GPS Upgrade - Is it worth it?

[+zentria]

I have used a Garmin ETrex Venture HC for the past two years and have thought about getting a Colorado. Is the Colorado significantly more accurate than the ETrex? Does accuracy go up significantly as you get a better, upgraded GPS?

[seldom_sn]

I have used a Garmin ETrex Venture HC for the past two years and have thought about getting a Colorado. Is the Colorado significantly more accurate than the ETrex? Does accuracy go up significantly as you get a better, upgraded GPS?

Accuracy shouldn't improve much. Most folks upgrade because of added features like paperless caching or raster map support.

[+Walts Hunting]

Ditto

[+zentria]

Very helpful comments. We use the ETrex in conjunction with the Geocaching App on our smartphones, so we don't need the paperless features. Again, thanks so much!

[+2Bdetermined]

I have used a Garmin ETrex Venture HC for the past two years and have thought about getting a Colorado. Is the Colorado significantly more accurate than the ETrex? Does accuracy go up significantly as you get a better, upgraded GPS?

 

We have both units in our household. Buffalo uses the eTrex Venture HC and I have a Colorado 300. I get all the features of paperless caching on my unit, but his accuracy is consistently better than mine. So much so that I am now wondering if I should get a different unit to improve my accuracy. (He also seems to have better cache sense than I do, so that also helps him zero in faster. )

[+Glenn]

I have used a Garmin ETrex Venture HC for the past two years and have thought about getting a Colorado. Is the Colorado significantly more accurate than the ETrex? Does accuracy go up significantly as you get a better, upgraded GPS?

 

There really are only two things that you can do to effect accuracy of your GPSr. Make sure your using one of the high sensitivity chip sets. Your eTrex Venture HC does use a high sensitivity chip set, the SiRFstarIII. Also, make sure that your are receiving at least 4 satellites. The rest you have little control over. Like satellite geometry and atmospheric conditions. When I say atmospheric conditions I am not talking about rain and clouds. I'm mainly referring to the condition (specifically thickness) of the ionosphere.

[seldom_sn]

There really are only two things that you can do to effect accuracy of your GPSr. Make sure your using one of the high sensitivity chip sets. Your eTrex Venture HC does use a high sensitivity chip set, the SiRFstarIII. Also, make sure that your are receiving at least 4 satellites. The rest you have little control over. Like satellite geometry and atmospheric conditions. When I say atmospheric conditions I am not talking about rain and clouds. I'm mainly referring to the condition (specifically thickness) of the ionosphere.

 

But 2Bdetermined is saying they are getting side by side accuracy differences. I assume the CO also has a high sensitivity receiver, so is the difference in the software?

[+Glenn]

But 2Bdetermined is saying they are getting side by side accuracy differences. I assume the CO also has a high sensitivity receiver, so is the difference in the software?

Yes and No.

 

First off how are they determining accuracy. Are they looking at the Accuracy Readout on their GPSr or are they going by who is closest to the geocache?

 

I find it amazing that this all works as well as it does. As you know time and measuring time to the millisecond is the essential element that makes the whole GPS system work. There are a number of factors working against accuracy. Atmospheric effect, Multipath effects, Receiver clock error and Orbital error just to name a few. The software has to select what it "thinks" is the best satellites and then convert that data in to coordinates. If both GPSrs are using different satellites then one can be experiencing some factor that degrades it's accuracy that the other isn't.

[+splashy]

You probably don't know the history of Colorado, launched as a high end Gps it had hardware problems, so almost all first gen. where swapped for the second generation, about 7 month later after many problems it was taken of the market.

Then cheap Colorado's reemerged on the market via Costco's and Target and other channels, many of them are used as paperweight now.

 

This doen't mean there are no good Colorado's, if you can find from a friend and you're SURE it doesn't have any defects you're fine, but remember, a gps generation is about 3 years on the moment and maps are expanding every update, they doubled in about 1.5 years so a Sd slot is a must and if I remember right they had a Colorado without a Sd slot.

 

You're better of searching for an Oregon if you want an older (cheaper) gps.

 

Once again, I know there are good Colorado's, but bet sure what you buy.

Edited April 10, 2012 by splashy

[seldom_sn]

First off how are they determining accuracy. Are they looking at the Accuracy Readout on their GPSr or are they going by who is closest to the geocache?

Good point, I never trust that accuracy readout except in as far as it's relative to other readings on the same device.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I have used a Garmin ETrex Venture HC for the past two years and have thought about getting a Colorado. Is the Colorado significantly more accurate than the ETrex? Does accuracy go up significantly as you get a better, upgraded GPS?

 

IMO a very nice upgrade would be to an Oregon 450 or 62S.

[+Cacheoholic]

 

Your eTrex Venture HC does use a high sensitivity chip set, the SiRFstarIII.

 

Don't you mean MediaTek?

[+Glenn]

 

Your eTrex Venture HC does use a high sensitivity chip set, the SiRFstarIII.

 

Don't you mean MediaTek?

My mistake. I assumed that Garmin used the SiRF tech chip sets. Both brands make high sensitivity chip sets.