NightPilot

WAAS doesn't do much for you right now. There are only 2 WAAS satellites, and they can't be acquired easily, and it gets harder the further you go north. Central and northern US are pretty much out of luck. WAAS is a future asset, and will get more use as more satellites are launched, but it's going to be slow. The current administration doesn't want to spend the money, they had rather use it for tax cuts. At present, you're much better off keeping WAAS disabled. As for different models and performance, the antenna makes a very big difference. Handhelds, optimized for small size, require small antennas, which just don't work as well, so most handhelds will give poorer performance, both in acquisition time and position accuracy. There ain't no free lunch, and compromises are necessary in everything. If you want a small, light unit, you have to use smaller antennas, which obviously degrade performance. An external antenna will almost always give much better results, and I suspect the antenna is the reason the V works better. You always need a clear view of the sky, and if you're in a vehicle, you don't have that, so it will take longer to acquire the satellites, especially with an itty-bitty antenna. I don't usually see acquisition times that long, I almost always have a fix in less than a minute, with a Radio Shack Digitraveler in the windshield, and with a Garmin eTrex Legend either in the windshield or in the hand outside. One thing to remember is the Legend, as with other Garmins, needs to be held horizontally, not vertically. That's the way the antenna is installed. If you're holding it, or have it mounted vertically, you'll get poorer performance.

quote:No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!! If you're a 31C, they already know. U.S. Army, 1970-1982. Signal Corps, Aviator, 82d Airborne, 101st Airborne, various air traffic control and signal units. Quit because flying a stationary desk got too hard. Been flying full-time since, haven't missed it a minute. Regards, Stan

quote:No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!! Easy to say, but when you're a 31C, you can't get away with it. It's your job. U.S. Army, 1970-1982, Signal Corps, Aviator, 82d Airborne, 101st Airborne, various ATC units. Had to leave, no fun flying a stationary desk. Haven't missed it a minute. Been flying full-time ever since I quit working for Uncle Sam. Happy Veteran's Day to all. Regards, Stan

quote:No, no, no! Never let them know you can type!!!! Easy to say, but when you're a 31C, you can't get away with it. It's your job. U.S. Army, 1970-1982, Signal Corps, Aviator, 82d Airborne, 101st Airborne, various ATC units. Had to leave, no fun flying a stationary desk. Haven't missed it a minute. Been flying full-time ever since I quit working for Uncle Sam. Regards, Stan

I'm afraid I don't understand the problem with having the database on a card. Most of the apps I use can store their databases on the card, and edit them. Any VFS-aware app should be able to do this. The database has to be loaded into memory for use or edit, but it can be returned to the card afterwards. I admit I haven't tried CacheMate, so I may be missing something. Regards, Stan

If you have a PDA, you can get started with complete mapping for that. Radio Shack is selling its Digitraveler GPS for $29.99, and you can get complete Mapopolis US maps, the platinum version that talks to you, for $99. If you have to buy the PDA, it's going to cost a lot more, though. Regards, Stan

Tire pressure is a big factor in the accuracy of the speedometer. The pressure varies with temperature, speed, and whether any has leaked since the last time you put some air in. Exactly what is the pressure, and what is it supposed to be? The pressure makes more difference than the brand of tire. Regards, Stan [This message was edited by NightPilot on October 26, 2003 at 08:15 PM.]