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Nuvi 360 GPS went crazy on me

3K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  BigMan73 
#1 ·
Not directly related to V-Strom, but happened on my v-strom. Thought it could help others.

Yesterday I rode on a GPX route I pre-planned (Google maps KML converted to GPX - If anybody wants to learn a free quick method I can gladly post it).
It was 100% cloudy but the GPS worked fine when I started.
At some point I lost satellites but then it came back, then in the mountains I lost it. This went on for 30 minutes, and I'm getting lost and assuming it is the weather and the mountains.
But this never happened in the past so long.
I stopped, took out my mobile GPS (Android) and what do you know, instant connection. So I'm thinking :furious: ?!?!
Disconnected the GPS from the charging cable, and suddenly I get full 5 bars ?!?
How can than be related? Put the the cable back, immediately down to 0 bars but still charging sign.
I got back home on battery GPS, not doing the route as I have wasted 1 hour on this issue.

Later at home, I verified that some how the Garmin charging connector (USB up angle B male) or Garmin charger are faulty - have no idea why this happened, maybe the vibrations.
I connected another 12->5 charger (from my coocase volt package) and it works fine. The coocase charger was connected to the bike and to my Minivan.
Anyway, only $16 to replace with new charger (I don't think getting a new connector and soldering is worth the effort and time, and it could be a faulty charger, not the connector), but getting stuck away from home without a GPS is not the best experience..
 
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#2 ·
I use a Garmin Nuvi and could use info on that.

I will now carry a spare 12V charger for mine [my Blackberry had the same plug so I have a couple of spare leads for the car and bike, my new HTC Android is different].

The only thing I've noticed when using a non Garmin power lead is that the Garmin thinks it's hooked to a computer when first turned on, it does connect to the satellites and function normally once it runs through the start up process.
 
#3 ·
Nuvi 360 has two USB ports:
1. One on the side, which is used for connecting to a PC and also charges the battery. When the charger is put there the GPS cannot be used interactively, it goes into 'Data Transfer' mode
2. One on the back that requires a special black plastic adapter. The adapter has a female USB B connector on its back and a wide male connector on its front that goes into the GPS.

The second option must be used.
Not sure what model you have, but Garmin are very consistent in their GPS design. Most of the differences are software features and different screens.
 
#8 ·
I don't use the power adapter that came with my Garmin while on the bike. I bought a USB adapter from Powerlet.com and then added their special 90 degree adapter cable for Garmin devices. I use a high quality USB cable to go in between the two. There is no guarantee that this will keep me from having a failure, but the high quality power adapter and cabling reduces the chances of it. It was worth paying more IMHO to get a high quality vibration resistant 12 volt to USB adapter from these folks along with the special cabling, I feel that this was/is one area that I should not cut corners on even though they cost a bit more.

The power adapter that came with my Garmin was visibly low cost and I don't trust it for something this important to me.

I do carry paper maps as well.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I don't use the power adapter that came with my Garmin while on the bike. I bought a USB adapter from Powerlet.com and then added their special 90 degree adapter cable for Garmin devices. I use a high quality USB cable to go in between the two.
Doug - thanks for that info.
Could you please point me to the pages of the mentioned hardware? In particular the 90 degree adapter cable.

EDIT: Doug, nm, I think I've found it.. $$ expensive..I'll take my chances with another stock Garmin charger, hopefully it will last.
Just the connector: ($13)
http://www.powerlet.com/product/miniusb-adapter-for-garmin-gps/357

The whole charger ($45 - wow, pretty much for a small 12->5 charger) : (too short, a usb extension cable must be needed, another good $10 I guess)
http://www.powerlet.com/shop-by-app.../product/mini-usb-short-powerlet-cable/259/67
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I had 2 Nuvi 360s fail on me within about 3 months. First one had weird display artifacts on the screen.

They sent me a replacement.

