Avidyne Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Avidyne General > IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - IFD440s take a long time to connect to GPS
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

IFD440s take a long time to connect to GPS
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
D-EACY View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 29 Dec 2018
Location: Munich
Status: Offline
Points: 92 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote D-EACY Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: IFD440s take a long time to connect to GPS
    Posted: 02 Apr 2021 at 4:29am
I got two IFD440s in 2018 for my SR22. I really like them but after 1.5 years they started to take a long time to connect to GPS. I sent the logs to Avidyne and they told me that the "GPS boards were defective" and from a bad batch and they exchanged them for two other units of the same vintage.

Now it started again, sometimes it takes up to five minutes until i get the ownship signal. The GPS signal page inly shows three satellites for the first three or four minutes. The #1 unit also takes much longer to load the database than #2.

Any ideas? 
2006 SR22-G2 DFC90 IFD440
Back to Top
D-EACY View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 29 Dec 2018
Location: Munich
Status: Offline
Points: 92 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote D-EACY Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 4:14am
Nobody but me has this symptom? Really?
2006 SR22-G2 DFC90 IFD440
Back to Top
Gring View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 30 Dec 2011
Location: Kingston, NY
Status: Offline
Points: 720 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gring Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 7:43am
mine have been stable and only take slightly longer when the plane sat for awhile.
Back to Top
D-EACY View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 29 Dec 2018
Location: Munich
Status: Offline
Points: 92 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote D-EACY Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 May 2021 at 4:31am
Is it normal that after five minutes the GPS status page looks like this? The moment I took the picture my iPhone showed 20 satellites in sight ...
2006 SR22-G2 DFC90 IFD440
Back to Top
Gring View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 30 Dec 2011
Location: Kingston, NY
Status: Offline
Points: 720 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gring Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 May 2021 at 8:01am
No.  If you haven’t flown in awhile, it may take slightly longer to acquire satellites, but even then, it is less than a minute.
Back to Top
chflyer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 24 Jan 2013
Location: LSZK
Status: Offline
Points: 1022 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 May 2021 at 9:07am
Do you have an active FPL? My experience is that GPS acquisition is quicker and more stable once an FPL has been entered and activated.
Vince
Back to Top
D-EACY View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 29 Dec 2018
Location: Munich
Status: Offline
Points: 92 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote D-EACY Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 May 2021 at 5:06am
No, there was no active FPL in this case. I do not use a FPL when doing local flights.

Both units were exchanged by Avidyne some months ago for the very same reason. Avidyne wanted me to download the logs back then and then they told me that "both GPS boards are defective".

But now, again, it sometimes takes more than 5 minutes until GPS is locked on.
(I fly 2 times per week most weeks)
2006 SR22-G2 DFC90 IFD440
Back to Top
PA23 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 12 Oct 2019
Location: MMU
Status: Offline
Points: 292 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PA23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 May 2021 at 10:18am
How old are the GPS antennas?  The WAAS antennas are powered units and are not passive devices.  I've had one on my plane and one on a friends plane go bad.  The symptoms were slow to acquire a lock, occasional loss of position, and eventually it wouldn't get a position at all.
Back to Top
psimpson View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 23 Oct 2015
Location: Hays KS
Status: Offline
Points: 72 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote psimpson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2021 at 9:08am
Once in a great while one of mine won't find any thing and I have to reboot. Otherwise mine always have a fix before I do a runup.

I have a 496 in my 206 and it's internal battery must be weak or dead because if I don't fly for a while it is completely lost as far as date and location
Back to Top
chflyer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 24 Jan 2013
Location: LSZK
Status: Offline
Points: 1022 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 4:37am
Both my units now seem to only get a GPS fix once I activate a route. Even after 10 minutes there is no GPS fix on either 540 or 440. Rebooting doesn't do anything. As soon as I hit the "activate route" button, both GPS indicators switch instantly from yellow to green. This looks like a bug to me. Anyone else have this issue, beyond the comments above?
Vince
Back to Top
LarryPetro View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Status: Offline
Points: 66 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LarryPetro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 9:21am
Originally posted by chflyer chflyer wrote:

Both my units now seem to only get a GPS fix once I activate a route. Even after 10 minutes there is no GPS fix on either 540 or 440. Rebooting doesn't do anything. As soon as I hit the "activate route" button, both GPS indicators switch instantly from yellow to green. This looks like a bug to me. Anyone else have this issue, beyond the comments above?

