Home PageFacebookRSS News Feed
PocketGPS
Web
SatNav,GPS,Navigation
MacFixer, the iPhone, iPod, and iPad specialists
Pocket GPS World - SatNavs | GPS | Speed Cameras: Forums

Pocket GPS World :: View topic - Repaired NavMan sleeve
 Forum FAQForum FAQ   SearchSearch   UsergroupsUsergroups   ProfileProfile   Log in for private messagesLog in for private messages   Log inLog in 

Repaired NavMan sleeve

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Pocket GPS World Forum Index -> GPS Receivers
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
BMWBiker
Regular Visitor


Joined: Dec 28, 2004
Posts: 133
Location: Ambler, PA USA

PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 3:26 am    Post subject: Repaired NavMan sleeve Reply with quote

I was about to give up on my 3-year old Navman sleeve on my iPaq 3970, running CoPilot GPS (from V3 to V6).

I think the Navman sleeve is equiv to model 3400, though I can't prove it. The ID number (from CoPilot) is 2-2-A-15-0013. It precedes the sleeve model that offered the external antenna connection.

It began failing to find satellites, or losing them during the trip. Getting progressively worse, and apparently made worse by vibration.

Using CoPilot and the "View Satellites" diagnostic bar graphs, I could see that occasionally only 2 or 3 satellites would be shown and these were often of low strength. But it was intermittent, worked OK sometimes.

In desperation I took the sleeve apart and inspected the solder joints around the antenna. There seemed to be a missing or bad connection between the 'antenna board' and the 'mother board', so I did a touch up there. No effect.

On second try I did a more thorough touch-up of this joint, and for good measure I re-flowed the solder joints where the mylar cylinder connects to the antenna board (you have to be very careful not to melt the mylar). I did this even though my very good microscope showed no obvious problem here.

Presto! Immediately got strong signal from 6 or more satellites. GPS works reliably now.

This GPS unit has travelled over 60,000 miles on my motorcycle, so I can't complain about the durability too much.
_________________
Doug
CoPilot 6.0.1.24 (USA)
Compaq iPaq 3970, with PC2003
Navman sleeve (3400)
Blue Tooth GPS
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kartracer
Frequent Visitor


Joined: 26/03/2003 20:15:33
Posts: 502
Location: United Kingdom

PostPosted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impressive! Both the durability, and the repair.
_________________
Kam
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
towny
Banned


Joined: Jul 15, 2005
Posts: 23

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, I have the same problem and was wondering if you could do a walkthrough with pictures showing exactly what you did.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
BMWBiker
Regular Visitor


Joined: Dec 28, 2004
Posts: 133
Location: Ambler, PA USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

towny wrote:
Hi, I have the same problem and was wondering if you could do a walkthrough with pictures showing exactly what you did.


Sorry, my pictures weren't good enough and I seem to have deleted them. Maybe I can describe it well enough to help:

Remove the 4 black screws inside the sleeve and pry apart the case.

The interior assembly consists of:
-the main board
-the antenna board, like a postage stamp mounted at right angle to mother board.
-the gps antenna, consisting of an open cylinder of mylar sheet supporting a double helical copper foil on the inside.

I think the degraded solder joints are where the antenna board connects to the copper foil antenna. I used a very fine-tipped solder iron to re-flow the solder here. You could easily melt and destroy the mylar if you dwell too long.

As I mentioned, this solder joint looked OK before I did this, but re-soldering somehow made all the difference in reception.

Also as I mentioned there are two solder joints making the connection from antenna board to main board. These are exposed by prying off a white plastic protective cover. Repeating again, I thought one of these looked like a very bad connection but adding more solder to it made no difference in performance.

I hope this helps.

Reception continues to be as good as or better than new, after two months since repair and a lot more motorcycle vibration.

On the down side I have a new annoyance of sometimes losing GPS communication altogether, apparently due to intermittent fault in the sleeve connector (nothing to do with antenna). This leads to temporary loss of GPS info, and multiple annoying popups saying "Expansion pack initialization failed". Usually I can clear the popups and continue navigating, otherwise I slide the sleeve up then down to reseat it and get a positive "initialization of expansion pack". Then all may work well for the rest of the day, or at least up to the next bumpy section of road. Minor annoyance, except that it likes to occur at critical turns where I could use some quick guidance.
_________________
Doug
CoPilot 6.0.1.24 (USA)
Compaq iPaq 3970, with PC2003
Navman sleeve (3400)
Blue Tooth GPS
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message







Posted: Today    Post subject: Pocket GPS Advertising

Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Pocket GPS World Forum Index -> GPS Receivers All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Make a Donation



CamerAlert Database

Click here for the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database

Download Speed Camera Database
22.105 (30 Oct 24)



WORLDWIDE SPEED CAMERA SPOTTERS WANTED!

Click here to submit camera positions to the PocketGPSWorld.com Speed Camera Database


12mth Subscriber memberships awarded every week for verified new camera reports!

Submit Speed Camera Locations Now


CamerAlert Apps



iOS QR Code






Android QR Code







© Terms & Privacy


GPS Shopping