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Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:12 pm Post subject: Bought i3 today - Sat reception not great - Faulty?
Had a bit of fun today.
After playing with someones i3 which they bought over christmas I was supprised to see it actually (just about) picked up a satellite lock inside the place where we work.
It was kinda just on the edge as it worked, then it didn't, but I was supprised than inside a brick building it actually worked at all.
So I bought one today, took into my car (parked between 2 houses) and conneted to cigarette lighter and started it up.
Said looking for Satellelites.
I waited and waited and waited about 5 mins (thought it may take a while as was 1st start up) but nothing.
Odd, I thought.
Came indoors, found a couple of new AA batteries and walked into drive (still beween 2 houses) Nope, still nothing.
Then walked into front garden, oh, it's changed message, now it's aquiring satellitles.
Wandered down the road on foot, and it started tracking, I turned around and it did not seem to realise I had turned round.
Walked back up drive and as got to the houses, message on screen satellitle lost.
Hmmmm, not exaclty what I was expecting.
Does this sound normal, or poss a faulty unit?
Indoors (a bungalow) it can't find any sat lock at all.
The first time it is used it can take quite a while finding the satelites, mine took about 15 minutes before it would work. It needs a clear view of the sky to find them successfully so definitely should not work at all indoors.
Joined: Oct 05, 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Mmm...medway
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:30 pm Post subject:
Mine was weird like that when I first got it - would get satellites then lose them a minute or two later. I was always moving around with it - walking, on the train, etc. and I suspect this was the cause of the problem.
Go out in the open, where you have a good view of the sky, and wait. It took me just 5 minutes when I stood out in my garden doing this, but it should work just as well if you sit in your car with it on the screen (assuming you don't have a windscreen that blocks sat nav signals).
Once I did this I stopped having problems and it has picked satellites up within aminute or two ever since then. Just took me several days to get it started.
Joined: Jan 04, 2006 Posts: 9323 Location: Durham, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:45 pm Post subject:
The first time i switched mine on it took ~30 minutes to get a lock. After that in one car it takes 20 seconds to get a lock but the other (Renault Megane) needs an antenna run to the parcel shelf to get a good signal due to the Thermal windscreen. Still only takes 10-20 seconds though.
When I opened the box, the screen protector had previously been peeled off the garmins screen and there were fingerprints on the screen (which I have not wiped off yet)
I was wondering if it had been returned as faulty before.
Everything in the pack is un-used, so it may just have beel looked at be someone (I don't know)
Put it in my car on the dash and drove 2 miles with it turned on, during that time it did not find any satellites.
I'll do as you all suggest and put it out in the open for a while.
Do you mean have the screen turned on during this time?
Joined: Jan 04, 2006 Posts: 9323 Location: Durham, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 11:53 pm Post subject:
"Put it in my car on the dash and drove 2 miles with it turned on, during that time it did not find any satellites. "
Don't drive about - that'll take longer.
Find somewhere in the open (park, car park (if multi story go to the top floor and only if it has no roof!!), take a paper / book / CD. Park up, switch on, leave it on. Relax. Don't fiddle with it! Probably best to use the cigarette light lead rather than batteries.
BE ALERT! In case anyone tries to grab it from the car. Stupid but you never know. Heard of them being grabbed by people on bikes whilst waiting at lights with windows down.
Once you have a lock keep batteries in the i3 and the next time you switch on it should get a lock in a few seconds.
Got home from the girlfriends and stood in back garden (10:30pm brrrrr cold) with the i3 in my hand, after about 10 mins of freezing my nuts off it showed aquiring satelites and it was working.
Got back into car and decided to give it a try, also I have a TomTom Classic (sorry if that's swearing on here)
Clipped the tomtom into the car, next to the Garmin i3 and did a route down the road.
Then drove a bit just watching the maps before turning into a side road and planning a route back home.
Now's the time I'm gonna upset people on here, as the Garmin is (I was going to say junk but that's not nice) so I'll say, quite a fair bit below the TomTom.
Why do I say that?
Well, the routes it finds are brilliant, Can't complain about that.
What don't I like about the Garmin compared to the Tom Tom.
OK, now please put me right if I need correcting:
1: Why the hell does it zoom in and out of the map as you approach a junction, hey that annoying when I know where I'm going but god knows what it would be like up in London say.
2: Driving along my local country road with lots of twists and turns, the Garmin a few times had me off the road to one side before jumping the map back on the right place.
3: Why does it announce a turning so dam far ahead?
I entered the country lane, as soon as I entered the long country lane it said "Turn right in 2 miles and you have reached your destination" Hey, I've got 2 miles of twisty lanes to go, I don't need to know that yet !!!
