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SA0BUX
- Posts: 584
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:50 am
- Location: JO99ah, Stockholm, Sweden
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by SA0BUX » Sat Nov 25, 2023 6:47 am
N1LSJ wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 6:20 am
N1LSJ wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2023 7:51 pm
Just wanted to report that the GPS in my new RT-3S does work in the house but my even newer RT-90's GPS does not. I plan to dash mount the RT-90 so hope that will work well enough.
Just an update - with the radio running on my passenger seat the GPS never "sees" even a single satellite
. I hope it starts working when I mount the radio on the top of the dash?
Cars can have a coated windshield that block most of the GPS signals, signal boosters exists that use an outside antenna together with an
amplifier that radiates the signal inside the car.
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N1LSJ
- Posts: 77
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by N1LSJ » Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:45 am
I ran my RT90 (supposedly with GPS) for several hours on my dashboard and it never "saw" a single hint of a satellite
Is it possible that I was shipped a non-GPS radio?
Can the radio even detect whether it has a GPS?
My RT3S with GPS works fine on that dash - even works indoors
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SA0BUX
- Posts: 584
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:50 am
- Location: JO99ah, Stockholm, Sweden
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by SA0BUX » Tue Dec 05, 2023 8:51 am
N1LSJ wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:45 am
I ran my RT90 (supposedly with GPS) for several hours on my dashboard and it never "saw" a single hint of a satellite
Is it possible that I was shipped a non-GPS radio?
Can the radio even detect whether it has a GPS?
My RT3S with GPS works fine on that dash - even works indoors
If OpenGD77 detects NMEA data on the GPS input to the MCU during startup it presume that a GPS chip is attached and
enables the possibility to enabled it in options.
So , you have something in the radio that at least think it is an GPS.
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VK3KYY
- Posts: 7590
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- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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by VK3KYY » Tue Dec 05, 2023 9:08 am
Look in Options -> General options -> GPS
If this says "None" then your radio does not have a GPS
If it says "Off" then it has a GPS , and you will need to turn it on.
The firmware turns on the power to the GPS when the radio is turned on, and if a GPS is fitted , the GPS unit will send some data almost immediatly, i.e in about 1 second or less.
The first time the firmware is run if gets any data from the GPS, it changes the status of the Options -> General options -> GPS setting from None to Off
Hence if you radio still says None for GPS then the radio does not have a GPS module or the module is defective.
If it says None is far more likely that it simply does not have a GPS fitted, as there have never been any reports of GPS that are fitted but that are defective
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G4EML
- Posts: 930
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by G4EML » Tue Dec 05, 2023 10:42 am
The RT90/MD9600 has a plug in antenna. It is possible the antenna is unplugged / not fitted / faulty. GPS reception is probably not tested in the factory.
The GPS module and antenna is in the front panel.
Colin G4EML.
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N1LSJ
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by N1LSJ » Tue Dec 05, 2023 6:08 pm
Thanks for all your replies! Yes, I have GPS turned on so it must be installed. If background beaconing is ever enabled in the firmware I'll look into troubleshooting/fixing it
. Worst case I might buy another and use this one for a base station. I got it for $280 shipped on a sale so I'm not too unhappy.