LX200 GPS Issues ????

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Hello everyone,

I am having some issues with the GPS on my LX200 GPS scope.

Once upon as time, I could turn it on and GPS sattellites woyuld be found in 30 seconds or so.

Now I find that the scope just keeps looking and looking for GPS sattellites and cant seem to find any.
The scope just syas GPS fix and keeps trying all night long if you let it.

Does anyone know how to test these ? or know how to access / dismantle the parts to check the connections of the cables etc.

Any help would be appreciated .

I have yet to try an allignment withoiut the GPS to see iof that works OK.

Rgds.

a frustrated Geoffro.

[Polmear (Tim)]

Hello Geoff

My guess...
Theoretically you should be able to do a 2 star alignment without GPS. Just make sure the time and date are set correctly and that your Lat/Long are set in your location. Oh, and maybe also check your altitude. Then get those stars centred.

I haven't had a lot of experience, but have found that the GPS alignment needs a bit of manual assistance anyway.

As for disassembly and repair...good luck. I wouldn't want to go there myself but it should be straightforward as long as you don't upset the encoders and such like.

[mozzie (Peter)]

hi geoff

long time no talk together have you tried easy 2 star alignment level tripod point north time date...etc...
isn't the gps on left fork so there isn't much else in there could be a bad connection (wires)or maybe dew or dampness in gps playing funny buggers give bintel a ring you maybe able to buy another one..

sometimes my one fixes satellites very quickly and other times can take sometime to make a fix..
hope this helps well have to catch up.....

[MikeyB (Michael)]

The Achilles heel of any GPS system is that the signal it is trying to acquire is very, very faint, hence easily obscured by local interference/obstructions. Has anything changed in the vicinty of the scope's usual location, particularly metal objects (eg. new fence, new shed, pergola roof, etc), or electrical sources (eg. new powerlines, neighbor's ham radio aerial, etc)? Any overhanging foliage that's grown?

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by Inmykombi

Hello everyone,

I am having some issues with the GPS on my LX200 GPS scope.

Once upon as time, I could turn it on and GPS sattellites woyuld be found in 30 seconds or so.

Now I find that the scope just keeps looking and looking for GPS sattellites and cant seem to find any.
The scope just syas GPS fix and keeps trying all night long if you let it.

Does anyone know how to test these ? or know how to access / dismantle the parts to check the connections of the cables etc.

Any help would be appreciated .

I have yet to try an allignment withoiut the GPS to see iof that works OK.

Rgds.

a frustrated Geoffro.

This is a problem I had with my GPS on the LX200 quite a few times.
If you don't get a fix before the window on the controller is half full of stars, you won't get a fix. I found that if I left it running like you have I never got a fix.

When this happened I just turned off and started again. Got a fix this time within 5 stars 90% of the time. If it didn't get a fix again turn off and start again. I never had to do this more than once.

My LX200 was in the observatory and the roof shut.

Barry

[AndrewJ]

If you are getting the asterixes on the hbx then the GPS
is getting data, but it's invalid, hence wont fix.
As a secondary test,
if you have a serial cable, you can connect to the scope
and send the ":gps#" command.
This should result in a gps string being returned
if the receiver is working.
If it is working,
The LX200s GPS unit keeps its almanac data alive
using a 3V battery mounted on the motherboard in the base
of the scope.
If this has died, the almanac data will be lost
and it can take up to 14mins on each
reboot before the GPS fixes
( as it has to reload the almanac on each boot ).
You can remove the bottom plate of the scope and remove
this battery very easily. Check if its flat and if so replace.
After that, one good fix and it should be back to normal.


Andrew

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Thanks to all that have replied.
I have a lot of information on what to try now.

Thanks heaps everyone, and When the rain clears again I will try these pieces of advice and try to remedy the problem.

I love my LX200 as some have dubbed " the coffee grinder " and I would love to get it back working properly again.

Cheers from ( raining again ) Central Coast of NSW .

Geoffro

[mozzie (Peter)]

Originally Posted by Inmykombi

Thanks to all that have replied.
I have a lot of information on what to try now.

Thanks heaps everyone, and When the rain clears again I will try these pieces of advice and try to remedy the problem.

I love my LX200 as some have dubbed " the coffee grinder " and I would love to get it back working properly again.

Cheers from ( raining again ) Central Coast of NSW .

Geoffro

hi geoff
and don't they make a nice coffee especially all them delights in the night sky

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by mozzie

hi geoff
and don't they make a nice coffee especially all them delights in the night sky

Sure do Mozzie.

I hope your big scope is going well.

[Inmykombi (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

If you are getting the asterixes on the hbx then the GPS
is getting data, but it's invalid, hence wont fix.
As a secondary test,
if you have a serial cable, you can connect to the scope
and send the ":gps#" command.
This should result in a gps string being returned
if the receiver is working.
If it is working,
The LX200s GPS unit keeps its almanac data alive
using a 3V battery mounted on the motherboard in the base
of the scope.
If this has died, the almanac data will be lost
and it can take up to 14mins on each
reboot before the GPS fixes
( as it has to reload the almanac on each boot ).
You can remove the bottom plate of the scope and remove
this battery very easily. Check if its flat and if so replace.
After that, one good fix and it should be back to normal.


Andrew

Andrew,

Thanks so much for your valued help.

You were spot on with your analysis of my trouble.
I replaced one dead battery and had to wait about 10 minutes for the data to reload.
I then turned it on and off a half a dozen times and it found the sattellites within 3 stars on the screen.

I want to thank you and everyone who replied.
We are so lucky to have this forum and very lucky indeed to have people willing to share info to keep our hobby ( Passion ) fun.

Cheers mate. Thx again.