Unable to acquire satellites with a GPSMAP 7x1 series device

There could be a few causes of the device not acquiring satellites. If the device has moved a large distance since the last time it has acquired satellites or has been turned off for longer than a few weeks or months, the device may not be able to acquire the satellites correctly.

The first troubleshooting step it to update the internal operating software of the device to see if that will resolve the issue. For instructions about updating the software, please review the Related Content.

The second troubleshooting step is to check the location the device is mounted in. Is it mounted in clear view of the sky so that the internal antenna can receive the GPS signal? If it is mounted inside of a cabin, is it mounted close to a windshield so it can receive the GPS signal?

If the device is mounted inside a cabin and cannot be placed in a location where the device can acquire satellites, an external antenna will need to be used. The current external antennas to use is our GA 38 external antenna or GPS 19x NMEA 2000 antenna.