Gps Mystery

[hobo dude]

I was working in the Washington NC area a couple of weeks back and came across a mystery to me. I am wondering if any others have experienced the same thing. I was having a problem getting lock while driving in my vehicle, as I use it for navigation. I was listening to the radio while doing this. While listening to one specific station I would loose all satellites until I changed stations. Have any of you experienced this in this area??? This is the only place that I have encountered this. It was very strange.

[+Renegade Knight]

What were you driving?

 

My Pontiac Montana has a film in the window that blocks GPS signals. We have to use the side windows instead of the dash.

 

Most cars don't have this film but some do.

[hobo dude]

I actually spent 7 months travelling across the US, for work. As my logs will attest to. I had no problem with it until I made it to this particular area. Once outside the area, voila, no more problems.

 

I guess the unit did not like that particular station on the radio. One of those one in a million things.

 

I would sit in the same spot and put on one station, good reception. I would change to this other station and watch the SV's just disappear. Change to another and they would all just come back. The wierdest thing ever.

[+ValleyRat & TillyMouse]

There are a couple of possibilities:

 

1. Although we are in a declining-sunspot-activity period, radiation from sunspots can sometimes cause short-term loss of satellite signals. This one is not likely, according to your symptoms.

 

You can see info here about the phenomenon.

 

2. Most car radios have a "local oscillator" that acts like a tiny transmitter. It's varied by tuning the radio. If a harmonic (exact multiple) of the LO signal happened to hit on a satellite frequency, it could be strong enough to block the signal.

Edited December 6, 2004 by valleyrat

[hobo dude]

Thanks Valleyrat. That still seems to be unlikely as it blocked 7-9 satellites plus the WAAS satelitte that was visible at the time. I do appreciate the input and thoughts.

[+Cymbaline]

What were you driving?

 

My Pontiac Montana has a film in the window that blocks GPS signals. We have to use the side windows instead of the dash.

 

Most cars don't have this film but some do.

Erm, is this considered a "feature?" If so, is it something you can opt out of?

 

Also.. what's it for?

[+Renegade Knight]

What were you driving?

 

My Pontiac Montana has a film in the window that blocks GPS signals.  We have to use the side windows instead of the dash.

 

Most cars don't have this film but some do.

Erm, is this considered a "feature?" If so, is it something you can opt out of?

 

Also.. what's it for?

I'm not all sure why it's there, but one thing it does very well is to help keep your car cooler in the hot sun. While our minivan gets hot inside in the summer it's nowhere near as hot as our other cars.

[Paulcet]

Erm, is this considered a "feature?" If so, is it something you can opt out of?

 

Also.. what's it for?

 

Pretty sure it is an "Insta-clear" windshield. Clears the windshield pretty quickly. Can also be designed to block some heat.

 

I remember when some police departments started to use the ugliest Caprice ever for patrol cars they couldn't use dash-mounted radar with the "Insta-clear" windshields.

[+Texan78]

Is this a factory radio or do you have Sirus or XM?