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Electronicc Compass....worthwhile?


d_c

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I've been considering getting a GPS mostly for geocaching, and one of the features which sounds like it would be handy is the electronic compass. My understanding is that it will show you your destination relative to where you are pointing the GPS, even as you turn around when not moving...is this correct?

 

I guess I'm just wondering if in the real world the electronic compass is really worthwhile or if maybe they don't work as well as I'm thinking they would/should.

 

Thanks!

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You will find as many answers to this as you will find cachers. Some people swear by them - some people swear at them.

 

I find them nearly worthless. They require frequent calibration and are far too jittery to be of any practical use for me. Plus the 2 axis ones must be perfectly level to work well - not a very natural position for a GPS unit.

 

Still - I suggest actually borrowing and using one before you buy.

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My understanding is that it will show you your destination relative to where you are pointing the GPS, even as you turn around when not moving...is this correct?

 

They assist in maintaining your direction if you are walking slowly or standing still.

 

I like'em, if I have a choice I'll take a gps with a compass.

 

Do a forum search on 'compass' and you'll see more discussion.

Edited by BlueDeuce
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most GPSrs have a compass but the higher end models have one which will work whilst stationary.

These do require frequent calibration to be accurate, but are still not as good as a magnetic compass.

i have found that i rarely use mine and have found a decent map on the device to be far more usefull.

so i would look for a unit that is capable of taking a sd card more than the compass. :D

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Thanks for the comments. The reason I was asking, is that in the same price range, I have been looking at the Magellan Triton 500, or for a bit more the Garmin Oregon 200 with the Garmin Topo software. The Garmin is obviously the nicer unit, but the Triton has the 3D electronic compass and is less money....it's a dilemma.

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Thanks!

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Thanks for the comments. The reason I was asking, is that in the same price range, I have been looking at the Magellan Triton 500, or for a bit more the Garmin Oregon 200 with the Garmin Topo software. The Garmin is obviously the nicer unit, but the Triton has the 3D electronic compass and is less money....it's a dilemma.

.

Thanks!

Hi d_c. I see you're in the market for a good GPSr. I know it's kind of a pain sorting through all the different GPSr models, but if you don't mind I'd like to suggest another brand which I personally love and think that everybody shopping for a GPSr should at least consider in their buying decision. So the brand I wanted to bring to your attention is the Delorme PN series GPSr's.

 

I have a tendancy to write very long posts on the forums so to save me a lot of typing I'll just give you a link to a very recent post I wrote recommending the Delorme PN series of GPSr's. In my review I not only mentioned the pros of the units, but also the cons of the unit. I do have to warn you though that in my efforts to give useful info the posts are very long. So if you're interested in checking out that sit back and grab a cup of coffee or whatever your favorite beverage is and CLICK HERE. I think I've heard that Amazon.com right now is running a very good deal on the the Delorme PN-30 GPSr. While the full MSRP is a little high if you shop around they do go on sale sometimes making them really cheaper than some starter units after you buy maps for them.

 

Good luck in your search for the perfect GPSr for your needs! Happy caching!!!! :D

Edited by Michigan Cacheman
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I have a 60CSx and I rarely use the compass. My other 3 GPSr's didn't have that feature, so I just never used it. So far I haven't found the need for it, although I do understand what its purpose is.

 

How it works - While you move, the GPSr looks at where you are, and compares that with where you just were. That's how it determines where you're going and what direction you're facing.

When you go very slow, or stop, or turn around and walk the other way, it will get 'confused' and not be able to use the 'where you are now' and 'where you were a second ago' to give you an accurate indication of where you're going, or in what direction the waypoint you'll looking for actually is.

 

The electronic compass will assist it in those confusing situations..it still had a point of reference (North) and uses the data from the compass to try and help you going in the right direction.

 

Aside from that, it also acts as...a compass. :D

 

It came with the steal of a deal I got on the 60CSx, so I have it. If I had to pay extra to get the compass, I wouldn't.

If I ever need a compass, I have a Sylva Ranger that's always in my pack, and as a backup, I have a cheapie lensatic compass in my sealed 'emergency' kit in my pack.

 

The compass would be handy for shooting a bearing and such, but (IMO) should never be relied on as a way to get you out of the woods. If your GPS fails, so does your compass....

