bu-303 ... noticed something

**nadir_s** · 05-26-2005, 01:55 AM

Alright, so i have the developing system in my room right now. It's strange ... when the system is off, the LED starts blinking (meaning it has a lock), but when I turn the system on, it will stop flashing.

I didnt think I can get a lock in my room anyways.

Any idea? I know the GPS was working the last time I was testing it on my laptop... i am sure it works on this system too because I have used it several times. I stopped working on it for a couple months now and just got back to it and noticed this trend.

Any ideas?

**Goddy** · 05-26-2005, 05:25 PM

Any chance you have hooked up a lilliput??

**nadir_s** · 05-27-2005, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Goddy

Any chance you have hooked up a lilliput??

yeah.. the lilliput is hooked up.

why would that make any difference?

**Goddy** · 05-27-2005, 08:03 AM

It seems that Lilliput screens are interferring the GPS signal. Try to change the refreshrate. 85Hz seems to kill the signal for GPS. but lower is beter.

To test if your lilliput is the problem, then turn on your pc/lilliput when you already have signal (the led is blinking). When you loose signal (led not blinking) cut the power to the lilliput. Perhaps you can see the signal come back within 1 second!
I had this problem. Turning off the lilliput gave my my signal back in a heartbeat. I seemed to have the problem with 60hz too, but 75hz was just fine. Most of the time 60hz will eliminate the problem.

If lowering the refreshrate wont help there are other solutions.

- Try to keep your gpsunit as far away from the screen as you can (put the gps unit in the back of your car, thats what i did and helped).

- You can also use aluminiumfoil behind the screen. that also worked for my but it wasnt a nice solution (if screen is build in i would suggest it to anyone in any case!

- Use aluminium foil under your gps unit to get better signal. The foil will reflect the signal, you will notice a better signal

- Take your time to get a good place! Always turn on the alert for "No signal", so you will here if the signal falls away. If you havent heared that alert in a long time its at a good place, if you hear it at places where you think you should have lock then try other places.

- It seems that an USB extension cable can result in bad lock either. I havent tested this good, but i have changed my setup a bit, and added an extension to my gps unit and the lock falls away very often now (for 2 days not, but the unit is still in the same place). So i suggest its the extension cable. Extension cables seems to kill the available power.

Hope to hear you have found your problem and get a good lock in your car

**nadir_s** · 05-27-2005, 03:11 PM

oh wow, i was not aware of this problem ..

i really really appreciate all that information.

I will try reducing the refresh rate and see if that's a probelm

i got rid of my lilliput and it still does it ... only if i turn off the computer, will it get a signal.

BUT i know i have been able to get a signal before with the GPS receiver a bit far away from the setup. Right now, it's directly over my computer. Maybe that's the prob.

thanks alot i'll play around with this and get back to this thread