x40 LIVE SIGNAL & SATTELITE LOCKON PROBLEMS

[Solitary_Trucker]

Having had three previous TomTom variations I decided to upgrade to a 730T Absolutely great did everthing I wanted and worked well in the lorry with its athermic windscreen well for two days before some scumbag in Slough had it away with a brick through the window. So now we come to the real story by the time i got to replacing it the live series was out so I jumped on the "must have the latest" bandwagon and bought a 740 live as I really dont want to drive my wagon to the good old US of A ! so I dont need the 940 live

350 Quid later and hiding the bill from her in doors off I go to play with it

HELP IT DONT WORK

well very occasionally but not much. In my lorry or my car with athermic windscreens it seldom ever picks up a signal unless I sit it on the roof !! thats ok I thought we had this problem before simple stick it on an external aerial always worked before

HELP CAN'T DO THAT

There is no connectors anywhere on the 740 live either on the unit nor on the mount neither is there an extra mount for sale on tomtom site that takes an external aerial as ther was with earlier models. So now I have a very expensive pile of junk so if your vehicle has a thermic screen of some sort don't buy one of the x40 series as it wont work!! Halfords wont take it back as it works in a "normal" car outside the shop!! That is unless someon knows better of course

[MrT]

See if you can find a re-radiating GPS antenna, some say they are illegal but they are freely available. http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=162731

Here is an old article on them: http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/reradiating.php

[mikealder]

A re-rad would be a good idea if you can find one, OFCOM banned them a couple of years ago due to them being transmitters therefore requiring a license.
Try e-bay as you wont find one of these in the shops - Mike

[Andy_P]

But there's no explanation yet for the 740 not working correctly...
It will have the same GPS chipset (or better) than the old models, so should cope fine.
Anyone else got one they can say for definite? ( I've got the Go 940 and could be persuaded to do some tests if anyone wants to lend me a nice car with an athermic windscreen )

If it's still new, I'd take it back and get a replacement one anyway, you've got nothing to lose.

[deesoft]

Hi I have an Athermic Windscreen on my Peugeot, I was amazed when I got my 520 just how quick I got a lock on satellites.

David
_________________
Ipaq hx2750, TTN5, Globalsat 338 GPS, Garmin Nuvi 310D and GTM12, TomTom GO910 and now GO540

God gave us the Integer, the rest was devised by man.

[Andy_P]

Exactly, I've used my x20 in a car with an athermic windscreen, so the x40's should have no bother.

[Larok]

The gps reciever sensitivity is really sharp on the x40 I'm using. It was picking up a signal inside with the curtains closed yesterday!

[Skwark]

... and works fine in both the new and previous model of Ford Mondeo with athermic windscreens...

[Solitary_Trucker]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas I finally got the unit replaced after driving the lorry there and showing the manager it didnt work in the cab but all that has done is shown there was nothing wrong in the original unit as a lot of you indirectly suggested. The new x40 worked perfect in the house and in my Audi with athermic screen getting good lock but as soon as i tried it in my usual wagon or any of the other Mercedes tractor units or the volvo lorries it didnt work again ! It attempts and appears to get a lock showing 2 sometimes three sattelites whilst the vehicle is stationary with no buildings near .....the moment you move it cannot maintain and hold the lock and is soon left searching so it has to be the winscreen or the cab design and yet the replacement road angel professional works inside the cab on its own all be to get a really good lock with 5 or 6 sattelites it did need the external aerial added so i guess i will have to wait till tomtom produce another mount with antennaa options like they did on the ealy go's. Puzzlingly I borrows a colleagues Garmin Nuvi 5000 and that worked perfectly anywhere i placed it in the cab so now i feel lost totally. ! I really dont think the retailer will let me change it again for a Garmin!!

I would like to ask Darren or any the other moderators that are well in with TomTom or any of the after market mount manufacturers have you heard of any talking of additional mounts or external antenna options obviously the live range has only just come out but i was just wondering?

Thanks for the help and suggestions guys
_________________
Previously owned Go Classic, 530, 740T, 940, 1005EU & Snooper S600 TRUCKMATE Western Europe !!!

Now on a TomTom Go 6100
Road Angel Professional Connected
PocketGPSWorld Safety Camera Database

[mikealder]

I am not even sure the x40 connector has pins for the GPS aerial, the absence of a coaxial style pin would suggest it doesn't have this, can you try the unit back in the truck but without the power lead connected - just a thought that it could be interference from the vehicle - Mike

[Larok]

Did you look into the re-radiating GPS antenna idea?

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