WAAS Garmin Oregon 450

[+EarLady]

I recently upgraded to an Oregon 450 and I love it! Still consider myself a newbie and wondering if I should change my GPS mode from "normal" to "WAAS." I've read a little about WAAS and wondering if it will increase my accuracy for normal geocaching.

 

It actually says WAAS/EGNOS as a selection in "Select GPS mode." The other option is "normal" which is currently what I am using.

 

Any input welcome!

[+Highland Horde]

I've got the 550 and from what I've read turning on waas can shorten your battery life but if you can lock onto a waas sat your accuracy improves. I had an etrex and it never got a waas lock. Its accuracy was averaging 7m. my 550 gets a waas lock probably 60-70% of the time and i get 3m accuracy then. so weigh out accuracy vs battery life i guess...

just my 2c

[+chief_illini217]

i generally use WAAS if i am going into a heavy canopy..In uraban settings i use the normal setting unless the cache is between tall buildings where satellite reception might be affected

[+EarLady]

I've got the 550 and from what I've read turning on waas can shorten your battery life but if you can lock onto a waas sat your accuracy improves. I had an etrex and it never got a waas lock. Its accuracy was averaging 7m. my 550 gets a waas lock probably 60-70% of the time and i get 3m accuracy then. so weigh out accuracy vs battery life i guess...

just my 2c

 

Does the unit tell you when you are locking onto a WAAS satallite?

[+dfx]

turn WAAS on, period. its effects on battery life are totally neglible (if there are any at all).

 

if you check the GPS/satellite status screen (push on the green bars at the bottom in the main menu) you'll see a "D" in the signal bar for each satellite that has correction info applied from WAAS. no "D"s = no WAAS reception.

[+fizzymagic]

I've got the 550 and from what I've read turning on waas can shorten your battery life but if you can lock onto a waas sat your accuracy improves.

 

Any effect on battery life will be quite small in a modern unit. There is no reason not to use WAAS. None.

[+Highland Horde]

I've got the 550 and from what I've read turning on waas can shorten your battery life but if you can lock onto a waas sat your accuracy improves.

 

Any effect on battery life will be quite small in a modern unit. There is no reason not to use WAAS. None.

 

What I read said that it is harder on battery life if the waas is on and does not get a waas lock as it will search for the waas sats continually...but that is just what I read. I always leave it on

[+dfx]

What I read said that it is harder on battery life if the waas is on and does not get a waas lock as it will search for the waas sats continually...but that is just what I read.

urban legend. this "searching" is not an active procedure and so doesn't really use any additional power.

[+Highland Horde]

What I read said that it is harder on battery life if the waas is on and does not get a waas lock as it will search for the waas sats continually...but that is just what I read.

urban legend. this "searching" is not an active procedure and so doesn't really use any additional power.

not according to the Oregon wiki....

it seems to depend of software (according to others )

here is a quote (on the Colorado not the Oregon)

" re: WAAS and battery life???

GPSFix Jun 7, 2010 1:23 pm

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

 

-Scott"

[+fizzymagic]

" re: WAAS and battery life???

GPSFix Jun 7, 2010 1:23 pm

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

 

I would take the word of somebody who can't get their units correct with a large grain of salt.

[+Highland Horde]

" re: WAAS and battery life???

GPSFix Jun 7, 2010 1:23 pm

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

 

I would take the word of somebody who can't get their units correct with a large grain of salt.

they hadnt tested the oregon just the colorado so those were the stats they posted when someone asked the question. anyway i take everything I read with a grain of salt.

[+dfx]

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

wat? wouldn't batteries with 2500 mAh at 7 mA last for 357 hours?

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the GPS and Technology forum.

[+New Jersey TJ]

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

wat? wouldn't batteries with 2500 mAh at 7 mA last for 357 hours?

 

I wish! I think that post was an EXTRA 7 mA or so!

[+dfx]

Tests on the Colorado indicated that WAAS drew an extra 6-7 mAh which means that with 2500mAh NiMH batteries you might shorten your charge by 45-50 minutes. Oregon is probably similar.

wat? wouldn't batteries with 2500 mAh at 7 mA last for 357 hours?

I wish! I think that post was an EXTRA 7 mA or so!

yes of course. the point was that an extra 7 mA won't shorten your battery life by 45-50 minutes as claimed.

 

let me put it in another way: if an oregon lasts 8 hours with 2500 mAh batteries without WAAS, then it draws 312.5 mA. if WAAS adds 7 mA, then it draws 319.5 mA, in which case it would last ~7.825 hours with the same batteries. that's a difference of 10 minutes.

 

if WAAS indeed draws an additional 7 mA, then it would shorten battery life by 45 minutes with 2500 mAh batteries only if the battery life without WAAS was close to 17 hours. we all know that's not true.

Edited September 11, 2010 by dfx

[+Highland Horde]

but that is what the specs say anyway i think we all agree that the battery drain is minimal. If I never got a waas lock I may turn it off but I get a waas lock often so...