Weird GPS log issue

L

lkodk

New Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
1
Country
Denmark
Hi All,

I have just purchased the mini 0806, which I find to be a great little dashcam.
I have one issue with the gps log data.

Shortly after the gps signal is locked, the timestamp in the gps log file skips some hours.
It doesn't affect the timestamp of files or the clock stamped on the video. It only shows in the log, which throws the dashcam viewer application I am using off for the first clip where the gps lock is acquired.

Excerpt from the log:
V,170316,153159.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-01.84,+09.80,-01.84;
V,170316,153200.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-01.84,+09.80,-01.84;
V,170316,153201.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-01.84,+10.41,-01.84;
V,170316,153201.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-01.84,+09.80,-01.84;
V,170316,173851.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-01.84,+09.80,-01.84; <-- point 32: 2h6m50s skip!
V,170316,173852.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-02.45,+09.80,-02.45;
V,170316,173853.000,5535.9087,N,01208.4815,E,000.0,95.2M,-02.45,+09.80,-01.84;

It is probably some time correction going on, because it happens shortly after the gps has locked on, and the time in the log actually looks correct after the skip.

In the cam menu I have set the time to my local time and timezone to +1 as I am in GMT+1, and the time after the correction looks like GMT time at the time of recording, so I guess that is correct.

Is this normal behavior for the mini0806 to be so much off before gps lock? Or have I set something incorrectly?
Again, I believe I have set the time correct in the settings as the time stamped on the video is correct.

I am running stock firmware (V1.0) on it, so perhaps a firmware update will fix it, which leads me to another question. Which firmware release is the latest stable one?
On mini0806.com I see a lot of releases where it is stated they are for testing.

Any suggestions/feedback is appreciated.
 
first, the firmware version is base on the release date, then V*.*, usually we recommend the latest one.
then, about the time issue, let me make a assumption:
when we produce the camera in factory, the camera got the time 100316,153201 when testing GPS connection;
when you purchase the camera and power it on, the new time is 170316,153201 in camera;
when you connected the camera to GPS, the time was auto revised 170316, 163851 (the electronic crystal have some frequency offset, more or less)
when you set your time zone to +1, the camera time will change to 170316, 173851
bingo

just a assumption
 
Hi Rayman,

Thanks for your feedback.
Regarding the firmware, do you recommend the latest one even though it is stated that it is for testing??
As far as I can read from mini0806.com the latest non-test is mar.05.2015.

As for the time issue, your assumption makes sense if it was the first time I used the camera.
But this happens every time the camera is powered on. Then the log shows wrong time before gps lock. Occasionally it even have writes wrong date in the log before the gps lock is ok.
Here is another example:
V,280606,120017.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+09.80,-01.84;
V,280606,120018.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+09.80,-01.84;
V,280606,120019.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+09.80,-02.45;
V,280606,120020.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+09.80,-01.84;
V,280606,120021.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+10.41,-01.84;
V,190316,081821.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+10.41,-01.84;
V,190316,081822.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+10.41,-01.84;
V,190316,081823.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+10.41,-01.84;
V,190316,081824.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.23,+09.80,-01.84;
(The GPS coordinates is logged some log lines later)

Going through my logs it seems that if the camera has been off for a day then the date is also wrong. If the camera has been on earlier in the day and the log has been corrected as above, then the next time it starts only the time is wrong until GPS is locked on.
 
considering the battery was damaged so the time was reset.
do you have the problem the camera power off instant when the vehicle parked?
 
Rayman.Chan said:
considering the battery was damaged so the time was reset.
do you have the problem the camera power off instant when the vehicle parked?
Click to expand...

The camera continues to record for maybe 10-15 seconds after the ignition is off. And it still holds power after having been out of the car/mount for some days as I can power it on without connecting any external power. So the battery in the camera appears sound.

jokiin said:
it may be the battery on the GPS PCB, replace the mount is the easy way to test
Click to expand...
Is there really a battery in that as well?
If so, it does sound more like that than the battery in the camera. It might be easy to test, but an expensive one at that, as the shipping/customs costs almost as much as the mount itself :(
 
There is indeed something strange going on.
After having had it out of the car for a couple of days, I went out and attached the camera to the mount, and started the car.
It didn't lock on to GPS, and the log show a strange date/time to begin with:
  • V,280606,115951.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.84,+10.41,-02.45;
Then after 42 seconds it changes date/time, but the GPS still isn't locked:
  • V,280316,140251.000,0000.0000,N,00000.0000,E,000.0,0.0M,-01.84,+10.41,-02.45;
Then after around 10 minutes, I got tired of waiting for the GPS to lock, so I powered the camera off/on using the power button, and hey presto, the GPS was locked instantly.

