iFly GPS Forum

I just assembled my Stratux recently and elected to install the VK-162 external GPS.

Today, it was not flyable weather, but I pulled the plane out on the ramp in front of the hangar so the GPS would have a good view of the satellites and booted the Stratux.  (My VK-162 is mounted in my Zenith 750 on the glareshield where it meets the windshield - this gives it a completely unobstructed view of the sky.)

I went to 192.168.10.1 and everything seemed to be working great except the GPS didn't have a fix.  I expected this since it is a new GPS and I know they have to download an almanac, etc., to start finding satellites and calculating a fix.  However, for 30 minutes, nothing changed - it would occasionally report "seeing" 1 or 2 satellites, but no more than that.  I tried a reboot and the same thing seems to be going on for over an hour now - only seeing 1-2 satellites and not progressing beyond that.  There is another GPS running in the plane and it has no problems seeing 6-7 satellites at least!

Do I just need to give it more time?  Could the other GPS be affecting the VK-162's reception?  The pucks are right next to each other, but I think the other puck is an antenna only and not a complete GPS inside the puck, if that makes any difference.

You can also plug the VK-162 directly into a 5v charger and leave it on the car dash overnight or while at work (if parked outside) to give it more time.  I sit new or stale ones out in the yard like this and eventually they'll get a lock.  Subsequent locks only take a minute or two unless the almanac data has perspired..

I've already got the VK-162's last few feet of cord on the GPS end secured with zip-ties and it's a PITA to get under the panel and cut them out!  However, all my other GPS's have always easily gotten a fix even inside my hangar, so I took a portable 12v "jump pack" over and plugged a USB adapter into it and the GPS into the adapter.  Figured I'll leave it until tomorrow and see if it has picked up more satellites.  If no GPS fix and it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'll push the plane out on the ramp and leave it there with the GPS powered.  That's interesting - I never realized that a USB GPS could autonomously derive a fix - figured it had to be plugged into some sort of computer in addition to power.  Learn something new every day!  :>)