Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Magellan SporTrak GPS loosing sensitivity?
This is the second time this has happened with a Magellan
GPS. The acqisition time when its first powered up gets longer, eventually to the point that its unusable. For this model it should be 2 minutes. Yesterday, it was 18 minutes, and that was in an open area with a clear view from horizon to horizon. I'm guessing its because the receiver is loosing sensitivity for some reason. Has anyome else delt with this and found a solution? I'd rather try to fix it myself rather than sending it to Magellan. Steve |
#2
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Magellan SporTrak GPS loosing sensitivity?
"Steve" wrote in message ... This is the second time this has happened with a Magellan GPS. The acqisition time when its first powered up gets longer, eventually to the point that its unusable. For this model it should be 2 minutes. Yesterday, it was 18 minutes, and that was in an open area with a clear view from horizon to horizon. I'm guessing its because the receiver is loosing sensitivity for some reason. Has anyome else delt with this and found a solution? I'd rather try to fix it myself rather than sending it to Magellan. GPS receiver lock time is not predictable. Run more tests before you send it back. No, you probably can't fix it yourself. |
#3
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Magellan SporTrak GPS loosing sensitivity?
This is the second time this has happened with a Magellan
GPS. The acqisition time when its first powered up gets longer, eventually to the point that its unusable. For this model it should be 2 minutes. Yesterday, it was 18 minutes, and that was in an open area with a clear view from horizon to horizon. I'm guessing its because the receiver is loosing sensitivity for some reason. Has anyome else delt with this and found a solution? I'd rather try to fix it myself rather than sending it to Magellan. GPS receiver lock time is not predictable. Run more tests before you send it back. No, you probably can't fix it yourself. One possible cause for the problem would be RF interference. The GPS signal itself is quite weak, and any (deliberate or spurious) transmissions near the GPS frequency could interfere with the receiver's ability to pick the signal out of the noise and lock onto it. Consider the following case: http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/art...l.jsp?id=43404 A malfunctioning TV-antenna preamplifier, powered up but stored inside a paint locker onboard a small boat (!), was radiating enough noise to knock out GPS reception throughout all of Moss Landing harbor and for a distance of at least 1 km out to sea! I agree that further testing of the "insensitive" Magellan GPS is called for, before it's sent back for repair. The problem may lie in the local RF environment, rather than in the Magellan itself... if so, the problem would probably affect GPS receivers of other makes and models in a somewhat similar way. -- Dave Platt AE6EO Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads! |
#4
Posted to sci.electronics.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Magellan SporTrak GPS loosing sensitivity?
On 19 Ago, 00:29, (Dave Platt) wrote:
Consider the following case: *http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/art...l.jsp?id=43404 A malfunctioning TV-antenna preamplifier, powered up but stored inside a paint locker onboard a small boat (!), was radiating enough noise to knock out GPS reception throughout all of Moss Landing harbor and for a distance of at least 1 km out to sea! Curious. That antenna design has the amplifier inside the antenna loop. Should the antenna pick its own amplified signal it would oscillate like crazy. I wonder how did they (attempt to) aboid that. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
edge finder sensitivity | Metalworking | |||
How to reduce IR sensitivity | Electronics Repair | |||
QUESTION: FM Stereo Sensitivity | Electronics Repair | |||
Magellan GPS2000 | Electronics Repair | |||
Improve Sensitivity on Radio | Electronics |