4: Accuracy is off, The Garmin says turn right or left too soon before the turning (tomtom is virtually dead on)
5: Put my girlfriends house in and it took a small road before her house, about 30 yards away, so actually mis routed to that.
You know, I'm sounding negative I know, but the TomTom is DEAD on, it shows my car EXACTLY where it is on the road, it gives GOOD instructions, eg: turn right in 300 yards, not turn right in 2 miles!! and it's timing is right with upcoming junctions both on screen and in voice.
I really wanted to like the little Garmin, bit Against my old? TomTom it's so far REALLY failed to impress me in one bit.
Unless any of the above can be corrected it's going back for a refund tomorrow.
Got home from the girlfriends and stood in back garden (10:30pm brrrrr cold) with the i3 in my hand, after about 10 mins of freezing my nuts off it showed aquiring satelites and it was working.
Got back into car and decided to give it a try, also I have a TomTom Classic (sorry if that's swearing on here)
Clipped the tomtom into the car, next to the Garmin i3 and did a route down the road.
Then drove a bit just watching the maps before turning into a side road and planning a route back home.
Now's the time I'm gonna upset people on here, as the Garmin is (I was going to say junk but that's not nice) so I'll say, quite a fair bit below the TomTom.
Why do I say that?
Well, the routes it finds are brilliant, Can't complain about that.
What don't I like about the Garmin compared to the Tom Tom.
OK, now please put me right if I need correcting:
1: Why the hell does it zoom in and out of the map as you approach a junction, hey that annoying when I know where I'm going but god knows what it would be like up in London say.
2: Driving along my local country road with lots of twists and turns, the Garmin a few times had me off the road to one side before jumping the map back on the right place.
3: Why does it announce a turning so dam far ahead?
I entered the country lane, as soon as I entered the long country lane it said "Turn right in 2 miles and you have reached your destination" Hey, I've got 2 miles of twisty lanes to go, I don't need to know that yet !!!
4: Accuracy is off, The Garmin says turn right or left too soon before the turning (tomtom is virtually dead on)
5: Put my girlfriends house in and it took a small road before her house, about 30 yards away, so actually mis routed to that.
You know, I'm sounding negative I know, but the TomTom is DEAD on, it shows my car EXACTLY where it is on the road, it gives GOOD instructions, eg: turn right in 300 yards, not turn right in 2 miles!! and it's timing is right with upcoming junctions both on screen and in voice.
I really wanted to like the little Garmin, bit Against my old? TomTom it's so far REALLY failed to impress me in one bit.
Unless any of the above can be corrected it's going back for a refund tomorrow.
1) Most users I am sure (and from reading other posts) find the auto-zoom function extremely good especially when taking the screen size on the i3 into account. Despit the tiny screen, it works very well in giving a clear picture of the route ahead. Have you tried TomTom in London? I found the Garmin so much better that I returned my TomTom 500 to Argos straight away but that's my opinion.
2) Your position off route on occasions is a universal issue with all GPS devices I've used not only the i3.
3) I can't see the problem in getting the warnings well in advance and then as you approach your next turn. Loads of people on the TomTom forums actually complain that TomTom's warnings are too late which I feel is far worse than having them a bit early. You would also find it more difficult initially when changind devices but as you get used to the new timing you'll find the Garmin's timing makes more sense.
4) Again it is a question of getting used to the Garmin warning you slightly ahead of the TomTom and giving you more time to prepare for your next turn.
5) Are you suggesting that the TomTom doesn't misroute? Mine came with the stupidest routes (way beyond your 30 yards difference) I've ever seen at times and it is established beyond doubt that Garmin's mapping software is more accurate than TomTom's with suggestions that TomTom will be starting to use Navteq in some of its future models.
Give it some time and get used to it then see whether you'd want to go back in use your TomTom again...
I was a bit annoyed last night, well, that's not the right word, I was just hoping the Garmin was going to be really good and it kinda did not actually live up to my expectations in a few areas.
I thought I may be branded public enemy no.1 for posting anti Garmin comments in the garmin area, but hopeI did not upset anyone, there are just my feelings about my new purchase.
I'm sure if I'd not have been using a TomTom for the past year I'd instantly accept the way the Garmin works.
I also appreciate the price difference, so It's probably unfair of me to judge a £150 device against a £300 device, although on the other hand, Most of my moans (observations) would not be down to the units cost difference, size/screen etc but rather to the software.
I'm going up to Currys later and just trying to decide if I should ask for a refund or try another one just in case this is faulty.
