nickburt

I've had an SP2820 for nearly 3 years now, and must say, it's been absolutely faultless, until last week.

I now seem to have 2 issues, although the second maybe a function of the first.

1.
It seems to struggle getting a satellite signal, sometimes not even indicating it has a signal from a single satellite, let alone enough to get a relaible fix. This happens in both cars I use it in - so I know it's not a problem from the likes of heated windscreens etc... as it's been reliable in both since I've had it.

2.
I also use it sometimes hooked up to a laptop or netbook, via the usb, to use the position fix the 2820 has for use in another mapping program (UK Memory Map) running on the laptop or netbook.
However, it has taken to dropping the signal to the laptop or netbook, even though both the 2820 and the laptop know they are still connected to each other.
To recover from this, I have to reboot the 2820 and re-start Memory Map.
Sometimes (even when the 2820 has hold of a decent set of satellite signls), the signal to the laptop will hold OK for an hour or so, before dropping, other times, it will only last a few minutes.

I have tried reloading the latest firmware (ver 4.40), incase it had become corrupt, but this didn't resolve either issue.

And the correct usb drivers are loaded in both the laptop and the netbook.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.


Edit to correct length of ownership.

rugerkahr

Interesting. How old is your 2820? I know it's an older model. I have 2720 that's about 4.5 years old. Never had any problems with mine either with receiving satellites or working with it connected to the computer. Sorry I don't have any real help to offer. Have you tried doing a hard reset? Maybe someone here knows how to do that. Or do some internet searching. I know a hard reset on the Nüvis often fixes a lot of problems.

nickburt

It's almost 3 years old now. Bought it new in April 2007. (Incorrect info, now corrected, above).

Not sure you can do a herd reset. Only thing you can do is restore factory settings, but that only resets personalised operation settings as far as I know.

rugerkahr

If I were you, I'd still try to find out how to do a hard reset and I'd bet my next paycheck you CAN do a hard reset on the 2820. This isn't the same thing as simply restoring factory settings from a menu option. It typically involves pressing and holding an area on the screen while it boots up. It may even involve holding down some "real" buttons since the 2820 has them. It will boot into some sort of maintenance menu and that's where you do the hard reset. Search around and/or call/email Garmin.

Also, make sure you import all of your favorites into Mapsource on your computer. I'm sure the 2820 comes with that program because my 2720 did. Do this because you very well may lose ALL personal data off the unit when doing a hard reset.

Can't hurt to try.

nickburt

Found this on another website (haven't tried it yet - need to back up all my data first):

From the Garmin Knowledgebase:

Question: How do I do a master reset on my 27xx/28xx unit?

Answer: Note: A master reset will erase all waypoints or favorites and will restore your unit to the default factory settings.
To perform a master reset on your unit:

1. Turn off the unit.
2. With the unit plugged in but turned off, hold down the MENU and MAP buttons at the same time.
3. While holding the buttons down, turn on the unit and continue holding down the buttons for five seconds.
4. After five seconds, let go of the buttons.
5. The screen flickers and then the setup screen displays.
6. Select the correct settings.

After the StreetPilot is set up, if indoors, please go outside to allow the device to acquire the satellite information from the vehicle. Ensure that the device has a clear line-of-sight with the sky.

rugerkahr

Well, there ya go! Let us know how it works out. I'll have to keep this in mind if the 2720 in my wife's car ever croaks. Interesting the SP uses "master reset" and the Nüvis have a "hard reset". Same same, I guess...

nickburt

Found this also:

soft reset (turn unit on while pressing the FIND button)

My next post might be success or complete disaster !!!!!!

rugerkahr

On the edge of my seat here!

nickburt

Ha ha, I bet .....

Soft and hard reset procedures seem to result in the same functionality.

Both end up taking the unit back to the basic setting and you have to input basic info such as language, country, timezone etc... etc...

I set the unit up in the window of the room I'm working in and initially, before any resets, it was struggling to get 3 or 4 satellite locks. But would get there eventually, with a 3D fix. Hmmm, maybe it's working again ??

But, I really do need this thing working properly, so decided to try a soft reset.
Done - input all the basic info requested and it took around 15 - 20 mins to get a 2D fix, with 3D coming a few mins later.

