Erratic Behavior

[joshmonica]

Hi First post and beginning geocacher/GSPr user

 

I recently bought a Vista HCx and while caching i have noticed erratic wandering of the bearing arrow.

I will be say 200 feet away and it will point one way as i take a few steps it will swing 90degree, stop and it will swing back 180degrees more some more and go back on original point.

 

At other times the original point will be off and as i move it will swing around to a different point and seem to lock on.

 

only found 2/4 caches so far and had some trouble finding my way out of the woods the other day because of this behavior.

 

is this normal? what should i do?

 

Thanks,

 

josh

[+imajeep]

Welcome to geocaching, and to the forums! Two out of four is actually pretty good, particularly for just getting started.

 

 

As to the eratic behavior of your GPSr, two things occur to me: Mine tends to go a little crazy around power lines, or any large concentration of metal. Usually, I just walk a few yards, and it settles down. However, there are some areas (not many) where I just can't seem to get a fix. Part of the game.

 

 

When my GPSr starts behaving erratically, I recalibrate the compass. Your user manual will describe how to do that. Garmin says the compass only needs to be recalibrated when the batteries are changed, but I find that recalibrating the compass often causes my unit (a 60 CSx) to settle down.

[+MtnGoat50]

Welcome to geocaching, and to the forums! Two out of four is actually pretty good, particularly for just getting started.

 

 

As to the eratic behavior of your GPSr, two things occur to me: Mine tends to go a little crazy around power lines, or any large concentration of metal. Usually, I just walk a few yards, and it settles down. However, there are some areas (not many) where I just can't seem to get a fix. Part of the game.

 

 

When my GPSr starts behaving erratically, I recalibrate the compass. Your user manual will describe how to do that. Garmin says the compass only needs to be recalibrated when the batteries are changed, but I find that recalibrating the compass often causes my unit (a 60 CSx) to settle down.

The Vista has an electronic/magnetic compass. My experience is that these only work well when; the unit is level, relatively still, and calibrated. When you are moving, the unit will calculate direction based on movement (GPS's like the Legend don't have a magnetic compass and do this all the time). My Vista came set to switch from GPS bearings to magnetic bearings at 15 MPH. I changed that setting to 1 or 2 MPH. So the magnetic compass only activates when I'm stopped. For me, at least, this has worked better.

 

You might try this and see if it helps.

[+HeyBaylor]

Yeah, I definitely noticed mine will be facing the wrong way if I stand still. Once i start walking, it will start pointing the right way. Then when I'm within 20 feet, I start ignoring the arrow and pay more attention to the number. Actually, when I'm withing 20 feet, really, I try to put it down and start searching.

[Donald, Daisy and Kids]

Yeah, I definitely noticed mine will be facing the wrong way if I stand still. Once i start walking, it will start pointing the right way. Then when I'm within 20 feet, I start ignoring the arrow and pay more attention to the number. Actually, when I'm withing 20 feet, really, I try to put it down and start searching.

 

The only time I have had this problem was when my compas was switched off, it then uses the sattelites for the compas.

 

make sure your compass is switched on and calibrated.

[+briansnat]

Sounds like your compass is not calibrated. It needs to be calibrated every time you change batteries and sometimes in between if it starts acting fluky.

[joshmonica]

Thanks for the replies

 

I missed the section on recalibrating when batteries are changed. so between a recalibration and turning WAAS on ( not sure if that did anything) it is acting much better.

 

Found the 2 caches i missed and am now 7/7.