PilotAware

British Forum => Technical Support => Topic started by: s.laughter on August 21, 2023, 12:52:16 pm

Title: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr - FIXED
Post by: s.laughter on August 21, 2023, 12:52:16 pm
Cautious about posting but I've done a good bit of reading and can't find any suitable pointers. Screenshot attached.

It's a Rosetta of a few years old, last used best part of two years ago, SW updated to 20230316, license till next year.

I have moved about 200 miles since last use.

The smaller of the Anker bricks is the PSU and the original Rosetta cable is in use.

Because of a house move etc, I've left the unit on minding it's own business for 100+ minutes, powered off and on but it just has no GPS fix.

Any suggestion gratefully rcvd.

I was limbering up to start using the device again and thinking of ordering an iGrid WiFi dongle, so if there is no simple fix, I'd probably order a replacement power cable & GPS module.

Thks
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: steveu on August 22, 2023, 09:50:03 am
When was this screenshot taken?

The date is wrong so the GPS almanac will not work as I understand it?

Until the GPS has made the time and date correct, it may not work.

The real engineers will be along shortly...
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: s.laughter on August 22, 2023, 10:20:24 am
The date/time is possibly indicative of the last time I used the unit and is clearly not current and adds to the sense that the GPS module may have been a GPS module for too long!

The screen shot is a few hours prior to my posting.

I suppose as I'm ready to pay for a replacement GPS module anyway, I could unplug it from the Rosetta and leave it plugged into the Anker brick all day with a good view of the southern sky. It is after all a standalone sub-system that just squirts out a never ending text stream (or not in this case). It had been connected for 100+ minutes in the Rosetta.

Any input gratefully rcvd.

Thanks

Mike
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: s.laughter on August 22, 2023, 11:48:54 am
Popped the GPS module into a laptop and PuTTY reveals the following

$GPGGA,102656.00,5040.79457,N,00415.18894,W,1,05,2.06,127.0,M,50.6,M,,*4B
$GPGSA,A,3,02,32,21,03,22,,,,,,,,3.49,2.06,2.81*00
$GPGSV,4,1,13,01,68,093,36,02,52,109,25,03,74,235,21,04,19,175,17*7A
$GPGSV,4,2,13,06,01,289,,08,07,161,,14,14,248,,17,48,297,14*7D
$GPGSV,4,3,13,21,43,110,27,22,22,270,24,28,09,075,,31,00,101,*7D
$GPGSV,4,4,13,32,20,042,19*46
$GPGLL,5040.79457,N,00415.18894,W,102656.00,A,A*78
$GPRMC,102657.00,A,5040.79419,N,00415.18879,W,1.181,,220823,,,A*69
$GPVTG,,T,,M,1.181,N,2.187,K,A*26

With almost no knowledge of NMEA, to me this looks like the GPS dongle thinks its back in 1970 and somewhere arround Plymouth.

I think it's the newer module with the larger ceramic top and the green led blinks at approx 1 second intervals.

I'll leave the GPS module in a window for the day plugged into the Anker power brick and if it's still lost in time tonight I'll order a replacement. Of course the power draw of the GPS module may be so low that the Anker shuts down, we'll see.

Any suggestions?
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: JCurtis on August 22, 2023, 12:39:39 pm
If it’s modern double glazing with heat reflection, it may block the GPS signals. The signals are really quite weak, I’m always amazed it works at all.
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: steveu on August 22, 2023, 02:12:38 pm
+1 with JCurtis, leave outside in plain sight of the sky.

Then replace, perhaps?

What settings did you use for PuTTY, please?
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: s.laughter on August 22, 2023, 07:03:12 pm
It had another couple of hours outside and it started to work within Rosetta, left it powered off for a few hours, tried again within Rosetta and it's suffering No Fix again. Time for a replacement GPS module.

PuTTY? - plugged GPS module into a Windows 10 lappy and it reported configuring COM3, so from memory set PuTTY to serial, COM3 and left it at defaults of 9600, 8, 1 & none.
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: JCurtis on August 22, 2023, 08:05:22 pm
A good GNSS module should get a fix in a few minutes from a cold start.  With the modules I've been designing into gear of late, something is wrong if I don't get a fix within 90 seconds of a cold start.  I don't have a backup battery on the modules.

The USB dongle GNSS often seen with the PAW devices, has a tiny cell in them, which may be rechargeable or may not be.  Either way, they don't last more than a couple of years before giving up.

Just swap it out.
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: s.laughter on August 22, 2023, 09:08:35 pm
Yes, the orders in already  :)
Title: Re: GPS No Fix - 22 satellites in view - 0 used - left on for 1:40hr
Post by: s.laughter on August 28, 2023, 05:51:20 pm
New GPS rcvd and the Rosetta wakes up in a minute or so - problem solved.