Peculiar Satellite Reception - Anyone else see this?

[eaparks]

Last week while traveling to Mobile, AL using my 60CSx autorouting with CN NT v8, GPSr plugged into 12V, and waas on, firmware 3.10 - when I got about 50 miles North of Mobile, AL I instantly went from strong satellite reception of 11 satellites to "Lost Satellite Reception". I move the GPSr only about a foot from where it was sitting on the truck seat and get satellites back - maybe not quite as strong as before but strong signal strength. This exact same scenario went on for the entire week I was in Mobile, AL. Sporactically, I would go from strong signal strength to "Lost Satellite Reception" everyday the entire time while in the Mobile area, as many as 6-10 times per day. If I would move the GPSr just a small amount, somtimes only 6 inches from where it was sitting I would regain satellites instantly. I first thought that maybe something in the vehicle was causing the signal to be blocked, but completely ruled this out. Then thought that something was wrong with my GPSr, but when I left Mobile and got about 50 miles North of Mobile everything went back to operating normally. The GPSr would not ever shut off just loose satellite reception. Is there something that is known to cause this type of poor satellite reception in certain areas. I was in close proximity to a major airport and also to a military base. It was almost like the satellite signal strength was drastically reduced for just a few seconds but I new this was not the case.

 

Anyone else run into areas where they have experienced similar peculiarities? Or is there a setting that needs to be changed on the GPSr when experiencing this type of odd satellite reception behavior?

Edited March 12, 2007 by eaparks

[DogFleazJR]

Last week while traveling to Mobile, AL using my 60CSx autorouting with CN NT v8, GPSr plugged into 12V, and waas on, firmware 3.10 - when I got about 50 miles North of Mobile, AL I instantly went from strong satellite reception of 11 satellites to "Lost Satellite Reception". I move the GPSr only about a foot from where it was sitting on the truck seat and get satellites back - maybe not quite as strong as before but strong signal strength. This exact same scenario went on for the entire week I was in Mobile, AL. Sporactically, I would go from strong signal strength to "Lost Satellite Reception" everyday the entire time while in the Mobile area, as many as 6-10 times per day. If I would move the GPSr just a small amount, somtimes only 6 inches from where it was sitting I would regain satellites instantly. I first thought that maybe something in the vehicle was causing the signal to be blocked, but completely ruled this out. Then thought that something was wrong with my GPSr, but when I left Mobile and got about 50 miles North of Mobile everything went back to operating normally. The GPSr would not ever shut off just loose satellite reception. Is there something that is known to cause this type of poor satellite reception in certain areas. I was in close proximity to a major airport and also to a military base. It was almost like the satellite signal strength was drastically reduced for just a few seconds but I new this was not the case.

 

Anyone else run into areas where they have experienced similar peculiarities? Or is there a setting that needs to be changed on the GPSr when experiencing this type of odd satellite reception behavior?

 

I have read that proximity to microwave communications can disrupt satelite communications. Everyday on my way to/from work I would lose both GPS and sat radio reception at the exact same spot even though sky view is open. One day in the winter I noticed the dish farm for an adjacent office building was just off the highway at the spot where signal was lost, which got me thinking and reading.

 

The dead spot was only 100 yrds or so but it was consistent, same exact spot, all times of the day. Then about a year ago it stopped. I noticed a lease sign on the building.

 

Of course it could all have been coincidental.

[Neo_Geo]

I had a similar problem where I went on a road trip from Annandale, VA to Front Royal, VA (about 60 miles). About 20 miles into the trip, I noticed that I lost all reception. I tried lots of things like clearing all data, hard reset, anything I could think of - but nothing worked. As a matter of fact, the remote locks would not work on the vehicle when we arrived at our destination either - had to manually insert the key into the door to unlock it.

