Notecard for skylo not connecting over ntn

Troubleshooting
1

I bought a few Notecards for Skylo when they first came out (NBGLWX). I didn’t do any good with them at the time, so I put them away. I just tried again, but I just can’t get them to connect over the NTN network. They connect fine over cellular. FW version is 11.3.1.17696. After issuing {“req”:“card.transport”,“method”:“ntn”} and {“req”:“hub.sync”,“out”:true}, it spends for ever waiting for a service. The modem also does not seem to be able to find a GPS fix. NTN and GPS antennas are external and “known good”. I’d be grateful for any insights into the attached log?
Just to add: The Notecard was operating on a Notecarrier XS with no external MCU.

notecard_2026-06-13T02_56_14.log (252.2 KB)

2

Hi again Ray. Looking at the trace log:

M143:06.15 GPS search (951 sec, 29/38 dB SNR, 0/1 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:16.53 GPS search (961 sec, 28/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:21.73 GPS search (966 sec, 29/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:26.92 GPS search (971 sec, 29/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:32.11 GPS search (977 sec, 30/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:37.30 GPS search (982 sec, 32/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:42.49 GPS search (987 sec, 32/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:47.68 GPS search (992 sec, 32/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
M143:52.88 GPS search (997 sec, 32/38 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
S143:55.09 _log.qo: gpsmax: cancelling GPS seek: search expired after 1000 seconds
S143:55.09 _log.qo: gps: unable to refresh after trying for 1000 sec (38dB, 2 sat)

This means the Notecard’s only seeing 2 satellites, which isn’t enough to get a GPS fix. In order to connect to the satellite network, the modem needs to know its location, and since it can’t get a GPS fix, it can’t connect to the network.

3

I just checked my own NBGLWX with 11.3.1 and I was able to get a GPS fix and sync. Trace log, in case it’s useful:

