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GPS accuracy during slow movement


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Hi Folks

It's been a while since I've geocached but when I do I use an old Gecko. As I recall, the Gecko had a hell of a time giving me directions once I got within about 15' of the cache. I thought that was due to gov't imposed limitations on resolution for the general public, but maybe it's the Gecko? Maybe it was due to my stopping as I scanned the area to find the cache? It seemed that the unit (or the system) was unable to locate me once I stopped, too. Anyway, do today's units have these limitaions?

 

Thanks for your help.

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Hi Folks

It's been a while since I've geocached but when I do I use an old Gecko. As I recall, the Gecko had a hell of a time giving me directions once I got within about 15' of the cache. I thought that was due to gov't imposed limitations on resolution for the general public, but maybe it's the Gecko? Maybe it was due to my stopping as I scanned the area to find the cache? It seemed that the unit (or the system) was unable to locate me once I stopped, too. Anyway, do today's units have these limitaions?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

that is caused because the Gecko line of GPSs does not have an electronic compass in it, in order for the arrow to correctly track you must be moving at a velocity greater than 1.5 mph.

 

now to answer yoru other question about newer models. none of the geckos have an electronic compass but there are many garmin units like the Summit HC and the Vista HCX and the 60CSx that have the electronic compass and will track just fine when standing still.

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As I recall, the Gecko had a hell of a time giving me directions once I got within about 15' of the cache.

 

If you within 15ft of a cache, you shouldn't be looking at the GPS screen anymore, but the area you are in for clues to the caches hide. 15ft is within the accuracy of most GPS receivers, so you could actually be standing right on the cache.

 

 

None of the geckos have an electronic compass but there are many garmin units like the Summit HC and the Vista HCX and the 60CSx that have the electronic compass and will track just fine when standing still.

 

The Garmin geko 301 has an electronic compass, but doesn't have a high sensitivity chipset like some of the newer models.

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Thanks for all of the responses. I actually did quite a bit of caching back in 2003-2004, but I've been out of it since then. I found that most of the caches I was looking for were pretty well hidden, often leading me to resort to the added clues.

 

I'm doing some experimentation with the GPS now where I would like to move with a GPS device without the device being able to track my movement; in other words, movement that is so slow that despite being 'hooked up' technologically, I am untrackable, technologically. It sounds ironic, probably, but that's part of the point - I am developing a performance art piece based on this idea. I hope to present it in Spain this spring.

 

If anyone can give me some more advice I'd appreciate it. Is the electronic compass reliant upon satellite tracking, or does it indicate movement based upon the last location that the device was tracked? (if that makes sense)

 

Thanks for the help!

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One other way to zero in is to display the GPS coordinates and compare them to the cache coordinates. Line up the north / south or east / west coordinate and move the other directions until all the numbers line up. This usually gets me much closer than the arrows. If you want to cheat, use the satellite view of Google Maps to get an idea of the terrain and possible hiding places.

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