My dual IFD440s have had the same behavior recently. Both units had 7+ satellites with good signals.
Larry Petro - Columbia 350 @ KFME
Back to Top
LarryPetro View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Status: Offline
Points: 66 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LarryPetro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 9:25am
Both IFDs have been at 10.2.6.1 for approximately one year.
Larry Petro - Columbia 350 @ KFME
Back to Top
dmtidler View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2016
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 616 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote dmtidler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 9:31am
Originally posted by chflyer chflyer wrote:

Both my units now seem to only get a GPS fix once I activate a route. Even after 10 minutes there is no GPS fix on either 540 or 440. Rebooting doesn't do anything. As soon as I hit the "activate route" button, both GPS indicators switch instantly from yellow to green. This looks like a bug to me. Anyone else have this issue, beyond the comments above?

Believe it or not, this is neither new behavior for your IFD's nor a bug. The yellow GPS nav indicator does not turn green until the respective IFD has a good GPS lock and also has an active GPS leg. The following screenshot is from the IFD540 PG with the relevant statement highlighted:



Outside of the AUX - SYS - GPS Status page, are several other indications to the IFD having a GPS lock prior to the IFD having an active GPS leg. Some of these indications include: 
  • traffic thumbnail datablock no longer having a red X through it
  • traffic information displaying on the map or traffic thumbnail
  • datablock information such as GPS AGL, GS, Dist, and Rad information displayed
  • Current track displayed on the MAP
  • WiFi connected IFD100 shows a CHART tab (provided the IFD100 is set to use charts).
  • I think even having agency identifiers for local frequencies in the active and standby com slots require the IFD to have a GPS lock, otherwise COM is displayed.  


Edited by dmtidler - 15 Apr 2022 at 9:52am
Back to Top
chflyer View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 24 Jan 2013
Location: LSZK
Status: Offline
Points: 1022 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chflyer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 9:52am
Many thanks.

Funny how I never actually realized this. One statement in the manual in a section describing approach indications is a bit hidden out of plan sight though. That information should go in the main text at a more prominent location. As I almost always have a route to fly, this has never been an issue. I guess it is time to re-read the manual.

The last suggestion about com frequency station names is a very quick and readily available indication, if it really does confirm a GPS lock, since one of those frequencies is inevitably the last used before shutdown.
Vince
Back to Top
dmtidler View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2016
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 616 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dmtidler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 9:54am
Originally posted by chflyer chflyer wrote:

Many thanks.

Funny how I never actually realized this. One statement in the manual in a section describing approach indications is a bit hidden out of plan sight though. That information should go in the main text at a more prominent location. As I almost always have a route to fly, this has never been an issue. I guess it is time to re-read the manual.

The last suggestion about com frequency station names is a very quick and readily available indication, if it really does confirm a GPS lock, since one of those frequencies is inevitably the last used before shutdown.

I will verify that last point the next time I go fly.
Back to Top
dmtidler View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 12 Feb 2016
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 616 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dmtidler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 7:30pm
Verified - the agency identifiers for local frequencies in the active and standby com slots indicate COM until shortly after GPS lock, then the proper com agency identifier is displayed. 
Back to Top
LarryPetro View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie
Avatar

Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Status: Offline
Points: 66 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LarryPetro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 7:37pm
Originally posted by dmtidler dmtidler wrote:

Verified - the agency identifiers for local frequencies in the active and standby com slots indicate COM until shortly after GPS lock, then the proper com agency identifier is displayed. 

Thanks for those point outs. They will be useful to check the status of the IFD before I taxi out and without the need to activate a flight plan.
Larry Petro - Columbia 350 @ KFME
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.148 seconds.