Colorado 300

[+spannerman]

I've had my Colorado 300 for 6 months now and am still very pleased with its geocaching functions but am starting to get annoyed with its inaccuracy.

 

I have passed the making excuses for it stage, while I was trying to justify its cost, and am now finding I am using my old GPS12 Map more and more. A recent cache I set was a two stage multi and it was impossible to get a set of coordinates which I could go back to again with the Colorado. I gave up trying in the end and used the GPS12 and got an accurate set of coordinates within minutes. The final site is close to a large identifying feature and on Google earth the cache is right where it should be but out of eight readings taken from the Colorado, the closest it got was 24ft away! The location was high on a hill on Dartmoor with a clear view of the sky all round.

 

I also find that it loses signal under trees too often and even in the open I get several spikes on the tracklog where it has lost signal. My old GPS12 was carried in my pocket and very rarely lost signal even in dense woodland.

 

Does everyone else s Colorado behave the same or do I have a bad 'un. I have the latest software(2.9) and GPS software(2.8) loaded and I keep WAAS turned on all the time.

 

If no-one else has this problem I will contact Garmin support and see if they can sort it out.

 

Thanks.

[+Gushoneybun]

I find trig points from time to time and take coords on my Colorado, when uploading them to the trig point site I am always within a few metres of it, that is normally just by sitting it down on top for a minute or so.

 

 

Have you got it set up properly?

 

 

Sorry if you have but maybe worth checking, go into setup, then down to position format. Mine is set to: Position Format hddd mm.mmm'

 

Map Datum WGS84

 

Map Spheroid WGS84

 

 

Hope that helps

[+J10fly]

Knock on wood mine has always been good to me. I normally get down to around 12 feet or so accuracy and sometimes better but generally 12 and that's under light cover. If I remember right, I thought I remember seeing a calibration function in the menu somewhere for it but don't quote me on that.

[+J10fly]

Also as above poster mentioned, sitting it down for a minute or so does help if the accuracy is bouncing around a lot.

[+spannerman]

Worth checking, but yes it is set up correctly.

 

I think the calibration is only for altitude and the compass. I have only calibrated the altitude once but I do the compass quite often as I do use that feature.

 

I did have the GPS on the cache I was setting up for quite a few minutes before I took the readings and when I did a goto at the cache site it said 2-3ft. When I walked a few hundred feet away and navigated back I was anything upto 50ft out. After 8 goes of that I got fed up and brought out the old faithful.

 

I don't find it a problem for finding caches, it counts down nicely and when we get within 20ft or so of the cache we can usually spot a likely hiding place, it is just the accuracy for setting a cache that I have a problem with.

[+Gushoneybun]

 

Does everyone else s Colorado behave the same or do I have a bad 'un. I have the latest software(2.9) and GPS software(2.8) loaded and I keep WAAS turned on all the time.

 

If no-one else has this problem I will contact Garmin support and see if they can sort it out.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

You are upto date with the software, I would drop a line to Garmin.

[+JeremyR]

Just a thought - you haven't got WAAS mode disabled by any chance, have you?

 

Go to the system setup screen and look at the 'GPS' option. If it's set to 'Normal' then change it to 'WAAS' and try it like that for a while and see if you notice better accuracy. WAAS isn't available all the time (in the UK, you need a fairly good view of the southern sky) but when it is available, you should notice increased accuracy - look for little D's on the bars on the satellite screen.

 

If you find yourself researching this a little more, you'll find the term EGNOS cropping up. To all intents and purposes, the two terms are interchangable

[+The Blorenges]

The Colorado aerial (quad helix) means the unit should be used held vertically for best reception. The Etrex series have the aerail built into the front of the case (patch) which means it's meant to held flat in your hand.

Re WAAS/EGNOS. If you want more information I've got a page about it on my resource website which explains exactly how it works and what it will do for you (in non technical terms).

 

We have a Colorado and haven't had any accuracy problems. A simple test is to put it in the garden for 20 minutes (vertical) and see how many satellites it's picked up. If you have WAAS/EGNOS enabled and a reasonable clear view to the south then you should get 10 feet showing or better.

