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I can't make function the NEO-6M-0-001 GPS module, this is the third one that already bought! I'm using an ATmega2560 as microcontroller for obtaining the data from the module and seems that the module never initializes.

I bought an USB-UART converter for checking if there is something that I did wrong (soldering, bad wiring, burned circuit, etc.). I connected the the module to the converter, opened the serial monitor to see what is happening and this is what I found:

$GPRMC,,V,,,,,,,,,,N*53
$GPVTG,,,,,,,,,N*30
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,99.99,,,,,,*48
$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,99.99,99.99,99.99*30
$GPGSV,4,1,15,02,,,23,05,,,23,07,,,21,12,,,22*78
$GPGSV,4,2,15,13,,,22,16,,,22,17,,,23,18,,,22*70
$GPGSV,4,3,15,19,,,22,20,,,22,21,,,22,24,,,22*74
$GPGSV,4,4,15,26,,,22,27,,,22,50,,,27*7C
$GPGLL,,,,,,V,N*64

Seems that the data is missing, or I have to some how initialize the module. This is happening with the three modules. In the picture you can see the antenna that I'm using, I'm outdoors testing it. By the way, its true that without antenna the gps could be damaged?

enter image description here

I really appreciate if someone could help, thank you.

Oscar Espinosa
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    Are you indoors? Do you have a suitable antenna attached? It can take a long time to connect to the satellites, so you need to be patient. – Majenko Sep 01 '21 at 12:50
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    I went outdoors, I'm attaching a picture of the antenna. Its true that I did'n wait so much. – Oscar Espinosa Sep 01 '21 at 12:53
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    This is pretty much what Majenko is saying, but just to be more explicit: Empty fields are normal for not having acquired a fix. – timemage Sep 01 '21 at 12:54
  • @timemage I went outside and I'm getting nothing, the quantity of satellites changes from 1 to 10 without getting a fix. Maybe something wrong at hardware level? – Oscar Espinosa Sep 01 '21 at 13:40
  • If it difficult to say. Just to warn you, without some fairly Arduino specific stuff in the question it's liable to get closed, although I'm not sure where the right place to ask it is. Thoughts are: make sure the power going to the GPS is clean. I'm don't know (or remember really) what all of the ramifications of that number going to 10 are. I know you only need 3 for a 2D fix, but I've seen GPS report quite a pile of satellites before getting a proper fix. If you have at least three for a two or three minutes solid, then I'd worry more. – timemage Sep 01 '21 at 13:50
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    to reiterate what's already been said, you need good visibility of the sky to get a strong signal and it can take a long time to get a fix especially with a weak signal – Bra1n Sep 01 '21 at 16:04
  • You are probably not waiting long enough. It can take a good 15 minutes for a satellite to send all its orbit data that the module needs to triangulate its position. So that's your wait time you need to account for. Your phone cheats by going online and downloading that data from an online database. – ratchet freak Sep 02 '21 at 11:23
  • "Trilaterate", I think. It can take while to download WAAS information, to get a *good* fix. I can't remember the last time, if ever, I saw a GPS take anything like 15 minutes to get an initial crude (within 50 meters or so) fix outside. It seems like if you don't get one within about 3 minutes, you're just not going to. – timemage Sep 03 '21 at 20:21
  • I’m voting to close this question because its not about Arduino but about a GPS module – MatsK Sep 04 '21 at 00:47
  • Well, I waited. Like 1 hour with every single GPS module. I have 2 conclusions: I'm in the wrong place (even though I went outside and is clear), or the GPS modules are obsolete by now and I have to buy newer versions. Thank you all by your help! – Oscar Espinosa Sep 06 '21 at 02:48
  • You are getting correctly formed NMEA sentences from the GPS module, so it looks like it is working ok. The $GPGGA sentence says: no fix and zero satellites. An uncovered place outside (no trees) should be sufficient. So it looks like an antenna problem. – PimV Sep 17 '21 at 14:16

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