Explorist Reception And Sd Cards.

[+Holytacoma]

I purchased a SanDisk 1GB Mini SD card off Ebay for a great price. This is my first GPS and my first experience with these types of memory cards. Not completely positive as to which card actually fit my Explorist 500, I ended up with a mini version SD card with an adapter for standard sized slots. I figured the mini card and adapter would fit my GPS one way or the other...

 

ANYway... I installed the card w/adapter into my explorist thinking i'll now be able to carry around oodles of geocaches everywhere I go . But now my GPS can't find any satellites! I always get pretty good reception even while sitting by my computer. Hmm... I removed the card and turned the unit back on. Almost instantly my gps regained it's reception and has already found 6 satellites! WTF! Of course I reinstalled the card and tried again. Same results as before. No satellites found. I had my Explorist format and test the card. Everything about the card works great except the fact that it seems to interfere with the antenna. I stood in the wide open park behind my house and could only pick up 2 or 3 satellites with a 2D fix. The card absolutely kills the reception.

Do all SD cards do this or just the "mini" cards with adapters? Has anyone had similar experience? Should I purchase a "standard" sized card and hope it doesn't kill reception? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[+Damenace]

I have an Explorist XL with a regular SD card currently installed and under a pavillion cover I was receiving 13 satellites. I would suspect it is a mini SD card issue.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Damenace

[Bookmonke]

Did you try the GPS without the card just to check it for reception, there is more metal in the mini card so it is possible to be a problem.

[+ScoutingWV]

If there's a problem with the card, I would have to think it's the specific card you have. Given that the unit is designed to use an SD card, an SD card shouldn't interfere with its use.

 

Is there a routine to initialize the card in your GPS (similar to formatting a disk)? Can your unit use a 1Gb card? Is it a low power consumption-type card (I have heard of these causing problems. Switching to the normal cards have proven to be the solution there)?

 

The only experience I have with SD cards and a GPS is with my GPSMap76CSx. The SD card that came with the unit is fine.

[+embra]

I've not heard of anyone using a mini-SD card with an explorist; it appears that you have been the pioneer who has discoverd that they don't work. (It is a little surprising if the mini-SD with adapter functions as a regular SD card in other places--e.g., a camera).

[+shadowhaus & tumbleweed]

Don't send it in to be repaired. You'll never see it again. : )

[+Jhwk]

Do all SD cards do this or just the "mini" cards with adapters? Has anyone had similar experience? Should I purchase a "standard" sized card and hope it doesn't kill reception? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

appears to be "just" the mini SD. Sad to hear. Can you take/send it back and exchange for a regular SD? Have a 1GB in my eX600 and love carrying around half the US in my pocket...

 

Good luck

[+GOT GPS?]

I had a MicroSD memory card in it's adaptor, plugged in my eXplorist XL, and it was causing problems, but can't remember if it effected the reception of the unit, but my 1 gig regular SD memory card is working good, and I am able to receive alot of satellites.

 

I believe that the metal in the SD adaptor card, may have acted like an antenna, picking up some stray signals, effecting the reception of the GPS unit.

 

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Funny that I can edit these posts, but the website says i AM not logged in when I try to view User Profiles, it says I need to log in, but the top left of the screen is showing me as logged in. Is there a time-out function with the website here?

Edited June 6, 2006 by GOT GPS?

[+user13371]

...Funny that I can edit these posts, but the website says i AM not logged in when I try to view User Profiles, it says I need to log in, but the top left of the screen is showing me as logged in. Is there a time-out function with the website here?

An aside... The login for forums.Groundspeak.com separate from the log-in for GeoCaching.com - two different systems, I dunno why.

[+EScout]

I had an SD card that got corrupted. I then put it in my Explorist 500 and it would not boot up.

 

As far as reception, the only thing I can think of is that the card/adapter causes RFI. There must be some electronics in the card/adapter that interferes with the electronics in the GPSr.

[+Holytacoma]

Okay so I traded my 1GB Mini SD Card w/ adapter for my father's regular sized 1GB SD Card he recently purchased for his camera. (lucky me, eh?) He tells me the mini SD Card & adapter work perfectly in his camera. And the regular sized SD Card works perfectly in my Explorist with no satellite communication problems whatsoever. I come to the conclusion that no Explorist owner should ever purchase a "Mini SD Card" (no matter how cheap it may be) as there is good chance it will kill the satellite reception. Of course it is still possible that it's only my unit that is acting this way, but I doubt it. I played around with both cards and always got the same results, no matter where I was.

 

It would be interesting if someone else out there could verify this issue. 'Nuff said.