Then the replacement got to the point where it would randomly drop from solid signal bars on the signal strength screen to hollow signal bars (not sure what that means, but it would lose reception).

Fortunately the 3rd one has lasted me for years and years now.
 
#11 ·
Then the replacement got to the point where it would randomly drop from solid signal bars on the signal strength screen to hollow signal bars (not sure what that means, but it would lose reception).
That's exactly what I got, only it went from random behavior to constant behavior in 30 minutes - you might have had the same connector and/or charger issues but with a lesser degree.
I wonder if this is caused by noisy signals, or by a shorting of the wires some where.
 
#14 ·
At some point I lost satellites but then it came back, then in the mountains I lost it. This went on for 30 minutes, and I'm getting lost and assuming it is the weather and the mountains.
But this never happened in the past so long.
not sure how androids work, when satelites go below the horizon the sofware may simulate your position

not uncommon to loose satelite reception in deep valleys or urban canyons

we've also had sunspot interference lately, but that doesn't eliminate the signal, just distorts the accuracy a bit, not sure what the effect of LightSquared LLCs cell towers is yet


I've had GPS since it first became available in the 90's.
my first experience with GPS was with a $250,000 trimble unit in 1988 when there were only 6 satelites up and a 3 hour window, (did a ground control survey of 1600 acres in the middle of the night) the full constellation prolly wouldn't have been up and running in the early 90s if we didn't have the Gulf War, the launch schedule was accelerated and completed during Desert Shield



 
#15 ·
not sure how androids work, when satelites go below the horizon the sofware may simulate your position

not uncommon to loose satelite reception in deep valleys or urban canyons
Well, after waiting for 30 minutes for the GPS to get back to itself, I chose a location clear from any obstructions on a hill side.
Androids (well 2.2 at least) have an app called Maps.
It is true that the phone uses cell triangulation to show the current position, but it is easy to see that this is not a satellite point since the app draws a blue semi-transparent light blue circle around the point. The radius of the circle shows the accuracy.
When GPS is off you get a big nice circle (+-1/2 mile).
When GPS is on (8 meters exactly according to the app) the circle is so small that you can only see it when super zooming.

So the Satellite were fine on the Android, and also the Nuvi had fine satellite reception.. >> ONCE << the darned charger was pulled out. Not just one bar or two, but full five bars. I tested it 5 or more times, checking that I'm not making a mistake. Connector goes in, bars go to zero, connector goes out, 5 bars. That's how I got back home from where ever I got lost at - with satellite, on GPS batteries.

But it is good that Android has Radio/Cell-Tower Position System - Nice backup mechanism even though very inaccurate.
 
#19 ·
The saga continues..
Got the Amazon Garmin Nuvi charger - has a fat USB B Male Connector, not low profile as the original Garmin I had..
Doesn't fit the RAM Nuvi Cradle. :headbang:
The charger doesn't look like the one in the image - different led, and cover.
Amazon will pay for the return, but I'm stuck without a charging GPS and the weekend is approaching

I cut the original faulty cable thinking of getting a low profile connector (ebay or powerlet) and soldering it. It was a little surprising to find a regular cable instead of the USB wires I was expecting.
It is not USB, just has a core cable for +, and _ around it (not sure what the exact technical terms..excuse me). The voltmeter shows a stable 5.19V so the charger seems to be fine. I think only the USB connector was bad.

@DougInKY: Could you please verify for me that the Powerlet MiniUSB connector that you got has a low profile male connector? Could you post an image of its side profile or measure that length in mm? A low profile connector is flat - there shouldn't be a bulge behind it/the cable.
I'm asking for your help, so I don't order from powerlet to find out it doesn't fit the RAM cradle again. Thanks!

If the powerlet connector is low profile, then I'll get a USB male B straight connector (salvaged one) and soldier it to the existing charger cable.
Just not sure what to do with the DATA (+) and DATA (-) cables (Green/White) of the salvaged straight connector (it comes from a PC cable).
Should I leave them floating (i.e. with electric tape) or short them to the (-/Black)?
 
