When I bought the car I never had a problem with the gps getting satellite signal, of course I always had the radio on when I was driving somewhere. About two months ago I got to work early and played around with the radio/NAV and must have turned something on. Don't use my Garmin Nuvi that much but now when I try to use it I have to turn off the radio for it to get reception.
Anyone know what is going on? It is definitely the radio because when I turn it off, the GPS works fine and the minute I turn the radio on, it loses signal.

 

If the radio in your car is NAV equipped if could be somehow overriding / interfering with the garmin signal. Try turning off the NAV in your radio. Otherwise I have no idea what could be preventing the garmin from receiving the signal.

 

Yes, I have a SRT-6 with NAV. How do I turn that function off?

 

Push the Nav button to turn it off (I think) or push the FM button to put it to FM mode. No time for me to look right now but if you don't have your NAV manual, here's a link. Starts on page 53. Looks like pushing RAD may allow for radio even in NAV mode. Lot's of language about interference etc. Pretty sure it has to do with being in NAV mode.


Hope it works

Edited: Here's the link to the page on the forum where you can access the NAV users manual.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ollection.html

 

That's a link to the C: drive on your computer.

 

Crap. Oh well. The manual is on the forum!

 

The last time I looked you can still buy the manual from the Tech Authority and that was today, $12.00 each plus postage etc.
CLICK

 

I gotta tell ya, this is an odd one. Your NAV head does not transmit any signal, neither does your Garmin, they both simply listen to the 1.5 gHz signal from the sky.

Each receiver's local oscillator will radiate a TINY amount, but I can't see that radiation being enough to cause the mixer in either to mask.

I'd REALLY like to see a demo of this. I"m sitting in the lunchroom with the former head of R&D who holds a Master's in EE and has several RF-related patents on antenna design and when I described this one to him, he looked like I felt: "What the hell????"...................


Just to be clear: You refer to the "radio/NAV" - is this unit the factory one or an aftermarket replacement?

 

Yes, it is the factory radio with NAV. I have no need to buy a manual since I downloaded it already and couldn''t find anything about turning it off. When I press the NAV button it asks for the CD to be inserted. I am away from the car, out of town but on the right side of the display there is GPS data such as says something about the gps on the first line, the the next two lines down have letters a semi colon then zero. When I get home I can take a short video but don't know how you can view it?
Should I move this to troubleshooting or am I fine in this area?

 

This is the right area for this problem.

I have not had a NAV head in a Crossfire since I owned the original Red one, I sold it in 2010. I can't remember how you get the screen away from the "Bird Data" stuff - but you make it SOUND like the NAV receiver is only active when that data is shown AND that the NAV receiver in it is interfering with the Garmin's receiver. I still can't see how that can be, I wish I was in the area to take a look at it.

 

When I get home tomorrow I will take a pic of what the screen says just in case that sparks an idea of what is going on.

 

I got one for you, not public yet though. The device is emitting enough radiation to desense the GPS BER rate to render the data unusable. Satellite is around -130 dBish noise floor raises by 20-30 dB when the GPS antenna cable is close to the radiating device.

 

Can you use an external antenna with the Nuvi?

 

This is what I think is interfering with my Garmin.

No external antenna for my Garmin.
Here is the picture I promised, I wonder if there is a reset on this radio? I think I will do some reading of the confusing manual to see if that is a good idea.

 

Ok, try this:

Go to Walmart of Autozone and get a set of "radio keys" and yank the head out of the dash.

At the back of the AM/FM/CD/NAV head will be two black antenna cables, unplug the SMALL (GPS) one. Slide head back into dash and try THAT.

If the L.O. of the NAV unit is radiating, it' would most likely radiate thru the cable/antenna of the GPS in the NAV.

If that does not do it, well, I tried.

 

Here ya go:


https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-D...q3ZxQ7N2CpLCpQ

 

I went to the dealership and had them pop the radio out, for free. Then pulled the GPS antenna, so now I have a error message on the radio but no interference with my Garmin. So it is a workaround but it does the job. Thanks

 

I guess no one remembers in the parking lot of the Fontana village in 2011 when my Megellan gps did the same thing. in fact i stopped at walmart and bought a garmin thinking mine was bad. in the parking lot that afternoon, with Rudy and 10 to 15 other people,all with their GPS in hand and my two of them,,, once anyone got NEAR my car (with my engine running) their aftermarket gps would not work, we tried everything to make the gps's work,trying everything to shut off the single from the car. so the aftermarket gps would work, ,after a while maybe 1 1/2 hours, Rudy said he could disconnect the antenna to see if that would work, once the antenna was disconnected ALL the aftermarket gps's worked fine,, we also tested the above with 8 or 9 other cars including two other srt6"s none of them stopped the gps's from working except my car, About 3 weeks ago, 7 years later i connected my antenna to my radio ,,,,,,the funny part is,,when i connected my antenna someone somewhere with a crossfire, their aftermarket gps stopped working,,,boy does my car have power lol. jim

 

I don't remember that, Jim.

But, of course, the ONLY time I drink is at the Dragons.


So, we now know that the GPS receiver in our NAV units is noisy as hell. Just add that to the list of reasons to get the hell rid of that damn head unit.