MBP and Bluetooth GPS dongle

I bought a Bluetooth GPS dongle for a PDA some years ago. This model:
http://www.freedominput.com/freedom-accessories/keychain-gps-2000
Now I wonder whether it is possible to connect and use it with my MacBook Pro. Does it require 3rd party software? If so, any recommendations? Is it possible to make it work with Google maps somehow?
I have searched for information on this but almost all the postings deal with the use of GPS dongles with the iPhone.
Thanks a million!

DeLorme sells Street Atlas USA 2010 separately for $40. They also sell it with the BT-20 Bluetooth GPS adapter for $100. SA USA 2010 does support many GPS devices including 'generic NMEA', but I'm not sure how the Bluetooth communication is handled. Contact their tech support and ask: www.delorme.com
Note that Street Atlas USA 2010 is a Windows program, so you have to run it under Bootcamp, Parallels, Fusion or the like.

Similar Messages

IPod Touch and Bluetooth GPS?

MCM Electronics is advertising a Bluetooth GPS receiver at http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/58-13300. Would something like this work with my 3rd generation iPod Touch? If so, what app would I need?
Steve

The Touch's Bluetooth capability is limited to stereo audio (A2DP) and connecting to other Touches or iPhones for gaming. So no, this device would not pair up with the Touch.

6300 and bluetooth GPS receiver

I have a 6300 and have just bought a Holux M-1000B GPS bluetooth receiver. Wondering if I can connect the two, put some maps on the 6300 and use the combination as a walkaround GPS system? Any pointers, recommended software, links etc?

Try here>>>>http://we-travel.co.cc/joomla/

Network based and a-gps, data use tests

i was trying to find this kind of info, but only found others asking.
i hope this is useful info for others, especially while roaming.
skip to the bottom for conclusion,
this is the process i took:
i called nokia tech support,
their phone support his horrible,
the people on the phone don't actually know anything, and have to look up everything you ask them.
they were the worst.
i emailed nokia tech support.
my message was:
"i would like to know the difference between assisted gps positioning, and network based positioning. these are 2 of the 4 options on my nokia e66 for positioning methods. i would like to know if network based positioning uses internet data from my service provider to obtain my gps position. i am especially concerned with this function while i'm roaming internationally, as i do not want to be charged for roaming data use."
in about half hour they responded w/ an answer, and then 45 min after that someone else responded w/ an answer.
the first response, minus the hello's etc. was:
"In response to your email, Assisted GPS and Network Based positioning methods generate costs related to data traffic so you will be charged for data use. Only "normal" GPS and Bluetooth GPS do not generate additional costs related to data traffic.
Normal GPS is quite slow and does not work indoors. Therefore, it is recommended to enable at least A-GPS to get a faster position outdoors.
Network based and Wi-Fi positioning also allow you to update your position inside buildings, but they cannot be used for navigation."
the 2nd response was:
"In response to your inquiry, the difference between Assisted GPS positioning (A-GPS) and Network based positioning is that, A-GPS uses satellites while Network based positioning is based on information of your cellular network environment. It allows you to update your position inside buildings, but they cannot be used for navigation. Both positioning methods generate costs related to data traffic (unless you have configured the device to use Wi-Fi connection to make the internet connection). The cost may vary while you are on roaming. Kindly contact the service provider for information about data transmission costs."
i can also respond w/ more questions, but instead did some tests, starting with sitting home, indoors, and eventualy moving to a window w/ lots of sky.
test 1:
i enabled:
integrated gps
network based
assisted gps
opened maps,
set maps to be offline,
set default internet access point to my home wlan network,
closed maps,
cleared all counters and the log on the phone's communication log.
opened maps
there is a pink circle around the area i may be in,
the icon that would show gps satellite strength, changes to show the cell phone antenna icon.
but the packet data counter is sending/receiving a total of around 3-8kb immediately, and over the course of time, it keeps adding up, every 1-2 minutes, and it is shown as packet data to/from the access point "at&t internet"
over the course of ten minutes, it's been about 43kb.
and i can tell on the phone's home screen that the packet data connection becomes active when it does.
the maps kb indicator still says 0.0kb, with a line through the double arrow packet data symbol.
test 2:
now i exited maps,
cleared the counters and logs
i turned off a-gps.
enabled only integrated gps and network based.
i open maps,
the same thing is happening as with the assisted gps on, except i connected to my home wlan once, in the middle of connecting to at&t internet 10 or so times.
everything else is happening the same.
test 3:
i exited maps,
cleared the counters and logs.
enabled only integrated gps.
i open maps, and there is no evidence of packet data connection, or wlan connection.
nothing is showing up in the logs or packet counters, and there is no pink circle around where i may be.
if i set maps to go online, w/ my wlan as the access point, or at&t internet, their respective icons show up on maps, as well as the phone's home screen.
the phone's log show respective connections are made but w/ 0.0kb, and the phone's packet counter, as well as the maps kb usage, say 0.0kb.
test 4:
set maps to offline, w/ my wlan as access point.
exited maps,
turned phone off for a bit to test gps from cold start.
turned on phone,
cleared counters/logs,
enabled only assisted gps and integrated gps.
open maps, there's no pink circle around where i may be, just the red dot of where it thought i last was.
there's about 4-5kb of data transfer,
then i bring the phone to the window where there's a lot of clear sky, and my location is found pretty fast.
i know that w/o assisted gps, w/ only integrated gps, it takes a while to get the gps signals.
i went back and forth to/from the window, and there was packet data use again only once more, not continuously like w/ network based positioning.
so to conclude my tests,
setting the maps to be offline, still uses a-gps and network based positioning.
network based uses a more data, continuously,
which is the opposite of what i thought, i thought a-gps would use more, so i was using network based on and a-gps off while in canada. whoops.
using assisted gps uses about 5-10kb, which, when roaming, according to at&t, they charge 1.95cents/kb.
might be worthwhile for getting a quick gps signal, nothing worse than waiting forever for it to connect.
the only way to be completely clear of data use is disable network based and assisted gps, or set the phone to offline mode.