 

Chris (MrB)

www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk/resources

[+Haggis Hunter]

I don't know about the Colorado but I found out yesterday with my Oregon that if I have route finding switched on then it makes a huge difference with the accuracy once off the road. For me yesterday it said the cache was 84 metres away, when I was stood right next to it, once I switched it off it then said the cache was 4 metres away. That's a bit of a pain, as to use the route finding to get to a parking spot I obviously need it on, then to search for the cache I have to switch it off, it can be a bit of a pain.

 

Does the Colorado have this feature?

[+keehotee]

Maybe Garmin inadvertantly let one of next years models slip through the net, and it's working on the basis that there won't be any GPS sats around to give you an accurate fix?

[+PSHAX]

I've had my Colorado 300 for 6 months now and am still very pleased with its geocaching functions but am starting to get annoyed with its inaccuracy.

 

I have passed the making excuses for it stage, while I was trying to justify its cost, and am now finding I am using my old GPS12 Map more and more. A recent cache I set was a two stage multi and it was impossible to get a set of coordinates which I could go back to again with the Colorado. I gave up trying in the end and used the GPS12 and got an accurate set of coordinates within minutes. The final site is close to a large identifying feature and on Google earth the cache is right where it should be but out of eight readings taken from the Colorado, the closest it got was 24ft away! The location was high on a hill on Dartmoor with a clear view of the sky all round.

 

I also find that it loses signal under trees too often and even in the open I get several spikes on the tracklog where it has lost signal. My old GPS12 was carried in my pocket and very rarely lost signal even in dense woodland.

 

Does everyone else s Colorado behave the same or do I have a bad 'un. I have the latest software(2.9) and GPS software(2.8) loaded and I keep WAAS turned on all the time.

 

If no-one else has this problem I will contact Garmin support and see if they can sort it out.

 

Thanks.

 

My Colorado occasionally has a brainfart and the co-ords can be upto 150 feet out, but only when the batteries start to fade. I'm tight, and dont like replacing the batts until they die completely.. I really should invest in a few sets of decent NiMh cells.. (My new torch takes 8 AA's!!!! )

[+Moote]

Badger once pointed out to me that when the track log filled up to 100% that his GPS (a 60CS at the time) went wild, as did mine, I cleared the track log and it worked fine until it filled again. Could that be a similar issue with the Colorado?

[+RuberyBlue]

I'm on my third Colorado in just over 12 months. The second one went back to Garmin as it started suffering with accuracy problems after a firmware upgrade - its accuracy was a minimum 200 metres out! To be fair they did replace but the return was at my own expense. My advice send it back...

 

I miss my 60CSX

 

RuberyBlue

Keep right on!

[+spannerman]

Thanks for all the replies, I have been out today on a 12 mile walk and found 14 caches with it.

 

I have established that the accuracy problem is only when the unit is stationary because I had no problem navigating to todays caches and found them all where the Colorado initially pointed to. The problem starts once it is no longer moving because I placed it on the ground at each cache and watched the reading bounce around all over the place. ( I have tried it vertical when setting caches but it makes no difference). It is just like a hyper child, OK when moving but can't stand still when you stop!

 

I haven't seen a Route Finding, On/Off, option on the Colorado but in the Routing options on the Geocaching profile I have the Guidance Method set to Off Road.

 

I use rechargeable NiMH batteries but will try a set of Alkalines at the weekend to see if that makes a difference. I do have it set for NiMH at the moment but will change to Alkaline when I change to them.

 

Thanks again for the replies, it has been helpful if only to confirm that my Colorado is sick

[+HazelS]

Badger once pointed out to me that when the track log filled up to 100% that his GPS (a 60CS at the time) went wild, as did mine, I cleared the track log and it worked fine until it filled again. Could that be a similar issue with the Colorado?

 

My 60C has the same problem... and I never discovered it until I set a cache - and it was about 100m out when people went to find it.....

 

I couldn't understand it as the GPS has always been pretty good... then I cleared the full track log and bingo... super duper accuracy again!

[+JustMike]

I've been very happy with a 60CSx, but have been VERY disappointed with my new Colorado 300. The accuracy completely stinks. It bounces all over when within 100' of a cache. What good is that? If I can't find a way to make this work better it's going back.

 

On a related note, anyone know how to quickly switch the Colorado from 'on road' routing to 'off road' routing? On a 60, you can recalculate with a few quick button pushes, but on a Colorado it's very awkward. Am I missing something or is this just badly designed?

