Got my G4 installed...few issues...

twenty8eight · 10-17-2007, 09:42 AM

I got my G4 yesterday, unboxed it, hooked it up on the test bench for about an hour and copied some music to it, plugged in the GPS antenna and it actually found my location from inside my house. Pretty impressive unit, I am pretty pleased with it however there are a few issues I am sure I will get resolved with a little time and effort and hopefully help from you guys here

And now here they are in no particular order....

1. Every 3 or 4 times I get in the car and turn the ignition on, Streetdeck launches but defaults back to the brownish color background and buttons instead of the blue that I changed it to, it occasionally tells me this is the first time I have launched Streetdeck and prompts me to set the date and time and the other few options in the first time wizard…after a little clicking around in the app, it automatically turns everything blue like I had previously changed it to…

2. When I hooked up the GPS antenna in my house, it seemed to be working because it showed my location in about 10 seconds…However now that it is installed in the truck, the module initializes but I get the low sat signal text on the screen, and it says 0 satellites…If I change the Navi settings to use com2, it says there is no gps antenna plugged in, so I’m pretty sure it’s seeing the antenna when it is set to com1…very strange…I will pull it tonite after work and make sure it is still plugged in good and tight but is there anything else you can think of that I should be looking at?

3. Occasionally, (usually after putting in a DVD) for some reason when I choose a video file or a dvd, I get a message saying that "it appears the audio level is inaudible, would you like to adjust volume settings now?"

I click yes and for some reason all the volume levels have indeed been reset to 0. I click defaults and they all go to halfway and things appear to be ok for a while after that…

I've also emailed this info to Nequeal at Mp3car (GREAT GUY!) but thought I would post the issues as well in case anyone has seen/experienced any of these issues...

I'd appreciate any insight at all anyone can offer...thanks in advance!

Marassa · 10-17-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by twenty8eight

When I hooked up the GPS antenna in my house, it seemed to be working because it showed my location in about 10 seconds…However now that it is installed in the truck, the module initializes but I get the low sat signal text on the screen, and it says 0 satellites…

Well, I presume your house is made of wood but your truck is made of metal, right? Where exactly did you put your GPS antenna within your truck? It must have unobstructed (by any metal) view of the sky to pick up any signal.

Bugbyte · 10-17-2007, 12:43 PM

GPS receivers can also be interfered with. Check how close the receiver is to either the screen or the G4 itself.

I had one that wouldn't receive satellites if it was near either, but worked perfectly if moved a few feet away.

dmart23 · 10-17-2007, 12:51 PM

just to echo the statements above, yeah make sure metal is not blocking it.

twenty8eight · 10-17-2007, 01:16 PM

Sorry I wasnt clear...the antenna is on the roof of my truck...

twenty8eight · 10-17-2007, 10:16 PM

So Mp3Car support sent me gps info and asked that I run it....
I did, but I have no idea what im looking at, its just info running across the screen...can anyone give me insight on the app and how to interperate it's outout???

here is a video
http://www.mediafire.com/?fhx5ozs7fy1

I also found another version of the app that looks a little diff...it shows a bunch of sats with red circles as seen here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?9xisrrnsakk

If I change the com port in streetdeck or in gpsinfo, I get nothing, so I can only assume it is recognizing the GPS...

Any ideas?

salvi · 10-17-2007, 11:08 PM

I use the Bu-353 with all my systems and they work inside the house, under the seat of the car, on the dash, anywhere I place it. The G4 is not special in doing this. In the car, I get perfect reception without any issues no matter where I place my receiver. All my systems are custom made though and I completely understand them.

Bugbyte · 10-18-2007, 07:57 AM

I can't see the video. Is it spitting out lines of text? If so, those are called NMEA strings, and they are information from the GPS to the computer. The messages follow the NMEA standard and are preceded by some of the following:

There are many sentences in the NMEA standard for all kinds of devices that may be used in a Marine environment. Some of the ones that have applicability to gps receivers are listed below: (all message start with GP.)

