What is the difference between Cold, Warm and Hot starts?
GPS units use information about satellite position and characteristics that changes over time. Most GPS units store this information in RAM or ROM, thus not requiring this information, called an almanac, to be re-downloaded each time the unit is used. When this information is present, and it is used to expedite an initial fix, that is a hot start. Most users will want to perform a hot start. In some cases, the almanac information is missing, incorrect or outdated. When the information is missing (and on many units, when it is significantly outdated) a warm or cold start is performed (depending on the information present). A warm start retains many settings and some almanac information and just tries to collect a limited amount before fixing. On a cold start, the unit is basically reset to factory-default conditions (note that on some devices ROM-stored settings are not reset). Cold starts are generally used to resolve a problem or if the GPS unit has been moved significantly (3000 mile
