GPS only connects to 5-6 Satellites

[btothemalm]

So I am having a problem with my P2V where it will only connect to at most 6 satellites. It then bounces between 5 and 6. I have left it turned on and sitting on the ground for 10 minutes multiple times yesterday, pulling the battery and completely rebooting the entire system each of those times to no avail. I am scared to take off because of this issue. It flew fine earlier in the day from the exact same home position connecting to 8-9 and even 10 satellites.

The P2V has NOT been crashed/dropped or otherwise mishandled.

I have yet to try it today but wanted to post this to see if anyone else has experienced this issue.

 

[amrflyingdude]

Did you try changing locations and se if that improves?n If you are getting this few satellite lock everywhere you go then there is an issue but there are some places where GPS reception is a little bit poor.

Good call by not taking off with GPS lock.

 

[Hiway]

I have noticed my P1.1.1 has been booting up odd and hitting that fast green blink like it's locking home position before getting all the sats... it will continue to search, get at least 6 and then blink green fast again.

I haven't test flown it, but that is worrisome.

 

[AnselA]

Try https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ss.gpstest or similar to iOS. If your phone/tablet finds 6 or more satellites, then Phantom should find them, too.

 

[Noël]

Same issue here with my P2V.

Some days ago in places where I would normally get +9 satellites was barley get 6/7 after waiting a long time! (in same conditions)
Also no sun activities, causing GPS issues (according to NOAA)

My android app showed 14 satellites , but that does not really count as it's even seeing satellites inside the house.

Will try again later today.

 

[Noël]

Just tested again, and got 9 satellites within a minute (same place as usual)

I guess there must have been a small hiccup somewhere!

 

[btothemalm]

I appreciate everyone chiming in. I wasn't able to test again due to a snow storm. I will try again when the snow lets up but even then there will be a heavy cloud cover which will skew my results.

 

[Seedler]

Hiway, don't worry that's normal. The first set of rapid green lights is it locking its direction. The second set after it has found at least 6 sats is it locking home location.

Just make sure you get two sets of rapid green and you should be good to go.

Damien.

 

[btothemalm]

Well, I tested it out last night and low and behold there is nothing wrong. From the same place I was trying the other day I as able to lock on 11-12 satellites. Must have been the time of day?

 

[dkatz42]

Well, I tested it out last night and low and behold there is nothing wrong. From the same place I was trying the other day I as able to lock on 11-12 satellites. Must have been the time of day?

The satellite constellation is constantly changing, so time of day and location, combined with factors like terrain, can cause the number of visible satellites to vary.

I live in a mountainous area, with my house backed up against a sizable ridge (probably 150') and I typically pick up a few more satellites once I'm airborne and the hills block a few less.

 

[Great Pumpkin]

Just as dkatz442 said, the satellite constellation changes constantly, and not always does it have an optimal configuration for you to receive the signals from more than 5-6 satellites. Yeah, if your iPhone is receiving 11-12, so should your Phantom.

If you are really concerned, see how many your Garmin, Magellan, Trimble, or Tom Tom GPS unit receives at the same time. My Garmin GPS unit uses both the Russian GLONASS and the US GPS satellites together, providing greatly improved coverage in urban canyons and beneath trees and giving a very fast time to fix a position because over 50 satellites are available from both constellations. The GLONASS orbits are especially suited for use in high latitudes (north or south), where getting sufficient GPS signals can be a problem. The two systems then are complementary and in conjunction give virtual global coverage and smaller position uncertainty.

Wouldn't if be nice if DJI and Apple would also receive GLONASS signals? Then you could go flying in the Arctic or Antarctic without worrying about losing satellite control. You would also get supplementary signals from GLONASS there in Kansas or wherever when GPS is giving you only 5-6.