A-GPS: This uses information from cell network to get a rough idea of where you are. It then uses this information to figure out which satellites to look for. Result is a faster satellite lock. So A-GPS uses a few kB of data to get an initial position, but navigation is done using GPS satellites, which does not require ANY data connection.
Network based: This uses information from the cell network to plot the current position when GPS satellite signal is not available, ie indoors, in a tunnel, etc. Position info derived from the cell network is not as accurate as that from GPS satellites, but serves as a stopgap until GPS signal can be re-acquired. Network based positioning used your data connection EACH TIME the satellite lock is lost. So the amount of data used is dependent on the quality of access you have to the GPS satellites. If you don't lose the connection to the GPS satellites, then you won't use any data.
The ‘offline’ option within the Nokia Maps app only refers to street, POI, etc searches, NOT to A-GPS, Network based positioning or to connecting with the GPS satellites.
If you want to navigate without using ANY data connection, set A-GPS off AND set Network based positioning off AND set the Internet option in Nokia Maps to Offline. Do this and you will not use any of your data connection allowance when navigating. There is no need to put the phone into flight mode.
If I've helped you, you can thank me by clicking the green 'kudos' star on my post. Cheers.

Bluetooth GPS receivers for MBP??

Has anyone tried using any BT GPS receivers for navigation program?
Here's a find that i was curious about if it would work on a MBP notebook.
http://www.freedominput.com/site/index.php?Itemid=81&id=96&option=com_content&ta sk=view
I assumed that since it's "BLUETOOTH", it should be able to work....but i understand that NOT all bluetooth work with bluetooth devices..... isn't that stupid? haha.....And you would think that all bluetooth devices would be made the same.....
any thoughts/comments on Bluetooth GPS devices working with MBP notebooks???
Feel free to comment

Ummmm hello? Guess my question isn't good enough to be answered? Or yall people just don't know?

E71x and external bluetooth GPS

Is there any way to have the E71x use an external bluetooth GPS. In the N95 you the option was built in, but I can not seem to find in on the E71x. The internal gps is slow to find itself and loses signal easily.

TomTom is the best application for use with an external GPS unit.
mgoksoy

E52 and LD-4W Bluetooth GPS module ?

