Why am I getting constant “Connecting to GPS…” message with my Dual XGPS 160?

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Some firmwares of Dual XGPS 160 have proven to have unreliable connection to iOS. Here’s a checklist for resolving the connection problems:

  1. Disconnect the XGPS 160 from your other phones and tablets you’re not using it with. Go to Bluetooth settings of each of the devices and ‘Forget’ your XGPS 160. It’s possible to connect from many phones simultaneously, but there is a maximum limit. And most importantly, the XGPS 160 will automatically connect to only to one phone or tablet at a time. So if you’re testing a new phone, it will automatically connect only to your old phone instead, if it is nearby.
  2. Reboot your iOS device and power cycle the XGPS 160. Sometimes the connection goes to invalid state and can only be resolved by rebooting.
  3. Make sure the XGPS 160 is connected in your iOS device settings. Reconnect if needed. The indicator LEDs on your XGPS 160 should now have one solid blue light. If the blue LED is blinking, try to connect again. If you have more than one blue light, you failed to do the first step.
  4. Install ‘SkyPro GPS Status Tool’ app. Use this app to make sure your XGPS 160 is working properly.
  5. If everything works fine, kill the ‘SkyPro GPS Status Tool’ app, and now try with RaceChrono.
  6. If still not working, please remove the XGPS 160 from your RaceChrono > Settings, and add it again, and see if it connects now.
  7. If all else fails, you could also try to update your GPS firmware using the ‘SkyPro GPS Status Tool’ app. As of writing this article, reliable firmwares according to my own tests are v1.5.1, v2.2.1, v2.4.1 and v3.5.4 depending on your hardware version.