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Explorist GC Calibration?


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I just started using my Explorist GC and I have noticed that the last 6 caches I have found are 15-20 feet off of gz. I upgraded from a Gamin GPS V and I was always within a few feet of the cache. With the GC it's off by more than I'm used to.

 

is there anyway to calibrate the unit so accuracy is better? Or is there an accuracy meter like some have that tell you accuracy is like 18 feet, etc?

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I just started using my Explorist GC and I have noticed that the last 6 caches I have found are 15-20 feet off of gz. I upgraded from a Gamin GPS V and I was always within a few feet of the cache. With the GC it's off by more than I'm used to.

 

is there anyway to calibrate the unit so accuracy is better? Or is there an accuracy meter like some have that tell you accuracy is like 18 feet, etc?

I also just purchased an Explorist GC. One thing I do strongly recomend is to go to the web site and make sure you have the most updated firmware. When I upgraded mine some issues I was having went away.

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When I hunt for caches in which the CO is known to give very accurate coordinates, my PN-20 usually gets me within 5 feet. But then I'll go out caching one day and I seem to be 15-20 feet away from all the caches. Go back a week later to retry all my DNFs and find I am once again within 5 feet.

 

It seems that there are times when the satellites are positioned in just the wrong area of the sky and my GPSr can't get accurate readings. Have you tried going back on a different day to those caches you were 15-20 feet off, to see if the GPSr is working better?

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My GC is also much more inaccurate and slow compared to units like the Garmin Legend HC and Dakota 10. however, 15-20 feet is pretty accurate. When I Started geocaching in early 2003, people were thrilled when it was 30 feet accurate.

 

Constant accuracy within 7 feet of a geocache is impossible with any GPS receiver due to the DD MM.xxx format. Plus when you geocache, it's not just your unit that has to be accurate, but the accuracy of the unit of the person who placed the unit. 15-20 feet is expected.

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Good catch on the satellite accuracy. It just surprises me that one gpsr compared to another was so different. 15-20 is usual I heard but my GPS V was always under 5 feet off. Must have just been lucky caches I guess.

 

I do have the updated firmware, 1.6 is current I believe. Guess the accuracy issue is just common with all gpsr then? Upgrading to a $300-$400 unit won't change that huh?

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Good catch on the satellite accuracy. It just surprises me that one gpsr compared to another was so different. 15-20 is usual I heard but my GPS V was always under 5 feet off. Must have just been lucky caches I guess.

 

I do have the updated firmware, 1.6 is current I believe. Guess the accuracy issue is just common with all gpsr then? Upgrading to a $300-$400 unit won't change that huh?

 

Basically , yes. Addition of a WAAS signal might help with a few feet. Different manufacturers have different algorithms to calculate estimated accuracy, so it's all apples and oranges in the end ;).

 

Get to within 20 or so feet, put the gps under some sky at your best groundzero estimate and start using your eyes. Come back and recheck the GPS after a while.

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