How can this be?

jokiin said:
Yes there's a battery for the GPS, a small button cell that holds info in memory for the GPS while it's off
Click to expand...

Is it user replaceable? Looking at the mount it appears to have tiny screws along the side of it. Would that give access to the battery?
At the moment I don't want to remove the mount from the windshield, so hopefully someone would be able to confirm/deny that

Thanks.
 
@lkodk,
1, time changed --- the camera and GPS lost voltage in days idle, so the time went back to the default. once the GPS connected a GPS satellite, the date and time will be updated immediately. But 3 or 4 satellites connection need for location, so it is not locked;
2, GPS connected when camera off --- there must be interference from camera to GPS moudle when camera is on; the GPS signal will be better if camera off so it connects quicker.
 
Thanks Rayman,
That explains what I see in the logs at least.

The camera has not lost power in the days idle.
In my test yesterday, I am pretty sure I had powered the camera on before going to the car. But I cannot be sure at the moment.
But since I am not 100% sure, I just did another test this afternoon where the camera has been out of the car for 25+ hours.

I powered on the camera to make sure the battery hadn't lost power. And it showed about half battery. So the camera is OK I believe.
Went to the car, attached the camera to the mount and started the car.
The log show the same as yesterday:
Wrong date/time to begin with. Then the date/time is corrected and after a while the coordinates is there.

Only difference from yesterday is that the GPS locked on way faster today (only around 1m30sec)

Since the camera hasn't been without battery, is it safe to conclude that jokiin's assumption is correct, that it is the battery in the GPS mount that is faulty?
 
the battery in GPS is a small farad capacitor which only keep the GPS information for hours. So I think it is not the source
 
So you don't think it will help exchanging the GPS mount?

Yesterday I updated the camera to the latest version, and left the camera off but connected to USB power (blue light on) until I went for a drive today.
Same thing.
GPS log starts with 280606 1159xx and after around 30 seconds it corrects date and time.

This time I got tired of waiting for lock after a couple of minutes, so I powered off the camera, removed it from the mount, reseated it and it powered up with GPS locked.

Ideas would really be appreciated.

A suggestion for future firmware updates would be to let it use the camera date/time until it gets it from a satellite.
 
hmm. One for the GPS mount to be the culprit, and one against.... ;-)

@jokiin:
Would you care to elaborate on why you think the GPS mount to be the culprit?
Not that I don't believe you, quite the opposite, I do want to believe you, but according to Rayman there is no real battery in there, only a capacitor with capacity for some hours.
 
no other reports of this issue tells you already that this is not a firmware problem

the battery (it's not a capacitor) on the GPS is to hold information in memory that changes over time so can't be held in ROM as the data is dynamic (time and position information), the battery allows longer warm start times and improved cold start times due to this info, Ephimeris data is valid for around 4 hours, Almanac data for 6 months, it takes 12.5 minutes to download this data so to speed GPS performance this information is held in memory, the clock losing time is an indicator that either the battery on the GPS is starting to fail or it's just a general hardware fault, that could be a camera of GPS hardware fault but I'd lean toward it being the GPS due to the nature of the fault

there's some further information on GPS here if you're interested http://dashcamtalk.com/forum/thread...-data-logging-in-car-cameras.3566/#post-41179
 
Thanks jokiin for the elaboration.
As the camera performs good in all other aspects (battery, keeping the set time/date, settings etc.), only the gps log info is weird, then I tend towards the GPS mount, and even more so now.

