Problem with Simrad handheld VHF

[Piglet]

I just received a Simrad HH33U handheld VHF from Defender. It's supposed to have a built in GPS, but when it's powered up, it displays "NO GPS INFORMATION" as an error. I made sure the GPS radio was enabled, but no joy. I tried their website for a self help section, but I couldn't find one. The manual has no troubleshooting section

Any ideas? I'm going to send them an e-mail, but no telling how long it will take them to respond.

Thanks.

[xymotic]

are you doing this outdoors with a clear view of the sky?

[Piglet]

Yep. And my phone has no problem getting a GPS fix.

[colemj]

Simrad's web presence is terrible - it isn't even very good at the simple marketing or sales side of things, let alone troubleshooting or support. However, a knowledgable technical person has always answered my support emails within 2 days.

I would be interested in your evaluation of that radio once you have it working properly. I debated a long time between that one and the equivalent Standard Horizon HX851 and went with the SH instead.

Mark

[Piglet]

You are spot on about their website. The support section glowing describes access to self help forums and FAQ's, but provides no links for either!

I sent a e-mail requesting tech support yesterday. :fingerscrossed:

[Piglet]

Problem solved. I turned it on and left it out for a couple of hours. When I checked on it, it had acquired satellite signals. Now I turn it on and I get a LL within a couple minutes. I don't know why it took so long the first time, but all's well that ends well.

It seems like a nifty little unit. It's going to take a little while getting used to the knob less design however.

[colemj]

Ah yes - that is normal behavior for any new GPS unit. The reason is that it doesn't know where it is and has to do a full search for satellites around the world. Once it gets its first fix, it stores the position so that the next time it is turned on, it has an idea of where it is and which satellites it has a high probability of seeing. Many units have a menu setup item where you input approximate position during a new startup to help this along.

Mark

[Piglet]

Ahh. That makes sense.

Thanks!