GP1870F No Fix

[Pmac]

I have an older GP1870F chart plotter. Last summer it just suddenly stopped working. The No Fix indicator is on in the top left corner and it doesn't want to pick up a satellite... I may have ejected the SD card without waiting for the okay from the unit. Would that have caused a problem? I have another card (different chart) which I tried, its a new chart/ new card but it doesn't fix either. Any hints on what I can do to remedy this?

 

[TheReaper]

That (chart card) would not have caused the problem. Are you using the internal GPS antenna or do you have an external antenna connected (GPA017)? The "No Fix" indication will be displayed if neither the internal nor external GPS signal is being received.

 

[Pmac]

It’s just the internal antenna. I’ve never had nor needed an external one. The unit just started doing this at the beginning of the season…

 

[TheReaper]

What version of software is in the GP1870F?

 

[Pmac]

Thanks for the hint. Just checked and confirmed that I am running that software version. Checked the satellite screen and the unit is ‘seeing’ multiple satellites but they are all red in colour so I guess it’s not reading them. My handheld gps works fine in the same location….still stumped…

 

[TheReaper]

So, you have v2.0.4.60 software...that's good. Can you take a picture of the satellite screen, please? Also, if you have enough slack, can you move the display around to a different location to see if the satellites get a stronger signal? You can also try Menu-System-Internal GPS Setup and choose Restart GPS to see if that helps.

 

[Pmac]

I have moved the boat around and it changes nothing. It wouldn’t fix when I was 700km away on the ocean (west coast of Canada on my west coast chart card) and it won’t fix now inland on my western Canadian lakes card.
I can’t take a picture right now of the screen as the boat is somewhere else. The screen had a bar chart with all red bars and a circular satellite location chart with a bunch of red circles. Anything else that I should be looking for?

I tried the GPS RESTART and nothing seemed to happen?

 

[TheReaper]

I meant move the display away from the other electronics around it...if possible. This was to see if there's any interference from other equipment around the GP1870F. If that doesn't make any difference, then really the only options are to add a NMEA2000 GPS antenna and NMEA2000 backbone (if you don't already have one) or to replace the GP1870F with something else since it's no longer available.

 

[Pmac]

So what would have happened? It worked fine from 2013 until 2024. Then all of a sudden no fix? Nothing else has changed. No new electronics. The only other device near it with a GPS antenna is the radio with AIS.....??? The no fix problem started last summer before I got the Lakes card so I doubt that its that. I just tried that this spring for the first time...very strange. No other ideas? Options?

Thanks for all of your help so far.

 

[TheReaper]

It appears that your internal GPS has failed after 11 years. There aren't any replacement parts still available for that, so getting an external NMEA2000 GPS to feed position to the GP1870F will allow you to keep it. The other option is to replace the GP1870F.

 

[Pmac]

Well that sucks...
Any suggestions as to who's external gps to go with? Something simple and easy. I've got an old (25years) Furuno radar on the boat and a newer Icom radio with AIS. Could maybe link that stuff?? Thoughts...don't want to spend too much as I'm probably selling the boat but I want stuff to be working right.

 

[TheReaper]

An external GPS (aka an NMEA2000 GPS antenna) that will work is our GP330B. If you don't have NMEA2000 on your boat, you'll need a NMEA2000 backbone too. If you want to replace the GP1870F, our GP1871F or GP1971F will work.

 

[Pmac]

Does the GP1871F use the same transducer as the 1870F?

 

[TheReaper]

Does the GP1871F use the same transducer as the 1870F?

Yes