 

I had asked a question about the 60CSx compass on here and got some good info, including the fact that there are actually sight marks built into the case of my 60... Hold it like you would hold a compass to sight with, and you can see the marks. Neat...but, for anything that requires a compass, I will use a compass since I always have one with me. As should everyone...and they should make a mental note of which way they're going into the woods before they leave the car, and in what direction roads run, so when they do find themselves lost, they can pull out the compass and by walking in the direction opposite to what they walked to get in, they'll get out... Sorry to preach, but sooo many people could just 'walk back out' if they carried a $10 compass and made a note of which cardinal direction they walked when they left the car.

 

*Note, I'm sure the "How it works" part is dumbed way down, and that lots of people could expand on it, but that's the jist of it....

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I would have to say that I've never needed a compass on my GPS unit. Not for hiking and certainly not for geocaching. Those times when I have needed a compass, I've used my "never leave home without it" Silva magnetic. For some odd reason the idea of using a compass that needs to be "calibrated" just turns me off. For suburban caching and the like I suppose that's fine... But personally, if I feel I need to use a compass, I'll use my magnetic compass, thank you very much. I think it set me back about $12 at my local REI store.

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My GPSr has an electronic compass and it is fairly useful. You just have to remember like others have mentioned to keep it calibrated and keep your GPS level while you are trying to get a stationary reading on a cache.

 

Really though, if cost is an issue its not that big of a deal to walk in circles to get a heading... you just look like an idiot :blink:

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I've been considering getting a GPS mostly for geocaching, and one of the features which sounds like it would be handy is the electronic compass. My understanding is that it will show you your destination relative to where you are pointing the GPS, even as you turn around when not moving...is this correct?

 

I guess I'm just wondering if in the real world the electronic compass is really worthwhile or if maybe they don't work as well as I'm thinking they would/should.

 

Thanks!

 

Heck: My post didn't make it.

 

I don't like them. They don't work like I think they should and I find it annoying to be following the arrow and getting further away from the cache. "Oh, yeah, calibrate the compass". The compass is supposed to be OFF when I'm moving but it still screwes up my pointer. Ultimatly I turned my compass off. Life is better now.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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Most of the problems I've seen reported are caused by not taking the time to understand how the compass works. In fact, the single most reported compass problem (the "arrow" jumps around when I get close to the cache) in not a compass issue at all (the arrow is not the compass).

 

Also, there are claims that the compass is a battery hog. Used to be true, on models from years ago. But on models made today, having the back-light on for a few minutes uses more power than having the compass turned on for hours. It's simply no longer an issue.

 

The pseudo-compass that non-electronic units employ works okay, under the right circumstances. That is, being able to move in a straight line, while holding the unit straight in front of you (every degree off adds a degree of error), while maintaining a GPS satellite lock. If any of those elements are a bit off, so the compass indicator will be as well.

 

One of the big advantages to having an electronic compass is that it can communicate its orientation to the GPS, which it can use to properly orient the map, let you do Point-n-Go waypoint setting, etc.

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I am new to geocaching and I purchased the Garmin Vista HCx with compass and I used it this past weekend to find a pesty cache in a small park. We couldn't decide what side the cache was on but the compass helped point in the right direction. Hope this helps.

 

In that case, the compass was only pointing you in the direction of the coordinates that the cache owner specified for the location (which given the accuracy of a consumer grade GPS could be as much as 20' off) , based on the coordinates of your current position (which could also be as much as 20' off). However, geocaching is a game in which the goal is to try and get as close as possible to a set of coordinates, whether you're using an electronic compass, a map view, or watching the digits line up. The goal is to find a geocache.

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PN-40 user here. I like the electronic compass. Mainly because my cache arrow is pointing to the cache when I am stopped. With my eTrex Legend I had to be noving for the arrow to point properly.

 

Say the cache is under heavy tree cover of in an urban canyon - The electronic compass (is it a fluxgate compass?) allows me to stop 20 feet away and get a good bearing, then move perpendicularly to that bearing and take another bearing. Where they cross is the cache.

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Put simply, if you're going to buy a GPS, buy one with a 3-D axis. That's going to be the PN-40, the latest Oregon series, and the Magellan. If you buy one with a compass, you have the option to disable it. If you don't buy one with a compass, you can't enable it. A degree or two off in short distances is a non-issue unless you'r orienteering when accuracy is critical to win.

 

I've never had a GPS without a tri-axial compass. I'll never have one without one. It's another tool to use in conjunction with the GPS. I also carry a backup magnetic compass and a map. I have yet to use them.

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Thanks for all the responses! I think I'll stick with one with a compass. I haven't seen much of the Delorme stuff here in Canada. So far I think I'm focussing on the Magellan models or the Garmin Dakota 20, I guess depending on the prices I can find.

