Why is my NexStar GPS telescope taking so long for the GPS to link?
October 15, 2008
When it’s turned on, the GPS module in your NexStar GPS mount will use information about satellite positions (called ephemeris data) it received the last time it linked with the GPS satellite system. If it’s the first time you’ve turned on the scope, it may be using GPS ephemeris data from the factory location. This may be quite different than the data at your observing site, so the scope will need to hunt for satellites to obtain the ephemeris data again. Depending on how far away the new location is from the old location, this may take up to most of an hour for linkup (with 3 satellites) to be successful.
Once it links, all subsequent links should take place within a few minutes–about 30 seconds in most cases. To help the scope, you should set it up where it has an unblocked view of the sky. If you set up too close to a building, mountain or trees that block your scope's view of the sky, the harder it will be for it to lock onto three satellites. GPS is a line-of-sight signal, so blocking the signal can cause you to have longer delays.
Updated 12/21/13
Once it links, all subsequent links should take place within a few minutes–about 30 seconds in most cases. To help the scope, you should set it up where it has an unblocked view of the sky. If you set up too close to a building, mountain or trees that block your scope's view of the sky, the harder it will be for it to lock onto three satellites. GPS is a line-of-sight signal, so blocking the signal can cause you to have longer delays.
Updated 12/21/13
