Globalsat BU-303 USB - cant find satellites

Hitman · 07-10-2004, 07:52 PM

I have a Globalsat BU-303 USB, and it only seems to find one satellite.

It has an LED on the side, whice Im sure is supposed to flash when it has a lock on some satellites, but mine stays lit.

Using the GPS Info software which came with it, it seems to work fine. Its found on the right COM port, and I get the constant stream of data. On the GPS info bit, under Status it says No Fix though. On the Satellite Distribution Map I only ever get one green satellite.

Am I right in thinking it wont get a fix until a certain number of the satellites are green?

Anyone with this GPS reciever, I would be very gratefull for some help

mp3oplecarrier · 07-10-2004, 07:57 PM

I don't mean to sound patronising, but has it got a clear view of the sky?

awh4992 · 07-10-2004, 08:01 PM

the green circle means the satellite is bein tracked, and the red circles mean the gps thinks theres satellites there, but it can't find em. so u need 3 satellites (3 green circles, then they turn blue i guess) for the thing to start reporting position data (led will blink). so take the antenna (maybe it's in the receiver? lol) and bring it out into an open area. if its inside ur car, put the receiver on the roof or something when its not raining (don't drive anyplace w/ it layin up there either). the gps' work best when theres a good view of the sky and not thru some window. once you can get it locked on 3 or more satellites, ya could try to find a better "indoor" location for it.....

Hitman · 07-10-2004, 08:02 PM

Well, at the moment it hasn't. As Im in my bedroom.

I will test it tommorw outside though.

Does it take time for it to lock onto satellites? How long should I wait.

Hitman · 07-10-2004, 08:03 PM

I have one green one so far, and thats with it sitting in my room, so I guess thats not too bad.

awh4992 · 07-10-2004, 08:04 PM

it depends if the almanac (where all the satellites are located for ur spot on the earth) is bad. if its bad, it'll load a new one from the satellites, and that can take a while, maybe 15 minutes...or more lol. but once the almanac is good, u should be able to lock on to 3 satellites in less than a minute.....(when ur outside

)

mp3oplecarrier · 07-10-2004, 08:05 PM

It will probably be fine once you're outside, mine usually picks up a couple of sats while I'm testing near my back window. You need at least 3 decent signals before you get a fix.

Good luck

Hitman · 07-10-2004, 08:13 PM

Okay

I will give it a try tommorow.

mp3oplecarrier: I noticed your in Kent. Im from Kent as well

Did you have any problems with the weather effecting the GPS, stopping it locking onto satellites?

mp3oplecarrier · 07-10-2004, 08:28 PM

You really should'nt have a problem with weather and gps unless the signal is really marginal in the first place. I have a Garmin GPS25 module with a seperate amplified antenna up in my rear sunroof with a 360deg view of the sky so I get a pretty good signal always..

PS wherabouts are you?

Falken · 07-11-2004, 01:07 PM

Another issue is the GPS itself. We noticed a significant increase in the number of people flogging these things so we bought one ourselves to compare. These weren't scientific tests by any means but we weren't impressed. Slow to lock and quick to lose it again. The position it reported fluctuated badly, probably caused by it rarely showing more the 5 satellites. Then again it does seem to be the cheapest one out there so I guess it's true, you get what you pay for.

Doug

Hitman · 07-11-2004, 04:34 PM

I tried it outside today, and it wokred pretty well.

After about 1 min it got a lock onto about 6 satellites (green), and reguraly had a lock on 4 satellites (blue) calculating my position.

The only time it lost lock was when I moved under some trees, which isn't good I suppose.

If I was driving along with my nav software, and I lost the lock on the satellites, would the nav software just update my position when it locked on again? And continue directing me?

mp3oplecarrier · 07-11-2004, 04:39 PM

What nav software are you using?

Hitman · 07-11-2004, 05:27 PM

None at the moment, as I have to buy some. Ive just been testing it with the GPS Info program which came with it.

Jimmy Neutron · 07-12-2004, 06:19 AM

Almost the same problem here, in house on my computer it works fine, but when I hook it on in the Car a couple of problems reveal:

[1] Computer won't find the GPS reciever as a GPS reciever, the little tool that comes with the GPS Mouse tells me it doesn't find any GPS reciever, but on com Port 3 is something, if I use that one it will get info

[2] Mapsonic won't find anything at all, it can't use the info.

Hitman · 07-12-2004, 06:23 AM

I had the problem where it wouldn't find the GPS mouse at all, but just unplugging it, then plugging it back in fixed it.