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+--- Thread: System Blue GPS problem (/showthread.php?tid=2029)
System Blue GPS problem - Steve- - 2016-11-14
I have just finished building my new system blue. When I fired it up, the GPS worked but kept dropping out. Now it has stopped working at all. The only way I can get it to work is to power down for a good while and then power it up again. This enables it to work for a few minutes and then it shuts down again. Seems like a heat related problem, a dry joint maybe?
Can anyone help me to diagnose this please?
(I cant search for GPS in the forum because searching for three letter words is prohibited.)
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
Hi Steve,
Whereabouts are you? There is a problem specific to Japan and Australia, which is fixed in the latest firmware updates.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
https://forum.blitzortung.org/showthread.php?tid=1815&page=2
This link may provide some background.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - Steve- - 2016-11-15
Hello Dnh2016,
Thanks for the reply.
I am in Queensland, Australia, so have the same problem you had.
How do you send PMTK352,1
RE: System Blue GPS problem - Steve- - 2016-11-15
Found it.
Tools -> GPS -> GPS Command -> Individual
See how that goes.
Thanks again
RE: System Blue GPS problem - piepants - 2016-11-15
Steve,
If this is the problem, just update the firmware. It was fixed in Firmware 8.0 ("* fix: ignoring GPS messages from QZSS satellite"). I doubt you're running firmware that old though, so it might be another issue.
Do you have another GPS antenna you can try? I was using a cheap eBay antenna and losing the GPS fix quite regularly (availability on the controller page was about 60-80% most days). I had no errors in the log, apart from it noting that the GPS was unavailable. Swapped in another antenna from Adafruit which I'd used for a Raspberry Pi project, and all my problems went away.
This is the antenna I'm now using with no problems: https://www.adafruit.com/product/960
RE: System Blue GPS problem - Steve- - 2016-11-15
Hi piepants,
I am using
- Firmware Rev. 8.0-b5 BLUE / Jun 8 2016 10:34:04
I have sent PMTK352,1 and so far it seems to be working.
Time will tell.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
Do you know how to access the debug log? It would be good to see the output if the GPS fails again.
Welcome and happy tracking.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
OK; I've regressed to 8.0-b5, and I am having the same dreaded GPS problems.
2016-11-15 05:48:53 114 | GPS: Unknown sentence GNGSA etc...
So it looks as though that issue exists in that version.
Are you familiar with the firmware update procedure?
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
http://tracker.blitzortung.org/firmware/beta/
8.3b2_blue does not have the issue. I've switched back to it, and the problem immediately disappeared; however this is a beta version.
http://tracker.blitzortung.org/firmware/
8.2 has also been tested by me and it does not have the problem.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - piepants - 2016-11-15
Yup, that bug is fixed in newer firmware, so updating with one of the files DnH2016 linked will fix the issue permanently.
Just ensure you use a "Blue" firmware. Go to the controller page, click the Tools menu, then the "Firmware" button. Select the file you downloaded and follow the prompts!
RE: System Blue GPS problem - Steve- - 2016-11-15
It has been running fine since the PMTK352,1 command, so you were onto it.
I have now upgraded to
- Firmware Rev. 8.2 BLUE / Sep 29 2016 14:10:51
Thanks for your help.
RE: System Blue GPS problem - DnH2016 - 2016-11-15
Looks like you are in business... detecting strokes already!