Go Discover loses position

[elton]

I have driven to Switzerland from Wales and my Go Discover was faultless.

Driving in Zurich [a most car unfriendly city] the device took on a use of its own and frequently placed me on streets that were adjacent to where I actually was and kept advising to 'turn around when possible' ... having managed to exit the city on to the highway roads, [heading toward Baden, CH] it once again started displaying me driving through fields adjacent to the road. Managed to get back to our rental and decided to reset the unit.

It was a shame to lose all the addresses I'd stored, but at least the unit would be cleared and I'd start again. Or so I thought! The past few days the same crap has been happening again ... I do use a heated windscreen and have done for the whole time I've owned the unit. But even standing outside the car, clearing the route and putting in another and starting navigation, within minutes it has me placed a way away from my actual position.

Any ideas guys?

 

[canderson]

Would have asked about the windscreen, but you already answered that.
Would have recommended getting it out into clear sky, but you've already done that as well.

I still resent the fact that TomTom eliminated the old GPS constellation screen that would give us an idea of the number and quality of satellite signals being received for troubleshooting problems like this.


There are only a handful of reasons for a device to start reporting a location significantly offset from its real position once you're out in clear, open skies. Bad reception, bad ephemeris file (GPSQuickFix as they used to call it), something interfering with the signal, or bad hardware.

First, I ask about "standing outside the car": Where is this actually taking place? Can you describe the environment / surrounding area? Urban canyons are notorious for fouling position due to reflected signals (aka 'multipath').

When you did your "outside the car" test, was this done more than once, and if so, in the same location?

I'll be VERY curious to know if this problem persists once you've left the Zurich area and are headed back west again.

 

[Willy875]

Additional question: Does the icon that shows your current location stay blue?

 

[elton]

Thanks for the replies.

@canderson tried this circa 10km from Zurich in open countryside. Repeated once more when at Endingen circa 30km from Zurich in a reasonably open area with no mountains. Currently in Weilheim, fairy high up a hill and the unit struggles to find a satellite from sleep mode. It does find one but it may take a minute. Once found it's fine inside the windscreen once more.

@Willy875 yes the icon says blue, the chosen route stays blue and there's a blue dotted line shown between my position [where the unit thinks I am] and the actual road.

 

[Willy875]

This is just an idea, try placing your GPS on the side window to see if the GPS picks up the satellites better.

For information
To automatically receive QuickGPSfix updates as they become available, smartphone-connected devices must be connected to a compatible smartphone.

 

[elton]

Have tried everywhere in the car and the centre dash against the screen is by far the best position. It’s also connected via my iPhone 12.

 

[elton]

An update. Just travelled from Germany through Switzerland to France ... absolute nightmare.
The unit was advising 'in 3-hundred metres turn right' and having done so 'turn around when possible'. This would be followed by 'turn left then take the third right' when I am on a dual carriageway!

Having escaped the evilness of Basel, and gone through customs twice, we headed out to Saint-Hippolyte where the unit decided a journey over the mountain was called for to get to the tunnel at Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines, Grand Est ... that was fun. Every turn left was really a turn right and the unit was in disarray ... okay we are up a mountain, but having gotton to the correct road, thereafter, the car was ploughing up fields adjacent to the actual road we were on and giving instructions that tried to place us on the actual road despite us aleady being on it! I think the last correct instruction was continue on N59 for 44km so despite the crazy instructions we ignored them and after circa 3-4km the unit had us on the right road again. Repeat again and again. Even the back roads to Bazincourt-sur-Saulx were pretty off-course.

Almost put the car satnav on and that is absolute rubbish but we'll be trying it tomorrow.

 

[Willy875]

How long have you had this Go Discover?

Has he always behaved this way?

If your GO is less than 2 years old maybe it would be time to run the warranty.?

 

[elton]

Older than that Willy875 ... bought it in May 2021.
It's a had a few issues over the years but nothing like this!

 

[Willy875]

Is it weird that even factory resetting the device didn't help?
It's just an idea, try reinstalling the map again.

 

[elton]

That's a good idea Willy ... I'm very tired now but we're here tomorrow so I shall do that then. Thanks.

 

[elton]

Okay, I deleted most of the European countries and am now reinstalling France.
Fingers crossed.

 

[elton]

Installed France and went for a short trip to the supermarket in Bar Du Lac ... appeared okay but the acid test will be when we travel 400km to eurotunnel tomorrow.

 

[canderson]

Installed France and went for a short trip to the supermarket in Bar Du Lac ... appeared okay but the acid test will be when we travel 400km to eurotunnel tomorrow.

Not sure that's a good test since the GPS is 'simulated' in the tunnel. I'd be far happier if you had good success with normal GPS reception.

 

[elton]

Not necessary testing it 'in' the tunnel, but the journey to the tunnel.

 

[canderson]

Any improvement?

 

[elton]

Not left yet canderson ... will be starting the journey in circa 2-hours.
I will report back when I get internet after that.

 

[elton]

Okay, the unit behaved impecably in France ... once off the LeShuttle in England, after finding a satellite and pointing us towards the M20, it had a dicky fit again and was showing me driving adjacent to the M20! after 3 miles it had me back on the road correctly. But changing the route to get diesel at Sainsbury's it led us on a merry dance once more.
Tomorrow, we drive to Wales and we'll see what that brings but I'm tempted to delete the UK maps and reinstall as per France. Cannot do that this evening as I'm in a Premier Inn and their wifi is at best atrocious!

 

[elton]

Drove home in the UK today and the unit was hopeless ... all around the M25 motorway it was showing me 100 yards adjacent to the road and giving instructions how to get back.
This continued after circa 100 miles and it started again. So tomorrow I shall delete thje UK maps and re-install.

 

[canderson]

It's impossible to believe there's an offset of some sort in the map set you last received (everyone that received them would be crying!), but let's see what happens. I'm more of the opinion that unless you've got a reception problem caused by an external source we can't yet identify - it's like you've got a GPS jammer in your pocket - you've got a hardware problem there where your device lacks sensitivity. As I say, it was once possible to see the satellite reception conditions on the device screen, but in any of the current generation of devices.

Just as a second test ... do you have another vehicle in which you can use this same device around the UK BEFORE you do the map change?