GPS taking forever to pick up satellites

Cookie_Monster

Do GPSs get tired and slow like old phones do? My Edge 500 seems to take longer and longer lately to pick up satellites.

Dunno if it's just time to accept it and get a new one or if it's more down to the fact that NZ is way down in the middle of nowhere and, presumably, has less overall sat coverage than more populous areas like EU/US

victorcarrera

Try this first.
https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId=%7B84774820-e4ef-11de-d785-000000000000%7D

Cookie_Monster

nice one, thanks

The tax man

Very interesting. My 500 was doing much the same.

Thargor

Did it work? I assume this applies to other Garmins aswell although that FAQ does seem 500 specific?

Tenzor07

Solar Flares...

Cookie_Monster

seems a little faster, not hugely fast but not a couple of minutes now.

triggermortis

mine was getting really slow, but now the screen has died so I don't know how long its taking
In better news, my new 800 has arrived in the UK and I'll have it next week when my mate fetches it over to me

victorcarrera

Thargor wrote: »

Did it work? I assume this applies to other Garmins aswell although that FAQ does seem 500 specific?

It applies also to the Edge 705 but the key combination might be different (the 705 procedure is on their help page too.


Re:

seems a little faster, not hugely fast but not a couple of minutes now.

From my own experience with the Edge 705, 20 to 30 seconds to locate is normal, on the rare occasion that it doesn't locate after 90 seconds I reboot and it then locates as normal.

Cookie_Monster

Update: It's dead.

Screen no longer works and the rubber around two of the buttons has just split, and one of buttons no longer seems to work properly either. Bummer

Need a replacement, is the 500 still a decent spec gps these days? it does everything I want currently, no interest in routes or mapping the more expensive models do, got the phone if needed for that.

jamesd

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Update: It's dead.

Screen no longer works and the rubber around two of the buttons has just split, and one of buttons no longer seems to work properly either. Bummer

Need a replacement, is the 500 still a decent spec gps these days? it does everything I want currently, no interest in routes or mapping the more expensive models do, got the phone if needed for that.

Yes the 500 would be the most suitable if you don't need the extras.

bazermc

Cookie Monster. How many years/miles did you get out of the device before it died?

Cookie_Monster

bazermc wrote: »

Cookie Monster. How many years/miles did you get out of the device before it died?

Xmas 2010, 23,000 km

MediaMan

Other than the points already mentioned, I find that these things make a big difference to the location acquisition time:

- How much sky the GPS unit can see - e.g. if you are beside a building that's at least half the available satellies out of sight. So get out on open ground.
- Movement - if you and your unit are moving then it can take forever to get a location fix - many times I have had to stop to allow the unit to figure out where it was.

darkvalley

Bike Radar had this today http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/solar-flares-could-cause-garmin-glitches-42859/

CramCycle

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Update: It's dead.

If your happy with the 500 try Garmin support, they won't replace it but they will send you a refurbished one for about 70quid. Mine died and they sorted me out this way.