Evoque owner - don’t laugh!

No I know it’s not a proper car… but I‘ve just stumbled across this forum and thought I’d sign up to learn some stuff. 2017 model, petrol 2l, silly cream coloured seats very impractical.
Now then, here’s how I found LandyZone: I’m not impressed with the built in satnav so I’ve been using a TomTom which I had in my previous cars. (Yes, I can use real maps too, I spend my time messing around in the mountains on foot, skis and mtbs in foul weather.)
For 2 years from new the TomTom worked fine up by the airvents, but has started to not get a signal through the fancy windscreen - it and other TomToms I’ve tried work fine, just not inside the car anymore. Has LR changed its management software to block freestanding satnavs? Has anyone tried GPS signal boosters with any success? The one I bought doesn’t seem be much good.
Thanks for having me! I hope someone can assist.

You can get a GPS antenna which should help. Try searching for Fakra, as a starting point. IIRC, they are a major manufacturer of those, to the point that it is used as a keyword in many listings. Never mind, I just noticed the booster bit. Probably an amplified antenna, though they can often mess up a signal more than amplify it.

It’s the egnos satellites, which are “free to view”, therefore used by a lot of Gps software. They have recently been turned off, so your Tom Tom will need an update

They're all "free to view", Russian, American, Chinese and EU. They can't stop you receiving their broadcast (although military channels will be encrypted). Which satellites you're listening to will depend on the kit you're using. A suitable antenna would help your device. Of course if you're using a GPS blocker for some reason it's probably blasting across the whole frequency band and will block all the constellations.

freelance said:

It’s the egnos satellites, which are “free to view”, therefore used by a lot of Gps software. They have recently been turned off, so your Tom Tom will need an update

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Thanks for this. Yes, it’s already got the update.

paul99 said:

You can get a GPS antenna which should help. Try searching for Fakra, as a starting point. IIRC, they are a major manufacturer of those, to the point that it is used as a keyword in many listings. Never mind, I just noticed the booster bit. Probably an amplified antenna, though they can often mess up a signal more than amplify it.

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Cheers, I’ve tried something that looks very similar at the business end - SBG-190. The ‘FAKRA end’ is just the power source, isn’t it.

I think that Fakra were more to do with the connectors. I suppose a heated or coated windscreen could interfere with the GPS signal. External antennae would be better, or careful placement on the windscreen, away from heater wires.

Welcome to the forum

Does it work if yer yer it outside the windows?

Don't worry about owning an evoque. My Freelander has been places many of the vehicles on ere could only dream of. Few of them take theirs oft road. The ones who take the p*ss the most are the ones who never leave tarmac.

A lot of Sat-Navs like TOM-TOM on a PDA struggle if the car has a heated front screen.
On my last Rangie mine would only work if located in the right-hand corner of the windscreen where there was no heating element. It worked fine there though.

Hippo said:

Welcome to the forum

Does it work if yer yer it outside the windows?

Don't worry about owning an evoke. My Freelander has been places many of the vehicles on ere could only dream of. Few of them take theirs oft road. The ones who take the p*ss the most are the ones who never leave tarmac.

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Ha ha, I gave up thinking of it as hairdresser’s car after doing a day at one of the LR muddy centres.

Yes, the TomTom works fine, just not in the car where it used to work fine. I wondered if they’ve introduced a signal blocker somehow during a recent service.

I don't think they will purposely block a signal. I suspect it's what Dan says above, which happens with my older satnav and roadhawk camera. Only mine will still work in my FL2 but takes longer to lock on to the gps signal as it receives a weaker signal though the heated windscreen. The heated screen has a series of metal elements in it which makes it more difficult for the gps signal to get through.

If you like your vehicle don’t worry what others say. We all tease each other over different models but it all in good fun

Welcome

RangeRoller dt said:

If you like your vehicle don’t worry what others say. We all tease each other over different models but it all in good fun

Welcome

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Thanks. I’m far too old and grumpy to care what others think!

Hello and welcome