+Buschnut and Jaden Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm having some problems with my new Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. The problem is that the accuracy is very inconsistent. I understand that trees and power lines can cause these problems but when I’m away from these obstacles I’m still reading 25’ to 40’ accurate under clear skies. I was wondering if anyone else is having problems or have any suggestions that my help alleviate this problem. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Have you upgraded to the latest firmware? Made sure WAAS is turned on? If you are talking about the the EPE (Estimated position error) as reported on the unit - keep in mind that is just a wild guess estimate based on the satillite configuration. Quote Link to comment
+Stargazer22 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I have both a 76Csx and a Vista Hcx. I have noticed that the reported accuracy on the Hcx sometimes bounces around a lot, however, when I have used it to find caches, it works just about as well as the 76Csx. It seems that the software works better in the 76Csx for several items, one being the reported accuracy. Another is a well known factor in the Hcx, the odometer reading. My odometer reading always shows a shorter distance on the Hcx due to the way the unit calculates. This has been discussed in some detail on other threads in the GPS unit forums. It only affects the readings when moving at slow speeds, under about 2 miles an hour or so. Unfortunately, this means hiking speed distance may not be measured accurately. We made a hike this past weekend and our 76Csx showed 6.8 miles, very close to the total I came up with on Google Earth from plotting our route and measuring the path distance. The Hcx reported just 2.6 miles, and showed most of the time as not moving. I have tried setting different parameters in the unit for different track log modes, but none seem to work very well. I have the newest firmware according to the Garmin updater website. Since we have the 76Csx and use it for odometer readings, this does not bother us. However, I have heard some say that their Hcx units work just fine for odometer readings. Your mileage may vary (literally!). Quote Link to comment
+sbell111 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I wonder if it might be a good idea to move this thread to the proper forum. Quote Link to comment
+Quiggle Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Moving to GPS forum. Quote Link to comment
Lodogg2221 Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Use webupdater, make sure you have 2.50/2.60 the latest versions of software and firmware... Also, after I upgraded to the 2.60 firmware, I got a reading of 12ft accuracy under cloudy skies...I cant say I ever looked when I had 2.30, since Ive only had it a few days...I did notice that it seems to register movement and stops a bit faster than before too. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.