Venus GPS Logger garbage/noise

First i would like to state that im very new to this world of electronics.

I bought the Venus GPS Logger a while ago, along with a seeduino mega v1.1. and just now have the time to play with it.

I have the GPS connected to the auduino tx0 and rx0 port, and using the regulated 3.3v power from the arduino to power the gps.

The arduino has an empty sketch loaded to it

void setup()
{
}

void loop() 
{
}
{

using the serial monitor within the arduino I was able to get some communication with the gps. So I fired up the SkyTraq Gps viewing software. That too also worked for the most part although I was un able to get a lock or even track one satellites. So I decided to re connect it up to my laptop so i could go out side. It took a while but i was able to track a few satellites and get a 2d gps fix on my location, with the updated and correct time.

So the problem is now it’s not working at all. All im getting is garbage/ noise from the seail communication in the form or random chars.

./>?ÿݽgOÁ¾sþ?çݱ÷Ïí'¿?w™½·ÿí{ö77ÿ¡÷¶2ö½µ¦îé#³öÿ½w?fã¿÷¹±÷Oíï¿g÷™±7_í»»÷æùqv~Õ÷ïïîí{²7çjýó6ßvo½±¶Oívéví'»;fÝy/ÞÍöªwürî§ný#£ÿï¹zÝ»/GÙ£#w÷÷ïý³zs®—FýS».wÝz¶Ïý£3¦÷ýr6w"Wç=æï»vïó»/÷Ùz®Îé;»7wÕ½¿GýFÉ«+/o:/o=÷ïºîíöíwËf¡f黙¦7·¡ï;²÷½½g^£;v¢ou¶OÍFïW³§fý÷®×F¿Ù±·WíV>¢öÑ{·ïÒN­w:wçúo“{Ûvï³»oç²÷¹ýÚFí#;?öòÝýfÎÙÿÞ¶ßíûºçî/÷rþÝrÑj¶·oû¯æ½7·Ï«cw3þ¹µ6î黿¦o¾ßÛOý»óö÷ÑböÿšGÁw»ö÷²~½z™³.Þsfo•õ¶ïÍ«;/n¹1þnw&_Á£¢÷÷»n1·_ºwÿÙ=…S¹'›÷/fïû²7þÑOíw¿o÷2öÑ=§Fí¯+nïó.—þúÿ»þgzÙz÷ïÛ/º¦gÙ»¿þí£º“s»vï/{.ç™z.Îí»{gÙ½?NíGí§”.o2/½wo¡vÙ/??7n·¯FÍw:{ç:ï•û»vï³{.÷²w™¿Gí³;?ö‘òÝýnNßÿ®o>ÿçݱ7Oí/?g÷™1·_í{ö·7ϯ/úê÷½ç~í£»fî§÷{·Ïɳ:?ç¹±ó®oúÿo½gOÍw£gý¹·ïé»Ýö··ÏÏ/·3vÙ56ßí»³¶ÿ7/wí»:7öݱ·îíöívËvÍf»ýγ_‡~Õ·ç¶îí÷öºµùºþ6Ûv½½>Ïívé;ûww6ïÍnzÕ}§ïá{rwj÷ïíöº÷wÝ{Ýú·ß›O黳~ïÝ]nï®×îý{»&g16ÏÍFí'¢¶wÙ;¿WíFÉ3¶ïvýý§~ÍFvéçû7÷;w¹/NíFÉ»w®?;/ÿ±÷ïÍwÐ/÷ý±wÿé#öwîífßc{ê÷ݽïÎí»;vÿ{gÑs7îígýó»¶ö».ßöý{»vî&ç™17ïš+º¦w™»§ÎíNéf6gö½ÿ'Fï#»÷þºoÝò¶GíFé_£÷nñõ.3?êݽ÷ÏÝ7¿?÷¹½gßí»¶»7ÿÝ#¶kö¹y¶îé»?¦÷½7oæû÷÷ún±7îÞïívËvÍfí£»÷ï›=nÙç÷öní»ªwþofŸó6Û&¿½¾OFé?û7÷¶ïÍn»öï¥ïý{ò¯jw¯íö~÷w½7·ÿV—G…£³~ÿ:fvç®ßïúÏïæáfíV‡f37fݱ¿Gí'¢—f}no·vï«;>ïíö²'oy¶O¡Fí;»·nýó.G¾nݽgÏí7¿÷™ï¡f黝¶÷·ÿ¥#÷:÷µwþ»».ç½zÝw§NéVéû»öo¹.×î÷·ßísúºöѱ·ÏÞNíwºwæú÷ó»vëvw¾ïíö²'gÑr¶ïí§¢w÷•ù7þ®#;/o½wïÍo¿çý½g_é»Ýöû·ÿËs·;öÙ5&ßí»³¶ÿ7öæí³:7öݱgÖívív黫6ÿÕ½¿_‡f2÷vrïOí{ªwµ5ºþ>›'o½±¶OFë7{'gö²fñr½²w}³ç»º¿.Wz÷gÝw·ÿíV—Géwö·£2sîÿn×þýs»&w1æÏÍwÍ7:ögÙ;/~éF‰¯7ïg½ý·^FívÉöí»gÙ½?FíFÍ»6®?