Explorist 300 Na Problems

[canadian4life_]

I recently got an eXplorist 300 (North America), and I have been typing in coordinates from Geocaching.com and some caches are showing up in the water, at least a kilometre from where they should be.

 

I might return it and get a SporTrak Color, but I don't want to have the same problems with that one, either. Does anyone know what the problem is?

[+hogrod]

maybe the base map in your gps is actually off, or maybe you have to change the map datum to match the datum listed on the cache page. also is there any chance that you put one digit in wrong? this would put the waypoint in wrong place.

[+jacques0]

I'm guessing it's the basemap, but hogrod's suggestions are definitely worth checking.

 

I have an explorist 200 and when I'm walking along the shoreline about 2 blocks from my house, the gps indicates that I'm out in the lake a ways. Further down the trail, though, the position indicator shows that I am, in fact, along the shore.

 

Did you try to actually reach the cache? I would guess that even though the basemap might indicate that you are in water, the actual position is correct (i.e., just ignore the basemap) and that you would probably find the cache just fine. To put it another way, if you had the explorist 100, which has no basemap, I bet the location of the cache would be the same. The basemap is just an overlay and there are the occasional errors (just like on many paper maps).

[canadian4life_]

Maybe the base map in your GPS is actually off.

 

How do I check to see if it is on or off? I am seeing water and land and cities and roads, so I'm pretty sure it's on.

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Maybe you have to change the map datum to match the datum listed on the cache page.

 

The datum is WGS84, which is what the whole site is on.

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Is there any chance that you put one digit in wrong?

 

I made sure that everything went in right, and all of the waypoints are wrong, so I'd have had to have messed up all of them.

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Did you try to actually reach the cache?

 

Yes, the cache's page on Geocaching.com said it was in a park, but my GPS showed it as being by the water a kilometre away when I tried finding it.

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Pretend that the basemaps are a paper map, and there is a piece of glass on top covering it. When I put in the coordinates (like putting the locations on the glass), they are all in the right spot in relation to each other. But if you shift the glass over a bit, the locations all appear as they did before, but are over a different part of the map. It's like the whole basemap is off by a few kilometres.

 

Geez, I'm so confused

 

I might get a SporTrak Color, would I have the same problems with that?

[+hogrod]

when i said the base map was off i meant that it is not accurate. did you actually try to get the the cache? you may find that the actual cache is on land even though you GPS map is showing it on water. also check the posts on the cache page and make sure the coords are correct. also have you tried this GPS for other caches? had the same problem?

[stevesisti]

I recently got an eXplorist 300 (North America), and I have been typing in coordinates from Geocaching.com and some caches are showing up in the water, at least a kilometre from where they should be.

 

I might return it and get a SporTrak Color, but I don't want to have the same problems with that one, either. Does anyone know what the problem is?

I live along the hudson river in New York and the Garmin basemap in my 60CS always has me in the water. So few points are used in the basemaps, it's almost impossible for the graphic screen representation to be accurate. Changing to a sportrack will not change that. My coordinate readings however are very accurate, and I assume the same would be true for your situation.

Edited July 27, 2005 by stevesisti

[Dale_Lynn]

I would not worry if the map has you with wet feet... maps are relative, you have to consider there is only so much room in unit for data and screen is compact so it is hard to be exact.... I even find mapping services have addresses and building in wrong place. Yes even GOOGLE (and it is really good) and others.... I dont generally rely on maps for location to exact foot...... The thing is does GPS unit get you to a realtive accurate location say with in 50 feet of what you want to find.... Like a bridge or a city park or local bank.... whatever... Oh yah, location of cache....

 

Look at people who for many years who used and still do use paper maps, they still guess where they are and still can't tell if map is upside down or not. at least your GPS map has you close to your actual location!

 

Dale

Edited July 27, 2005 by Dale_Lynn