Does the Nokia E52 support the LD-4W Bluetooth GPS module ?
I'm aware of the builtin A-GPS in the E52, however, it seems using the LD-4W for GPS has benefits in terms of GPS accuracy as well as conseving the phones battery.
Reinhard

On the E71 i use the LD-4W.... and i can confirm that accuracy is much better... and time to first fix is much lower. Only few problems with sometimes unstable Bluetooth connection... but this is an issue i have with all bluetooth connections, so it seems to be the phone......

Dual Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver and 3rd Gen iPod Touch

Has anyone used the Dual Universal Bluetooth GPS Receiver with a 3rd Generation iPod Touch? I understand that the Bluetooth connection only works for the headphones so I was wondering how this unit uses the Bluetooth connection. Does it work?

I was looking for a way to get around that, as it sounds plausible. But i have had iTunes on a previous machine here at the office and it worked fine. Right now, the only option i have in iTunes with it connected is to "eject" the ipod. Not neccesarrily an error # message, but one does come up that says "iTunes could not connect to the iTunes Store. Make sure your network connection is active and try again"
as for restoring at home, it just goes through the motion on the progress bar, but when it reaches around 100% it says "failed to restore. ___" i cant remember the rest as i was up til 2am, and back awake at 6am trying to figure this out...
Last night, there was no battery icon, and the screen stayed illuminated in recovery mode...i updated iTunes, and restarted my laptop at home, and now this morning the screen times out and dims, and there is all of a sudden a battery charging icon in the upper right corner. It would not "power down" at all last night...there was no "power off" slide option after holding the button(s)....this morning it will power off.
It also wouldnt connect to my car radio this morning like it would last night when i came home. The radio doesnt even recognize it anymore.
here is a quick screenshot of what i see...nothing...with it plugged up...

MBP and GPS Receiver

Hi Guys,
I've got a Nokia Bluetooth GPS Receiver (worked wonderfully with my Nokia N73 and TomTom Mobile until some tool stole the phone). I'm wondering if there is any software I can use to link the Bluetooth receiver to my MacBook Pro and use that as my GPS unit??
Thanks!!
Ben

Have you googled, "Nokia Bluetooth GPS Receiver and macintosh"?