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Put me in the wouldn't buy a unit without one camp. I hate the way the units with non magnetic compasses get all fluky when you slow down or stop.

 

As far as Totem Lake's statement re triaxial ompasses, sure they are better but I wouldn't rule out a unit without a trixial compass. I have a unit with a trixial compass and several without. Being that I'm holding the unit level 90 percent of the time when I'm looking at it, the triaxial compass is overrated.

 

So far I think I'm focussing on the Magellan models...

 

Before considering a Magellan go over to the GPS Units forum and do a search on Magellan customer service or Magellan support and you will see horror story after horror story about dealing with Magellan.

 

If they made the best GPS units in the world I would hesitate to buy a Magellan due to their horrific reputation for customer support. And they don't make the best GPS units anymore.

 

If you buy a Magellan and are lucky enough to have no problems, great, but if need help with it be prepared to be put through the wringer. I recall one person who said after weeks of frustration getting his unit fixed under warranty he simply threw his Magellan in the garbage because he didn't want to deal with them anymore.

Edited by briansnat
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Hi Briansnat,

Actually I have just been through the Magellan support hell and is really the reason I am still undecided. I like the price and features of the Magellan compared to the Garmin, but am afraid of the tech support.

 

Basically I have a basic Roadmate 1212 which allows me to also load geocaches as POIs. It works fine. It recently started locking up and acting weird not long after I updated the firmware, so I called them and they agreed to replace it for me. So far so good.

 

The replacement one finally arrived and I found it had old firmware and maps on it...older than the one I sent back for replacement. I ended up having to call about 7 or 8 times and talked to 3 different supervisors. The first supervisor said he would send me the maps right away. This was great, except he never did. A week later I called again and eventually talked to a different supervisor who offered to upgrade me to a better model, but he wouldn't guarantee they wouldn't come with old maps. I said no, so he said he'd check with the first supervisor and call me first thing the next morning. He never called back, so I ended up calling again. The last supervisor was great and agreed to send me the map updates right away and I got them a few days later. However it was a battle trying to get to that point. Now I've updated the firmware again (crossing my fingers, it's needed for the updated maps) and things seem ok so far but I haven't really tested it too much.

 

So basically I actually like my Magellan GPS, but I don't know if I'll start seeing the same problems or not, and I'm afraid of the tech support. Don't know if Garmin would be any better though. :shocked:

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Hi Briansnat,

Actually I have just been through the Magellan support hell and is really the reason I am still undecided. I like the price and features of the Magellan compared to the Garmin, but am afraid of the tech support.

 

Basically I have a basic Roadmate 1212 which allows me to also load geocaches as POIs. It works fine. It recently started locking up and acting weird not long after I updated the firmware, so I called them and they agreed to replace it for me. So far so good.

 

The replacement one finally arrived and I found it had old firmware and maps on it...older than the one I sent back for replacement. I ended up having to call about 7 or 8 times and talked to 3 different supervisors. The first supervisor said he would send me the maps right away. This was great, except he never did. A week later I called again and eventually talked to a different supervisor who offered to upgrade me to a better model, but he wouldn't guarantee they wouldn't come with old maps. I said no, so he said he'd check with the first supervisor and call me first thing the next morning. He never called back, so I ended up calling again. The last supervisor was great and agreed to send me the map updates right away and I got them a few days later. However it was a battle trying to get to that point. Now I've updated the firmware again (crossing my fingers, it's needed for the updated maps) and things seem ok so far but I haven't really tested it too much.

 

So basically I actually like my Magellan GPS, but I don't know if I'll start seeing the same problems or not, and I'm afraid of the tech support. Don't know if Garmin would be any better though. :shocked:

I'm not exactly a fan of Garmin as far as their eTrex units go, but I have to give credit where credit is due and say the couple times I had to use their customer support they were courteous and knowledgeable. Between my experience dealing with them being positive and reading that lots of others would agree with me on that point I'd say the odds of getting good customer support from Garmin is almost a sure thing. Good luck! :blink:

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As a collector of compasses, I find the electronic compass amusing at best. Do I own one? Sure, they are a part of my collection, and they are stand alone units. There's one in my 60CSx.

I seldom if ever go for a "stomp" in the boonies without my Brunton Pro or Cammenga Tritium Lensatic. High dollar? You bet! How often do you buy a compass unless you're a nut case like me? Sure you can buy a military-type compass that looks like a Cammenga for about $18.00. Bet you're life on it?

