GPS Reception Problems with 396

Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

Outside the area, I've landed at other airports with no problems on
approach, etc. In cruise, everything is fine. Not sure what the issue
could be, but it is frustrating after paying so much for the product.
My GPSMAP 195 has NEVER lost sat lock as long as I've owned it.

This occured in two different aircraft (a Comanche, and an Arrow) one
of them even had a GNS 430 w/ a GTX 327, so I'm not thinking that it's
some kind of interferance issue.

Of course, I am using the external antenna, have upgraded to firmware
3.40, and have even done the almanac reset that was suggested by
support. No dice.

Anyone else with similar woes?

--Dan

In article .com,
"Dan" wrote:

Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

Outside the area, I've landed at other airports with no problems on
approach, etc. In cruise, everything is fine. Not sure what the issue
could be, but it is frustrating after paying so much for the product.
My GPSMAP 195 has NEVER lost sat lock as long as I've owned it.

This occured in two different aircraft (a Comanche, and an Arrow) one
of them even had a GNS 430 w/ a GTX 327, so I'm not thinking that it's
some kind of interferance issue.

Of course, I am using the external antenna, have upgraded to firmware
3.40, and have even done the almanac reset that was suggested by
support. No dice.

Anyone else with similar woes?

Someone else had the same problems a couple weeks ago.
They took the unit back to where they purchased it and were given a new
unit.
It sounds like Garmin made a bad batch that made it through QC to
purchase.
I wonder how long it will take before we see them as reconditioned units?

In article .com,
"Dan" wrote:
This occured in two different aircraft (a Comanche, and an Arrow) one
of them even had a GNS 430 w/ a GTX 327, so I'm not thinking that it's
some kind of interferance issue.

Of course, I am using the external antenna, have upgraded to firmware
3.40, and have even done the almanac reset that was suggested by
support. No dice.

Anyone else with similar woes?


Com radios can interfere with GPS signals, but I believe that Mike Spera
was suffering the same issues and performed some extensive
troubleshooting in his airplane. Eventually, I believe that he either
sent it back to Garmin, or had the Garmin dealer from whom he purchased
the unit do a swap.

I've found Garmin's support to be excellent, so you might want to give
them a call, explain your situation, and see what they're willing to do
for you.



JKG

Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396?

I know it's not quite the same unit, but the 496 seems to be made from
about 99.5% of 396 parts, so...

Nope. With 5 hours on the unit, and three major cross-country flights,
it's been rock solid from start up to shut down. (BTW: In the
automotive mode, a nice lady will announce, in her most sultry voice:
"Satellite reception lost..." There's no such thing in the aviation
mode, for some reason... :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Unfortunately, that lady is very chatty in aviation mode for me.... : )

--Dan



Jay Honeck wrote:
Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396?

I know it's not quite the same unit, but the 496 seems to be made from
about 99.5% of 396 parts, so...

Nope. With 5 hours on the unit, and three major cross-country flights,
it's been rock solid from start up to shut down. (BTW: In the
automotive mode, a nice lady will announce, in her most sultry voice:
"Satellite reception lost..." There's no such thing in the aviation
mode, for some reason... :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Dan wrote:
Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

Outside the area, I've landed at other airports with no problems on
approach, etc. In cruise, everything is fine. Not sure what the issue
could be, but it is frustrating after paying so much for the product.
My GPSMAP 195 has NEVER lost sat lock as long as I've owned it.

This occured in two different aircraft (a Comanche, and an Arrow) one
of them even had a GNS 430 w/ a GTX 327, so I'm not thinking that it's
some kind of interferance issue.

Of course, I am using the external antenna, have upgraded to firmware
3.40, and have even done the almanac reset that was suggested by
support. No dice.

Anyone else with similar woes?

--Dan

Mitch wrote:
Dan wrote:
Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

Outside the area, I've landed at other airports with no problems on
approach, etc. In cruise, everything is fine. Not sure what the issue
could be, but it is frustrating after paying so much for the product.
My GPSMAP 195 has NEVER lost sat lock as long as I've owned it.

This occured in two different aircraft (a Comanche, and an Arrow) one
of them even had a GNS 430 w/ a GTX 327, so I'm not thinking that it's
some kind of interferance issue.

Of course, I am using the external antenna, have upgraded to firmware
3.40, and have even done the almanac reset that was suggested by
support. No dice.

Anyone else with similar woes?

--Dan

In article . com,
"Mitch" wrote:

Does the 396 have RAIM?

Portable devices do not have RAIM.

"Dan" writes:

Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

According to this page (Jay Honeck had recently shared the URL elsewhere)
http://www.scn.org/~bk269/gps.html , certain nav/com frequencies can
prevent your handheld GPS from receiving signal.

It's likely, since it's in the same area, that you're tuning one of the
frequencies listed on that page.

I've always found that changing frequencies solved the problem; put up
your satellite status page, then get permission from ATC to go off
frequency. Turn OFF the radios (if you're in VFR and not using the NAV),
and you'll quickly know whether you've got a nav/com interference problem.

I first found this problem when I bought my Arrow (Narco panel), and had
this problem within the first day or two. I have had interference affect
my GPS Pilot III, 196, and 396.

-Jack

This looks useful. So the problem has to do with receiving rather than
trasmitting then?

If I have a frequency tuned (say an ATIS) but am not in range enough to
break the squelch, will I still experience the problem? Is it simply
the act of tuning the frequency, or the act of actually _receiving_
something on the frequency?

--Dan


Jack Cunniff wrote:
"Dan" writes:

Is anyone else having major GPS satellite reception problems with their
396? I've made two trips since getting the 396 and have noticed the
following...

After takeoff or on arrival within 5 miles of airports here in the
Phoenix Metro area I have _always_ experienced a loss of GPS signal.
This could happen even on a smooth, straight in approach (it's not that
I'm turning away from the satellites, etc.)

According to this page (Jay Honeck had recently shared the URL elsewhere)
http://www.scn.org/~bk269/gps.html , certain nav/com frequencies can
prevent your handheld GPS from receiving signal.

It's likely, since it's in the same area, that you're tuning one of the
frequencies listed on that page.

I've always found that changing frequencies solved the problem; put up
your satellite status page, then get permission from ATC to go off
frequency. Turn OFF the radios (if you're in VFR and not using the NAV),
and you'll quickly know whether you've got a nav/com interference problem.

I first found this problem when I bought my Arrow (Narco panel), and had
this problem within the first day or two. I have had interference affect
my GPS Pilot III, 196, and 396.

-Jack