It takes so long to find a satellite

Simon0801 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 26, 2006 Posts: 4

Is it just my GO 700 or does everyone experience some lngth of time from switching on to the TomTom locating a satellite? I frequently find this can be around 5 to 10 minutes. Typically I give up waiting and drive off knowing that at some point the TomTom will catch up and work out where I am.

Is there anything that I can do to improve this? Like adding an external aerial?

Cheers

Simon

trog100 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 15, 2006 Posts: 195

check out your local curries.. they have been selling the external aerials off for a tenner..

fifty quid is is the real price.. u might be lucky.. he he.. i bought one last week.. i dont need it but at a tenner i got one..

trog

Oldboy

Simon0801 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 26, 2006 Posts: 4

I use it once or twice a week, so I accept when I first turn it on there will be a delay. The most frustrating time is when I go somewhere for a business meeting. It gets me there, I turn it off for the meeting, and when I turn it back on a couple of hours later it takes 5-10mins to find the satellite. I don't have the patience to just sit there while it searches.

I was wondering if that is a problem with my TomTom or if that is normal.

Tumbleweed · Frequent Visitor Joined: Aug 30, 2004 Posts: 315

DennisN · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:16 am Post subject:

Perhaps???

Change Preferences >>
Start-up Preferences >>
Check "Continue where I left off"

Works fine for me, but then I also have an external aerial

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject:

I'm becoming convinced that "time to lock" gets slowly longer since a reset.
Try a reset (stick pin in hole on bottom) then let it find a new lock. This WILL take ages, but after that (for me) it seems much better. No scientific proof or explanation for it, but it seems to work for me (and also might explain why updating software seems to improve things for many people)

As people have said above, other relevant things are:
1 ) How long since last switched off
2 ) How far away from where last switched off
3 ) Whether moving or still

The last one makes a BIG difference to mine (30secs - 1 min max if stationary, 2-3 mins if moving fast).

Simon0801 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 26, 2006 Posts: 4

Change Preferences >>
Start-up Preferences >>
Check "Continue where I left off"

Start up preferences is not an option on my 700. Well I can't find it listed anywhere.

Where does the external aeriel plug in? Any recommendations on variety?

Antoeknee · Lifetime Member Joined: Jul 29, 2005 Posts: 267

Assuming your on 6.xx look at page 6 of the preferences.

External antenna is wired into the mount. If you buy one you replace the part the TT sits on with the one in the antenna kit.

Antoeknee · Lifetime Member Joined: Jul 29, 2005 Posts: 267

Sorry that should have said 6.15 can't recall if it was on earlier version of 6.xx

jean · Regular Visitor Joined: Apr 05, 2005 Posts: 150

I find the weather affects how long it takes. Weirdly, if it is a clear bright sky then it takes longer. This week it took over 20 mins to find one - admittedly I was driving along at the time, but does not normally take that long.

trog100 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 15, 2006 Posts: 195

thick cloud or rain has a negative affect.. so will an upright type windscreen the metal roof stops it dead..

trog

DennisN · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:53 pm Post subject:

Change Preferences >>
then on page 3 of 3 ...
Show ALL menu options.
Then start again ...
Change Preferences
then on page 6 of 7 ...
Check - Continue Where I Left Off

The only times I've suffered from long satellite acquisition times were when I had switched off, then driven away and switched on somewhere else. So I never do that now - even have it on when I'm going nowhere special and to the destination I do all the time (whitevanman I could get a call for a job at any time, so I need the satnav to be "aware"). And I ALWAYS set a route, so that I get the camera warnings/reminders.

Simon0801 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 26, 2006 Posts: 4

Assuming your on 6.xx

My TomTom says App 5.410. Is that where you mean 6.xx? If so it doesn't appear as a menu item.

PJLFC · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 04, 2005 Posts: 11

Did have this problem but have found since I bought an external aerial that I haven't had the problem since.
As an example I have recently got back from a trip to The Nurburgring in Germany,which included a mad hop through five countries in one day(very tiring but worth it!)
The only time I lost a signal was going through the tunnels on the link road in Antwerp,but it reacquired the signal virtually straight away.
Aerial was positioned at the front of the boot on an '05 Subaru Impreza.
Overall I was impressed with the external aerial and would consider it money well spent.

Hope this helps

Pete

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