GPS Satellite Reception Problem

[MRWood]

Had problems this weekend with my Garmin GPSmap 182C. Was working fine and then could not find any satellites. I turned in off and on, unplugged it and still could not find satellites. It is still not working, just shows searching for Satellites with a small GPS sign in the bottom left corner with a line through it. Anyone have any idea what could be happening. Antennae connections all seem to be ok. Never had any troubles with it before.

 

[Aces]

Yes, my Standard Horizon wouldn't pick up satellites but my Lowrance did.

 

[bigbruce]

My Garmin 720s worked just fine today.

 

[Cuba Libre]

There is a possibility that the US is getting ready to de-tune their satellite GPS accuracy because of the idiot in North Korea. It happened during the first Gulf war.

 

[eaglemaniac]

Would this de-tune as you called it cause our waypoints to be off? eman

 

[empty net]

Mine same, kept losing the fix and had to re-boot several times on saturday.

 

[MRWood]

Just went out to the boat (it's in my driveway) and tried the GPS and still not picking up satellites. Do you think it's a satellite problem or my unit on the fritz. It sounds as if others are having problems as well.

 

[Ian]

When sa was still in effect, not too uncommon. I remember during the gulf war when our units where out an entire zone in the utm system, that's 500km! Could be an orbit issue, but remember it is a military system.

 

[Bod]

My Lowrance has worked fine everyday this week, including today, on the west coast.

 

[fshnfnatic]

Just went out to the boat and fired up my brand new Standard Horizon GPS and had a fix in 30 secs. or so. Everything
seems fine here right now.

 

[gulfislander]

i had issues with my garmin 178 a few weeks ago.. when i put the boat in for the winter it worked fine,
puled it out and same thing it just couldn't aquire a siignal. tryed it in the garage, towed it into the drive way still nothing. ended up going for a test drive in the ocean with it had the gps on still not able to aquire satelite and about 10 minutes into the trip it started working. not sure why it started working but has been intermitant since then. I figure in y case it has to be a wiring issue.

 

[baddogg]

It is not uncommon for the antennae to malfunction. I had to replace one before.

 

[MRWood]

Well, I've contacted Garmin, gone through all the re-boots, enabled WAAS, checked software version (I have version 5.4, latest is 6.3) and still not acquiring satellite. So now it comes to the following. Garmin can send me the software update for $50 deposit but they told me the shipping would cost $40 one way ($40 to send a card the size of the end of your thumb) then I have to send it back to them. This still does no guarantee it will work.
or
I can go to West Marine and pickup the Lowrance Elite-5 Gold chartplotter/fishfinder combo with charts pre installed and internal antennae for $599 less $100 mail in rebate.
I hate to discard the Garmin GPS but don't know if it's worth srewing around with anymore.
Thoughts anyone??

 

[wstcoaster]

recheck for corrison on your wires

 

[Degree of Freedom]

when's the last time you updated it?

.....edit....nevermind, didn't notice your latest post Go with the Elite5

 

[Wwunder]

I would think a Garmin dealer would have the ability to update it for you. If you can't get a dealer to help, I have the programmer and could use my card to try it. But you would have to send it to me Victoria to do it, and it might take some time because I would need to overwrite my in-use chart card to do it. Alternately, if you just go buy a new GPS and want to give it away I would be interested in seeing if I could get it going.

 

[ratherbefishing]

MrWodod...if you are looking for new Lowrance, check out the Harbour Chandler. Seems to me lat time I was in there there had the Elite 5 Gold package for 499.99 PLUS the $100 mail-in rebate...

Do you have an external antenna? Seems to me that those are the first to go...

 

[MRWood]

Do you have an external antenna? Seems to me that those are the first to go...

I do have an external antenna. I checked the antenna out a little and didn't see anything disturbing. I guess the only way to figure out if that is on the fritz is to buy a new one??

 

[bigbruce]

Well, I've contacted Garmin, gone through all the re-boots, enabled WAAS, checked software version (I have version 5.4, latest is 6.3) and still not acquiring satellite. So now it comes to the following. Garmin can send me the software update for $50 deposit but they told me the shipping would cost $40 one way ($40 to send a card the size of the end of your thumb) then I have to send it back to them. This still does no guarantee it will work.
or
I can go to West Marine and pickup the Lowrance Elite-5 Gold chartplotter/fishfinder combo with charts pre installed and internal antennae for $599 less
$100 mail in rebate.
I hate to discard the Garmin GPS but don't know if it's worth srewing around with anymore


Thoughts anyone??

West Marine in Nanaimo used to keep a copy of the latest Garmin software update that they would lend out. You might see if they still have it, although, it does sound as though it's a hardware rather than a software issue.

 

[quicksilver11]

Like Big Bruce said go to West Marine they let me use thier update program, sounds like a antenna issue can you not take it to a buddies and plug it in to check it out