Rand McNally Streetfinder & GPS

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
Hiya.. just bought the Streetfinder & GPS at my local Office Depot... $62 down from $100!! But the program won't find a GPS satellite while i'm in my house... is the program not working? I haven't gone outside to test it... but i hope i didn't just blow $60 for nothing... well.. the maps and trip planner are cool.. but not worth $60 if it doesn't work :(
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
<BUMP> someone's gotta have an answer!! i know there are other travelling geeks like me!
 
Oct 9, 1999
15,216
3
81
can you show me which model it is.. I would like to buy one too.

BY the way your house may be shielded. go near a window and try.
 

luv2chill

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2000
4,611
0
76
The first time you use the GPS it will take 15-20 minutes to get the signal from each satillite. The satellites transmit a &quot;hello I'm here&quot; signal every so often, and the GPS receiver must pick those up in order to determine your position.

You should definitely be outside for this initial step. Preferably, drive to an open area where your view of the sky is completely clear. Then turn on the StreetFinder program and let it situate itself. After it locates you that first time, subsequent satellite fixes shouldn't take very long.

Although sometimes I can get a fix inside away from windows, you're supposed to use the thing either outside or inside next to a window. The satellite signals aren't like radio waves--they can't penetrate very well.

If you go outside and still can't get a signal, there's probably something wrong with your receiver.

GPS has got to be one of the coolest things humans have ever come up with. My GPS receiver has come in so handy lately.

Good luck.

l2c
 

guyver01

Lifer
Sep 25, 2000
22,135
5
61
I got it to work today!! was outside in my car... went thru all the settings, and actually hadda change it to v1.5 GPS instead of the RandMcNally 2.0 ... and it locked!! And its so cool... tracked my car from home to work... the &quot;speed&quot; indicator was off... but the tracking was dead on!

 

Zucchini

Banned
Dec 10, 1999
4,601
0
0
yea i wonder how accuratge the speed is on these things, mine is consistently 4 miles below my speedometer:p is my gps right? or my car hehe