Not getting a GPS signal

mariegodbeer · #1 (**permalink**) 28-03-2005, 11:56 PM

PLease can someone help as I am getting very frustrated! I tried to ring TOMTOM technical support today but listened to a voice recording for over an hour before giving up.

I have had my HP Rx1740 since Xmas and have been a little frustrated as when I go to use it for the first time that day it takes approx 15-20 minutes to pick up a GPS signal. Why is this?
When I have got a signal and then switch it off as I have reached my destination, then I turn it back on say an hour later it picks the signal back up quickly (1 min)
Luckily I normally know roughly which direction I need to head in so its not normally a problem but this weekend I left my house and after driving for 1.5 hours still didn't get a signal and had to resort to looking at a map. It was the same for the journey home - no signal.

I have the wired version and have checked all the connections and tried a soft reset but still can't get it to work. Please help as I have a mamouth drive from London to Middlesbrough in a few weeks and will be totally reliant on the satnav and the only real reason I got the PDA was for the satnav!

lupos0_1 · #2 (**permalink**) 30-03-2005, 08:50 PM

Hi there, i had very similar problems with my hp. I was advised to move the receiver to a different part of ther car and this worked a treat. I own a Peugeot 307 and the best place for the receiver is by the rear view mirror. This is because of a coated windscreen.

Worth a try.

C5driver · #3 (**permalink**) 03-04-2005, 04:04 PM

I've had a similar experience with a poor GPS Signal and losing lock. It turned out to be my windscreen. Citroen C5s have a coated windscreen but on the left and right sides of the rear view mirror there is a patterned section with no coating. I made a bracket out of a coffee tin ( Very tasteful!) to hold the receiver and the kit works like a dream now.

chris_bramall · #4 (**permalink**) 03-04-2005, 09:36 PM

The GPS system downloads a reference file when first powered up, this stays in memory for a while so if powered up again it will know where you are.

I assume that your car has a switched lighter socket, you might find it better to switch to a permanently powered socket as this would retain the information in the reciever.