Sat Nav Woes

[Carlos]

Hi, I wonder if anyone else if having similar problems.

I own a 2005 C5 VTR estate, and I borrowed my mates TomTom 300 last weekend for a trip to London. The problem is, it can't pick up any satelite signals inside the front windscreen. It works fine outside the car (although the wife didn't appreciate holding it outside the window on the M'Way), but as soon as it goes up against the windscreen, all satelite signals are 'lost'.

I seem to remember looking through the handbook that there is a reference to a coating on the screen to help with heat reflection from the sun. Could this be the cause of my problems?

The unit works fine in my mates Hyundai, and the Rover he had before, just doesn't want to know inside my car.

Can anyone help?

Carl

[Guest CE05LDB]

Hi Mate, I got the same problem. I got a goodmans Sat Nav and the signals can't be picked up through my windscreen on my C3 Exclusive as its a comfort screen same as yours on C5. There is an alternative avalible though. you can buy an aerial from a car shop for sat navs and you can feed it through to the rear window as the signals can be picked through there. I haven't got round to getting one yet. I want to buy a Inforad Speed cam detector for £60 but I need one of those Aerials first because of the windscreen. you think they could do a simple way around this now with all this technolodgy.

Hope this have helped.

Lee

[wozza]

The C4 screen has the same coating for heat reflection and my sat nav does take an absolute age to find a satelitte but it does get it in the end. But i can be 10 - 15 minutes into my journey before it finally manages to get a signal. Also have to point the aerial so its completely vertical.

Otherwise same issue cant get a signal.

[Carlos]

Just a quick update.

Have tried (and now purchased) a Tom Tom ONE. Works fine with the comfort screen, and no external antenna required (cheapeast of the Tom Tom's to boot).

[hertsnminds]

TomTom One and the Garmin nuvi use the new SiRF GPS receiver chip which is supposed to be better and faster at getting a location fix in low signal areas.

Ian
Black 55 VTR+

[hertsnminds]

Found this web page that gives more information about poor GPS reception in cars

http://www.satnav2u.com/info/static/gettin...t-reception.cfm

 

Ian

Black 55 VTR+

[Amelie]

An athermic windscreen contains metal to reflect heat. Radio signals have a hard time getting through a metal film. If you do have a signal and drive through a marginal area, such as near high-rise buildings or a dense wood, you'll drop signal very easily.

 

I recently had my Garmin c320 mounted high next to the rear-view mirror to get a signal. The black-spotted area either side of the mirror is plain glass that will pass the signal. Because it was impossible to get the internal antenna close to the glass, I now use an external antenna mounted flush against the same spot, with the GPS mounted just above the central electronic scoreboard. I now get signal on warm start and maintain it under fairly difficult conditions.

I considered using the magnetic mount outside, but the cable routing wasn't ideal.

[Guest CE05LDB]

My Sat Nav works great in my C3 now. I do put it in the car about 5mins before my journey for it to pick the signals up and it workes great and my speed detector which I only paid £20 for as my local Supermarket was having a closing down sale