Initializing The Gps - Magellan 980588-01 - GPS Companion For Palm V/Vx Using Manual

Initializing the GPS

Since the satellites are constantly rotating the earth, the GPS Companion wants to know
approximately where it is located, the date and the time. This information isn't mandatory, the GPS
Companion can "poll" the sky looking for satellites and eventually get the information it needs but this
takes time. So to speed up this process the GPS Companion has a built in almanac of all the
satellites and where they will be at any given time for all positions. So now with the approximate
location and time, the GPS Companion just refers to its almanac and can immediately begin receiving
satellite data.
Where does it get this information? Well, every time the GPS Companion computes a fix it is stored
in memory. (Only the last fix computed is stored, not all of them.) The next time it is turned on and
needs to start computing a fix, the GPS Companion uses this last fix as a starting point.
What if the GPS Companion has never taken a fix or if it has been moved (more than 500 miles)
since the last time it took a fix? In this case, to speed up the TTFF (time to first fix) you should
access the Initialization Screen in the GPS Mode and enter the Lat/Lon for your position. (It doesn't
have to be exact, anything close will work fine.) If you do not know your approximate Lat/Lon, a
simple chart showing you a Lat/Lon that you can use for each state is provided here. The time and
date used by Map Companion is the time and date you have stored in your Palm organizer.
Procedure for Initialization
From the application menu of your Palm organizer, tap the Map Companion icon.
If this is the first time you have used the Map Companion software, reply to the License
Agreement and the Directory Mode screen is displayed. Tap on "Directory" in the top left
corner of the display. Select GPS from the menu.
If this is not the first time you have used the Map Companion software, access the GPS
Mode and select "Initialization" as the screen to be viewed.
Using the Grafitti pad or the keyboard entry method on your Palm organizer, enter your
approximate Latitude and Longitude. Altitude (elevation) can be left blank or entered if you
know it.
Set the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) deviation and check the DST (daylight savings time)
box if it is in effect for your area. Note: This entry is optional. It is only used if you want to
use the Set Time button to update the clock in your Palm organizer to the time transmitted by
the satellites from their atomic clocks.
{button GMT Reference Chart,JI(`',`GMT_Reference_Chart')}
Tap the Start button. If your Palm organizer is seated properly in the GPS Companion and if
you have a reasonably clear view of the sky you will begin to see messages streaming in the
Messages box. This is the NMEA data coming from the GPS Companion. This indicates
that the receiver is working properly and should compute a position fix very soon.
After you see the message streams, tap on "Initialization" in the upper right corner of the
display. Select Satellites from the menu. You are now viewing the "techie" information
about the satellites being used to compute the position. To see a graphical indication of the
same information, tap on Satellites in the upper right corner and select Sky Chart.
{button Approximate Lat/Lon Chart,JI(`',`Lat_Lon_Chart')}