Taking a long time finding satellites

[- et -]

Just out of interest, what exactly is blocking the signal?

You mention that this happens on a motorway. By any chance does this happen near a rest area or a large truck stop (gasoline supply / service area for trucks)?

Some companies place GPS trackers on their trucks to confirm that their delivery drivers are working as expected. This has created a niche industry that sells devices intended to jam the reception of near-by GPS devices, so the company has no detailed record to prove what their driver has done.

If even a small percentage of trucks fall into this category, there is a reasonable chance that at least one truck with a jammer would be at a large rest area or truck stop. Depending on the strength of the jamming signal, your GPS might be affected even on a nearby motorway.

Pure speculation on my part - FWIW.

With best wishes,
- Tom -

 

[canderson]

Got that covered ... hoping for that exact bit ot detail ...

...Anywhere near a lay-by or rest stop where trucks tend to hang out? They're frequently the source of jammer problems...

 

[itsonelouder]

The problem starts around here:

http://g.co/maps/tskq3

There are some trucks nearby. Why do they block the signal?

And the signal has been lost until a long way down the A2:

http://g.co/maps/rxznq

 

[dhn]

Why do trucks have blockers? Because they don't want their employees to track them.

 

[canderson]

There are some trucks nearby. Why do they block the signal?
http://g.co/maps/rxznq

I think perhaps we were not clear enough. We're not talking about 'blocking' a signal, we're talking about deliberate jamming of the signal. It's becoming a bigger and bigger problem. You can get a cheap Chinese made (and illegal to use) jammer for around $25. It defeats the GPS tracking systems placed on corporate vehicles. Worth reading about.

A paragraph from one of the more insidious suppliers web pages:

"This device is of great value in many various situations. For instance, it is a right hand for truck drivers who wish to stay unseen during their routes, thus getting rid of the intrusive trackers."

Anyway, once your unit has been swamped by that kind of signal, it will take a little time to reacquire a set of real satellite signals.

 

[itsonelouder]

Ok. what I'm going to do is switch the GPS on at a later stage of my journey.

 

[Blueknight]

Not that I am having a problem,but just wondering. What is a normal waiting time for the device to pick up a signal?

 

[dhn]

Depends ........ it is my feeling that Nav 2 devices (using Home) seem to have a more robust gps chip in them than does a Nav 3 device (using MyTomTom).

But there are other factors to consider. Such as:
1. Where is the unit physically kept in the car?
2. How long since the unit has received an updated gpsfix file?
3. Did the user do a drum reset on the unit (or a pin reset)? That will cause a delay in getting a gps lock.
4. Is the unit being turned on inside the house or outside in the car?
5. Is the battery charged in the unit?

All in all, the unit should grab a signal within a minute or two.

 

[canderson]

To the OP:

Regarding item #2: That data is only good for about a week, after which, the device doesn't get the benefit of this feature. So if it's been more than 7 days since your device was last updated using Home, it may take a bit longer to acquire a satellite lock than it would otherwise.