Reading bluetooth GPS data from a Nokia phone

I have a problem reading data from a MTK bluetooth GPS device from a Nokia phone (7610, Symbian S60).
I wrote a midlet (my phone supports CLDC 1.0/MIDP 2.0) that create a thread to read data
from the device (using RFCOMM protocol), the code is:
package gpsreader.bluetooth;
import javax.microedition.io.*;
import java.io.*;
public class BTrxtx implements Runnable {
private String url = ""; // Connection string to the bluetooth device.
private boolean canRead; // True if possible to read from device.
private boolean canWrite; // True if possible to write to device.
private String btstr = ""; // Last received string.
private int strCounter;
private int byteCounter;
private StreamConnection conn = null;
private InputStream inputstream = null;
private OutputStream outputstream = null;
private boolean newStr;
private static final char[] EOL_BYTES = {'\015','\012'};
public BTrxtx(String u) {
url = u;
canRead = false;
canWrite = false;
strCounter = 0;
byteCounter = 0;
newStr = false;
Thread t = new Thread(this);
t.start();
private void openInput() {
canRead = false;
try {
inputstream = conn.openInputStream();
canRead = true;
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("oin");
System.out.println(e);
private void openOutput() {
canWrite = false;
try {
outputstream = conn.openOutputStream();
canWrite = true;
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("oout");
System.out.println(e);
private void openConn() {
try {
conn = (StreamConnection) Connector.open(url);
openInput();
openOutput();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("oconn");
System.out.println("Failed to open connection: " + e);
private void closeInput() {
try {
if(inputstream!=null) {
inputstream.close();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("cin");
System.out.println(e);
private void closeOutput() {
try {
if(outputstream!=null) {
outputstream.close();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("cout");
System.out.println(e);
private void closeConn() {
try {
closeInput();
closeOutput();
if(conn!=null) {
conn.close();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("cconn");
System.out.println(e);
public void run() {
openConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
try {
int i = 0;
char c;
String s = "";
// Start reading the data from the GPS
while(canRead==true) {
i = inputstream.read(); // read one byte at the time.
if(i==-1) {
closeConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
openConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
continue;
byteCounter++;
// Every sentence starts with a '$'
if(i==36){
if(s.length()>0) {
strCounter++;
setBtstr(s);
s = "";
c = (char) i;
s += c;
System.out.println("GPS return no data");
setBtstr("BTend");
}catch(Exception e){
setBtstr("BTrun");
System.out.println(e);
private String byte2hex(byte b) {
char[] alphaHex = {'0', '1', '2', '3',
'4', '5', '6', '7',
'8', '9', 'A', 'B',
'C', 'D', 'E', 'F',
int low = (int) b & 0x0f;
int hi = (int) (b & 0xf0) >> 4;
String res = String.valueOf(alphaHex[hi]) + String.valueOf(alphaHex[low]);
return res;
public boolean sendData(String data) {
boolean res = false;
try {
if((canWrite==true) && (conn!=null) && (outputstream!=null) && (data!=null)){
StringBuffer rec = new StringBuffer(256);
// Calculate checksum
int index = data.length();
byte checksum = 0;
while(--index>=0) {
checksum ^= (byte) data.charAt(index);
rec.setLength(0);
rec.append('$');
rec.append(data);
rec.append('*');
rec.append(byte2hex(checksum));
System.out.println(">"+rec.toString());
rec.append(EOL_BYTES);
outputstream.write(rec.toString().getBytes());
}catch(Exception e) {
System.out.println(e);
return res;
public int getStrCounter() {
return strCounter;
public int getByteCounter() {
return byteCounter;
public String getBtstr() {
newStr = false;
return btstr;
private void setBtstr(String s) {
newStr = true;
btstr = s;
public boolean receivedData() {
return newStr;
The problem is on method "run" at line:
i = inputstream.read(); // read one byte at the time.
after reading some data (usually one NMEA string) read method returns -1,
and even if I try to close the connection and re-open it, after some other data is read,
the midlet is terminated by the phone with an error (something like "jes-13c-java-comms@1441adE32USER-CBase 40").
The GPS receiver is working, since from my PC I am able to connect with a bluetooth USB dongle and read outputs using RFCOMM.
Thx for any suggestions,
LB.

Work around.
I can not say I solved it, but I managed to get a work around:
I read in another post that there are some problems in thread handling on Nokia phones, so I rewrote the class so that it runs on the main thread and now it seems to work (I can not update the screen while reading from the device, but this isn't a big issue for me).
Just in case anyone is interested here is the final code:
import javax.microedition.io.*;
import java.io.*;
public class BTBrxtx {
private String url = ""; // Connection string to the bluetooth device.
private boolean canRead; // True if possible to read from device.
private String btstr = ""; // Last received string.
private int strCounter;
private int byteCounter;
private StreamConnection conn = null;
private InputStream inputstream = null;
private boolean newStr;
private String s = "";
private static final char[] EOL_BYTES = {'\015','\012'};
public BTBrxtx(String u) {
url = u;
canRead = false;
canWrite = false;
strCounter = 0;
byteCounter = 0;
newStr = false;
openConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
private void openInput() {
canRead = false;
try {
inputstream = conn.openInputStream();
canRead = true;
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("oin");
System.out.println(e);
private void openConn() {
try {
conn = (StreamConnection) Connector.open(url);
openInput();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("oconn");
System.out.println("Failed to open connection: " + e);
private void closeInput() {
try {
if(inputstream!=null) {
inputstream.close();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("cin");
System.out.println(e);
private void closeConn() {
try {
closeInput();
if(conn!=null) {
conn.close();
}catch(Exception e) {
setBtstr("cconn");
System.out.println(e);
public void readInput() {
try {
int i = 0;
char c;
// Start reading the data from the GPS
while(canRead==true) {
i = inputstream.read(); // read one byte at the time.
if(i==-1) {
closeConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
openConn();
try {
Thread.sleep(200);
}catch(Exception e) {
continue;
byteCounter++;
// Every sentence starts with a '$'
if(i==36){
if(s.length()>0) {
strCounter++;
setBtstr(s);
s = "";
c = (char) i;
s += c;
return;
c = (char) i;
s += c;
System.out.println("GPS return no data");
setBtstr("BTend");
}catch(Exception e){
setBtstr("BTrun");
System.out.println(e);
private String byte2hex(byte b) {
char[] alphaHex = {'0', '1', '2', '3',
'4', '5', '6', '7',
'8', '9', 'A', 'B',
'C', 'D', 'E', 'F',
int low = (int) b & 0x0f;
int hi = (int) (b & 0xf0) >> 4;
String res = String.valueOf(alphaHex[hi]) + String.valueOf(alphaHex[low]);
return res;
public int getStrCounter() {
return strCounter;
public int getByteCounter() {
return byteCounter;
public String getBtstr() {
newStr = false;
return btstr;
private void setBtstr(String s) {
newStr = true;
btstr = s;
public boolean receivedData() {
return newStr;
Now I call method readInput in the main thread and than use getBtstr to retrieve data.
I'm still interested to know if someone had similar problems and how they have been solved.
Thx