#20 ·
Okay, just went out and took my setup out of my tank bag to make photos but first, here is a link to the MiniUSB adapter for Garmin GPS's that I use:

MiniUSB Adapter for Garmin GPS - Powerlet Products

Now the pictures:

Excuse the little leather bag. It is something I carry in my pocket for my headphones and my USB memory stick. Anyhow, here is a pic of my mount with my GPS in it and the cord connected. If you look closely, you can see that there is a little plastic ridge on the RAM case that interferes with the plug. It still plugs in and makes a good connection that has never caused a problem. If it ever does, I will take my Dremel to it and thin it down some, but as I just said, it has never caused me a problem.


Next is a pic of the connector plugged in again but from a different angle. Here you can see a little better the plastic ridge on the RAM case that keeps the cable from plugging in fully. Again, I have to say that this has never caused me a problem.


Next is a pic of from behind.


Next is a pic of both cables and the USB connector all hooked together.


Here is a pic of the end of the cable from Powerlet that plugs into the GPS.


If you need more, just let me know.
:thumbup:
 
#21 ·
Okay, just went out and took my setup out of my tank bag to make photos but first, here is a link to the MiniUSB adapter for Garmin GPS's that I use:
...

If you need more, just let me know.
:thumbup:
Doug, thanks so much!! :thumbup:
Wow - Great support! Your pictures are indeed worth 1000 words.

So the powerlet cable has a flat low profile connector - great, I'm going to order it tomorrow by phone - their silly site would not allow ordering.
With my RAM mount there isn't a 'little plastic ridge', on the other hand I have a plastic back from behind limiting the depth of the connector - that's exactly the problem with the 'fat' connector.

I took the pictures with my android, as I'm too tired to grab the Nikon, so quality is not amazing:
The Garmin connector from Amazon: Clearly not low profile


The original Garmin Charger soldered to the straight USB Male B (PC cable):
The final version will not look like this..I will wrap it with 2 layers of electrical tape to give it some strength and isolation.


I tested it and it works as a charger cable with the GPS, but since I can only put it from the side port Nuvi thinks it is a Data cable and goes to data transfer mode..(still charges though)

And finally the RAM GPS mount. The gap between the RAM plastic and the GPS is where the flat connector goes in from the bottom.


Thanks, again!
 
#22 · (Edited)
Tried the new 12V->USB connector today. works fine.
What doesn't work fine is that the GPS will not pick satellites now at all - with charger or without :furious:
I think I'm getting tired of it. I'll take apart flip antenna (what a stupid design), maybe the connector is loose.
But maybe its time to replace it - also its maps are old, and a 4.3 would be nice to have.

--Some non-sense removed by BigMan73..--
 
#23 ·
You do know that Garmin's go in data mode with a regular USB connector plugged in don't you? That is why I recommended that specific cable from Powerlet. It has circuitry do allow the Garmin to over ride the data mode. Mine still looks like it is going into data mode when it is plugged in with the Powerlet cable but if I wait a couple of minutes, it then moves on into the proper mode and finds the satellites.
 
#24 ·
Doug, it stopped working - no satellite signal...Once/If I get it working I'll think of the connector again..
I read in a web site that the antenna circuit is known to cause issues on Garmins. It could be directly related to the connector issue I had, maybe the bad connector killed the Antenna circuit.
Will try a hard reset tonight. Maybe wiping out the setting will make finding the satellites work again.
If not -> have to order new GPS (which is not such a bad thing..)
 
#25 ·
I ordered the cable Doug recommended - it cost me $17 but it still doesn't work.
The Nuvi 360 is officially screwed up. :frown:
Ordered a Nuvi 765T and a new RAM mount instead . bummer.

Now I have unused new high quality up angle USB powerlet cable and a RAM mount for Nuvi 360 - If anybody is interested getting them for half price, please PM me.
 
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