[15:37:24.101] M05:13.81 modem: wireless: waiting for wireless service 95 sec [+---] {cell-registration-wait}{ntn}
[15:37:26.229] M05:15.93 modem: wireless: waiting for wireless service 97 sec [+---] {cell-registration-wait}{ntn}
[15:37:28.430] M05:18.06 modem: wireless: waiting for wireless service 99 sec [+---] {cell-registration-wait}{ntn}
[15:37:28.533] M05:18.23 modem: wireless: radio NTN NBIoT band NTN NBIoT BAND 255 {cell-registered}{ntn}
[15:37:28.691] M05:18.39 modem: wireless: waiting for wireless service 100 sec [+---] {cell-registration-wait}{ntn}
[15:37:28.940] M05:18.55 modem: wireless: network registration took 104 sec
[15:37:28.941] M05:18.55 modem: wireless: connected (session open) {connected} {transport}
[15:37:28.941] S05:18.56 ntn: adding downlink request note into packet (6/254)
[15:37:28.942] S05:18.57 packet: sending 4 bytes (encoded as 6 bytes on-air)
[15:37:28.993] S05:18.70 ntn: sent 4-byte packet containing 1 notes
[15:37:31.603] S05:21.21 sync: project: opening notehub session using product UID product:com.blues.hroche:hil_lab
[15:37:31.606] S05:21.22 sync: notehub: opened IP connection {notehub-connected}
[15:37:31.630] S05:21.23 sync: sync triggered by explicit sync request; GPS; GPS needs modem; NTN
[15:37:31.630] S05:21.23 sync: work: begin (anything pending) {sync-begin}
[15:37:31.630] S05:21.30 sync: work: completed (nothing was pending) {sync-end}
[15:37:31.630] S05:21.31 sync: advancing last sync time from 15:34:35Z to 15:37:30Z
[15:40:19.749] S08:09.34 usage: checkpointing usage data
[15:40:19.752] S08:09.42 config: checkpointing configuration backup
[15:40:29.063] S08:18.72 sync: work: sync: disconnecting fully-opened session so that it may be opened more power-efficiently {sync-disconnecting}
[15:40:29.066] S08:18.73 sync: notehub: closed notehub {notehub-disconnected}
[15:40:29.097] S08:18.74 sync: wireless: modem disconnect requested {cell-disconnect-begin}
[15:40:29.097] S08:18.75 sync: wireless: idle {disconnecting} {transport}
[15:40:29.097] S08:18.75 sync: wireless: idle {disconnected} {transport}
[15:40:29.097] S08:18.76 sync: wireless: idle {disconnecting} {transport}
[15:40:29.105] S08:18.79 modem: waiting for shutdown
[15:40:29.268] M08:18.92 modem: powering down
[15:40:34.388] M08:23.99 modem: wireless: modem now OFF {modem-off}
[15:40:34.388] M08:24.00 modem: **********************************
[15:40:34.389] M08:24.00 modem: active for 316 sec
[15:40:34.389] M08:24.01 modem: **********************************
[15:40:39.407] M08:29.04 sync: wakeup: modem shutdown
[15:40:39.566] M08:29.24 modem: wireless: idle {disconnected} {transport}
[15:40:39.568] S08:29.25 sync: wireless: modem disconnected {cell-disconnected}
[15:40:39.575] S08:29.26 sync: notehub: disconnected (was {connected}) via close of notebox {notehub-disconnected}
[15:40:39.594] S08:29.28 transport: switched from ntn: to modem:
[15:40:39.598] S08:29.28 transport: using cellular transport because GPS is needed
[15:40:39.635] S08:29.32 penalty: service penalty cleared: transport switched
[15:40:39.641] S08:29.32 sync: connect requested by  (GPS)
[15:40:39.652] S08:29.33 connect: 4.69V 35.00C before comms power-on (2026-06-14T15:40:38Z UTC)
[15:40:39.658] S08:29.34 apn: for a.notefile.net using apn a-notehub.com.attz
[15:40:39.664] S08:29.35 sync: wireless: domain a.notefile.net using APN a-notehub.com.attz
[15:40:39.672] S08:29.35 sync: wireless: starting communications {wait-module} {connecting} {transport}
[15:40:39.688] S08:29.37 modem: beginning power-on sequence
[15:41:08.581] S08:58.22 modem: *************** ON ***************
[15:41:08.583] S08:58.23 sync: wireless: modem now ON using external SIM {modem-on}
[15:41:13.401] M09:03.01 modem: suppressing registration
[15:41:18.317] M09:07.97 gpsmax: modem powered up in gps mode
[15:41:18.327] M09:08.00 modem: wireless: connected {connected-closed} {transport}
[15:41:18.336] M09:08.01 _log.qo: gpsmax: requesting GPS refresh: modem's GPS is ready
[15:41:19.539] M09:09.21 _log.qo: gpsmax: NMEA data being received
[15:41:19.547] M09:09.22 GPS search (0 sec, 0/0 dB SNR, 0/0 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:24.747] M09:14.42 GPS search (5 sec, 49/49 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:29.992] M09:19.62 GPS search (10 sec, 51/51 dB SNR, 0/2 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:35.140] M09:24.81 GPS search (15 sec, 51/51 dB SNR, 0/3 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:40.341] M09:30.01 GPS search (20 sec, 51/51 dB SNR, 0/4 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:45.555] M09:35.22 GPS search (26 sec, 51/51 dB SNR, 0/4 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:50.777] M09:40.41 GPS search (31 sec, 51/51 dB SNR, 0/4 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:41:55.942] M09:45.61 GPS search (36 sec, 52/52 dB SNR, 0/4 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:42:01.145] M09:50.81 GPS search (41 sec, 52/52 dB SNR, 0/4 sats, HDOP 0.00)
[15:42:05.358] M09:55.02 _log.qo: GPS updated to 8FH495F8+2FVC ($GPGGA, 4 sats, 52db)
4

It’s taken me a while to get back to this, sorry!
I changed my GPS antenna to my best directional (passive) antenna and yes, I finally did get it to connect over ntn. It took a while though. I have also enabled the NBGLWX to take an active GPS antenna on my own custom board. That was also able to connect, although, again, it took a while (>5 min). My impression is that the connect time is a lot longer with the NBGLWX, but maybe I’ve just been unlucky so far. I’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks again for your help Hayden!

5

Hi Hayden

Notecard+Starnote is really humming now. It is a 1000% on where we were just a year ago. Well done! As for the NBGLWX, it still does not seem as optimized as it should be. I found some testing data from a few months ago which showed that time to connection was quite slow (av ~12min) compared to the Notecard+Skylo (av ~1min). I’ve just run it again for a few days and, although better, it is still taking 3 - 7min to connect. Time to GPS fix was also quite slow (4-11min). I was using an active GPS antenna and my best directional antenna pointing up for the Notecards.

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