TomTom V2 witha Toshiba e330

Entrailies · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 5

Hi
I have just got a Tom Tom Navigator 2 system using a Toshiba e330 PDA. When it works it is great but I am consistently getting cold start times in the region of 30 minutes (plus). The GPS Receiver is mounted on the rear screen of the car to avoid any metallic coatings on the windscreen (citroen C5). Has anyone else had an experience like this? Should I try another receiver? Even with the GPS on the roof it still took 30 mins to lock with any satellites. Now I have added an extension cable and the system never locked in the 40 minute journey home. It seems to be temperature sensitive - the only time it locked in under a minute from a cold start was when it had been in the sun all day.

Any suggestions gratefully received. Neil

lbendlin · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 9:06 pm Post subject:

The rear screen is not much better because it has the heating strings on that act like a Faraday cage...

Have you tried setting the GPS to the good old NMEA 4800? That has helped in some cases.

Colder temperatures should actually not impact the performance of the GPS. Maybe your unit is slowly dying?
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Lutz

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Entrailies · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 5

Hi

Trying NMEA 4800 now. Thanks for the data on the temperature aspects. I hope the GPS is not dying - I have only just bought it!!

Any ideas on a different GPS Receiver??

I don't think that the screens have much effect - I get the same if I put it on the roof of the car.

Thanks again, Neil

lbendlin · Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2003 10:14 pm Post subject:

There are quite a few newer receivers out there now. Many of them have better battery life, but the sensitivity is about the same. A new technology is XTrac (calculation of your position from multiple sat readings - makes it more accurate under poor conditions, but is slower than standard mode).

Overall these devices are still bleeding edge, and stability is not yet at levels that you could expect from a commodity (like a serial GPS)
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Entrailies · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 5

Hi

I am afraid that NMEA4800 didn't make any difference - still no satellites after 30 mins so I went back to the old settings and aerial placement and it wouldn't give me any then either!! So tomorrow is back to the last, best so far and see if that works.

Thanks for all your help. Cheers Neil

lbendlin · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 12:13 am Post subject:

I would suggest you send the unit in for a replacement. Sounds faulty to me...
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TonyP · Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2003 8:44 am Post subject:

It sounds like the backup battery in the GPS is dying or loose. Old batteries usually work better when they are warm.

If it is not a sealed unit, I would be tempted to open it up and clean it or to get a new bat from a watch repair shop. Normally the batteries last for years, so maybe it is just a contact that gets loose in the cold.

I dont think the wires on the rear heated window affect GPS signals at all. I have mine under the parcel shelf in the rear, and there is no noticeable attenuation.

On my car, a saloon, the offside rear corner of the parcel shelf seems to offer the best view of the sky. other than the roof itself.

Entrailies · Occasional Visitor Joined: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 5

Hi
Thanks everbody for the help. I have just tried the system out after leaving it off for the morning but the car was left in the sun - and it worked well. I think that you could have something about the battery - I shall investigate.
Cheers Neil

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