Garmin 60cs Accuracy?

[+geckoboy49]

New to this game....just got my Garmin a week ago. With WAAS enabled, how accurate is this at getting me to the cache coordinates. I notice that as I approach a cache and get pretty close, the compass bearing needle begins to deviate wildly as does the Distance to Destination reading.......sometimes within 20 feet sometimes within 10 or less. When should I abandon the GPS reading and just start looking around?

 

Thanks

[+quidditchfan073]

I just bought a new 60cs 2 weeks ago as well. For me, as soon as the needle starts going wild is when i put away my gps and start looking. Sometimes my 60cs has taken me within 9 feet, sometimes furthur. If i had to estimate i would guess my gps, waas enabled, on a average has been within 15 feet of the cache. Within 20 feet i usually start looking around and thinking where would i hide this cache if it was me. Hope that helps.

[+briansnat]

I put my GPS down, no matter what brand and model, when it shows about 40-50 feet away. The compass needle will be fairly useless once you're inside that circle on your map page.

 

Another thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if your GPS is the most accurate model in the history of mankind, the hider's GPS probably had a margin of error that you have to deal with.

[+airman]

I put my GPS down, no matter what brand and model, when it shows about 40-50 feet away.  The compass needle will be fairly useless once you're inside that circle on your map page.

 

Another thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if your GPS is the most accurate model in the history of mankind, the hider's GPS probably had a margin of error that you have to deal with.

You can also look at the Lat-Long numbers. They do not change as rapidly. Take your time and let the GPSR settle down.

[+psyci]

You'll have to devise your own strategy, of course, but here's mine: I use the map to get myself directly on top of the where it thinks the cache is, no matter what my accuracy is - whether its 7 ft or 107 feet. Once there, I plant my stuff and start a circular search from that location. I use the accuracy reading to determine roughly how big my search radius should be. More often than not, no matter what the accuracy is, I'm usually a few feet away.

 

Pretty much all good strategies are going to be a combination of "go where the GPS says it is" and "think like a geocacher", the differences are mostly in when you do each of those things.

[+geckoboy49]

Found a cache today using the approaches described, i.e. get within what the GPS thinks is it's accuracy radius, turn it off and go looking. Also, I didn't realize that you must load a WAAS almanac from one of the WAAS satellites in order for your unit to utilize that. Spent 30" this evening in the heat (a miserable 105 degrees here) locating #35 and doing that. Now I've got the "d's" I've heard about on my strength bars. Thanks for all the good advice.

[+RJFerret]

When should I abandon the GPS reading and just start looking around?

 

As soon as it is no longer helpful to you. (With good sats it might get you within feet, with poor sats you might start hunting tens of feet out...)

 

Also, I'd suggest turning your GPS on when driving to the cache on clear roads (unobstructed by trees) so you pick up the WAAS birds and as many sats as possible before arriving.

 

Good luck,

 

Randy

[+geckoboy49]

When should I abandon the GPS reading and just start looking around?

 

As soon as it is no longer helpful to you. (With good sats it might get you within feet, with poor sats you might start hunting tens of feet out...)

 

Also, I'd suggest turning your GPS on when driving to the cache on clear roads (unobstructed by trees) so you pick up the WAAS birds and as many sats as possible before arriving.

 

Good luck,

 

Randy

Now that I've got City Select maps loaded, I usually do have it on well before arrival. Also saves looking in the car for printed maps scattered around on various sheets of paper!

[+apersson850]

With a 60CS, I suggest turning on the magnetic compass and then letting the unit lie down, near the cache, while you go scouting. Return now and then, to check the pjojected distance/heading. The accuracy is usually better when the unit is allowed to rest in one single position. Best is if you find an opening in the foilage, or whatever conditions you have to beat, where you can put the unit. Then perhaps you get a reasonably consistent direction, with distances varying a few meters. Concentrate your looking around that area.

 

Notice that the calculated accuracy is some CEP value. That means that the correct algebraics to calculate the accuracy figuer, which you have to deal with when trying to locate the cache, is sqrt(hider_accuracy^2+searcher_accuracy^2), using Pascal-like syntax.

So if you have 7 meter accuracy and the hider had less favorable conditions, ending up with 12 meters, the combined accuracy figure will be 14 meters. Then the probability that the cache is within a circle, with a 14 meter radius (that's over 600 square meters) is 50%. To become 95% certain, you have to double the radius, and thus you get an area of nearly 2500 square meters to search. Quite a sizeable lot, especially in densly populated central Europe.

[+geckoboy49]

With a 60CS, I suggest turning on the magnetic compass and then letting the unit lie down, near the cache, while you go scouting. Return now and then, to check the pjojected distance/heading. The accuracy is usually better when the unit is allowed to rest in one single position.

Thanks for the advice. This forum provides so many great experiencial tips from others who've "been there before."