mosquito and suunto serial interface

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Aum

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Hi folks,

Quick q about the serial interface cable that comes with the mosquito. My laptop doesn't have a serial port but will it still work if I use a serial-to-USB cable and use it that way?

Thanks in advance,

Arch
 
"Quick q about the serial interface cable that comes with the mosquito. My laptop doesn't have a serial port but will it still work if I use a serial-to-USB cable and use it that way?"

Yep. If you're running a Windows OS before XP you might need a driver, but with XP Home or Pro is should recognize it without the driver. My father-in-law uses the exact setup now on his XP Home laptop to download from his Suunto Cobra.

Mike
 
I'm using XP with my laptop and the keyspan serial to USB convertor. Works great, just have to make sure I've selected the correct port in the Suunto software. I use this with my and my wife's mosquito's

http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA19HS/

chris
 
Thanks for the replies and the confirmation folks. I'm using XP on the laptop so it should be ok. Gonna tear through my cupboards and find where I put the cable and give it a whirl.

Arch
 
Hmm...I think I spoke too soon. Just tried connecting the cable to my laptop and I can't seem to install the software (driver) needed for it to recognize the cable.

I'm using an Elecom UC-SGT USB to Serial cable. Tried looking everywhere on the internet for a driver but can't seem to find one that works.

I should say also that I'm reasonably computer-challenged so I basically haven't a fig what I'm doing wrong. Could anyone shed some light on this for me please?

Thanks in advance,

Arch
 
I have found that some USB to Serial converters work and some don't with different devices (USB Blackberries in particular).

Socket makes PCMCIA Serial cards (and ruggedized ones too) which should work with any serial device. The nice thing is you can leave them in the laptop and attach their cable to your serial cable. http://www.socketcom.com and http://www.socketcom.com/product/serial.asp

I HATE that manufacturers are phasing the serial cable out. There are still so many serial devices it is silly. You can't buy an IBM with one anymore. I'm keeping my laptop till I die (well, at least for another 6 months).

Mark
 
Okies well it seems that the first cable I bought wasn't XP friendly. Salesman assured me that it should still work but he kindly gave me another brand USB cable to try for free. I love it when they say "service" in Japan cause it doesn't happen often so it's nice when it does. :)

Attached it, installed and downloaded all my dives into the dive manager. Now....my question is....am I just stupid or could the help program that comes with the dive manager be any harder to make heads or tails of??

Also, I couldn't find any way to change the configuration of the date settings for the dives. Small issue but would prefer it to be the way I want. Any ideas here please?

Thanks again in advance,

Arch
 
You need to buy a USB to serial port adapter which costs about $50 in US - then install the drivers that SHOULD make the port transparent.

Then install the suunto software.

Quite frankly, the Suunto company should realize that serial interfaces have not been used in high end laptops for years....
 
RSdiver:
Quite frankly, the Suunto company should realize that serial interfaces have not been used in high end laptops for years....
That's the real point here. For how long has USB been around? But still Suunto sells its grotesquely over-priced "PC Interface Cable" with a serial connector. To my (admittedly untutored) eye, its looks like a $15 bit of plastic and wire. So God knows what Suunto think they are up to (or rather, not up to) but seems to be yet another example of the "now we got the customers locked in, let's gouge them" marketing strategy and I've got a A$236 - yes folks, you read it right, A$236 - Amex bill for my interface cable to prove it. I know Australia is not a good place to buy this sort of stuff at the best of times but A$236 is ridiculous. Sadly, with a significant investment already made in the dive computer, your options are limited.

What a great way for Suunto to erode the value of its customer base.

And if that wasn't bad enough, their treatment of Mac users is unforgiveable. In addition to the connector, you need a Serial/USB converter, Virtual PC software and probably (since VPC is such a memory hog) additional memory. All of which turns the process of transferring simple flat files into an expensive and unnecessarily complex exercise. Contrast Suunto's approach with that of the digital camera manufacturers who've turned the entire connectivity issue into a non-issue with a current industry standard connector (USB and in some cases FireWire) to Mac or PC + software. No cost, no hassle which is how it should be.

And all of this is a shame because I love my Vytec and the Gekko before it. But when it comes to replacement time, I will have to give serious thought to looking elsewhere. Maybe there's something else out there that's every bit as good supplied by a manufacturer which treats its customers with respect and not contempt. Uwatec perhaps?
 

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