GPS network shut down

mrtopknight

mrtopknight

New Member
Oct 3, 2006
361
Lake Mary, FL.
Boat Info
2001 182 Sport
Engines
4.3L MerCruiser w/ alpha one
I have tried to acquire a position on my handheld GPS all day with no luck. I have heard that the government can shut down GPS whenever they want. Is there any way to know if they have shut it down of for how long? :huh: Could it just be because of a cloudy day my unit cannot communicate with the satellites? :smt017
 
Hi Mike,

I have had similar problems with the GPS on my smartphone. Sometimes a soft reboot fixes it, sometimes a hard reboot. Other times the fix is a new phone.

Clouds usually don't interfere, not like with Satellite TV. I doubt the gov't. shut things down, though you're right they have that capability.

More likely a glitch in your unit. On my smartphone, it's necessary to download satellite data every 2-3 days. Don't know your system, but that may be an avenue to persue, too.

Hope you get it fixed. Hope you're not lost right now. :grin:
 
I just fired my GPS up and I got a fix. If clouds caused any kind of fix problem, I think we'd all be moving on to some newer technology! I'd suspect it's something with your GPS. Maybe a reboot will fix it? If that doesn't do it, a hard boot with a real boot might be appropriate! :grin:

Hopefully there is a quick fix for you!
 
It started working just before the superbowl. What is the difference in a soft/hard reboot?
 
If you talk computers, soft boot is a restart, hard boot or cold boot is a shut down, power off, power on start.
 
For many systems that have personal settings, stored numbers, waypoints, etc., the difference between a soft and a hard reset is crucial. A soft reset on most systems leaves the settings intact. A hard reset wipes the memory clean, save for the system memory in ROM.

Your users manual likely covers this in more detail.

Glad your system came back OK.
 
I dont know what the deal was with it. It's a Lowrance Ifinder H2OC unit so its not like it's a cheap product or anything. It just scares me that I may be offshore in the gulf on a calm day or something and it goes down. I guess thats what the warning message at start up that you should still chart manually is for.
 
mrtopknight said:
It just scares me that I may be offshore in the gulf on a calm day or something and it goes down. I guess thats what the warning message at start up that you should still chart manually is for.
Click to expand...

This is what compasses are for. :wink:
 
Yup, that's what compasses, charts, and all the other components of ded. (deduced) reconing are for. In other words, keeping track of where you are manually.

The electronic age has not eliminated the need to work a plot as you travel by boat.

Of course, I don't have much call for that any longer, with my boating now limited to a moderate sized inland lake. :smt089
 
The U.S government needed to shut it down because of your location and the Superbowl. After the jets flew by (opening ceremony) they put it back it back up.
 
I am about an hour SE of Lady Lake. I live about 10 min. north of Orlando an was fine. A friend of mine lives in Deland, FL and his house made it but both his cars where damaged pretty bad. It sucked the hub caps right off his wife's car. Cars and homes can be replaced but lives cannot. My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost loved ones.
 
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