AAM - Waypoint Arrival Alarm
ALM - Almanac data
APA - Auto Pilot A sentence
APB - Auto Pilot B sentence
BOD - Bearing Origin to Destination
BWC - Bearing using Great Circle route
DTM - Datum being used.
GGA - Fix information
GLL - Lat/Lon data
GRS - GPS Range Residuals
GSA - Overall Satellite data
GST - GPS Pseudorange Noise Statistics
GSV - Detailed Satellite data
MSK - send control for a beacon receiver
MSS - Beacon receiver status information.
RMA - recommended Loran data
RMB - recommended navigation data for gps
RMC - recommended minimum data for gps
RTE - route message
TRF - Transit Fix Data
STN - Multiple Data ID
VBW - dual Ground / Water Spped
VTG - Vector track an Speed over the Ground
WCV - Waypoint closure velocity (Velocity Made Good)
WPL - Waypoint Location information
XTC - cross track error
XTE - measured cross track error
ZTG - Zulu (UTC) time and time to go (to destination)
ZDA - Date and Time

One of the most common you will see is something like:

$GPGGA,123519,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,1,08,0.9,545. 4,M,46.9,M,,*47

If you want info on NMEA, go here, but you don't have to. You ought to see fix data coming across.

Usually, red sat circles mean no fix data from those sats.

If it isn't working, try taking it back to the house and use your desktop computer to see if you can get a fix inside like you did before. If so, then there is something wrong with the way you have it set up in the car. For example, is it on an extension cable?

Marassa · 10-18-2007, 08:50 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Bugbyte

If it isn't working, try taking it back to the house and use your desktop computer...

Bugbyte, the GPS receiver is within the G4, only antenna is external. The only way to take it home is deinstall the G4 which might be not too easy.

Unfortunately I can't see the video as well nor do I have GPSinfo at hand...

twenty8eight · 10-18-2007, 09:49 AM

Bug-
Thanks for the input...so at least I have confirmed now that the GPS is indeed "working" for some reason it just will not lock in on a satellite.

I also have a spare BU-353 that I will install tonite and see if that works...

as Marassa said, the GPS is internal so I cant hook it up inside without pulling the G4 from the truck...

I wouldnt really have an issue with that if I had a spare wiring harness for the G4 lying around, but since all my wires are using crimped on connecters, I'd prefer not to have to pull it completely from the dash unless I was swapping it out for a new one.

Bugbyte · 10-18-2007, 11:03 AM

Okay, my bad. I didn't realize the GPS is internal to the G4. I've seen one but not used one.

Try hooking the BU-353 to the USB port and seeing if that will work instead. That way you can try an external GPS unit. I still think you are getting some kind of interference. It works, but doesn't get a lock. That was the exact symptom for me when I had interference. And with the GPS internal, it is much more likely to be interfered with from both screen and computer.

twenty8eight · 10-18-2007, 11:24 PM

G4 GPS -
GPSINFO - Within 3-4 seconds of launching the app I get about 10 or 12 red circles, no locks no matter how long i let it sit there at 9600, if i change the speed to anything else I get nothing.
StreetDeck - "low signal from gps 0 satellites"

BU-353 -
GPS INFO - set at 4800, within 3 seconds of launching app, I get 11 blue locked satellites. If I set the speed to anything other then 4800, I get nothing.
StreetDeck - I went to the settings, navigation page and changed the gps to com3 (Prolific)
As soon as the Navigation module opens, it starts a continuous loop of errors stating "parameter is incorrect"
Once this happens I cannot get out of the Navigation menu because of the errors, and I can't get rid of them until I reboot the PC.

Anyone have any ideas?
I am currently also working with Mp3car support thru email but I wanted to keep posting my status here in case anyone has any ideas...

I really wanna get this thing working before I go out of town next week...

Thanks

Marassa · 10-19-2007, 12:13 AM

Well, it seems like the GPS receiver itself is alive and kicking but it just does not get good signal from the antenna. I presume you must have already checked and re-checked that the antenna cable is firmly inserted into the correct socket at the back of the G4? If so, the only thing I can think of is a broken antenna cable... The easiest way to check would be to try another antenna, can you try to borrow one somewhere?

twenty8eight · 10-19-2007, 08:11 PM

Yes I have traced the cable from antenna to the back of the G4...unplugged and re-plugged it in...

Wish I knew someone that had another antenna to try...

Perhaps I can talk MP3Car support into sending me one to try and if it works I will swap it out...

Bugbyte · 10-20-2007, 09:00 AM

Worse case scenario, use the BU-353 as the nav input for your trip.

I wonder if the antenna socket is not properly wired inside the G4 case. If you have a meter, you can test it.