STAR*NET dongle replacement with USB

ekillo, post: 365223, member: 773 wrote: Does anyone know if I can get my STAR*NET version 6 dongle upgraded to a USB dongle or something else so that I can use STAR*NET on my present computer?

Ed

I run Star*Net Pro V6 on my laptop with a USB key. This was something I obtained before MicroSurvey took over, though, so I don't know what their policies are.

Kent McMillan, post: 365228, member: 3 wrote: I run Star*Net Pro V6 on my laptop with a USB key. This was something I obtained before MicroSurvey took over, though, so I don't know what their policies are.

Thanks, I will have to find that out.

Ed

USB/Serial converters are available.

Mark Mayer, post: 365234, member: 424 wrote: USB/Serial converters are available.

Mark,

I bought a USB to 25 pin parallel converter but it will not recognize the dongle. I have used a USB to 9 pin for my 48 downloads.

Kent McMillan, post: 365228, member: 3 wrote: I run Star*Net Pro V6 on my laptop with a USB key. This was something I obtained before MicroSurvey took over, though, so I don't know what their policies are.

Kent,

I was trying to remember if I had a converter for Carlson SurvCE, I did find my StarSMI converter.

Do you remember if the data that I converted for your friend several years ago was SMI or Carlson?

Ed

ekillo, post: 365236, member: 773 wrote: Kent,
I was trying to remember if I had a converter for Carlson SurvCE, I did find my StarSMI converter.
Do you remember if the data that I converted for your friend several years ago was SMI or Carlson?
Ed

I can't recall for certain, but I thought it was a format with a .RAW extension.

Kent McMillan, post: 365237, member: 3 wrote: I can't recall for certain, but I thought it was a format with a .RAW extension.

That was what I thought, the SMI format is .RAW.

Thanks,
Ed

ekillo, post: 365235, member: 773 wrote: I bought a USB to 25 pin parallel converter but it will not recognize the dongle.

My research concluded that you need a genuine parallel port for the dongle to work. An emulator doesn't respond to the digital queries the same way that a real parallel port does. I think us v6 users who didn't switch to USB keys when Starplus still owned the product are probably out of luck.

Any Dell laptop docking station includes a working parallel port. Buy a cheap Dell laptop and dock and you should be good to go.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We used emulators in the past to pvent this problem. It is a software company that basically hacks the hardware lock and replaces it with either a USB dongle or a software patch.

Here is one site found from a quick google search on sentinel dongle emulator. They offer try before you buy.
http://www.dongleservice.com/request.phtml

leegreen, post: 365252, member: 2332 wrote: We used emulators in the past to pvent this problem.

I've looked into that, but the economics are a little iffy, as the emulator is about half the cost of upgrading to a current version. I'd still be facing the full upgrade cost if hardware or OS changes render the old version inoperable.

I'm upgrading to a new desktop, so I think I'll just install a parallel port card in it and soldier on with v6, foregoing the ability to run Star*Net on my Surface Pro.

Jim Frame, post: 365273, member: 10 wrote: I've looked into that, but the economics are a little iffy, as the emulator is about half the cost of upgrading to a current version. I'd still be facing the full upgrade cost if hardware or OS changes render the old version inoperable.

I'm upgrading to a new desktop, so I think I'll just install a parallel port card in it and soldier on with v6, foregoing the ability to run Star*Net on my Surface Pro.

That is what I am thinking about, I just got a new desktop and laptop last year, so I will probably do the same thing. I plan on slowing down in about 3 years and my current work does not require that I use the newer version. My jobs are usually 3 or 4 points shooting fixed tripods and turning sets and usually do not see more than .01' H&V. I think I know how to handle that. LOL

Ed