+GHOTI123 Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Has anyone ever had the problem like mine? When I turn on my laptop, I lose my GPSr signal and can't pick up any satelites. I can only guess that the laptop is putting out some kind of interference. Anyone in the know out there can share your experience with me so hopefully I can fix this. Quote Link to comment
AJK Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 When I have my legend in my car mount it loses sat lock if I put the CD player on..... no hints on how to stop it though.. Quote Link to comment
vagabond Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 No problems with my maggy gold and my gateway, use them together all the time Quote Link to comment
+tirediron Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Has anyone ever had the problem like mine? When I turn on my laptop, I lose my GPSr signal and can't pick up any satelites. I can only guess that the laptop is putting out some kind of interference. Anyone in the know out there can share your experience with me so hopefully I can fix this. Is your laptop wireless or bluetooth enabled? Those are the only two features I would think would transmit enough power to affect it. Try disabling them if they are. If that doesn't work, then I am guessing you probably have a bad power supply which is causing a 60cycle "buzz" and messing things up. The same would probably be true of the CD player. The most likely cause there would be a bad ground. Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 How close to your laptop is your GPSr when it is affected. Have you moved it away some and see if it works OK. Is there anything plugged into your laptop when this happens, such as power supply, mouse, USB cables, your GPSr cable. Make sure that all of your cables have ferrite beads, especially your GPSr cable. As I recall, my Garmin cable has one built-in, my Meridian cable does not. The bead is a lump you see in many cables attached to devices. The bead should be as close to the computer as possible. You can get snap-on beads that you can attach to any cable. They act as a resister to radio frequency interference that often travels along cables and are released as if an antenna. Computers generate a large amount of RF, as I have seen at my desk computer next to my High Frequency (short wave) receiver. I have put ferrites on every cable, including keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc. The reduction in noise is substantial. Quote Link to comment
+S.A.R 29 Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 I use a Dell laptop with a Garmin 12xl and also a Delorme Earthmate. Both work great. The gpsr is within less than 16 inches. Quote Link to comment
+New England n00b Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 eTrex Legend and a (shudder) Compaq laptop. No problems here. Quote Link to comment
+Logscaler and Red Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 HP Pavilion with XP Home and Mag 330. Right now, they are about 4 inches apart and no troubles. In the rig, upwards of 3 feet with no troubles. I would also say something running in the background is causing the trouble. logscaler Quote Link to comment
+GHOTI123 Posted July 7, 2004 Author Share Posted July 7, 2004 I dont have the gpsr pluged into the laptop, nor do I have any kind of wifi devices enabled. I just have the laptop running on battery power. If I put the laptop in the back seat it still causes problems, just not so much. It must be just something in my laptop causing some noise. I guess I can live with it. Its just nice to be able to look at PQ in the car and not have the gpsr go out while doing it. (not driving of course) Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 In my previous reply, I mentioned ferrites on cables existing a computer, because this prevents these cables from being an effective antenna transmitting interference. This usually cuts down the interference enough to stop it. If you are getting interference without cables, your laptop is generating radio interference in sufficient amount and at a frequency to cause problems. You could try a different brand GPSr. The only other thing that could help is using an external antenna for your GPSr, or increasing the distance of the computer, or putting the computer in a mesh cage, grounded to the body of the car...... Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 Has anyone ever had the problem like mine? When I turn on my laptop, I lose my GPSr signal and can't pick up any satelites. I can only guess that the laptop is putting out some kind of interference. Anyone in the know out there can share your experience with me so hopefully I can fix this. Is your laptop wireless or bluetooth enabled? Those are the only two features I would think would transmit enough power to affect it. Try disabling them if they are. If that doesn't work, then I am guessing you probably have a bad power supply which is causing a 60cycle "buzz" and messing things up. The same would probably be true of the CD player. The most likely cause there would be a bad ground. My guess would also be the power supply, My desktops power supply was messing broadcast am radio into the street in front of my house untill I replaced the power supply. Computers can put out quite a bit of RFI. This is why electronic devices are required to be FCC compliant. Quote Link to comment
+IV_Warrior Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I've had 2 different laptops, and 3 different GPS units (Garmin Etrex Vista, Magellan Meridian Gold, and Delorme Earthmate USB) and haven't seen a problem. Laptops were sometimes running on battery power, and sometimes running off an inverter...... Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 IV_Warrior: I'll bet you do not have the same laptop/GPSr combo that GHOTI123 has. I have had many desktop and laptops and some produce a great deal of RFI. I have heard it cause interference on LF, HF, VHF and UHF (weak signal) bands. It sounds like GHOTI123 has identified that it is his laptop (by moving it and turning it on/off.) Not much more he can do. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 I've had 2 different laptops, and 3 different GPS units (Garmin Etrex Vista, Magellan Meridian Gold, and Delorme Earthmate USB) and haven't seen a problem. Laptops were sometimes running on battery power, and sometimes running off an inverter...... I'll your lap tops are not defective Quote Link to comment
2oldfarts (the rockhounders) Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 If there is a computer repair shop near you have them check the power supply (not the battery) for RF output. If it is getting weak it may be putting out more RF interference. John Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 You might even try holding a portable radio by you computer while the computer is turned on, if it is the power supply it may also cause RFI for you radio. Quote Link to comment
+shunra Posted July 8, 2004 Share Posted July 8, 2004 The gpsr is within less than 16 inches. Now that's what I'd call pin-point accuracy! Quote Link to comment
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