I fixed my GPS Rollover issue

[Brian D]

Didn't know I could until I did a LOT of reading.

I use a Garmin GPS12 at the helm for my autopilot. Also use it just to keep tabs of where I am in the world (LOL). Anyway...

I recently turned in on and it took awhile to get a lock, but a lock it did. I checked the time and date and they were both wrong. This was expected due to the 2019 Rollover. However, the date was 25 May, 2003. That was surprising. Now this Rollover did not affect my Lat/Long so I never gave it much thought and probably knew about the wrong date years ago.

A few days ago I found a software package that corrected the date and time function on the GPS12. Downloaded it but it need to use Windows XP and a RS232 port. Well, talk about dating technology. Not to worry, I have an XP laptop (don't ask). Found all the stuff to connect the GPS to the PC and bang... the date and time are now correct.

So I guess I am good possibly for the next Rollover in 2039. Looking forward to seeing if the date gets messed up again. I'll let you know.

 

[Davidasailor26]

However, the date was 25 May, 2003. That was surprising.

The date epochs are 10 bits, which represents 1024 weeks. The last epoch was August 22, 1999 to April 6, 2019. The current epoch is April 7, 2019 to November 20, 2038. That puts us 196 weeks into the current epoch. Your GPS thought we were 196 weeks into the previous epoch, so that’s why it said 25 May 2003.

Kudos to Garmin for supporting their old devices and making software available. Just make sure you keep that XP machine and RS-232 cable around for another 16 years.

 

[Leeward Rail]

Good one!

Not surprised that you needed XP and RS232.

I bought a Panasonic Toughbook for exactly that type of reason. Unlike more common laptops, it has a full set of ports.
It triple boots XP, Win7, and Win10 and I can flash firmware, and use software for all sorts of devices with it.

 

[Rick Webb]

I've still got a machine running Windows 3.1. I drag it out on occasion just to thrill kids who were born after I put the thing together. Kinda like the rotary phone I used to make my daughter and her friends use.

Now I have to dig out my GPS 12 and work on getting it updated. It's the only one I have that connects to my outdated VHF.

Great winter activities

 

[Leeward Rail]

I've still got a machine running Windows 3.1. I drag it out on occasion just to thrill kids who were born after I put the thing together. Kinda like the rotary phone I used to make my daughter and her friends use.

What.. no Sinclair ZX81 kit ?

Love the rotary phone vs kids idea.

I have one beside the TV. Always wanted to repaint it and have a cover like the Batphone.

 

[dkinzer]

If you have a computer that does not have a serial port and you need one for a purpose such as this one, you can buy a USB-to-serial converter, an example of which is at the URL below. It plugs into a USB port on your computer and has a DB-9 serial port connector on the other end.

USB-to-Serial Converter

 

[jssailem]

A converter could be a lot cheaper then trying to find a Windows XP version pc.

 

[Leeward Rail]

A converter could be a lot cheaper then trying to find a Windows XP version pc.

Unfortunately you often need to use XP and some newer machines won't support it. In those cases you can run a Virtual Machine like VMware on a newer OS, even on a Mac., but they can introduce their own issues. Yay


That said, modern machines can have RS232 ports... But they are commercial ones, often ruggedized and not usually cheap. Check out Toughbook prices.

 

[Brian D]

I've still got a machine running Windows 3.1. I drag it out on occasion just to thrill kids who were born after I put the thing together. Kinda like the rotary phone I used to make my daughter and her friends use.

Now I have to dig out my GPS 12 and work on getting it updated. It's the only one I have that connects to my outdated VHF.

Great winter activities

Rick, if you need to software, it is here. You will find it at the bottom of the page and is called GPSEOW.ZIP. Hope you have the cables, otherwise you might be bashing your head against the wall. LOL

 

[Richard19068]

I don't think I need my old Garmin units to tell me what the date is do I ?

What I would like to see is for them to show the current tide charts that they no longer have.

 

[Rick Webb]

Rick, if you need to software, it is here. You will find it at the bottom of the page and is called GPSEOW.ZIP. Hope you have the cables, otherwise you might be bashing your head against the wall. LOL

Thanks
I have the cable to plug the GPS into a serial port I attached a serial port to the radio that is how I connect the two.
Should be straight forward enough if I go after it. A sane and reasonable guy would just chuck it.

 

[Tally Ho]

…and bang... the date and time are not correct.

Did you mean to say “the date and time are NOW correct”? Or did the fix not work?

Greg

 

[Brian D]

Yeah, I don't know why I do that and not proof read (I just made sure I didn't say 'now' in this post). LOL

 

[jssailem]

One day there will be a computer that types what our minds think...
Tell then I just hope my fingers will type what I say out loud.

 

[Tally Ho]

One day there will be a computer that types what our minds think...
Tell then I just hope my fingers will type what I say out loud.

Damn, that will be dangerous!

 

[Richard19068]

One day there will be a computer that types what our minds think...

No! I think that would truely bring on the end of the world. We humans need that interval between what we think and what we say.