Garmin GPS - 2610 keeps losing satellites

Author

2610 keeps losing satellites

Ivor Jones

2005-11-13, 5:48 pm

I have a 2610 that has worked faultlessly for the last 2 years, however
recently it's been acting up in that it keeps losing the signals from the
satellites. Looking at the status screen the signal levels do seem
somewhat lower than they used to be, but why..? I use an external magnetic
antenna on the roof of my car as I have a heated windscreen that blocks
the signal, could the connector to this be faulty..? I am constantly
plugging it in and unplugging it when I get in and out of the car as I
obviously don't want to leave the 2610 on show when I park up.

I did drop the thing a couple of months ago, onto a concrete floor from a
height of around 3ft, could this have damaged it internally..? It didn't
seem to affect it at the time, it's only in the last 3 or 4 weeks that
I've noticed the problem. I've heard tales of 2610's bouncing down the
road after a motorcycle crash and surviving, so would a short drop like
this have done any damage..?

Does anyone have any ideas before I ask Garmin (who will no doubt say send
it back and pay lots of money..!)

Ivor

Seth

2005-11-13, 5:48 pm

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
news:3tplghFu3eaqU1@
individual.net...
>
> I have a 2610 that has worked faultlessly for the last 2 years, however
> recently it's been acting up in that it keeps losing the signals from the
> satellites. Looking at the status screen the signal levels do seem
> somewhat lower than they used to be, but why..? I use an external magnetic
> antenna on the roof of my car as I have a heated windscreen that blocks
> the signal, could the connector to this be faulty..? I am constantly
> plugging it in and unplugging it when I get in and out of the car as I
> obviously don't want to leave the 2610 on show when I park up.
>
> I did drop the thing a couple of months ago, onto a concrete floor from a
> height of around 3ft, could this have damaged it internally..? It didn't
> seem to affect it at the time, it's only in the last 3 or 4 weeks that
> I've noticed the problem. I've heard tales of 2610's bouncing down the
> road after a motorcycle crash and surviving, so would a short drop like
> this have done any damage..?
>
> Does anyone have any ideas before I ask Garmin (who will no doubt say send
> it back and pay lots of money..!)

First thing I would do is try it without the external antenna (in another
persons car if necessary due to your windshield) or with a different
external antenna.

Are you sure you need an external antenna? My wife's windshield is pretty
tough to pass signals through and as such EZ-Pass gave her a license plate
mounted tag (as opposed to inside the glass) and my 2610 works fine with the
built-in antenna up on her dash.

Don Girard

2005-11-13, 11:48 pm

"Seth" < seth_lermanNOSPAM@ho
tmail.com> wrote in message
news:dRNdf.2382$lg.1707@news01.roc.ny...
====================
===snip=============
=============
> Are you sure you need an external antenna? My wife's windshield is pretty
> tough to pass signals through and as such EZ-Pass gave her a license plate
> mounted tag (as opposed to inside the glass) and my 2610 works fine with
> the built-in antenna up on her dash.
>
>
Had a similar problem in my wife's Rendezvous. The further I slid the 2610
toward the front of the car, the worst the reception was. With the aid of
my son-in-law, we discovered it was looking through the sun roof when it did
work. I now use an external antenna attached to the inside of the sun roof
with suction cups.

As for the original problem, might be the antenna wire is about to break
from all the connect/disconnecting. Check signal strength with external
antenna, then without by holding unit outside of window.

Don

Gerry Barnett

2005-11-14, 11:48 pm

Do you have an older Roady XM Radio? The original units could easily kill
the signal to my GPS. The Roady II is shielded much better and doesn't
affect the GPS. Just a thought.

Gerry

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote in message
news:3tplghFu3eaqU1@
individual.net...
>
> I have a 2610 that has worked faultlessly for the last 2 years, however
> recently it's been acting up in that it keeps losing the signals from the
> satellites. Looking at the status screen the signal levels do seem
> somewhat lower than they used to be, but why..? I use an external magnetic
> antenna on the roof of my car as I have a heated windscreen that blocks
> the signal, could the connector to this be faulty..? I am constantly
> plugging it in and unplugging it when I get in and out of the car as I
> obviously don't want to leave the 2610 on show when I park up.
>
> I did drop the thing a couple of months ago, onto a concrete floor from a
> height of around 3ft, could this have damaged it internally..? It didn't
> seem to affect it at the time, it's only in the last 3 or 4 weeks that
> I've noticed the problem. I've heard tales of 2610's bouncing down the
> road after a motorcycle crash and surviving, so would a short drop like
> this have done any damage..?
>
> Does anyone have any ideas before I ask Garmin (who will no doubt say send
> it back and pay lots of money..!)
>
> Ivor
>
>

Mark

2005-11-16, 2:48 am

"Ivor Jones" <ivor@despammed.invalid> wrote
:
: I have a 2610 that has worked faultlessly for the last 2 years, however
: recently it's been acting up in that it keeps losing the signals from the
: satellites. :
:
: /snipped
:
: Does anyone have any ideas before I ask Garmin (who will no doubt say send
: it back and pay lots of money..!)
:
: Ivor
:

The model is pretty popular. Is there anyone else you know with a 2610 so
that you can "compare" signals at any particular location? I've got a 2610
and live in the PL postcode area if thats a help (I have absolutely no idea
of your location).

Mark

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