I will see if I can get another GPS mount from somewhere, where shipping doesn't cost a fortune :)
 
I am actually seeing the same with my GPS (nanoQ/Mini 0903):
V,050180,235946.016,,,,,,+0.00,+0.00,+0.00;
V,050180,235947.016,,,,,,+0.00,+0.00,+0.00;
...
V,050180,235957.016,,,,,,+0.04,+2.27,+0.35;
V,050180,235958.016,,,,,,+0.02,+2.32,+0.29;
V,050180,235959.016,,,,,,+0.03,+2.28,+0.23;
V,060180,00.021,,,,,,+0.06,+2.32,+0.39;
V,060180,01.021,,,,,,+0.06,+2.23,+0.24;
V,060180,02.021,,,,,,+0.04,+2.22,+0.33;
...
V,060180,11.021,,,,,,+0.06,+2.23,+0.32;
V,060180,12.021,,,,,,+0.07,+2.27,+0.36;
V,060180,13.021,,,,,,+0.07,+2.33,+0.27;
V,060180,14.021,,,,,,+0.05,+2.33,+0.25;
V,060180,15.021,,,,,,+0.04,+2.32,+0.25;
V,060180,16.021,,,,,,+0.05,+2.27,+0.23;
...
V,060180,39.021,,,,,,-0.30,+2.31,-0.07;
V,060180,40.021,,,,,,-0.09,+2.20,+0.05;
V,060180,41.021,,,,,,+0.09,+2.31,-0.09;
V,060180,41.567,,,,,,-0.11,+2.20,+0.15;
V,060180,42.567,,,,,,+0.16,+2.23,+0.12;
V,120180,210627.094,,,,,,-0.07,+2.34,+0.04; <<== NOTICE correct time but wrong date!
V,120180,210628.094,,,,,,-0.02,+2.23,+0.01;
V,120180,210629.094,,,,,,-0.04,+2.39,+0.02;
V,120180,210630.094,,,,,,-0.12,+2.29,-0.22;
V,120180,210631.094,,,,,,-0.08,+2.33,-0.22;
V,120180,210632.094,,,,,,-0.16,+2.29,-0.23;
V,120180,210633.094,,,,,,+0.05,+2.24,-0.11;
V,120180,210634.094,,,,,,-0.02,+2.38,+0.07;
V,120180,210635.094,,,,,,-0.13,+2.22,+0.30;
V,120180,210636.094,,,,,,-0.42,+2.22,+0.05;
...
V,120180,211249.094,,,,,,-0.07,+2.25,+0.13;
V,120180,211250.094,,,,,,+0.04,+2.22,+0.22;
V,120180,211251.094,,,,,,+0.03,+2.11,+0.24;
V,120180,211252.094,,,,,,-0.05,+2.24,+0.28;
V,120180,211253.094,,,,,,+0.00,+2.27,+0.16;
V,120180,211254.094,,,,,,-0.02,+2.21,+0.20;
V,020416,211255.094,,,,,,-0.02,+2.15,+0.12; <<== NOTICE correct date/time but no coordinates!
V,020416,211256.094,,,,,,+0.16,+2.18,+0.14;
V,020416,211257.094,,,,,,+0.01,+2.41,+0.20;
V,020416,211258.094,,,,,,+0.03,+2.20,+0.19;
V,020416,211259.094,,,,,,-0.04,+2.19,+0.09;
V,020416,211300.094,,,,,,+0.02,+2.24,+0.07;
V,020416,211301.094,,,,,,-0.09,+2.13,+0.07;
V,020416,211302.094,,,,,,-0.02,+2.10,-0.02;
V,020416,211303.094,,,,,,+0.11,+2.11,+0.13;
V,020416,211304.094,,,,,,-0.05,+2.15,-0.01;
...

This all happened in a span of ~30 minutes and I never did get a lock...
 
Got a new GPS mont the other day. To begin with I was very optimistic.
I unpacked it, attached the camera and power and stuck it out the window for testing and pressed the power button.
It took a very long time to lock on, which I expected as there are lots of obstructions
But when I had a look at the log afterwards, the date/time was correct right from power on, even though there was no GPS lock.

But when I did the same test 24 hours later, the result was the same as with the old GPS mount, and it still behaves that way after mounting it in the car :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
M Couple of 0806s issues Mini 0806 0
M Possible 0806s power issue? Mini 0806 1
drivinglondon Quick and dirty way to test for battery issues Mini 0806 3
drivinglondon Battery issue Mini 0806 7
J Issue with 0806 - Weird beep and screen coming on Mini 0806 28
Similar threads
Couple of 0806s issues
Possible 0806s power issue?
Quick and dirty way to test for battery issues
Battery issue
Issue with 0806 - Weird beep and screen coming on
Back
Top