Garmin Does Not Acquire Satellites

[MonacoMike]

I posted recently about a GPS time issue but seem to be beyond that.

I pulled a 740s off another boat it was on last fall. I had it installed along with a second fuel flow meter in my new boat but without a transducer. At start up it could not determine location. When I went to initialize location it asked if it was 1999. In Skyview I see possible satellites but it only occasionally indicates a weak connection. My similar 441s indicates 6-12 satellites with very good connections in the same locations.

I updated the firmware and reset the device. After leaving on for several days it connected with satellites enough to to reset the time and date, but never enough to find a position. A pro installer said my helm position and internal antenna should receive signals well in its location. Troubleshooting this from Internet searches has been futile. Garmin support was not very good when I called, just reading off the Garmin internet pages and manual, but not really able to troubleshoot with me.

Any suggestions on what is going on?

MM

 

[yobub]

Have you already swapped antennas to isolate whether it a problem with the antenna?

 

[MonacoMike]

Have you already swapped antennas to isolate whether it a problem with the antenna?

I do not have an antenna to swap out to, it is internal and part of what I hoped to troubleshoot on the device.

MM

 

[bahamabreisus]

Have you taken the boat out yet. We had a Garmin a few tears ago that would struggle to get sats, 1 minute underway and it would lock in

 

[alnav]

I think I would uninstall the unit from the helm, then run it in a location with an unobstructed view of the sky. That would indicate whether the problem with reception is where it is mounted. If it doesn't work outside, nor sure much else can be done.
You don't say how the two units are connected, if they are. I think both are capable of NMEA 2000 and/or 0181 networking. If they are networked by either means, the 740 should see the fix the 441 is getting.

 

[MonacoMike]

I think I would uninstall the unit from the helm, then run it in a location with an unobstructed view of the sky. That would indicate whether the problem with reception is where it is mounted. If it doesn't work outside, nor sure much else can be done.
You don't say how the two units are connected, if they are. I think both are capable of NMEA 2000 and/or 0181 networking. If they are networked by either means, the 740 should see the fix the 441 is getting.

The 740 and 441 are on different boats. I pulled it from the flush mount and nothing changed. I was thinking there may be some type of interference or a setting that is not quite right

MM

 

[Fly'n Family]

Have you tried a control/alt/delete.....or in this case, hit the reset to factory modes option - and see what it does?

 

[dan313]

My GPS does the same thing at the beginning of every year. Its a Garmin 498. I have to push the power and page button at the same time. After 3 or 4 times it works perfect just by hitting the power button.

Good Luck

 

[MonacoMike]

Have you tried a control/alt/delete.....or in this case, hit the reset to factory modes option - and see what it does?

OH Yeah, several times.

MM

 

[MonacoMike]

Have you taken the boat out yet. We had a Garmin a few tears ago that would struggle to get sats, 1 minute underway and it would lock in

I have not done this will try and report back.

MM

 

[be_prepared]

Did the boat that it came out of have an external GPS antenna by chance? The unit may still be looking at that port for GPS signals. I don't know if there is a software setting on the unit to switch to internal, or if it's based on whether there is anything plugged into the remote antenna port. It could be that if the other boat had a remote GPS antenna and it had been connected for years, the little switch inside isn't closing when the antenna is removed, so the Garmin still thinks it has an external antenna.

 

[MonacoMike]

Did the boat that it came out of have an external GPS antenna by chance? The unit may still be looking at that port for GPS signals. I don't know if there is a software setting on the unit to switch to internal, or if it's based on whether there is anything plugged into the remote antenna port. It could be that if the other boat had a remote GPS antenna and it had been connected for years, the little switch inside isn't closing when the antenna is removed, so the Garmin still thinks it has an external antenna.

No external antenna but did want to know if there was software setting for it I cannot find.

MM