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Long time to get GPS signal |
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bcool 
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Joined: 30 Nov 2015 Location: St. Charles, MO Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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 Topic: Long time to get GPS signalPosted: 01 Apr 2017 at 12:06pm |
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The last two times I've gone flying it's taken about 3 minutes from startup to acquire a GPS signal on my IFD540. This is a LOT longer than it used to take - does this mean I might have a problem somewhere?
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LANCE
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Joined: 06 Dec 2014 Location: TEXAS Status: Offline Points: 277 |
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 1:48pm |
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Are you running 10.2?
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comancheguy
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Joined: 24 Aug 2011 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 1:52pm |
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I have seen this as well. All of my other GPS's (Dual, 496) have a sgnal, but the 540s show yellow. They usually don't go green until takeoff. This is fine, VFR, but it worries me on an IFR departure. With only a GPS approach back in.
I noticed it after the 10.2 upgrade, also. No change from 10.1.1.0. Anyone know what is up with this? Ken
Edited by comancheguy - 01 Apr 2017 at 5:59pm |
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bcool
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Joined: 30 Nov 2015 Location: St. Charles, MO Status: Offline Points: 35 |
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 3:06pm |
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FWIW, I haven't upgraded to 10.2 yet.
I searched the web since I posted this and have found several instances of the Garmin antennas going bad, so I wonder if that might be what's happening? |
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George P
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Joined: 29 Jan 2017 Location: Big Horn, WY Status: Offline Points: 45 |
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 5:44pm |
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I just installed a new IFD540 (S/W ver. 10.2) today, using the existing Garmin antenna. It seemed to take a bit longer to acquire the GPS system than the Garmin generally did, but I attributed it to the fact that it was acquiring from a new location. I will time it tomorrow. Incidentally, the installation went great and the setup was relatively easy. My only issue seems to be my GDL69 weather interface. It seems I have an earlier version of the GLD69 software that the IFD does not interface with.
George
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AzAv8r
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 6:02pm |
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My IFD540 has taken what I perceived as a long time to acquire only three times. The very first time when we installed it, the very first time we powered it on out of the hangar after returning it for the hardware update service bulletin that was needed for the first units, and the very first time after installing 10.2. On a normal power up, with a decent sense of the time, an accurate location, and recent ephemerides stored for the GPS constellation, it acquires reasonably quickly. Change any of those, I would expect it to take longer. If I haven't flown for a while, it seems to take a little longer, but not as long as those three times.
But I didn't time any of the acquisitions. Maybe someone who has not yet done the 10.2 update can time their last acquisition before the update, and the first acquisition after the update. Edited by AzAv8r - 01 Apr 2017 at 6:03pm |
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comancheguy
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 6:03pm |
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I have one Garmin antenna from my 530W, and my second is new Avidyne antenna. So, that doesn't seem like it.
It doesn't seem to go from GPS to GPS until I take off. I'll have to watch next time and see EXACTLY when it go green. Maybe this is working as designed. I may have to RTFM... Ken
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dmtidler
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 7:04pm |
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Just to clarify...did you have an active flight plan in the FMS prior to T/O? Without an active flight plan prior to T/O, I believe this normal IFD behavior.
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teeth6
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 7:19pm |
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I believe this is normal. When I enter a flight plan, the GPS stays yellow until I takeoff or activate the plan. Once I do either of those, it goes green.
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mfb
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 7:59pm |
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Press the Activate line select key as soon as you finish entering the flight plan. Then the GPS indicator will be green from the start. (Unless there's no GPS reception.)
Mike Edited by mfb - 01 Apr 2017 at 7:59pm |
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comancheguy
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 8:09pm |
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Interesting!
I'll experiment. I'm flying in the morning. Ken
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mfb
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 9:13pm |
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And another thing.... If you want to find out what the GPS receiver is really doing, go to the AUX-SYS page and press the Select line select key until it shows Select GPS. That will bring up the GPS status page.
I got fooled on one of my early flights with the IFD540. I didn't activate the flight plan, so the GPS caption stayed yellow. I was convinced that the GPS failed until I took off and it magically fixed itself by activating sutomatically. Now it's on my pre-takeoff checklist. Mike |
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comancheguy
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 9:42pm |
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The more that I think about this, I am positive that you are correct. The yellow just means, "I am not guiding you" Not, "I don't know where we are". Once the Flight plan is activated. It goes green.
Thanks. Ken |
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LANCE
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Joined: 06 Dec 2014 Location: TEXAS Status: Offline Points: 277 |
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Posted: 01 Apr 2017 at 10:13pm |
10.1.3 fixed a GPS lock issue for some people depending on location. 10.2 should take care of it for sure
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MysticCobra
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Posted: 02 Apr 2017 at 7:02pm |
Yes, that's correct. One way to tell at a glance that the IFD has a good GPS lock is when you start to taxi and the TRK changes from a red X to a number matching your taxi direction. Since that number is derived from trending GPS location fixes over time, if that number makes sense, then the IFD is getting good GPS solutions.
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bcool wrote: