Tom Tom Go has gone???

[mrrooij]

Originally Posted by Richard_TD

I don't think it will be a glass problem. If Tom Tom say it doesn't need an outside aerial they'll be right. Lots of cars have athermic glass.

I think it's electromagnetic interference from one of the car's electronic systems. With it being a brand new car it might be a new device that's just been added, or it could be something faulty.

As I was typing this I remembered that Volvo bendy buses always kill the signal to my DAB radio when they draw alongside, maybe it's something similar to that.

In any case I think it's Volvo you need to be speaking to, especially as Tom Tom seem to have done all they can.

In this thread (but also in this one: http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=123915 ) almost everybody is talking about the wind screen as it was the cause of the problem. I have only read 2 other opinions (as the one above)...

But a simple test shows the electromagnetic interference is caused by some internal electronics of the Volvo.

- If I mount my TomTom XL iQroutes 2nd edition to the right from the radio LCD-panel with the contact of the V50 switched off, I receive quickly a GPS signal of appr. 8 or more satellites.
- If I then switch the contact to position "I" or further (a zooming sounds starts) immediately the GPS signal receptions falls back to 2 to 4 satellites. And during driving the reception falls back to 0 many times. Only when I hold the TomTom in al little higher position the reception level returns most of the time.
- When I switch off the car completely, the signal still stays low (2-4 satellites). But after appr. 1 minute the zooming sound stops also and immediately the number of satellites increases to 8 or more again!!!

=> Conclusion: electromagnetic interference of a component in the Volvo.


A few more details:
- The same happens with a TomTom XL iQRoutes 2nd Edition and a Garmin 760.
- This problem might have been introduced with the update of the V50 in 2007/2008 because I see only people of having this version of C30's (but those have been introduced in that period haven't they?!).

I hope:
- someone can tell me which instrument / component is causing this interference
- someone can tell me if this signal can be prevented or reduced so that the whole GPS signal reception problem can be prevented or reduced. Maybe Volvo engineers themselves can look into this!

Kind regards,

Marcel

[mikealder]

If you are thinking its EMC interference from the car you need to locate whatever is running at 1575.42 MHz which is what civilian GPS uses.

As for using an external aerial, some older models are equipped with a socket for plugging a GPS external aerial in, the newer models are not fitted with such a socket as they are considered to be sensitive enough to effectively work as a stand alone unit in all conditions and cars - Mike

[v50inred]

I actually prefer to have my SatNav bottom right, not just because I am right handed but also because when I scan the mirrors the SatNav is right beside the side mirror whereas when I have put it in the middle I felt that I have to not just do a mirror scan but then look down away from the road for a second to look at the nav.

How do you find it with the nav repositioned OP, do you find it easier to check when moving?

All the vehicles at work have the VDO Dayton and MDT in the middle and I could never get on with the position, especially when driving the larger vehicle like the M-Reg Renault "BigFoot", the screen is so far away in that it is like it is another county, lol, though they have started to decommision them, boo. To be replaced with a Major Incident Trailer apparently...................