Ah well, lets try a hard reset for the hell of it.
Again 2D fix took a while and 3D a bit longer.
So, lets give the "PDA treatment" ...... hard reset 3 or 4 times !!!!!

2D fix in about 5 mins and 3D almost immediately after.

So, it's now left propped in the window. It's just after 11pm here, so I'm going to leave it in the window overnight. During the last 10 mins the accuracy has improved from 162 ft to 125 ft, so I guess it's going to take a while to sort out where it is, bearing in mind that in the window, it only has 4 sometimes 5 sats in view.
5 in view now and the accuracy is 84 ft.

Hopefully, it'll gain signal confidence overnight and the trip to work in the morning will be without hitch .......

Initial tests with it hooked up to the netbook are good - the signal details are faithfully repeated in Memory Map, and it hasn't dropped the comms yet (connected now for nearly 1/2 hour).

At one point I was wondering if the usb connection was dragging a supply or signal down somewhere. But, that can't really be possible.

I wonder if it was a memory problem ?? The unit had nearly 55,000 miles logged, although I kept track logs etc... reasonably empty, and keep stored waypoints to a reasonable minimum (very rarely getting a memory full message).

Hey ho, watch this space in the (UK) morning.

rugerkahr

Well, at least it sounds like the reset(s) definitely helped. Hope it works out for you and keeps those satellites in contact. Hopefully, the lock times will come down. 5 minutes is still a pretty long time with a decent view of the sky.

nickburt

Hmmm...... this mornings test wasn't too good.
Kept dropping the signal intermittently making navigation unreliable.
(Good job I also have an Oregon !!).

Anyway, a few more tests this afternoon and it seems that the simple presence of the netbook running in the car has an effect on satellite signal strength !!

At first I continued with the thought that the usb connection might be dragging a supply voltage down or something daft.
But I noticed that after giving up with trying to connect to the netbook and closed it's lid (so putting it into hibernation) the satellite signals recovered. Switching it back on, saw a marked degredation in the sat signal strength.

Hmmmmm..... must some sort of transmission going on, because this symptom can be reliably repeated, even with the usb disconnected.

A few more tests - bluetooth on/off on both the netbook and the 2820, no change, problem still exists.
Wireless on/off on the netbook, again, problem still exists.
Tried the same exercise with another laptop and a different netbook and the problem doesn't seem to occur.

Just to add a bit more confusion. I had left the 2820 switched on once at work this morning. When I came to try a few tests this afternoon, it had dropped into differential navigation, suggesting that it hasn't got a good signal from any of the satellites it can recieve.

So - more testing to come this evening.
I'm going to drive around a set route with various combinations of equipment switched on or off and see what happens.

Really has me baffled now.

rugerkahr

Strange. I use my GPS units all the time in my office next to my desktop and a laptop that's on a wi-fi connection. I've never experienced any interference of any kind with all three of my Garmins. Has it always done this with that particular netbook? If so, then don't use it with that computer, I guess... Either that or I'd say it's gone a bit "wonky" on you, as you say over there.

You say it dropped the satellites indoors. Well, that's not uncommon, at least with my 2720. It doesn't have the sensitivity of either my Nüvi or 60CSx. Try driving around with just the GPS alone. I'd be happy if it worked at that point.

nickburt

Hmmm ... this gets more strange. I didn't get out for as much testing as I would have liked last night, but I did make some "interesting" discoveries.

Following the hard reset of the 2820, it now seems to be working as it should. Good fix, quickly obtained and remains as reliable as it ever was.

But .....

The operation of the netbook (a 2 week old Samsung N140) with respect to it's proximity and orientation in relation to the Streetpilot 2820 creates some strange effects.

Particularly, the orientation.

If the netbook is on and has it's righthand edge pointing towards the GPS, the satellite signals on the GPS signifcantly degrade.
If I then rotate the netbook, so that the back or front of the lid/screen is facing the GPS, the satellite signals on the GPS improve, but not fully. If I then either shut the netbook down, or remove it from the vicinity of the GPS by around 6ft or more, the satellite signals recover.
It makes no difference if the USB, WiFi, or Bluetooth are on/off/connected on the netbook.

I've also tried the same with a 4 year old Acer laptop and this has no effect. It never has in the past. This is the laptop that I often connect to the GPS via usb to make use of the satellite signal for mapping on the laptop.

