TomTom with CF GPS

Dazeck · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:46 pm Post subject: TomTom with CF GPS

Hi

I've just purchased TomTom Navigator 3. Installed it and it all works when I try it with a friends wired TomTom GPS Unit. However, when I plug in my CF GPS device that I bought off ebay TomTom shows it's communicating but doesn't come up with any satellite locks. I've set TomTom to use TomTom Navigator GPS and CF_CARD_GENERIC and I've also tried NMEA 0183v2 4800 and CF_CARD_GENERIC but still nothing.
I downloaded the Winfast Navigator utility from the downloads page and it gives me instant details once I set the port to Com8 and 4800 with NMEA setting. Why won't it work with TomTom ? I'm assuming CF_CARD_GENERIC maps to Com8 as TomTom shows it's communicating and does set the date and time on the GPS screen, but no satellite info is shown.

Help.

Darren

Dazeck · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:31 pm Post subject:

Sorry, forget this, It isn't locking onto any sateliites using the winfast navigator utility. I thought it was as it displayed a longitude and latitude but when I got home and switched it on they were the same.

I will post my problem in the hardware section instead.

Darren

alix776 · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 7:59 pm Post subject:

put it where it where it has a clear veiw of the sky turn on tomtom or winfast and leave it there for around 30mins and then comeback and have a look
_________________
currently using aponia truck navigation on windows phone. Good bye IOS don't let the door hit you on the way out .

Oh the joys of being a courier.
device Lumia 950 xl

Dazeck · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 8:04 pm Post subject:

30 mins, crikey, hope my battery lasts as I forgot to bring my charger home.

Will do it now.

Thanks
Darren

technik · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:50 pm Post subject:

This sounds similar problem to my old CF GPS, which will now only work using external antenna.

Do you have an external antenna you can try with the CF GPS ?

Dazeck · Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 11:08 pm Post subject:

Don't have an external antenna to try, and I left it by the window for over 45 minutes and it never locked. Using winfast navigator the red circles were moving and occasionaly changing numbers but the number of locked ones was always 0.

I think I'll send it back.

Thanks for the help though.

Darren

Dazeck · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject:

OK, got an email back from the seller, apparently, I need to be outside and wait about an hour. So I did, and I managed to get a fix with TomTom. Does anyone know if this hour is a one off as I switched off the PDA and when I switched it back on I couldn't get a fix again so does it mean my TTFF is about an hour ? It's a bit naff if I want to go home from somewhere and it's am hour before I can leave.

Darren

longwori · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:11 pm Post subject:

I also use a CF GPS that I bought from ebay and I love it. No you shouldnt have to wait an hour each time you use it.

When you first use a new GPS it doesnt know where in the world it is and has to do a lot of work to determine its location. I believe this is known as a "cold start" and takes some time (within 30 minutes). It is unfair to expect this to be possible from inside a building as the building materials block out some of the already weak GPS signals. Once the GPS has determined its location it stores it and this is maintained by a back-up battery built into the GPS. When you next use the GPS, the location fix should be much quicker as it already knows your rough location. However, if you dont use the GPS for a while then the backup battery may have depleted meaning that the GPS has to do the hard work of finding where it is from scratch once more. From my experience with my GPS, the battery seems to last for about a day, after which I expect longer times to find my location.

What I do is try and set up tomtom in the car five mins before I am due to set off and it usually has a fix when I am ready to go.

Also bear in mind that if you set off driving whilst the GPS is still trying to get a fix then the time to get the fix is longer as the GPS has a tougher time working out what is going on!

Anyone feel free to correct me as I dont fully understand the technical aspects of all this, it is just based upon my experience and what I have read here in the forums.

Ian
_________________
TomTom Go 520, HTC Wildfire with CoPilot Live Premium UK & CoPilot Live Standard USA

alix776 · Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:18 pm Post subject:

it denpends how often he is useing the gps system if all the time then no but if its only every few day or so then the battery will dicharge and your back to square one
_________________
currently using aponia truck navigation on windows phone. Good bye IOS don't let the door hit you on the way out .

Oh the joys of being a courier.
device Lumia 950 xl

texan · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:45 pm Post subject:

Hi folks,
Please help. Is it possible to force TT Navigator 2004 work with CF GPS device? Rolling Eyes

Thank you in advance for your suggestions

Dazeck · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:56 pm Post subject:

Mine works ok now, don't know about TT 2004 but I believe that is the US version of TT 3.

I just had to wait an hour for all the satelite information to get downloaded to the CF GPS, now it locks on in under 10 seconds, even when it's been unplugged for 4 days.

Darren

texan · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:37 pm Post subject:

Dazeck · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject:

Try downloading Winfast navigator from here.

http://pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=15

And run it, when you insert your CF card it'll tell you what port it's been assigned to, mine went to COM8, then see if you have this option in TomTom.

Darren

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