Sprint SmartView GPS issues

graham · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 5:09 pm Post subject: Sprint SmartView GPS issues

Hello Everyone,

I'd like to do a poll of as many people as we can to find out information about the Sprint GPS service.

We had a customer call with problems using the Sprint SmartView GPS service using his mobile broadband device. We tried troubleshooting the issue and got different results using different devices on various different computers and Operating systems, as well as at various locations throughout the country.

We were running tests to determine the functionality of the service, and we got inconclusive results.

We would like to hear from YOU!

Please Post In the following format to keep continuity.
Include the Following information.

System: Computer Name, Model # (ex. Dell Inspiron 1525)
Operating System and Version (ex. Mac OSX 10.5.4 Leopard or Windows XP Pro SP3)

Wireless Modem Brand and Model Name (ex Novatel Ex720)

Sprint SmartView Software Version (ex. 1.85.0007.0)

Heres how to find your Sprint SmartView software version..

Mac: With Sprint SmartView open, go to Sprint SmartView Menu and Click About Sprint SmartView.

Windows: With Sprint SmartView Open, Click on Help Menu>About Sprint SmartView

If you can, take a screenshot of your computer screen running Sprint SmartView software with the GPS tab open, and post it along with your information.

Ill post the first one, from some of our tests
"

Macbook (Late 2008) 2.4 Ghz

Mac OSX Leopard 10.5.6

Novatel U720

Sprint SmartView Version 1.85.0007.0

Using this setup I got a Last Fix Date of :01/05/1980 and the coordinates for latitude and longitude put me in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Africa. I'm actually in Las Vegas, NV.

Let us know if you have seen issues with Sprint SmartView as well and we can all try to figure out a solution.

Thanks,

Graham

ungod666 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 1 Location: CA

The sprint smartview application seams to lose GPS functionality quite often. Using an NDIS connection and the GPS sample program from the novatel SDK, I have been able to get rid of it altogether.

I modified the GPS sample program to turn on the GPS and then exit, so that the GPS data continues to output on the NMEA com port. In my testing so far, I have had success with it running constantly for 8+ hours.

If anyone needs the modified sample program, let me know.

EDIT: of course this would be for windows and novatel cards only!

jsriharsha · EVDO Newbie Joined: 11 Mar 2009 Posts: 1

Hi ungod666,
I have been trying to read NMEA data from sprint Novatel using serial port communication in C# .NET
When I run HyperTerminal I see the data being output from the COM Port but when I tried to read the data, it ends up with an empty string.
It would be very heplful if you could guide me or post your code on how to read the NMEA data spit by the sprint card.
Thanks in advance
Sri

highland · EVDO Newbie Joined: 14 Apr 2009 Posts: 1

Ungod666:

We are trying to access the gps data stream from the 720 card. If you could send what you have found, we would greatly appreciate it.

thanks

mkanet · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Jul 2009 Posts: 13

Every forum thread I come across talking about how to get data out of the NMEA port using 3rd party apps end up in dead ends. Is there a forum thread with definitive information about this? I'm particularly interested in the, "Novatel Wirelss GPS port" mapped to a virtual serial port under Windows Device Manager. I know that GPS data does end up in Windows; but, it doesnt look like it's via a NMEA standard port.

All I want to do is have something like Microsoft Streets or Google Virtual Earth work with this modem; which the hardware seems very capable of it. Maybe someone has figured out a way to get the Novatel port to work like a standard NMEA port.

jalr · EVDO User Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 41

sprint?

So here's my take on the issue

I had the novatel u720 and it worked standalone with street & trips for a wwhile. (mar 08 to jul 0 Cool

Then for whatever reason, i didn't use it for a long time. then earlier this year i tried to use it on a different laptop and it would never connect. i chalked it up to just being old and possibly damaged as i took the card out and installed it internally in my other laptop and maybe it was damaged somehow. anyhoo, got rid of the ovation and got the sierra 598 and it also had the same probelm. never could connect and use with s&t. but now i figured it out.

if anyone else is trying to use the Sierra 598 with Street & Trips or any other offline program, this should work:

in the settings screen, go to Location/gps tab
in the mode area, change from basic to autonomous/stand alone
hit ok

depending on what skin you have loaded, hit the gps connect button
once gps is connected (ie sat information is filled in) hit disconnect

now open your map program and follow its steps to use the gps connection

this may in fact work with other modems, using the same process. for whatever reason, it will not work if the smartview shows that's connected to gps.

one other note, while gps is connected, smartview will show you connecting as 1xrtt while i seem to have a normal connection in actuallity.

one more note, i just got it to work with google earth! horray!
once google earth is open, go to tools and click gps. go to the realtime tab and make sure nmea is checked, and check automactically follow path. finally, hit start or whatever next to real time traking.