 

Thanks, Mike

[+*mouse*]

I've not had any accuracy problems with mine.

Occassionally it can overshoot acache by 10 metres or so, but it always settles down after a couple of seconds and eventually takes me to the right spot.

 

JustMike - If you add 'profile change' to the shortcut wheel in both the automotive and recreational modes, then you can toggle between them in just two clicks. Very easy - just go into settings and click on add page to do this.

 

The Colorado has loads of great features that I don't think that people always get to grips with fully. Maybe Garmin missed a trick by not creating a paper manual. But once you sit down and play with it for a a while you really can made it your own. I spent a bit of time adjusting mine and getting all the short cuts in a good order for me (as a lefty I didn't find all of the presets intuitive). I could probably navigate around it with my eyes closed now, so well worth taking the time out to do this if you can.

Edited May 24, 2009 by *mouse*

[+JustMike]

Maybe my sparkling new Colorado is just defective. It does highway navigation fine, but off-road, especially within 100', just stinks. The compass screen wanders all over the place to the point of being completely useless. I get within 100' and am then blind. I keep having to get out my 60CSx so I can actually find a cache.

 

Also, what about the screen brightness/contrast? It's nice in sunlight and the backlight makes it nice in very low light, but in medium light, like a forest on a sunny day, makes the screen very hard to read/see. It's too light for the backlight to help and too dark to view easily. I had a couple other people view the screen to make sure it wasn't just me too.

 

mouse: Thanks for the pointer on adding profile change to the shortcuts. That does indeed get switching between on- and off-road down to a few simple clicks/spins, which is as easy as the methods on the 60.

[+Beds Clangers]

Maybe my sparkling new Colorado is just defective. It does highway navigation fine, but off-road, especially within 100', just stinks. The compass screen wanders all over the place to the point of being completely useless. I get within 100' and am then blind. I keep having to get out my 60CSx so I can actually find a cache.

 

Also, what about the screen brightness/contrast? It's nice in sunlight and the backlight makes it nice in very low light, but in medium light, like a forest on a sunny day, makes the screen very hard to read/see. It's too light for the backlight to help and too dark to view easily. I had a couple other people view the screen to make sure it wasn't just me too.

 

mouse: Thanks for the pointer on adding profile change to the shortcuts. That does indeed get switching between on- and off-road down to a few simple clicks/spins, which is as easy as the methods on the 60.

 

I'm on my third 300C and now call it my caching doorstop!!! Caching on Friday with somebody with an Oregon, they were walking straight towards the cache locations while I did the "crazy bee dance". Did notice under trees GPSr was good much the same as the 60Csx I still carry. BUT, as for follow the arrow, no chance, watch the Distance to location count down.

 

Have changed units (300Cs) with Garmin for same reason as OP, but calibration of the compass, every time I turned it on, was my main gripe.

 

As you approach GZ have always stopped about 30m away as I have always found an accuracy "lag" with my GPS's. You carry on walking and cache is 20m behind you.

 

Having the cache page to hand is great, straight D/L of GPX files great (provided they are not too large) and Garmin TOPO? expensive and not brilliant. No output of NMEA/Garmin data via USB is a real pain, the 60Csx did it, but plug a USB lead into a 300C it becomes a "hard drive" or door stop.

 

Nick (Beds Clangers)

[+burtsbodgers]

HI

Ive had my 300 for nearly a year now and until i sent it back for a new battery compartment seal, and got a replacement it was very accurate.

when out in the field with a friend with an oregon, mine would get me to the cache first about 90% of the time and if we walked side by side theirs would show about 5-7 mtrs difference.

however since the new one turned up it has been messing me around a bit, but mainly due to having to set it up to the way i liked it.

when you stop it does tend to think you are still moving, but on the move it gets you there.

We did the UKMega2 the other day and apart from a few better hidden caches it got us to them all, soe taking a bit longer than it should have!

Also using the field notes takes far tooo loooong.

I Find the batteries are better as rechargables and turn the track logs off unless you need them.

But watch the sat nav side of things, mine took me 11 miles to get me 50 yrds closer to the cache! and the settings dont seem to make much difference between car truck bilkes or walking.

But thats my little moan over with .

or if in doubt stick it on ebay and get an oregon!