Many motorists face a problem when the navigator does not see satellites. Several reasons can lead to this situation - a failure of the almanac, the composition of automobile glass, a software failure and a breakdown of the receiving antenna.
Almanac Failure
Most often, the navigator does not see satellites due to a failure of the navigation almanac. The fact is that determining the location of the device can take place in three ways: hot, warm and cold start.
If the device was turned off recently and then turned on again, a hot start is used. It usually takes about fifteen seconds to search for satellites. Moreover, information about the almanac and satellite orbits is stored in the device’s memory, which allows you to return to work in a short period of time. Also, the navigator does not need to request the receipt of ephemeris.
A warm start means turning on the device in two to three minutes. Almanac data is loaded from the navigator's memory, and the ephemeris is updated.
The longest
cold start is about ten minutes. The navigator has no information about his position in space. First, the device receives an almanac, and then ephemeris, which allow the most accurate determination of the satellite’s orbit. Traffic navigators still need to connect to the Internet (it takes about one minute).
It is noteworthy that the data on the almanac do not lose their relevance for several months. Ephemeris "live" much less - two to three hours. When the above deadlines expire, the information needs to be updated. After that, the device boots in cold start mode and works quite normally. However, there are times when the almanac gets off, the navigator does not see satellites until several hours. In this situation, you need to put the device in an open space and leave it in this position. After a while, he will return to normal operation.
Automotive glass composition
By the way, the navigator does not see satellites on those cars where athermal glass is used. It has a special composition that shields the signals. The solution to the problem is to install the device near a special area for passing signals located on athermal glass.
Software crash
In some cases, the navigator does not see satellites due to a software failure. To fix the problem, you should reflash the device. Brand car navigators - "Garmin", "Navitel", etc. - can be updated on the official website of the manufacturer. For Chinese devices, software is more difficult to find, but still real. Remember that you only need to flash the device with a fully charged battery!
If you are not so competent in replacing the software, then take the device to a service where specialists will perform a flashing for a small fee.
Receiving antenna failure
This is the most serious reason for the loss of communication with satellites. By the way, navigators use two types of antennas - external and soldered. Replacing a soldered antenna is more expensive than an external one, but such devices break down an order of magnitude less often. Replace only at the service center.