Just to run over the points one more time which you mentioned:
1: I'm really not used to the zooming and found it very odd that I approached a junction then when I got nearer the junction the map changed a few times and it looked as though I was moving backwards as it zooms in reality if you watch the screen it looks like you are moving away from the junction as you drive towards it.
Perhaps I would get used to it, BUt I'm not used to this as with TomTom the map is always to scale as you can see exactly as you come up to the junction as it exactly matches the road.
2: My TomTom is the original one (the later ones have newer chipsets with greater sensitivity) so just occasionally I did loose signal with my TomTom. Due to this I fitted an external Aerial on the car, and I can say (hand on heart) I've NEVER had tomtom show me off the road, every twist and turn down my country lane is mapped exaclty and my car is always dead on in reality to what the map shows. It's actually frightingly accurant, as often it says turn NOW as you have to start turning.
I found with the Garmin (which I assume has newer electronics) it did not loose satellite lock, but it just lost track of the car, and after a while jumped the car back onto the screen map.
3: I personally think the instructions are too far in advance to be sensible.
On the TomTom, say I'm travelling on the motorway at 80, then yes, it says to me, that I have to leave the motorway at the next junction, and tells me this about 1 mile ahead (as It knows I'm doing 80)
If I'm travelling down a long twisty winding country lane at 30, it keeps it's mouth shut till about 300 yards, and says in 300 yards turn right, then at the junction turn right. The 1st warning sets you up for the turn with time to spare, the 2nd one is spot on the turn.
On the garmin, it told me to turn right in about 2 miles when I had the 30mph long twisty lane in front of me, which was wayyyy too early notice, then t told me to turn right approx 10 or 20 yards BEFORE the junction, which I had to ignore else I'd turn into the trees!!! and the the tomtom (as I said) kicked in a few seconds later with a spot on command.
4: I don't mind being told in advance, but too early is not good either.
God at that scale it it says 2 miles till my turning when I'm doing 30, what does it do if I'm travelling at 80? Tell me to turn right in 5 miles!
5: No, Let me be clear, I'm not at all complaining about the routing.
My tomtom software is old with old maps and I found the Garmin to go better routes with the few I tested.
It took me a shorter route on both times, whereas my TomTom wanted me to turn round and take the main road home, Garmin was happy to take me along the country lane home, which I know is the shorter route, in reality so I'm not complaining here. Just a shame about it being totally innacurate re my girlfriends house.
TomTom again is dead on, whislt the garmin told me to turn left down a short road about 10 yards before her front door. God knows why!!!
6: As mine is not that great with Satellite locks, I'm still wondering if mine may be faulty for the accuracy point of view. If nothing else. I'd think there was something MAJOR wrong if you had to drive just PAST a corner on screen against real life. That's due to innacurate map/car positioning and I'd assume that's not typical of the Garmin,
Though Worringly, someone on another forum where I've been discussing my issues said:
"Yes it can seem a little inaccurate in relation to your car on the road, but that doesn't bother me. Not that I've changed mine, but I think you can switch off the 3D map 'zooming' bit you refer to."
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject:
Tempest wrote:
Due to this I fitted an external Aerial on the car, and I can say (hand on heart) I've NEVER had tomtom show me off the road, every twist and turn down my country lane is mapped exaclty and my car is always dead on in reality to what the map shows.
What make of car is this being tried in? also if you found you needed an external feed for the TomTom the Garmin unit will improve if fed the sat signal by an external feed, As you mentioned earlier comparing 150 against a device costing 300 is a little unfair. Mike
Due to this I fitted an external Aerial on the car, and I can say (hand on heart) I've NEVER had tomtom show me off the road, every twist and turn down my country lane is mapped exaclty and my car is always dead on in reality to what the map shows.
What make of car is this being tried in? also if you found you needed an external feed for the TomTom the Garmin unit will improve if fed the sat signal by an external feed, As you mentioned earlier comparing 150 against a device costing 300 is a little unfair. Mike
A 10 year old Ford Mondeo V6.
No fancy front windscreen.
As I sayI was puzzled as (in my opinion) my tomtom was never THAT great when it came to sat reception, and I know the later models (the tomtom 1 for example) have a much improved reception and reports that people even get locks in the houses!
So, I don't rate my tomtom THAT high, but saying that, my tomtom was working fine laying on the passenger seat, whislt the Garmin was not even working on the front shelf against the windscreen.
It did start working later, so I'm prepaerd to accept it was just slow in getting the initial locks.
It does seem worse than my tomtom, which I'm supprised about.
And As I said in my 1st posting, after fiddling with a mates at work, where his got a lock inside where we work, I was impressed and was one of the reasone why I actually went for it.
Which is why I thought mine was fauty, as it was so poor in comparison with the sat locks.
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