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GNSS warmup time

randalllake
randalllake Member ✭
in FLEX-8000 Signature Series
I have had my (8400) GNSS flashing yellow for most of the day today. It has been solid blue for many times in the past. The antenna sits on a window sill. The weather has been stormy the last few days. Is this normal during very cloudy weather ?

Best Answers

  • Jim KJ3P
    Jim KJ3P Member ✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    In order to get a clearer view (SW sky) I have the GNSS located on a short wooden pole about 4 feet from the house. I've always seen perfect signals/performance on my 8600 (and the 6600 before it), regardless of weather. Any chance to get a better sky view at your shack? With the antenna on a window sill, the house may be blocking more than 50% of the signal. I had to buy an extension cable (15' GEMEK from Amazon)…works like a charm.

  • David Decoons, wo2x
    David Decoons, wo2x Member, Super Elmer Moderator
    Answer ✓

    are there any trees outside the window? That will reduce the signal and visible satellites.

    Can you try moving the antenna to the top of the bottom window half near where the latch is? I did that here but a pain in better weather if I open the window.

    I did extend the cable and moved the patch antenna outside.

  • David Decoons, wo2x
    David Decoons, wo2x Member, Super Elmer Moderator
    edited March 31 Answer ✓

Answers

  • Lars Pettersson
    Lars Pettersson Member ✭✭

  • Lars Pettersson
    Lars Pettersson Member ✭✭

    I have the antenna outside it se 16 sat but no lock. I did not se this in 3.8.23 so i suspect its a sw issue. It was not super fast to lock in 3.8.23 but it did lock Yeasterday i waited 7 hours warming up. no Lock ........

  • rd914
    rd914 Member ✭
    Try performing a factory reset as described in the release notes. I had no problems on 3.8.23, but after upgrading to 3.9.18 the status was "Warming Up" and Latitude, Longitude and Sat Tracked were zero no matter how long the radio was on (Sat Visible was usually around 15). After the reset, status changed to Locked after about 30 minutes.
  • Erik Carling EI4KF
    Erik Carling EI4KF Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 17

    Since acquiring the 8400M, about a month ago, the GNSS has locked within 5 to 10 minutes of powering up. No problems every day until 3 days ago. Now I do not get a lock. Within 5 to 10 minutes I get a solid yellow light and the Status is reported as below:

    SmartSDR_sJaworcbyV.png

    The NTP time server is running. As for frequency correction, the radio only reports TCXO lock and not GNSS lock. Altitude is not correct as I am 210m and when it locked before that was what was reported. Usually the radio is on for around 12 hours a day and is in the Free Run state all that time except once briefly during the past 3 days I saw Status change to Pull In.

    I always have 20+ visible satellites, often over 30, but no longer see any tracked. If anyone knows what Free Run means and how to make it lock again I would be pleased to know. I have tried all of the following without success so far: factory reset, moving antenna (it is outside and has no obstructions but of course movement is limited by cable length), and disconnecting and reconnecting the antenna.

    Erik.

  • W2PP
    W2PP Member ✭✭✭

    my Icom HT locks up within a minute or two but the 8600 even with 13 satellites won’t for hours if at all. It seems the receiver is pretty insensitive

  • Erik Carling EI4KF
    Erik Carling EI4KF Member ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you. You may be right and I have ordered a replacement GNSS antenna with pre-amplifier.

    Erik.

  • Jim KJ3P
    Jim KJ3P Member ✭✭✭

    Just for comparison, here are my observations…. 8600 turned on from a cold start:

    Timed from when the Start button turns steady green:

    At 45 seconds "Pull in" with about 20 sats, and a 109 ppb.

    At two minutes 8 seconds, "Locked" happens (24 or 25 sats).

    I use a 15-foot extension, non-amplified cable to an outside sat antenna on a 4-foot high stick in the ground, SW exposure (north exposure blocked by house, east blocked by a really dense Colorado Spruce).

  • Erik Carling EI4KF
    Erik Carling EI4KF Member ✭✭✭✭

    Yes Jim thanks, interesting. I do not know why I've had no issues at all for 4 weeks and now no lock. Something has changed - maybe the supplied antenna has failed. I had it in a plastic bag and it had not got wet. I took the radio outside yesterday and taped the puck to a pole - it was in the clear before anyway but was near the house wall - so in this test it was ultra clear. Still no lock, only 'Free Run' with 32 satellites seen, 0 tracked. Anyway new antenna on the way.

  • johnn1jm
    johnn1jm Member ✭✭✭

    I received a new 8600 yesterday. I fired it up today. It took about 6 hours for the GNSS to go from warm up to free run and then a few minutes later it locked for a few minutes. Now its back to free run. 15 Sats visible.. Sat tracked=0.

  • johnn1jm
    johnn1jm Member ✭✭✭

    THis morning I switched the 8600 to SSDR for the Mac and the power light turned solid blue and 5 hours later is still blue. I'll have to switch it back to the PC and see if it remains blue.

  • John G3WGV
    John G3WGV Member ✭✭

    My new 8600 came with the GNSS module that I didn't really want or need already installed. It's a big job and not worth my effort to get the GPS antenna out in the open, so for giggles I just set it on top of my 19" rack, indoors with no view of the sky.

    To my surprise, the module is seeing around 16 satellites and has picked up UTC time OK. However, it never gets past warming up status and does not show lat/lon, etc. Meanwhile, the little yellow GNSS light flashes away, imperiously reminding me that its master is not a happy bunny.

    I really have no need of the GNSS facility but there seems to be no way to disable it in the SmartSDR configuration. It is likely that it will get ever past the warming up state, or is the flashing yellow light going to be gently irritating me for ever more?!

    73, John

  • Erik Carling EI4KF
    Erik Carling EI4KF Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 20

    My new GNSS antenna with preamp solved my problem. In fact I can even have it inside the house. However it is fair to say that many have no trouble at all. Maybe geographic location has a bearing on it, with western Europe locations needing more signal to the module? That said, to me who knows nothing about GPS modules, it is somewhat incongruous that a high number of satellites can be reported, sometimes as many as 32, but there is no lock with the supplied antenna. The replacement antenna can see far fewer satellites but does lock within 5 minutes.

  • John G3WGV
    John G3WGV Member ✭✭

    Interesting Eric, thanks. On a whim I strung a coax across the shack to a nearby window, put the supplied antenna out on the window ledge and it almost instantly locked, solid blue light, happy GNSS module. It even reminded me what my locator is!

    As you say, strange that with the antenna indoors it can see a surprising number of satellites but apparently not lock. There'll be an explanation for sure but like you, my GPS knowledge is not up to the task.

    That said I really have no need of it at all and just wanted to stop the yellow LED winking at me. Strange that there is no option to disable the GNSS functionality if not needed.

  • johnn1jm
    johnn1jm Member ✭✭✭

    When I switched back to SSDR on my PC the blue light remained solid blue. So far my 8600 has stayed locked to a satellite after over a day.

    I have a 6400 with a GPSDO in it and that has an option to disable it. When I got my 8600, I too was surprised there was no way to disable the GNSS.

    My 8600 came with a "puck" with about a 6 or 10 foot cable for the GNSS antenna.

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