Setting Up A Chinavasion Rage GPS

Gizmo

Dean
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Thanks one and all for the information and advice. I did email Uncle Phil's favourite provider of mapping software using the address provided above (thanks, v8-7!) and here's his reply:
Hi,Thank you for contacting me.
I have been having problems with the eCrater checkout system.
You may purchase it from Bonanza here meanwhile: http://www.bonanza.com/booths/jacktray
Thanks!

PS: Unfortunately the 16GB cards are out of stock. Available are the 4GB, 8GB, and 32GB cards at that link.


In the interim I checked out other website (GPSMapStore.com) listed above and was intrigued by the lower price. But I'm not sure the product is the same. If there is any doubt I'll likely go with UP's provider because I'll blindly follow UP's advice / manual as I'm not the most technically inclined guy.

The differences I noticed were:

  1. Price - GPSMapStore is $37.50 and free shipping. UP's guy is $49.99 + $1.99 shipping on the website that you can't order from, and $49.99 + $2.99 shipping on the website you can order from.
  2. Product
    1. GPSMapStore
      1. NA 2013 Latest iGo 3D 2D GPS map software
      2. Coverage - Canada, US, and Mexico.
      3. Announced date is May 2013.
      4. iGo 9.
      5. Version - iGO Primo 2.4 (9.6.13.267029).
      6. Map Data - 2013 Q1.
    2. Bonanza
      1. iGO8
      2. Coverage - Canada, US, and Mexico.
      3. iGo8
      4. Version - 8.3.5.231128
      5. Map Data - 2013 Q2.

I don't know enough about the differences between iGo8 vs. iGo9 (aka Primo) to have an opinion. But map data that is more current is appealing. The counter-point is that a lower price is appealing too!

So, Major Tom, how did the software install go?
 
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On another note, I'm having a hard time connecting to the usb port on the gps unit .

I think there is some rubber or plastic preventing the connector from fully seating .

I got the unit working but it just turns off now . I think it may be because the battery is near dead and won't charge .

Have you guys had this problem ?
I notice different USB cables have thicker rubber/plastics housings. I left the original cable at home, and was trying to use another, and the USB cable was getting intermittant connection. I took a knife and trimmed off a little rubber/plastic of the cable housing, that cable works fine now.
 
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v8-7

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I ended up doing that too.. so much for the waterproof rating :).

I charged mine up in the cradle and it is working well.

My buyer remorse is waning .

I read through the igo operating doc that Uncle Phil posted but it is pretty vague .

Still trying to figure out how to display more stuff on the map screen , but it may be all that is allowed and I just have to touch the middle left box to get the trip info .


Also haven't been able to change the screen appearance and see if I can make it brighter . ( I do have the back-light on ).
I clicked on different screen settings, but it hasn't changed .

I do like the self completing data entry .
 

MajorTom

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I wanted to buy a microSD card with an adapter so I could back up the chip I received from GPSMapStore before trying it out in the Rage. Then I had to go to a concert with my daughter last night, so couldn't get to it until this evening... I know, work, work, work, work, work... :)

After backing up the Primo folder I took a look at the sys.txt file to make sure there weren't going to be any problems with screen resolution on the Rage. This led me to the interweb to try and find out what all those parameters in the sys.txt file mean. There's a thread here that discusses what the parameters mean, but I was more interested to find a tool called SysConfigurator, which can be downloaded here, that provides a checklist type of interface to edit, or even create a new custom sys.txt file. Fonts not big enough? Change them.

SysConfigurator comes archived in a .rar file that must be unpacked to provide the .exe application file. I used 7-zip, an open source file compression utility, to unpack the .exe. Note: mine came up by default in Spanish. Use the second tab from the left to change the language.

Okay, back to the sys.txt file. I found a parameter called: resolution_dir="800_480" which didn't look like what I needed, so I changed it to: resolution_dir="480_272" Both of those values are folder names in the \primo\ui_igo9 folder. I left everything else alone. All that work appears to have been for naught as I still received an error: Error loading file: i18n/480_272/Log_collection.xhtml. I expect I would have received the error even if I hadn't made the change, as the file doesn't exist in the 800_480 folder either. :)

To make my long story shore, other than an extended fight to get the microSD card to seat properly in the slot, after setting up the path to the primo application the software came up, I ran through a quick configuration, and it now runs on the Rage. I received what I ordered from GPSMapStore.com and it arrived 10 days before the Rage I ordered at the same time. So far I'm a happy camper.

Now, back to SysConfigurator to see what all that stuff does... [exits to sound of mad scientist maniacal laughter]
 
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Try renaming the sys.txt file to something else and reboot. Let it make it's own sys.txt file. It worked for me.

