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Anyone has a solution to extenal GPS acquiring satellite through the windshield?

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Don't have tech package so using a 1+ year old Garmin (Nuvi 1450T). The Garmin frequently says it can't locate the satellite. Presumably due to the coating I've heard about on MS's windshield?

iPhone/Waze doesn't report can't find satellite but would go through short periods of losing your location.

From a thread on the windshield coating, I see the only place that doesn't block RF is near the rear view mirror so getting an external antenna to this location maybe required

Coated windshield impacting door openers and EZpass

Anyone found other solutions? I prefer not setup an external antenna if possible.
 
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Open the moonroof and hold it up? ;)

Kidding aside, GPS signals have a hard time going through the windshield. There may be an area in the right side section where the rear view mirror is that my DS said has had luck with toll tags. It's the side with a bunch of dots.
 
iPhone/Waze doesn't report can't find satellite but would go through short periods of losing your location.

The iPhone uses "Assisted GPS" meaning it uses GPS satellite signals AND it triangulates off cell tower locations and known wifi network locations. In areas with decent cell coverage it can provide good nav info just by using cell towers.
 
As another point of reference, I have a Garmin etrex 20 that I use for hiking, biking, etc. It has no problems remaining connected to satellite signals when brought into the car. I've never tried having it acquire a signal while in the car, though.
 
Don't have tech package so using a 1+ year old Garmin (Nuvi 1450T). The Garmin frequently says it can't locate the satellite. Presumably due to the coating I've heard about on MS's windshield?

iPhone/Waze doesn't report can't find satellite but would go through short periods of losing your location.

From a thread on the windshield coating, I see the only place that doesn't block RF is near the rear view mirror so getting an external antenna to this location maybe required

Coated windshield impacting door openers and EZpass

Anyone found other solutions? I prefer not setup an external antenna if possible.


Get a better GPS??? My 7 year old TomTom One finds satalites within about 2 minutes from turning it on, and does not loose lock. My iPhone also has no problems.
 
I just used the "GPS Test" app on my phone and had the following results. (readings were taken from below the center console)
Inside a three story H shaped Parking structure with a limited view of the sky I could see 3-4 satellites (weakly, it took about a minute to acquire).
As I drove to the exit I lost view of the sky and all satellites.
When I emerged into the open I immediately got strong reception on 15 satellites.

Now I can turn off my GPS. Hopefully my tin foil hat prevented the spies in the sky from seeing me and scanning my brain.:tongue:
 
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I don't have the tech package nor a smartphone. I've mounted my older TomTom XL340 to the driver's center air vent and it picks up the satellites within 2-3 minutes. After acquiring signal, it doesn't lose it.
i think that's pretty good considering the front windshield is coated with AirBlue 80.
i recently tried a new higher end Garmin GPS, but like my TomTom much better.
 
Saturday was a beautiful day for a drive so I took a 130 mile route to the Unclaimed Baggage store in Scottsboro AL. Didn't see anything of much interest until I reached the Last Chance room and picked up a Garmin 50LM and a 760 with matching Garmin cigarette lighter power cables but no mounting brackets, $15 each.

Both had no problems quickly finding satellites in the center console floor tray thing.

After further experiments the 760 has a bad battery. But the 50LM really does have a lifetime maps update subscription. Just not enough room to hold all 49 states.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I've googled and see others are having same problems due to the windshield coating.

My 1+ year old Garmin works well in my other 2 cars (2011 Prius, 2001 Volvo V70XC) but have more problems in the Tesla. I do live in the northwest and have many 4-5 story tall trees in the area. I also wonder if vent mount may be better than windshield mount? (maybe can see better through the side windows without the coating?)

I'll probably look for GPS signal diagnostic functions on the Garmin and iPhone to get a quantitative difference between the cars and position within the car and report back.

UPDATE: Tried a Proclip vent mount. Mount is very nice but GPS signal is even worse. Make the GPS nearly useless.
 
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Ugh, I'm having this same problem using both a Garmin 60cx and a Garmin 62stc. Strangely the 60cx does better, but not by much. Never had this problem with any other car.

Outside the car with a clear view of the sky, the 62stc has a 9ft accuracy radius. Inside the car, signal strength plummets. In the backseat I can get ~35ft accuracy. Anywhere in the front cabin accuracy drops to anywhere around 40ft to 90ft depending how FSM feels.

Navigation works well enough, but I like to use the GPS to record my drives. Things like distance, time, speeds (min, max, avg), elevation. The poor signal strength results in less logs that are accurate.

(Coords fudged for privacy)

Inside Car (note in other cars I get ~12ft)

IMG_5896.JPG


Outside Car
IMG_5898.JPG
 
FWIW, I have a Blackvue dash cam with GPS (to allow the video recordings to be stored with map data, and also record your MPH), and it has major grief getting a GPS lock through the windshield.

I have an Escort radar detector that uses GPS to silence at locations marked for false alarms (like the "your speed is..." things that blast radar), and to announce the existence of known red light cameras. In the Tesla it's hit or miss whether it can get a GPS signal. It comes in and goes out. I know because it announces "GPS signal lost" and "GPS signal acquired". So I get lots of alarms at places I have previously marked. It works perfectly in other cars.
 
I have an Escort radar detector that uses GPS to silence at locations marked for false alarms (like the "your speed is..." things that blast radar), and to announce the existence of known red light cameras. In the Tesla it's hit or miss whether it can get a GPS signal. It comes in and goes out. I know because it announces "GPS signal lost" and "GPS signal acquired". So I get lots of alarms at places I have previously marked. It works perfectly in other cars.

Same here, same device. My BlackVue also struggles a bit.