What to do if the navigator does not see satellites

Many motorists face a problem when the navigator does not see satellites. There are several reasons for this situation: the failure of the almanac, the composition of the automotive glass, the software failure, and the failure of the receiving antenna.

Almanac failure

Most often, the navigator does not see satellites because of the failure of the navigation almanac. The fact is that 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, then a hot start is used. Usually it takes about fifteen seconds to search for satellites. At the same time information about the almanac and orbits of satellites is stored in the memory of the device, which allows you to return to work for a short period of time. Also, the navigator does not need to request the receipt of ephemeris.

A warm start involves switching on the device in two to three minutes. The data about the almanac are downloaded from the navigator's memory, and the ephemerides are updated.

Cold start is the longest - about ten minutes. The navigator does not have any information about his position in space. First, the device receives almanac, and then - ephemeris, which allows the most accurate determination of the satellite's orbit. Navigators with traffic jams still have to connect to the Internet (this takes about one minute).

It is noteworthy that the data on the almanac do not lose their relevance for several months. Ephemerides "live" much less - two or three hours. When the above dates expire, the information needs to be updated. After that, the device is loaded in the cold start mode and it works quite normal. However, there are times when the almanac gets lost, the navigator does not see satellites until several hours. In this situation, you need to put the device on the open space and leave it in this position. After some time, he will return to normal operation.

Composition of automotive glass

By the way, the navigator does not see satellites on those cars where the athermal glass is used. It has a special composition that screens signals. The solution to the problem is to install the device near a special area for passing signals on the athermal glass.

Software Failure

In some cases, the navigator does not see satellites due to a software malfunction. To fix the problem, you need to reflash the device. Branded car navigators - "Garmin", "Navitel" and others - can be updated on the official website of the manufacturer. For Chinese devices, software is harder to find, but still real. Remember that you only need to flash the instrument 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.

The failure of the receiving antenna

This is the most serious reason for breaking communications with satellites. By the way, navigators use two types of antennas - external and solderable. Replacement of the soldered antenna is more expensive than external, but such devices break down on an order less often. Replace only with the service center.