Bluetooth USB Dongle does not work

I have this generic looking USB dongle (forgot the brand) that I use with my eMachines e725 laptop. It worked fine with Linux Mint 9 KDE 64bit that I had to use for the past 1.5 years. The moment I plugged the dongle in, it was instantly detected and the bluetooth icon turned active in the system tray. However it does not work with my ArchLinux 64bit install with KDE4.6 (updated to latest packages). Due to issues with the new Kernel 2.6.39 series, I am using the LTS kernel.
lsusb:
Bus 003 Device 009: ID 0a12:0001 Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)
tail -f /var/log/messages.log
Jul 10 17:56:26 localhost kernel: [11565.480026] usb 3-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 9
Jul 10 17:56:26 localhost kernel: [11565.728190] usb 3-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
I've installed bluez and bluedevil. In KDE System Settings, when I go to the bluetooth options, it says no bluetooth adapters have been found.
Last edited by MetalheadGautham (2011-07-10 13:28:51)

Have you read the Bluetooth wiki page?
Seems to me you didn't run the relevant daemon.
Also, your thread title should include 'bluetooth' - 'USB dongle' on its own is too generic.
Last edited by tomk (2011-07-10 13:12:28)

I purchased a Holux M-1200E Bluetooth GPS Data Logger. The device paired with my laptop just fine so I know it is working right. The device will not even show up on my iphone or ipad to pair via bluetooth. Is there a way to pair without jailbreaking???

I purchased a Holux M-1200E Bluetooth GPS Data Logger. The device paired with my laptop just fine so I know it is working right. The device will not even show up on my iphone or ipad to pair via bluetooth. Is there a way to pair without jailbreaking??? I haven't had any trouble to date pairing any devic with my iphone or ipad, this is ridiculous!!!! Is there a way to update my bluetooth settings on my iphone 4s to be able to have this device be recognized??? I love my apple devices, but this is very frustrating. I bought this Data Logger for a specific purpuse to help out with my Search and Rescue volunteer activities, and I really need help with this!!! I am hoping apple will help me!!!
Thanks,
Melissa

melissafromlenexa wrote:
That is not the right device, it is the
Holux
M-1200E Bluetooth GPS Logger
I looked at the same sight for that and it does not say that. This is the first time I have posted a question, you don't have to be mean about it. I am trying to get this to work for a good cause.
It may be the best source of assistance is the manufacturer of the device. I suspect you will need a specific app for the iPhone to get it to work, but the site is rather ambiguous about that.

