Garmin V Question For Another V Owner

[+b_rad2cool]

Help

I have a new Garmin V. I am not sure if it's the way I am holding it or maybe there is something wrong.

 

When I tried to use it for geocaching this afternoon. The pointer seemed strange in comparison to the 76cs I have. If I moved the GPS 4 or 5 degrees the pointer may move as much as 180 degrees. I never could get a bearing on anything. It takes forever to react to any movement.

 

Is there something in the setup I am doing wrong. I do not know enough about GPS to describe what is or isn't doing but it doesn’t seem right. I actually picked it up for the software and for my son to have a gps of his own.

 

The 76cs worked great and we had a lot of fun.

 

I am open to troubleshooting questions.

 

Thanks

[+Renegade Knight]

Issue #1. The V does not have an electronic compass. It updates at a rate of about once a second. You have to be moving for the compass to point the right way. Once you are moving it should prove to be as accurate as the 76CS.

 

The 76CS has an electronic compass. If it's on the GPS can point the right way (more or less, I found limitations with an electronic compass) to the cache when you are not moving. Thus you can stop and try to get a bearing then move again. With the V you have to take your bearing as you are moving.

 

That's the first thing I'd look at for how the two were acting different. If you are not moving the GPS V doesn't know which way you are facing, but the signal error will say you are here, then 5' over then 10' back then 5' left and so on. The pointer doing it's best guess will point where it thinks the cache is based on those randome movements about your position due to natural error. Moving cures that.

[peter]

I believe RK has correctly identified the difference as being due to the magnetic compass sensor built into the 76cs which is not there in the GPS V. One method to use with GPS receivers that don't include magnetic sensors (i.e. most models) is to also carry a small hand compass. Then read the bearing and distance given by the GPS to the waypoint and use the hand compass to see which is the right direction. If the hand compass doesn't include declination correction then set the GPS to give directions relative to "Magnetic North" rather than "True North".

[+b_rad2cool]

When walking with the Garmin V, should the unit be held in a vertical or horizontal position?

 

What inexpensive GPS have electronic compass?

Edited June 6, 2005 by b_rad2cool

[+Olar]

The one thing that a lot of people forget or don't realize is that a GPSr with satellite lock always knows the compass bearing from your location to the cache. You can stand on your head, turn somersaults, jump up and down, etc. but the GPSr always knows the bearing. What it doesn't know is which way you are facing (heading) at any given time until you start moving as in walking, running, driving.

The arrow on a V, and any other unit without electronic compass, is displayed within a circle whose outer perimeter is graduated with points of the compass. When you do a "find" or "goto" this arrow appears and points to the bearing degrees of the cache as marked on the circle whether you are moving or standing still. If you are moving then the graduated circle rotates and your heading is at the very top. The arrow also rotates and continues to point at the bearing degrees of the cache however now that you are moving, and your heading degrees is at the top of the circle, the arrow will be pointing at both the cache and bearing degrees.

So after that long-winded explanation you will probably say that's great but when I'm standing beside my car in a parking lot and the arrow is moving all over the place which way is the cache. This is where you whip out your magnetic compass, dial in the bearing to cache the GPSr tells you, and let it point the way. Or you can start walking and let your V point the way once it knows your heading.

 

Cheers, Olar

[+welch]

Did you turn ROAD LOCK off?

That feature will lock your position (little arrow?) onto the nearest road. Helpfull when road navigating with poor reception but totally useless for geocaching. your distance might go down but the arrow will be pointed in the total wrong direction....

[+Docapi]

LOL, I'll give it a shot.

 

Ok, say you are walking directly nort and directly toward your waypoint. You are holding your GPS up right in front of you. The Gps can tell that you are headed directly north. The Compass pointer will be pointing straight ahead, since that is the direction of the cache.

 

The Receiver always assumes that you are holding it upright in front of you.

 

Now you stop. When you move the reveiver a few degrees, you moved your arm sideways to do it, right?

 

Lets say that you moved your arm to your right. Because the V does not have a compass, it assumes that you have turned 90 degrees and are now moving east, since that is the direction that the receiver just moved. Since you are theoretically moving east, the pointer will swing towards its left side, thinking that is north. If you now move back to the center position, it will think that you have turned around and the pointer will swing 180 degrees to reflect it.

 

How was that? Clear as mud, eh?

[+Olar]

Lets say that you moved your arm to your right. Because the V does not have a compass, it assumes that you have turned 90 degrees and are now moving east, since that is the direction that the receiver just moved. Since you are theoretically moving east, the pointer will swing towards its left side, thinking that is north. If you now move back to the center position, it will think that you have turned around and the pointer will swing 180 degrees to reflect it.

 

Theoretically? Arguable!!

In real-life, once you stop your forward movement, the GPSr continues to assume you are still facing north until it detects movement in another direction. Moving your body or arm to the right as in your example would not be enough motion for the V to detect and determine movement direction and speed. Thats why it can be very confusing for a lot of cachers when at a cache site and within the 7 to 10 meter accuracy radius. When too close the receiver has no firm idea where the cache is nor does it know which direction you are facing or even moving slowly. When this happens it is best to put the GPSr away and let the "Force" find it for you.

Just as a footnote to this subject, I own both a V and a 76C. Comparing the two, the V will detect forward movement and align the pointer a lot sooner than the 76C will.

 

Olar

[+Docapi]

With my V, moving my arm just a foot or 2 is enough for it to sense the movement and point me in a new direction.

 

I just went out and tried it. Even with an EPE of 32 feet, moving my arm about 10" to either side was enough to sense a direction change, and the pointer swung around. Moving 10" back the pointer swung 180"