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Cellular forums Home > Archive > Garmin GPS > September 2007 > Can't get WAAS satellites when friend does
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Can't get WAAS satellites when friend does
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| Hi, I was out biking with a friend the other day. We both have the
same GPS- the 60CSx. On his satellite screen he had satellites showing
Ws under them 9he said it indicated WAAS), mine showed nothing but
regular bars.
I'm set for WAAS
I don't have the Battery saver mode on
Any suggestions?
Thanks and please email me at: vista2@cablelan.net as I'm quite
anxious to get going with more accurate tracking.
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| skmort@lanset.com 2007-09-13, 4:33 am |
| On Sep 12, 11:28 pm, ceb <vis...@cablelan.net> wrote:
> Hi, I was out biking with a friend the other day. We both have the
> same GPS- the 60CSx. On his satellite screen he had satellites showing
> Ws under them 9he said it indicated WAAS), mine showed nothing but
> regular bars.
>
> I'm set for WAAS
> I don't have the Battery saver mode on
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks and please email me at: vis...@cablelan.net as I'm quite
> anxious to get going with more accurate tracking.
OK, you didn't mention how long you have been trying to get the WAAS
signal?? On my GPS60 it took about 25 minutes for the first full
search! The search for WAAS satellites may be about the same for the
Csx??? It starts with sat. ID 33 and searches for a couple of
minutes then moves on to the next,,, it will take a while to get to
the two new WAAS birds ID # 48 and 51
Once the GPS has acquired the info, it will jump to those Birds first
the next time it is turned on! If for some reason my GPS doesn't
find those birds, it will start a new (25 to 30 minute) search until
one of those birds pops back into view!
Hope this helps,
SKM
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| Ron Schmars 2007-09-13, 10:33 pm |
| On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:28:09 -0700, ceb <vista2@cablelan.net> wrote:
>Hi, I was out biking with a friend the other day. We both have the
>same GPS- the 60CSx. On his satellite screen he had satellites showing
>Ws under them 9he said it indicated WAAS), mine showed nothing but
>regular bars.
>
>I'm set for WAAS
>I don't have the Battery saver mode on
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks and please email me at: vista2@cablelan.net as I'm quite
>anxious to get going with more accurate tracking.
I have a 60CS and a 60CSx and the both get a D on the bar not a W
under it when WAAS corrected.
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| Good thought but we were both out the same amount of time and I'd been
riding there for TONS of miles in the prior weeks so that can't be it,
I think.
>
> OK, you didn't mention how long you have been trying to get the WAAS
> signal?? On my GPS60 it took about 25 minutes for the first full
> search! The search for WAAS satellites may be about the same for the
> Csx??? It starts with sat. ID 33 and searches for a couple of
> minutes then moves on to the next,,, it will take a while to get to
> the two new WAAS birds ID # 48 and 51
>
> Once the GPS has acquired the info, it will jump to those Birds first
> the next time it is turned on! If for some reason my GPS doesn't
> find those birds, it will start a new (25 to 30 minute) search until
> one of those birds pops back into view!
>
> Hope this helps,
> SKM
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| On Sep 13, 3:16 pm, Ron Schmars <ronnos...@schmars.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 12 Sep 2007 23:28:09 -0700, ceb <vis...@cablelan.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> I have a 60CS and a 60CSx and the both get a D on the bar not a W
> under it when WAAS corrected.
I get no letters at all. Just the bars.
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| skmort@lanset.com 2007-09-14, 4:33 am |
| On Sep 12, 11:28 pm, ceb <vis...@cablelan.net> wrote:
> Hi, I was out biking with a friend the other day. We both have the
> same GPS- the 60CSx. On his satellite screen he had satellites showing
> Ws under them 9he said it indicated WAAS), mine showed nothing but
> regular bars.
>
> I'm set for WAAS
> I don't have the Battery saver mode on
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks and please email me at: vis...@cablelan.net as I'm quite
> anxious to get going with more accurate tracking.
OK, lets try this again,, on the GPS60 the last two bars on the right
are the ones which look for and eventually lock onto the WAAS
satellites if WAAS is enabled! The ID numbers under the last two
bars correspond to the satellites being searched for and or locked on
to! If those bars are not showing WAAS ID numbers, (#33 through
about #55), then for what ever reason the GPS is not enabled, or not
functioning properly??? (Assuming that the Csx is similar to the
60???)
SKM
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| Hinkle 2007-09-16, 10:33 pm |
| I was trying to duplicate this on my 76DSx and my HCx.
On both, I get a "D" on the bar when WAAS (I think) is active. And it
seems the left-most bars go WAAS before the right-most bars. Oh well.
