Hello there

I've installed my MFD3 in my Octavia with relative ease, but I have a few questions.

I've not yet changed any settings in VAG-COM btw, that's being done tomorrow.

1. I've been for a drive but it still hasn't locked to any satellites. At first it said 0/0, then 0/14 then finally 0/15. Should I just be patient and wait till it gets lock?

The unit seemed to be last used in Czech Republic, so perhaps it's confused about its location?

2. The steering controls don't seem to work - VAG-COM issue?

3. Is there an easy way of finding out map/firmware version number? I have then new 3d fader thing if that helps

4. Does the navigation need calibrating? I'm sure I read somewhere that you have to park up next to road and then change some setting...shoot me down if I'm wrong

5. Batch copying MP3s - to be fair I've not even tried this yet, is there an easy way to do this?

Many thanks in advance

First of, welcome to briskoda.

1. I've been for a drive but it still hasn't locked to any satellites. At first it said 0/0, then 0/14 then finally 0/15. Should I just be patient and wait till it gets lock?

The unit seemed to be last used in Czech Republic, so perhaps it's confused about its location?

Could be slow, but make sure your GPS antenna is properly connected. Where is the antenna located?

2. The steering controls don't seem to work - VAG-COM issue?

Should be yes

3. Is there an easy way of finding out map/firmware version number? I have then new 3d fader thing if that helps

See this topic http://briskoda.net/ice-security-insurance/how-check-rns510-map-version/143899/

4. Does the navigation need calibrating? I'm sure I read somewhere that you have to park up next to road and then change some setting...shoot me down if I'm wrong

Nope.

5. Batch copying MP3s - to be fair I've not even tried this yet, is there an easy way to do this?

I've done this using folders with artists/albumname/mp3's from a dvd with sucsess.

Thanks for the welcome and quick reply

The antenna is located to the right of VRSstu's suggested location

http://www.octavia-vrs.com/images/images/mfd2/mfd206.jpg

The antenna's magnet doesn't stick to the metal bar, so I pushed it to the right a little until I felt the magnet latch on to something. It's gone up to 0/16 now, so it must be seeing them.

Just out of interest, with my old PDA / bluetooth gps setup, it sometimes took 30mins at my house to get a lock if I hadn't used the device for a while.......perhaps the satellites don't like leeds

I did try the < > i then hold setup thing

It said "diagnostic menu loading" or something to that effect, but went to the FM screen :confused:

GPSs download an 'almanac' of where the satellites are in the sky etc, so the first time you use it it takes longer and also if you subsequently use it a long way away from where it was last used it can take a while to get a lock.

From Wikipedia GPS Signals:

Navigation message

In addition to the PRN ranging codes, a receiver needs to know detailed information about each satellite's position and the network. The GPS design has this information modulated on top of both the C/A and P(Y) ranging codes at 50 bit/s and calls it the Navigation Message.

The navigation message is made up of three major components. The first part contains the GPS date and time, plus the satellite's status and an indication of its health. The second part contains orbital information called ephemeris data and allows the receiver to calculate the position of the satellite. The third part, called the almanac, contains information and status concerning all the satellites; their locations and PRN numbers.

Whereas ephemeris information is highly detailed and considered valid for no more than four hours, almanac information is more general and is considered valid for up to 180 days. The almanac assists the receiver in determining which satellites to search for, and once the receiver picks up each satellite's signal in turn, it then downloads the ephemeris data directly from that satellite. A position fix using any satellite can not be calculated until the receiver has an accurate and complete copy of that satellite's ephemeris data.

The navigation message itself is constructed from a 1,500 bit frame, which is divided into five subframes of 300 bits each and transmitted at 50 bit/s (therefore each subframe requires 6 seconds to transmit).

At this rate, 12.5 minutes are required to receive the entire almanac from a single satellite

Hope that's not too long-winded an explanation, but even if your set up is seeing satellites it might take quite a long time to get anything the first time - given you need at least three satellites to get a fix on most systems (12.5mins for the almanac plus 3 mins roughly per satellite it's seeing, assuming you have a good quality signal).

I know using GPS in a phone can take at least 10 mins having used it in Lancashire then using it in the North East on a different day without using Assisted GPS which downloads the almanac data from a web based server.

All the best and good luck,

Ed

Edited 21 April, 200917 yr by Ed-Preston

INFO...

Cheers

I thought it might be something like that.

If it hasn't got a link by the time I get to work, I think I'll leave the radio on for 30mins or so sat in the car park then go from there

The unit is now working

For those familiar with the uni, the pin on the blue connector on the MFD3 itself had bent to the side when the connector was put on

I bent the pin into place and put the connector back on - within 10mins I had satellite lock, then within another 10mins it had figured out I was in the UK

Happy days :P

Good to hear you have it all working now.