'Opencpn message: could not open serial port com3

[arjand]

OpenCPN used to run flawless on my computer but I recently wanted to use it again and if I now want to start the program I get a pop-up screen reading: Open CPN message. Could not open serial port com 3. suggestion: try closing ther applications.

If I try another app it communicates perfectly with my GPS puck (BUI 353). If I go to control panel and check the port and the device there are no issues. Has anybody else had this issue? Thanks! Arjan

[HappySeagull]

Lots of people have issues with BU353...
a simple search of the OpenCPN forum entering "BU353"....
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...archid=2867782

the obvious that need be checked...
Find what Port# the gps is on from your "other app" then, shut that app down. because
Only one app can use a given port#
Enter or find the Port# in OpenCPN's gps dialogue. it should be there.

this, from yachtvalhalla looks useful...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post925802

[jackdale]

Xport might help you to identify the com port used by your BU353.

XPort

[arjand]

I know the port. The big issue is that I can not open opencpn at all as I only get the pop up screen with the msg. I get the same msg if the GPS puck is not connected. thnx for your reacs!

[HappySeagull]

aha-different problem entirely. It sounds like OpenCPN is not installed or has been somehow changed from when you last installed it.
What is the Operating system of your computer?
Find the openCPN log and thi "ini" file...
Installing OpenCPN | Official OpenCPN Homepage

have a look at the log from the bottom up and show us the relevant part (where it goes bad) not the whole d6mn thing!
or,
in the ini file it might look like this...
[Settings/NMEADataSource]
Source=Serial:COM4
BaudRate=4800

you can TRY this-change it to
Source=None
BaudRate=4800
in a text reader/editor (and todo this, right-click, Open with...browse to, notepad.exe (or something better!! and save it when done.

If you can't find the ini or the log for sure, OpenCPN is trashed.... Reinstall.
If you can find these but just want to try over, MOVE the opencpn settings folder for safekeeping or RENAME it because you can salvage data from it...later) and now reinstall...

[HappySeagull]

PS opencpn has a helpfile on your computer too. Since you can't even start Opencpn, you can still goto
C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\doc\help_en_US.html
that's for xp, but Win7 is similar.

and you can doubleclick opencpn.exe after you've moved/renamed your old configfolder...this is sort of like a reinstall...it's a fresh start....
If this doesn't work, Always assuming Windows here, you probably have a different problem entirely. I'd suspect that it's the VC redist package that OpenCPN needs to run. Check for it in installed programs list. for OpenCPN1.5, it need be 2008 version 9.etc. For the betas 1.6 and up it's 2010 version 10.etc.

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by arjand

OpenCPN used to run flawless on my computer but I recently wanted to use it again and if I now want to start the program I get a pop-up screen reading: Open CPN message. Could not open serial port com 3. suggestion: try closing ther applications.

If I try another app it communicates perfectly with my GPS puck (BUI 353). If I go to control panel and check the port and the device there are no issues. Has anybody else had this issue? Thanks! Arjan

I get that message if OpenCPN was set to a com port that does not currently have a GPS attached to it. I click OK and the program opens. Then I can go to the toolbox and select the appropriate com port. The first time I saw the message I thought the program wouldn't open, but it did once I replied to the message.

Fabbian

[HappySeagull]

yes, of course, Fabbian, but Surely nobody would see that message and not click "OK" ( as in, "Ok, I will see what's wrong") ? or would they ?! maybe it's not so obvious . Maybe the error message is not useful. Maybe it'd be better if OpenCPN just opened ...whether it could connect to the last known gps or not?

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by HappySeagull

yes, of course, Fabbian, but Surely nobody would see that message and not click "OK" ( as in, "Ok, I will see what's wrong") ? or would they ?! maybe it's not so obvious . Maybe the error message is not useful. Maybe it'd be better if OpenCPN just opened ...whether it could connect to the last known gps or not?

Happy: I agree, the message is not useful. But it's not specific to the BU-353. It's not a problem with trying to discover which com port is assigned to the GPS. You wouldn't get the message if OpenCPN weren't installed.

Arjand: Did you click "OK" in response to the message? What happened then? I am puzzled because OpenCPN has always opened for me after I clicked "OK". Then I was able to select a different com port. There is a known problem that if you minimize OpenCPN before closing it you will think it didn't open because it will launch minimized. Could that have anything to do with your problem?

OpenCPN does behave differently with different operating systems, so the more information you can supply about your configuration (what OS, what OpenCPN version, exactly what happened, etc.) the more likely you are to elicit a response that is actually useful. Otherwise we're all just guessing.

Fabbian

[HappySeagull]

... now,I am wondering how many people see that message and freak out? It's only "obvious" to click "OK" if your brain has been shrunken and reconfigured by using Windows98 too long (mine)..funny it should come up just now. I was just whining about it here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post933361

[galleyslave]

I have just had a similar problem. I downloaded OpenCPN onto my pc to plan a few routes and imported all the necessary charts, etc from the laptop which I use for navigation. When I tried to open the programme, I got the message that the COM ports for the GPS and AIS couldn't be found but then Open CPN wouldn't open either, although it was on the taskbar of the computer. Having tried almost everything else, I finally right clicked on the OpenCPN button on the taskbar, clicked on Maximise and , Eureka, it opened.
I hope this helps.

[arjand]

Well, the good news: everything works again. The bad news: I did not do anything to make it work again... the wondrous world of windows...
Thank you for all your comments!!! thnx! arjan

[gpshephe]

Originally Posted by arjand

OpenCPN used to run flawless on my computer but I recently wanted to use it again and if I now want to start the program I get a pop-up screen reading: Open CPN message. Could not open serial port com 3. suggestion: try closing ther applications.

If I try another app it communicates perfectly with my GPS puck (BUI 353). If I go to control panel and check the port and the device there are no issues. Has anybody else had this issue? Thanks! Arjan

I'm like you on this one Arjand. I kept getting the message about the com port. I even blue screened a few times. never could solve it. To tell you the truth I now use OpenCPN for charts and NavMonPC for GPS and AIS. Works great. I would like all-in-one, but sometimes you get tired of

[nohal]

arjand...
Try putting PolarView, NavMonPC, VSPE, GPSGate or the likes between the GPS and OpenCPN, solved the problem for many others.
We would really like to fix this, but none of the developers have ever seen this happen... And maybe ask Bill how an unprivileged application can take down the whole operating system

Pavel

[bcn]

Pavel,

so the question the other way around:
what is the difference between OpenCPN and the mentioned other programs in dealing with (virtual) COM ports under W?

Hubert