In any event, I have combed through my manuals and cannot find any reference
to any letters on the bars. In addition, there seems to be a lot more
ommissions that should be in the manuals. Is there a "Dummys Guide" to
understanding a GPS?
Ralph
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| peter 2007-09-16, 10:33 pm |
| On Sep 13, 11:44 pm, ceb <vis...@cablelan.net> wrote:
> Good thought but we were both out the same amount of time and I'd been
> riding there for TONS of miles in the prior weeks so that can't be it,
> I think.
I think that skm (below) had it right. Just because you were out for
the same amount of time *on this trip* doesn't mean much. The *first*
time you acquire the WAAS satellites will take a significant period of
time and your GPS will need a good clear view of the southern sky
(assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) so it can see the WAAS
satellites as it cycles through the list. If you're moving around
then it may well be looking for a satellite that happens to be blocked
at the time. Then when it continues to cycle through the possible
satellite numbers it won't get back to looking for the right one for
quite some time.
So sometime when you can leave your GPS out for an extended period of
time (around half an hour), pick a spot with a clear horizon across
the whole southern sky and let the unit try to acquire the WAAS
satellites (obviously with WAAS enabled and in NORMAL mode). Once
it's found the WAAS satellites that are visible from your area then
subsequent locks on them will be much easier and faster.[color=darkred]
>
>
>
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| Leonard 2007-09-17, 10:33 am |
| This is Garmins information on WAAS.
The origins of WAAS
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of
Transportation (DOT) are developing the WAAS program for use in
precision flight approaches. Currently, GPS alone does not meet the
FAA's navigation requirements for accuracy, integrity, and
availability. WAAS corrects for GPS signal errors caused by
ionospheric disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors, and it
provides vital integrity information regarding the health of each GPS
satellite.
How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned
across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master
stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference
stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts
for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by
the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is
then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or
satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is
compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-
enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.
Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America.
There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even
though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been
corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For
some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the
equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or
mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is
ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended
coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS
(differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not
require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.
Other governments are developing similar satellite-based differential
systems. In Asia, it's the Japanese Multi-Functional Satellite
Augmentation System (MSAS), while Europe has the Euro Geostationary
Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Eventually, GPS users around the
world will have access to precise position data using these and other
compatible systems.
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| skmort@lanset.com 2007-09-17, 10:33 pm |
| On Sep 13, 11:45 pm, ceb <vis...@cablelan.net> wrote:
> On Sep 13, 3:16 pm, Ron Schmars <ronnos...@schmars.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> I get no letters at all. Just the bars.
FYI, The normal GPS satellites are in orbits which take them around
the earth in about 12 hours, so you will see the same satellite twice
per day! If you watch long enough you can watch the GPS satellite
Icons, (with ID #) move across your GPS Screen! There are about 25
or 30 of those! The WAAS satellites are fixed over the equator like
the C band and small dishes TV satellites! As long as you are in a
general area, the WAAS Icons (with ID #) will remain in the same place
on the GPS screen! On my GPS60 the Satellite ID numbers are listed
under the signal bars, (as well as in the Satellite Icon),, if
there is correction data being used, a D will be visible in the signal
bar!
They have decommissioned the two older WAAS satellites and now have
two new WAAS satellites, which came on line in July 2007! They are
GALAXY 15, PRN 135 = ID 48 = NORAD # 28884 located at 133 West
longitude and ANIK F1R, PRN 138 = ID 51 = NORAD # 28863 located at
107.5 West longitude! Not only do they send correction data for the
other GPS satellites, they also send ranging and correction data for
themselves, as can be noted by a D in their signal strength bars!
If for some reason the WAAS signal strength bar is hollow, it means
they are not sending ranging data for themselves, but may still be
sending correction data for the other Satellite! In that case there
won't be a D in their signal bar!
The older Patch antenna GPS units may need a clear view, especially if
the GPS is at a steep angle to the WAAS satellite,,, my old Etrex
units did need clear view with the old WAAS satellite locations,,
which were at 54 West and 178 East longitude! With the new location,
my GPS60 with the Helix antenna sees a strong signal even in my house,
here in northern Calif!
You can use the following link to find the true and magnetic azimuth
to any satellite that sits at the equator! Just plug in the
Longitude of the satellite and the latitude and longitude of your GPS
location and hit calculate,,, it is used to aim TV satellite dishes
so there is more info than you need, but it works for finding the
azimuth and elevation to WAAS satellites too! Notice you do not use
N,S,E,W use + (Plus) for north and east - (Minus) for south and
west! For the two WAAS satellites use -133 and -107.5,, I hope this
is helpful!
http://www.satsig.net/ssazelm.htm
SKM
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