MacBook pro, snow leopard, iPhone and Bluetooth PAN problems

Short Version:
I am having connectivity issues connecting my new MacBook Pro (MBP) to the Internet thru a Bluetooth PAN on my iPhone4. This has been working fine for a few days and then today it just stopped working responding that my iphone connection is not available, it's off, too far away or whatever. This is not the case. When I try to connect the iPhone to the MBP the iPhone is saying my MBP is not supported. I can pair the devices, but as soon as I try to connect to the Internet thru the iPhone via the MBP the connection fails.
Long Version:
I received a shiny new MacBook Pro only a few days ago and I am having Bluetooth Paired networking issues as of today, 2nd, March, 2011. The MacBook Pro is running Snow Leopard 10.6.4, and is brand spanking new, unmodified, factory defaults.
The iPhone(s) I am using are iPhone 4's with iOS 4.1
On the first day I paired the MBP with both iPhones with ease, it was so easy my grandparents could have done it. So point and click and it just worked....
The iPhones are set up in iTunes with names similar to dave1 and dave2
On the MBP I can select which device I want to connect to the Internet by going to the Bluetooth icon and connecting to whichever iPhone I have handy at the time. Since the plans are limited connectivity, I do load share between the two.
Today, for no apparent reason, I have been unable to connect to my wife's phone just getting a basic "The Bluetooth network is unavailable" message telling me the iphone is out of range, not on, etc etc etc. Not true.
No problem, I just connected to my phone instead. Occasionally I tried her phone again, but it just never worked. I eventually got her to reboot it, still no joy.
Then, a couple of hours ago, while in the middle of reading my rss feeds, my Bluetooth connection dropped out. My phone is sitting right next to the MBP. So that's not the issue. No amount of reboots of either the MBP or the iPhone have fixed this. I have unpaired and repaired the devices (on both phones) countless times. I have removed the sim card and rebooted, I have disabled and reenabled Bluetooth on both, rebooting before doing this, and after and during, I have reset network settings. Nothing I try is working here.
Pairing alone is an event, but here's an example of what's happening:
I go thru the motions, the MBP shows me a number (eg, 451234) and the number is displayed on the iPhone. They see each other. The numbers are the same. Good. I click PAIR on the iPhone and MBP and everything appears good. But then if I go to connect to the iphone on the MBP I get the out of range error.
I have made both discoverable, and tried to connect to the MBP from the iphone, and got a different error message altogether: Connection Unsuccessful - "{insert my name}'s MacBook Pro" is not supported. W-T-F? It was an hour ago? What has changed?
Then, the only option on the iPhone is to "Forget Device". ok, forget it, and start again. Same same.
Neither the iPhones nor the MBP have been upgraded or changed in anyway today, or even recently. In fact, as mentioned earlier, I was actively using the connection without any issues for a number of hours when it just stopped for no apparent reason.
Not that these matter, but I am in Thailand (live here for the time being), I'm on the TrueMove network, which offers 3G coverage in my area (Patong Beach).
This could easily have been filed under MacBook Pro, iPhone, OSX and possibly many other discussion headings, because the issue can be any or all of the OS, the MacBook Pro Bluetooth adapter, the iPhone Bluetooth, (iOS for that matter), or some other unforeseen conditions...
My head is sore from pulling my hair out. I am open to any suggestions (reasonable or otherwise!)
For further info (not that this post is long enough already, or anything, but), I thought it was interesting that the phones didn't fail at the same time, so I pulled out an old iPhone 3GS and set it up, but after pairing, the two can still not connect.
I know its not an issue with the data plan on the iPhone since I'm here surfing now without an issue, so it's not a data problem.
Open to ideas....
If you've read this far and you're ever in Phuket, give me a call... I'll shout you a beer

Ok, now I do wish I could edit....
I forgot to APPLY the network settings for the USB cable to work. Connected thru USB I can tether.
So, I kept playing, and playing some more...
I had previously unpaired everything, and gone as far as removing network devices HOWEVER...
I didn't remove the Ethernet, Firewire or Airport Network devices.
Now, I have done so. I REMOVED EVERYTHING
No pairing, no network devices.
Bluetooth was already turned off, and I rebooted.
I turned off tethering and rebooted the iphone.
I turned on bluetooth (on the MBP), I turned on tethering. I browsed for the iphone. It said I was already paired???? Ok, repair AGAIN, and THE IPHONE SHOWED MY BLUETOOTH TETHERING BLUE BAR at the top of the screen!
I opened a web page, no go... d4mn, I was close...
Opened network preferences and the created a new bluetooth PAN and voila! Internet back on the MBP. I am about to reinstall the ethernet and airport (I can live without firewire for now) and see what happens.
Basically, the link I posted two posts ago, I had already done that, but I NEEDED to remove ethernet, firewire and airport as well...
So MAYBE it's fixed, we'll see for how long. I'm not going to mark this as answered for now, because basically, it has failed for no reason, and I want to know why...
Hopefully someone can come up with something, but having to delete and reinstall all pairings and network devices (to me) is not really a solution, it's a workaround (at best).

