GPS failure - help please

[jamesjermain]

I have an MLR 412 GPS which has behaved magnificently for four years.

A few days ago I turned it on and it was working perfectly. The next day I turned in on and it worked perfectly except that it would not pick up a single satellite. The Autotest comes up OK and the DGPS signal indicator shows a strong signal and high accuracy. There is no obvious break in the antanna cable and nothing else has changed in the electrical/electronic system.

Can anyone suggest what might have happened and, more to the point, whether I can cure it?


JJ

 

[ianwright]

No,,,,,,,, like tides it's chust a mystery. No doubt your pencil still works,,,,,,,,?
Try poking it with a cocktail stick, that's what I do with my VHF, pronounced dead and unrepearable by our local expert two years ago, it responds well to a poke with said sharp stick. Honestly!
Personally I find it hard to trust anything that doesn't need paraffin and a well trimmed wick.

IanW

Vertue 203, Patience

 

[Guest]

I had the same symptoms with a Micrologic 250. The repairer said it was caused by the internal lithium cell being dicharged.

 

[NigeCh]

JJ - JJ - JJ

There you are with all rescources to hand - Do a Google and get into Micrologic - It's as said below.

Cheers

NigeCh (Garmin 12 - easier internal battery change ... sorry that you will lose all previously inputted info )

 

[AndrewB]

Sounds like a zapped antenna

Exactly the same has happened twice to our Garmin 65 in its 8 years of stirling service. Both times following a thunderstorm. Replacing the antenna (not cheap) restored normal service.

 

[mikenda - delete]

Had the same thing happen to mine last month. It turned out to be dampness in the antenna (see also this months PBO letters) A good squirt of electrical claener and a toothbrush scrub of the PCB plus a night in the airing cupboard fixed it.

 

[Gunfleet]

<<Personally I find it hard to trust anything that doesn't need paraffin and a well trimmed wick.>>
Are you sure Ian? It must put you at a big disadvantage with women.

 

[claymore]

With all due respect - someone in your exalted position - and to whom we all turn for whatever - using a 4 year old piece of equipment. I cannot believe that your counterpart at SAIL will be using anything older than this season. Please James - replace it with the finest money can buy - think of your public, think of your standards.
It is nothing less than your duty.

regards
Claymore

 

[ianwright]

>>Are you sure Ian? It must put you at a big disadvantage with women.<<
Not really,,,,,,,,,, I've been happily married 25 years, I'm terrified of women, it's the training you know.

IanW.



Vertue 203, Patience

 

[DanTribe]

If your wick is properly trimmed and in good condition it will keep going all night!

 

[Gunfleet]

Oh you lucky man!

 

[ghostwriter]

Nige Nige Nige

stop being sensible , you get people confused you know ! ;-)

 

[Oceanranger]

I had the same problem 2 weeks ago with my MLR312, with the unit intermittently losing the satellites. After reading the PBO article I checked the antenna and found it to be badly twisted as it had been screwed into the mounting bracket. Trimming the damaged cable and then screwing the bracket onto the antenna before reattaching to the pushpit, in order to avoid twisting the cable, seems to have cured the problem.

 

[jamesjermain]

Thanks for all your help. I'll trim my wick, top up the paraffin, untwist my cable, dezap my antenna and renew my mortgage for a new set.

I checked for an internal battery but couldn't find one. I had been careful about not twisting the cable and the antenna is drizabone. Could be it got too close to a lighening strike. There have been a fair few in the Cargreen area recently, I'm told.


JJ