Dennis
 
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Uncle Phil

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The USB cable that comes with the RAGE has a much smaller amount of plastic so it will properly seat into the unit. So you could use it or trim an existing cable. You should not have to trim the rubber covering on the unit itself. The sys.text file has all sorts of options, but I pretty much left it alone other than verifying the proper resolution. hen I tried to go to the GPSMAP store, my anti-virus showed it as a spam site, so I didn't go there. YMMV on that one. Primo is a later version of IGO8 - some like it better some like it less.
 

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Has anyone had the problem with the route name on the GPS not matching the route name that you created on your computer. I created 2 different routes from my house to a destination and used short names when I did a " Save As" on the computer. When I saved the routes to the GPS, and then tried to load them, they both had the same name, which was listed as start and destination addresses. I deleted the routes from the GPS, but the next time I work with it, I'll try to take pictures of the GPS screen and screen shots of the laptop.

I did finally find out how to get back and forth from navigation to the media player. A quick touch of the power button will take you from the navigation software, back to the "desktop", where you can start the media player. Now I have to figure out how to press the power button while wearing gloves.

John
 
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Uncle Phil

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John - Yes, GPSBabel usually grabs the first and last waypoint for 'names'. I wrote an app that 'fixes' that when it invokes GPSBABEL and downloads to the GPS. I'd be glad to share it if I had way to but .exe installed generally will not email. BTW, my old Peaklife is working like a champ!
 

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Phil,
Looks like you're enjoying your trip. Maybe I can bring my laptop to FerrySTOC and get a real hands on lesson. Has anyone found a way to get the popup messages on the Rage to convert to English? I've seen some messages that look like Windows error messages, except they're in Chinese.

John and Janis.
 

Gizmo

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John - Yes, GPSBabel usually grabs the first and last waypoint for 'names'. I wrote an app that 'fixes' that when it invokes GPSBABEL and downloads to the GPS. I'd be glad to share it if I had way to but .exe installed generally will not email. BTW, my old Peaklife is working like a champ!
I'm sure there's a reason this won't work, but I'll ask anyways - what about renaming the file with a .doc extension and then emailing it? I know you get a message when renaming it that changing the extension may make the file unstable but if you are just going to rename it on the other end it shouldn't matter.
 

MajorTom

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I did finally find out how to get back and forth from navigation to the media player. A quick touch of the power button will take you from the navigation software, back to the "desktop", where you can start the media player. Now I have to figure out how to press the power button while wearing gloves.
In my iGO 2.4 version there's an MP3 player in the application itself, so you don't have to exit to the Windows CE operating system. I have no idea if it's any good and the one time I tried it the OS crashed because it was low on memory. Could have been the music player, or it could have been me maxing out the memory numbers in the sys.txt file. :) I don't have the Rage with me so I can't give exact instructions on how to access the player, but it's an accessory and you get to it from the opening screen of the iGO app.
 

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Giz - Most email systems are smart enough to 'see through' changing extensions. Since the install package is .cab file, the .exes are buried in it.
Hi Uncle Phil,

You could use something like Dropbox, I've been using it for years and it's pretty easy to give files to someone else. You just drop it in a folder and send them a link to the file. There's also Hightail which also has a free account but I haven't tried them.

Some questions, which I'll preface with I'm a noob as far as this stuff goes. I've been getting along swell using my phone GPS apps for years. We're leaving on an RTW soon and I don't think I'll be able to get maps on my phone GPS for everywhere we'll be. Was then thinking Garmin/basecamp, but don't really want to spend the $ on a moto version. Then considered just getting a regular Garmin (not moto) which are much cheaper and should work and throw it in some sort of weather-proof pouch. Then I found this thread, and kI thought hmmmm.....

1. Anyone here have a Mac? If so, wondering what software you guys use for planning your routes. Can you use google maps for this?
2. And speaking of Maps, any other places you folks frequent for maps, GPSmapstore doesn't have anything as far as Central America and SA isn't all there either.

Thanks,
Mark
 
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Uncle Phil

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The supplier I got my maps from for IGO8 seems to have them all. His New Zealand maps were more up to date than the NZ Garmin ones in some places. For a Mac, you could always use Google Maps and download the kml routes to the GPS.
 

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The USB cable that comes with the RAGE has a much smaller amount of plastic so it will properly seat into the unit. So you could use it or trim an existing cable. You should not have to trim the rubber covering on the unit itself.
This is from a draft of a review of the Rage that I'm writing and should be posted in the next week or two:

USB Connection. One thing to note about the USB port on the Rage is that you need a USB Mini-B connector with a long shell (the metal part that actually plugs into the socket). The USB spec sets 6.8mm as the minimum length, and while some cables meet that, others, including the one supplied (and Garmin's Mini-B cables), have an 8mm shell. The shorter connectors will plug in but won't connect; you need the full 8mm for it to make a connection.​

--Mark
 
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Uncle Phil

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That looks like a really nice unit. IGO8 is probably 'downloadable' from a website somewhere, but I wouldn't trust it for what 'else' you might get with it. The source I used to get mine is still up and running AFAIK. I'll be interested as to how that unit works out for you.
 
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