One of the reasons for buying the N140 netbook was to be able to use a smaller laptop, hooked up to the GPS, for navigation. Also, it was claimed to have an excellent battery life of "upto" 11 hours (seems to go 6 to 8 easily). So to have these sort of problems, is more than just a bit frustrating.

Ideas ?? I'm beginning to think that there must be some sort of RF interference eminating from the netbook, but only in a particular plane. ???????
Need to do some more testing.

MTalvola

Well, if we apply Occam's Razor, the simplest solution is "don't use it with that netbook" and/or "use a longer USB cable". It's a self-contained GPS unit with a nice touchscreen. Why would you even want to use it with a computer in the car?

nickburt

I have a problem with "don't use it with that netbook" - that's what the netbook was bought for. And it can't be used with a longer USB cable - I won't be able to see it from my seat !!!!

I use it in the car, because Memory Map here in the UK is far, far more detailed in terms of rights of way (vehiclular, pedestrian etc...) etc... than Navteq/Mapsource etc... etc... Essential here for off road navigation
Memory Map is electronic Ordnance Survey - simply the best in the UK and I have everywhere I need at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 (At 1:25,000 even property boundaries are shown).

nickburt

Also ......... the true solution is to find the cause and correct it.

MTalvola

Well, if it's not gonna work...then it's not gonna work with that netbook. It works fine with all the other laptops you've tried. You said that Samsung was 2 weeks old. I'd try exchanging it, since it appears to be the problem, and possibly for one from a different manufacturer with acceptable specs. Or buy a CHEAP GPS puck to get the lat/long into to the computer. Maybe even one with Bluetooth to eliminate wiring. If the 2820 map isn't acceptable to you then why did you keep it in the first place instead of doing what you're trying to do now with an inexpensive GPS remote receiver?

Maybe you could try building a Faraday cage or wrapping the netbook in tinfoil?

Sorry, can't help you any further than that.

Andy

I had something similar happen with a 76S. I use a device on my motorcycle that sends radar detector signals wirelessly to an LED mounted in my helmet. Sort of a "heads up display" if you will. If the transmitter for this device is within about 1 foot of the GPS, the GPS has significant signal lose. So bad the GPS became useless anywhere there were trees, tall buildings, or any type of obstruction. Turning off the transmitter, the 76S would instantly double it's signal strengths.

It sounds like that could be similar to what you're seeing with the netbook. If this is an all new problem, maybe the device needs something inside repaired. Garmin has out of warranty repair services. Garmin | Out Of Warranty

The only way I resolved the problem on my motorcycle was to use an external antenna and locate it as far away as I could from the radar LED transmitter. The transmitter's signal must be strong enough to cause some kind of scatter of the GPS signals. There's probably some technical term for it.

nickburt

Ha,
I'm getting the better of this.
Having established the interference from the netbook is directional, it has to be related to a transmission of some sort from an antenna.
So, I tried disabling the wireless device via Device Manager and hey presto all back to normal. Position and orientation of the netbook matters not. Signal is still very slightly down.
I have an external antenna for the GPS on my 4x4, so that's the next thing to try.

I'm not completely convinced there was ever a problem with the GPS in the first place.

Happy bunny

MTalvola

Hmmm...not so sure about that. According to your original post, it sounds like it worked fine, then quit working in either car and with or without the computer. The hard reset someone recommended you try seemed to be the main factor in getting it fixed, so there appeared to be "something" wrong with it.

nickburt

Only thing is, when it first happened, I can't quite remember all the details of what was working/running etc...
I have a feeling the netbook was close by, and at that time I had it set to do nothing when the lid was closed, so it could still have been causing the interference.

Anyway, at least I'm getting to the bottom of it and find the solution

nickburt

Sorted this now.

Netbook only causes the problem when it's WiFi is on.
External antennea reduces the effect a lot.

So happy now

Thanks for all your input and help.

MTalvola

Glad you got it working! I don't mean to be an arse, but you didn't figure the wi-fi thing out with the following test below in your post #11 in this thread?

nickburt

All I do know at the moment is that with the WiFi on and the netbook in the correct orientation, the GPS signal takes a dive.
With the addition of an external antennea, the satellite signal strength is good, but the signal via usb is irregularly intermitent to the netbook.
Once the WiFi is off, no problems at all.
Perhaps I didn't make clear the differences in the problem before ?? Sorry.