 

Well, I just gave up on it, but left the GPSr powered on just for the heck of it and forgot about it. When we got home I noticed the GPSr was tracking again. A quick download of the tracks to MapSource revealed that the unit started tracking again in the same area where it first lost reception! I'd done the trip many times before and many times after, but it only happened that one day. Very strange. Only thing I could figure was some sort of frequency jamming going on in the area.

[eaparks]

Thanks for each of your input, at least it lets me know that I'm not the only one that has experienced this. In my case it was happening all over the entire Mobile, AL area, starting about 50 miles NE of Mobile. I talked to Garmin today and they were unaware of any unusual reception in the Mobile area, but seemed very interested in what was going on and requested that I let them know the next time I am in that area to see if I get the same thing again. They did say they were aware of some greatly degraded signal strength areas around some military installations. That is what it sounds like I was experiencing, but why Mobile, maybe because of Eglin Air Base not to far away, who knows. Curious to see if the same thing happens next time. Garmin did suggest to do an autolocate next time.

[+pcunningham]

There is an electronic warfare range on Santa Rosa Island, just west of Ft. Walton Beach, FL in the 13 mile area between where Santa Rosa Boulevard ends and Navarre Beach State Park begins. If they were transmitting that may be the source of your experience.

[+cachehunter23]

I live in a suburb just north of Minneapolis, MN and I have not been able to get satellite reception for the last 2 days with my Garmin 60csx. Yesterday it was snowing and I thought that might have something to do with it, but today there were breaks in the clouds and blue skies above. I don't get it. This is in the same places where I have never had a problem before. It is very strange.

[+Walt Jabsco]

Eglin AFB is pretty far from Mobile to be causing interference, but they do all kinds of funky research out there, so who knows. If they can wipe out the garage door openers in the area, I guess they can be doing that too.

 

Garage Door Openers

 

I blame them every time my gps hiccups.

[+Klemmer]

I checked Space Weather , and there have not been any significant geomagnetic storms lately that would explain GPS reception issues. Of course, they would affect all areas equally. The sun is getting more active over the next 5 years, and that CAN affect GPS reception. More info.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Klemmer & TeddyBearMama

[+Dryphter]

I used to travel to Pensacola a lot and the rental car place there wouldn't carry the GPS nav systems as they said they never worked very well in the area. Pensacola isn't far from Mobile....I assume it's something at the Air base.

[+qlenfg]

I've not had GPS problems around here, but there are several places of late where my satellite radio has lost signal -- same places every night for a week. Tonight was OK. Several cell towers and a TV station in this area.

 

Friends have reported GPSr's going nuts down around Crawford, TX -- probably for obvious reasons.

[giozera]

hello

I'm having similar problem lately in my area. I'm in Manville, NJ and satellite reception was perfect as long as I lived here (6 years) and recently about 2 months ago my mobile phones (HTC Pure) GPS started to act weird. it would loos signal exactly at the same spot every time I drove there and would not get it back for about mile driving. the place is flat with no mountains or tall trees and even no buildings clear view of skies, I never had that problem before I had this device for more than year and never had this problem. only thing is small regional airport in less than a mile. I started to suspect them when I sow this forum. if military radio signals could jam garage door openers they could jam gps signals too and probably this regional airport next to me started to use similar military transmitters that interfere with gps. any updates? this forum was not active for quite long can anyone update if they still have same problem or found any solution or what causes this?

thanks

Edited December 26, 2010 by giozera

[+15Tango]

Sometimes my cell phone will cause some RF interference with the radio in my car, as well as the radio in my house when I leave my cell too close to the radio - maybe cell phones have the same effect on GPS receivers when they're too close together?

[+Woodstramp]

There is a ridge about 4 miles west of my house where my GPS units falls into a GPS signal black hole sometimes. On the way to work accuracy will go from 10 to 30 feet (normal) to more than 300'. I'll drive about 3/4's of mile and accuracy snaps back to normal at the exact same place. Kind of wierd. This only happens occasionally, but in the same area.

 

I know there is a a microwave array near there up on that side of the ridge. Just assumed that may be the cause.