496 and GXM30A ant - no sats

[rjcthree]

Using the 30A antenna gets me no sat reception. None. I got the 496 into autolocate mode (via the 'out button/power on' trick) and still zilch. It immediately responds to 7 sats with WAAS when using the built in stubby antenna.

I don't know if it ever worked. I think it's the first time I'm using (the 30A).

I just loaded SW version 4.2 (from 3.5) last night.

Anybody had anything similar? Or are thee any config items I'm missing, any tricks?

Thanks, Rick 90432

[bharral]

The GXM30A is not a GPS antenna.

The GXM30A is a XM receiver/antenna combination that plugs in via a USB connections.

XM radio uses different satellites than the GPS satellites.

You should be able to plug in the GXM30A and the GPS stubby antenna at the same time. Try that and you should get XM radio and GPS

Blake
RV-4 N72RV

[rjcthree]

Somehow I lost that detail - and the Garmin manual isn't so clear on it- it was my understanding the GXM30A gave me both GPS and XM in one package. It seems silly, given the size, that it doesn't.

This seems to make the portable GPS not so removable. Four connectors? Anybody do the FMEA on that? Ick.

Thanks Blake.

Rick 90432

[IowaRV9Dreamer]

Rick - the XM "antenna" for the 496 is actually the whole XM receiver. It sends serial data to the 496. That's why you have to register your "antenna" when you turn on the service.

BTW - an external GPS antenna works way better than the stubby thing... especially when your VOR reciever interferes with your GPS reciever!