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As I would prefer to have the screen unit off the dash
As I would prefer to have the satnav screen unit off the dash, is there an extension antenna I can attach to the windscreen say behind the rear view mirror and run to the unit in a less noticable position. Thanks
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The satelitte antenna may have failed or be shorted. Check the antenna connection at the back of the radio and base of sat antenna on roof. If tight special tooling is req'd for antenna wire testing and base testing and the vehicle should be taken to the dealer.
The windscreens on some cars block out the gps signal. The best way to see if this is your problem is to switch satnavs with your son for a while and see if he has the same problem or if you have the problem with his satnav. If this is the case you may need to purchase an external gps antenna. You can get one from http://www.amazon.com/Powerful-External-Amplified-Antenna-Receiver/dp/B000ZKUR1W for $9.89. Even if the windscreen is not the problem it will boost your signal and may solve the problem.
Sometimes updating the software on your satnav solves the problem. To update your software download and install, to your computer, WEBUPDATER from http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27, Connect your satnav to your computer and run the program.
There
is a possibility that the antenna is defective. Sometimes a factory
reboot helps or re-burn of the firmware. One way to confirm an antenna
problem is to go into the tools menu and select "about". If the screen
says "GPS S/W = 0.0 (should be a real number like 2.9 or 3.0) then this
indicates that your antenna is not communicating with the main board.In this case, you need to send the unit to the manufacturer.
Simple. Go to http://xmfanstore.com , click on "Antennas and Extensions" under "Shop Categories" on the left most side of the site; there you will find "XMFanStore XM2go Direct Connect Antenna Adapter" .
It plugs into the SIDE antenna port of your XM unit and you plug the antenna into that.
Going to say it's rf interferance that makes things go crazy. If the gps unit works fine witrh the antennae in the down or closed position then leave it like this. If not you might have to try moving the unit around to different spots on your dash and hope that one of them will work. Oh as to the reason, the plastic is a little thicker on the back of the unit wqhere the antennae is and the antennaes power when it is up is able to radiate a little better since the top of the antennae is the part that gets the power.
Hope this helps
Do you live in a an area with plenty of tall buildings/trees around you? Do you live in a valley? GPS units need to "see" plenty of clear sky to work reliably.
Does the problem occur the same whether you're using it in the car or on foot? Many modern cars have solar reflective glass which has a microscopic metal coating and it blocks satnav signals unless a supplementary external satnav antenna is fitted.
If you press and hold the nuvi's signal strength bar on the display for
a few seconds you'll get a screen which shows how many satellites the
unit is picking up along with a display which tells you how accurately
the machine has fixed your position. It won't fix your problem but can help you find out what seems to be wrong.
If you're still having problems and these are not the causes then there's no point in doing anything further: just return it to the vendor for a refund or exchange as they are sometimes faulty straight out of the box.
Tom Tom needs comms with GPS satellites orbiting the earth.
Make sure you are outside your home so the GPS can find these signals. Initially it may take up to 5 minutes to make these connections. One the satnav knows where it is, all subsequent connections will be a lot quicker. :)
Some vehicles have windscreens with special coatings which prevent the satnav initialising with GPS satellites. If this is your problem, the only solution is to purchase an external antennae for your satnav. :(
There are several ways to tackle this problem, most of which would involve getting to the back of the radio, but before you do, make sure you have an "antenna extension cable". Then plug in the 'extension cable to the radio/sirius unit' leaving the other end to 'hang out' where you can then get access to the 'extension' cable. Then you can plug in the existing antenna when you're not using the camper or plug in new antenna that gets clear view of the satellite. Depending on your location and general direction of travel you may be able to use a 'home unit ' antenna on your dash as I do and it works very well. In my truck I often use a home antenna also, although I also have the large unit that bolts to the (tractor) truck mirror assembly.
The other solution is to find a CB repair place (often at truck stops) that is familiar with repairing, satelite antenna wire and pucks. Have them split the wire and place a male and female plug to accomodate the extisting antenna and the new antenna. This service will cost you about $30-50.00 They should find the parts needed at a satellite radio store that sells marine/business/home antennae systems. The parts are not all that common - or the CB fellow may connect male/female connectors that are unique to your truck situation - then any connectors will work but only on that truck of yours. -- Frank
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