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Don't know if Garmin would be any better though.

 

Garmin usually gets high marks for their support. Of course you'll always find someone who is not satisfied but if you go over to the GPS units forum you'll see about 80 positive with Garmin.

 

I've had some very good experience with them doing things like fixing out of warranty units for free. Turnaround time is very good.

 

The first time I used their support I sent my unit in for repair. Because I couldn't bear the thought of being without a GPS for an extended time, I ordered another one through Amazon.com. My return from Garmin arrived before I received my new unit from Amazon and JAmazon is usually pretty fast.

 

Another time my wife fell with the unit in her hand and smashed the display. Garmin fixed it for free even though it was not their fault.

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As a collector of compasses, I find the electronic compass amusing at best. Do I own one? Sure, they are a part of my collection, and they are stand alone units. There's one in my 60CSx.

I seldom if ever go for a "stomp" in the boonies without my Brunton Pro or Cammenga Tritium Lensatic. High dollar? You bet! How often do you buy a compass unless you're a nut case like me? Sure you can buy a military-type compass that looks like a Cammenga for about $18.00. Bet you're life on it?

 

hey there. i bought a suunto M3 global compass because i wanted to learn how to use one. could i impose upon you to maybe shoot me a pm about what is a good book to read about using a compass, also if you know anything about the quality of my compass, was it a decent choice etc. thanks.

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Not to butt in or anything, but I've got a suunto M3, just not the global model. It's served me well over the past year, and I have no reservations about trusting it. I used to use maps and compasses alot when I was in scouting but needed to brush up a bit when I received this one last year. Here are a couple of sites i've found that helped a bit:

http://www.ussartf.org/compass_basics.htm

 

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

 

There are more out there, but these are what I found to be most helpful. Okiewan seems to be much more experienced than I, so if he's got something else in mind, by all means, check it out. I'm just trying to point ya in the right direction to get you started.

 

All the best.

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Not to butt in or anything, but I've got a suunto M3, just not the global model. It's served me well over the past year, and I have no reservations about trusting it. I used to use maps and compasses alot when I was in scouting but needed to brush up a bit when I received this one last year. Here are a couple of sites i've found that helped a bit:

http://www.ussartf.org/compass_basics.htm

 

http://www.learn-orienteering.org/old/

 

There are more out there, but these are what I found to be most helpful. Okiewan seems to be much more experienced than I, so if he's got something else in mind, by all means, check it out. I'm just trying to point ya in the right direction to get you started.

 

All the best.

 

thanks alot, i appreciate it.

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My GPSr has an electronic compass and it is fairly useful. You just have to remember like others have mentioned to keep it calibrated and keep your GPS level while you are trying to get a stationary reading on a cache.

 

Really though, if cost is an issue its not that big of a deal to walk in circles to get a heading... you just look like an idiot :D

 

I got mine with a compass, It makes it easy to see which way to walk when you are looking for a cache.

Once the cache waypoint is loaded in there just push "go to" and then the pointer will appear and you just walk in that direction. Easy for my simple mind.

 

Oh yeah, it also has altimiter which I occasionally use.

 

I did not consider the Garmin Vista HCx for the compass part at all, I got it for for the SD slot and for the battery consumption. I get more than 25 hours with lithium batteries. Also because it uses AAs instead of built in rechargeable batteries. By carrying spare batteries in my flashlight, I will never have a dead GPSr.

 

Mostly I considered price and battery life first. Also it had to be a Garmin since I own Garmin Topo maps.

Used to use 100K topo but switched to 24K Topo recently.

Edited by alohabra
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I wouldn't buy a GPS unit for geocaching unless it had a magnetic compass because I really like the stable arrow when standing still near a cache. However such a GPs isn't a replacement for a real magnetic compass, in the wild you also need to carry and know how to use one of those.

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Thanks everyone for all your responses. It did sound like it would be very nice to have, but I wasn't sure if they worked well in the real world. From the responses it sounds like they're not perfect but worth having.

 

Now the next step will be deciding which unit, although I have gotten a lot of good info from this discussion. Thanks!

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Thanks everyone for all your responses. It did sound like it would be very nice to have, but I wasn't sure if they worked well in the real world. From the responses it sounds like they're not perfect but worth having.

 

Now the next step will be deciding which unit, although I have gotten a lot of good info from this discussion. Thanks!

The Garmin Dakota is a very nice unit.

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