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Equipment & Gear => All Other Gear => Topic started by: C-Money on October 17, 2019, 10:38:08 AM


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Title: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: C-Money on October 17, 2019, 10:38:08 AM
I purchased a new GPS last year, Garmin 64s, and it has been great. Love it. So, this year, while hunting two pieces of ground with in a few miles of each other, the GPS will constantly find satellites, and lose them. Over, and over, just will not lock on and hold. No obvious obstructions, wide open country. The unit just will not hold signal with satellites. Once I leave that vicinity of a few miles, GPS works flawless. Same terrine, just away from that one area of trouble. It worked there last year but hasn't this year. Frustrating as I figured my GPS was garbage after only one season, yet begins working again in other areas. (Thankfully) Just wish it worked for me in my two primary areas. Any ideas? Any acts of nature happening right now messing with the signal?
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Buckhunter24 on October 17, 2019, 10:50:41 AM
No idea how to fix it, but I use a 64 for work daily. There are areas I have this happen regularly as well. Time of day definitely causes accuracy issues, but I have no clue why some areas have a dead zone regardless of time. Curious to see other replies
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Dhoey07 on October 17, 2019, 11:11:43 AM
I purchased a new GPS last year, Garmin 64s, and it has been great. Love it. So, this year, while hunting two pieces of ground with in a few miles of each other, the GPS will constantly find satellites, and lose them. Over, and over, just will not lock on and hold. No obvious obstructions, wide open country. The unit just will not hold signal with satellites. Once I leave that vicinity of a few miles, GPS works flawless. Same terrine, just away from that one area of trouble. It worked there last year but hasn't this year. Frustrating as I figured my GPS was garbage after only one season, yet begins working again in other areas. (Thankfully) Just wish it worked for me in my two primary areas. Any ideas? Any acts of nature happening right now messing with the signal?

I would leave that place immediately!!! 
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Bob33 on October 17, 2019, 11:50:58 AM
I would try to borrow another GPS and see if the same thing occurs with it. If not I would send yours back to Garmin.
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 17, 2019, 12:06:24 PM
Power it down and take out the battery. If you have a compass in that unit, go to settings and calibrate the compass. That may be under Display
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Henrydog on October 17, 2019, 12:13:06 PM
Air field or military base in the area?  Parts of Clear Lake (Spokane) my fish finder will not work and no crappy AM radio reception.  Not once...everytime I am there.  There is also a cell dead spot right at SR904 and I 90.  I am not a tinfoil hat guy both "problem" areas are right next to USAF or FAA radar sites
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: C-Money on October 18, 2019, 07:33:21 AM
Thanks for the tips, I will try it! I have and old GPS I will try next time I am out that way. See if that thing will hold onto signal.
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: C-Money on October 18, 2019, 08:04:44 AM
After a little research online, It is a fairly common problem. One fix was to turn off GLONASS. Not sure what that is, but I'll be looking! See if this works...

GLONASS is now off.
Guess there is a firmware update 5.50 to 5.60? No idea how to do that, will see if it works with GLONASS off...
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Dhoey07 on October 18, 2019, 08:33:10 AM
GLONASS is a group of Russian satellites that were previously not available to us.  I believe that changed a few years ago.  It adds a lot of coverage, probably doubles the amount of satellites to pull from and tightens up locations quite a bit. 
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: ghosthunter on October 25, 2019, 09:27:43 PM
Had a similar problem with our rhinos.
They would access land based repeaters of some kind. Always changing.
We turned that option off and the issue went away.

Also on 650 rhinos you need to recalibrate the compass after changing batteries or battery packs.
Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: Gobble Doc on October 25, 2019, 10:32:33 PM
This happened to my garmin Oregon recently. For some time it just randomly stopped picking up satellites. Over highway 2. I thought it broke. Now it works fine.


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Title: Re: Strange GPS Issue
Post by: C-Money on October 26, 2019, 07:22:56 AM
We never made it back over to the area our GPS had issues to see if it would work with GLONASS off. I'll eventually get out there, still very curious to see if it will work.
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