Satellite A205: Bluetooth USB dongle will no longer connect to AirCable

I plugged a generic Bluetooth USB dongle into my Satellite A205 and used it for several hours over three days to connect to an AirCable Serial Bluetooth to run my telescope controller. The generic dongle worked after downloading a Toshiba stack.
Each time I restarted the Bluetooth it incremented the COM port numbers.
My telescope controller will not recognize COMs above 20 so I deleted COMs that really were not used.
The Bluetooth USB dongle will no longer connect to the AirCable Serial Bluetooth. *It worked before and will not work today.*
I've tried three different Bluetooth USB dongles including TrendNet, AirCable and the generic.
I cannot connect to the telescope controller's AirCable Serial Bluetooth with any of the dongles.
_*Can anyone suggest a Bluetooth monitor that will work, or suggest a way to get my A205 to work with one of my Bluetooth USB dongles?*_
Don

I have Vista. I did not download SP1. It did not appear in the Update Manager. My laptop is about 3 months old so I did not want to download the 400+ MB SP1 to a fairly new version of Vista Home Premium.
Here are steps that did work for me. This process is tedious but it worked three times in a row with no failures after scores of failed connection attempts.
*_Getting Bluetooth to Work With Vista and Generic Bluetooth Dongle_*
1. Power up Bluetooth serial (AirCable).
2. Start laptop with Vista Home Premium and wait 2 minutes.
3. Plug in the generic Bluetooth dongle.
4. Click tray Bluetooth icon to show Bluetooth devices.
5. Select and remove the existing device.
6. Unplug and plug in the generic Bluetooth dongle. My Bluetooth COM Port is 6-Outgoing Serial, and 7-Incoming
7. Add a new connection for the Bluetooth serial.
8. Start; Control Panel; Device Manager
9. If COM ports with a higher number than your selected ports (mine are COM 6 and COM 7) exist, do the following:
- Right-click the port number that is the Output port (Click the Bluetooth icon in the tray to determine which COM number is output and which is input).
- Let's say for my example that Device Manager Ports shows COM 11 and COM 12, and that COM 11 is output.
- Right-click COM 11 and select Properties
- Click the Port Settings tab and the Advanced button
- Click the Com Port number dropdown list and reassign it to COM 6 (the desired Outgoing COM port).
- Click OK a couple of times.
- Now, right-click COM 12 (input), Properties, Port Settings tab, and Advanced button.
- Reassign COM 12 to COM 10 (OK...), reassign to COM 9 (OK...), reassign to COM 8 (OK...), reassign to COM 7 (OK...). (You are clearing out unused COM ports 10, 9, and 8.)
- Click OK a couple of times.
- Click the tray Bluetooth icon and remove the existing device.
- Pull the Bluetooth USB dongle out of the computer and reinsert it.
- Click the tray Bluetooth icon, search for and add your Bluetooth serial device.
At this point your remote Bluetooth device should have a good connection.
+++++++++++++
Thank you everyone for your input. It is too bad that it is so difficult to use a Bluetooth dongle with Vista but such is life.
Don

HT204387 how can i make ipad discover my bluetooth GPS again?witched it on the iPad discovered it but I didn't havre the pairing code to hand.

Can I reset iPad bluetooth? It recognised my bluetooth GPS when I first switched on but I didnt have the pairing code to hand and the pairing opportunity timed out. It seems to have decided to ignore the GPS bluetooth now.

The only option is to wipe the device clean and restore it to factory settings. Hope you have a backup.
Follow the instructions in iOS: How to back up your data and set up your device as a new device http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4137 to restore the device to factory settings.
Once you have setup the device as a new one, you can then sync it back with your iTunes account and all your music, apps, contacts and any other content sync'ed with iTunes will be loaded on the device. Any content that is stored only on the device and not sync'ed with iTunes, like app logins or data, will be lost during this process. Be forewarned that this is a long process and can take a couple of hours or more to complete. This can be painful, but it is necessarily so to prevent users from working around the security settings. After the restore is complete, you can setup a new Restrictions passcode. Make a note of the passcode to avoid this situation in future.
 Cheers, Tom

MBP and Bluetooth GPS dongle

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