... GPS units of yester-year had less receiving channels i.e. usually 2 (modern ones 12 channels ect) but since there are many satellites out there they had to do multiplexing which is, as each channel picks up a satellite, gets its data and position then the receiver jumps to another satellite and gets its data, using the same channel, then the next and so on.
In order for the machine to know where and when to look at the next satellite, it needs to store the position, time ect of each other satellite. Your GPS unit builds up an almanac of data, details of all the other satellites. If the unit looses this almanac it usually goes looking for satellite 1, and waits for the data to arrive, but what happens is that satellite might be on the other side of the world so you wait and wait for no. 1 to come into view.
Even worse, satellite 1 might be turned off so it may never come. Thus your unit sits and waits.
GPS units now-a-days have multiple channels so can receive data very quickly so if satellite X drops out, it doesn't matter since the other channels are going fine.
This almanac of satellite data is usually stored internally and is usually held there by a back up battery. So, for a circa 1995 unit, chances are that the back up battery is gone so the almanac is gone. The machine wants to get the almanac data back before it will go again.
Anyway, just a thought.
Get a new one and be done with it, new ones are way better anyway and life is short, don't waste it waiting for a damn old GPS acquiring signals.
Robbie
