDrive manages to keep running smoothly using gpsd.

Details/Specifications:
DefaultProtocol: NMEA-0183 V2.30
Power Source: Removable rechargeable lithium ion battery
with 5V DC input charging circuit
Operation Time:
8 hrs typical after full charge, continuous
mode, 25°C
Chipset: u-blox ANTARIS®
Frequency: L1, 1.57542 MHz
C/A: 1.023 MHz chip rate
Channels: 16 Channels
Antenna Type: Built-in Ceramic patch
Start-up Times:
Hot start: 5 sec
Cold start: 40-60 sec*
Accuracy (without DGPS):
Position without SA: 2.5 m CEP, 5.0 m SEP
Position aided with SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS,
etc.): 2.0 m CEP, 3.0 m SEP Europe, UK, Australia

Have you tried using rfcomm with Maemo Mapper?

Please Keep This Thread "Clean" !!!
This Is Only For Product Reports.
Don't Post Queries/Answers Here !!!

This post doesn't intend to start a flame war.
It is NOT oriented to anyone in particular.
It's only a call to stop people from deviating from the original thread purpose: SHORT Hardware Reports!
If this thread grows into a >200posts where only a few are actual reports, then the main information gets diluted.
If you believe any post is innacurate, then PM the poster.
He/She can edit it, and make the corrections.

regards.
lmf

Sorry.....

Woops! Did it again... :D

Edit: Seriously, though, I was just trying to help. This isn't epinions.com, it's a message board; and even if it were, I was trying to provide meaningful feedback regarding the Socket GPS Receiver, so that people don't get the impression that Maemo Mapper cannot work with it. If GPSD (which uses rfcomm) works with it, then Maemo Mapper should be able to work with rfcomm-based input. Give it a try, and if it still doesn't work (for some unforeseen reason), then update your post.

Look, lmf, we all understand you are the initiator of this thread and what it is for, but I also believe you should a) be a little more polite about it and b) look a little more closely at whom you're flaming.
After all, gnuite is the creator of the app your thread is all about, so in my book he has every right to offer or ask for information in it, especially if he suspects that something posted here is wrong -- that is not noise, it's actually adding value.
Flame *me* all you want for being OT, because I am, but I thought it needed saying ;-)