Introduction to GPS Mission beta

Example devices

• HTC GPS phones such as the HTC P3600 (Trinity) (and branded variants such as the German Vodafone Compact GPS).
• HTC non-GPS phones, e.g. HTC Touch, with external (bluetooth) GPS devices (and branded variants such as the US Sprint Touch).
• Glofiish E-Ten 800X

GPS Mission should work well with most GPS-enabled Windows Mobile 5 or 6 PocketPC devices with the right resolution.

Prerequisites for playing in the Windows beta version

Your phone needs a touch screen: To play GPS Mission on a Windows phone, your phone needs a touch screen (i.e. it must be a so called PocketPC device). If your Windows phone does not have a Stylus pen and a touch screen, you won't be able to play GPS Mission at the moment. If so, check back in June.

Your phone needs a resolution of 240x320 or 480x640: No square screens - if you have a horizontal screen, switch aspect ratio before playing.

Windows device specific issues

I get a message that "the device does not support the resolution": Your screen must be oriented vertically. It must be less wide than long (from top to bottom). Your screen must be oriented like the green box, not like the red box. You can change the orientation using the system settings.

The camera dialog (Waymarking and photo spots) does not work with the Glofiish: This is a known issue with the Glofiish firmware. An alternative way of uploading pictures from the mobile will resolve this sometime during beta.

Setting up external Bluetooth GPS

You only have to do this, if you want to use an external Bluetooth GPS. If you have never used your external Bluetooth GPS, this takes five minutes.

Connecting via bluetooth

• Make sure that the Bluetooth GPS device is turned on.
• On your phone go to Start-->Settings-->Connections-->Bluetooth.
• Set the checkbox "Turn on bluetooth" on the "Mode" tab.
• Go to the "devices" tab and choose "Add new device".
• Your bluetooth GPS device should appear in the list, otherwise recheck that its bluetooth functionality is turned on.
• Select your GPS device and click "continue" on the very bottom of the screen.
• You may be asked for a password - if you know the password enter it of course. Probably you don't because you didn't configure it.
  • If you don't know the password, first try entering nothing (empty password) and continue.
  • If that doesn't work try entering four zeroes "0000".
  • Otherwise try reading the GPS devices manual or the manufacturer's web page.
• After you took that hurdle, check "serial port" as connection service - then click finish.
• Your device should now be listed on the bluetooth devices tab.

Configuring the COM port

• Go to the COM tab in the same Bluetooth system settings.
• Select "new connection".
• Select your Bluetooth GPS device.
• A COM connection will be shown "e.g. COM6", note this down, and click finish.
• Go to Start-->Settings-->GPS (or External GPS).
• Go to the "Hardware" tab and make sure that the GPS hardware connection is the COM connection you just noted down.

Check if your GPS works

• Start GPS Mission and log in until you see the GPS Mission news.
• Look at the GPS Mission status indicator (pointed out on that screen). If it remains red for more than 30 seconds, your GPS is not configured correctly.
• If it is orange your GPS is searching your position. Go outside,... if this is the first time ever you start your GPS, this may take some time.
• You have configured your external GPS!