þÿo½çO¡o¿çý}gßé;öû·ÿÙcûª÷ßµïNí»{f÷ý±ïÏé»;ö÷Ý5?Oó.gþÿjݽgOí/?g÷2çñ·n¥fͳ;¾3Óï2ñ½wîí;{v÷ý±7ïí»»æwÑ9îO÷/ßþÍ{»þw=®Oí£3ö÷ýr¦oz—âýyîßÖgr¶öÙ5g_é3æ÷[zÿwö·ÏÚ_ÇF­vûvw½±6Oí³6çîoÝ5WíFÍ/»w™zù>Û~ÿ=¾GívÉ¿û'ï·ïývé+¿¿öº~·÷»¢¿¶_º÷÷{îºwݱ×Gí»³®ÿùvﮗïý.÷¿ú§ï—v³w̦÷½5¶wºWâý[nÿ»vÿVíW;gw•±Ní£;göýrgÿí»µ.ßýû»þ÷zÙzwïÍ+º¦oÙ»¿þº÷þ•s»vVí_»/wù±"Îí;wÙ½¯FáFÉÿs.>?ÿݽ7Oíg?gwµ1g_é;§·'ÿÛc{2÷ÿ½ïNí;£f÷z½;7nífùûrvó†cþÿÿ½gÏíw¿÷ý½·ßé#ö··OÝ'·3ö™5&îí»»¦ï7wfíûº/öݽ7îÞïí£Ùwörõ}¿îâó¯O鳪7?nÝ{ݵþßÿn›vÿ¿½¾OÍFÉ~û'oöÙ}¿Îýóª7vWÿ¶Ný'»®÷‘zïþÞ_Ö»ç睽·ïÉ73þ.·ïúS»>wÝzÛzçï­w»§wÙ5?~éwín6ovñ½íw»ogù±ÂFí#»oæ½5wïÉ«v/o3/÷ïÍþfÙzù}·ÿ…»›¦7§Oáï7ê÷½oNÁ»;vÿz÷½{·îígý{{¶v•.×n;&gÑbÙ±çïí¯:¶o™5?~éFéf6'vý?§FíFí»òÎ'ç3wÙ½/NíFÉ«Unßïús»~î=&O¡Fí/:¦gÙ;¿WíFÅ3¶·g½9n^É#«vþo·ã[z¿zgo^íö>ºvÝ»·WíãëwÿÙ^«oó&ÿ2æ7çÙY'Oí¯¾ónwöÇÿ»z÷÷‘÷·ÿíûº÷Õ½—÷ö»g¹w¯vûÿ±®Fý3û&fÙ1¦Gý«;w÷ý}¶ïÿ.—Îýÿ»~î&ç™z÷º¦g•µ¿ÎíFé/¶ïþñ?'Ní§£ççŸ=7ÞíöÍvé?»÷æ½õ®o¾ÿs½wïÍoÐ/÷ù±w…;§5'ÏÏcûª÷ÿ½ïOí»»6÷ý½ï&÷³÷gÕ½¶þÏÿ®o¾ïoÙ½wo¡/£÷ý¹gυ;vÍ&wïïÛFï³{g÷Õbý¿NÁ£»öúoý¶Î6®o:?çݱ÷ÏÝ7¿?÷™½g+ö3¶g{çú÷•ûBgÍ3z¦æ²v½rõj®ßûOï£óö÷Ñb¹zwO¡w;öç²výz½³&ÞÚwû÷o×çÙ¹·ïÍsú÷nwöÇÍ;ºç÷‘;·ÿíö¢÷Õ=—NË£û÷ö{»Ú¿ºïîÑ1·ÎûOíFÁv³vo¹o^:÷

I don’t know what could cause this. I was playing with baud rate and gps update rate before when it was working, but i never saved those settings permanently only to ram. So i feel the gps should be at factory default after a power cycle. Any ways im unable to change any thing with the skyTraw software since it does not recognize the gps any more.

I hate to think i killed a $60 gps unit within less of day

Got it to work! Yes it was baud rate problem

Still cant get a good gps lock, Nothing inside the house. Outside only a 2d lock !

Any thoughts?

Btw does any one know how to read the skytraq program? Like what do the colors of the circle means?

I have a good feeling there satellites just don’t know what red, green or blue means?

Maybe you could use something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irvi9_ShTAk

tronic:
Maybe you could use something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irvi9_ShTAk

only the fact he is using a different attena then me

Out of curiosity, which antenna are you using? Are you experiencing good results with the antenna (i.e. fast TTFF)?

tronic:
Out of curiosity, which antenna are you using? Are you experiencing good results with the antenna (i.e. fast TTFF)?

The GeoHelix from sparkfun. And i sodered on a sma connector to it.