Platinum heading problem. HELP!

[iweb]

I have a post below about having 4.02 problems. I was out with a Sport Track Pro and everything was the same on both units except my heading which was anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees off all the time. Also had a compass to check against. I cleared all memory and reinintialized 4 times and remembered to remove the SD chip but it is still off. I even recalibrated my compass and that made no difference. While driving down the road, my heading was off plus it bounced around up and down 30 degrees or more and the Pro was steady on a heading with the extra compass. Any ideas?

[+Stunod]

This seems to be a common problem.

 

On the Meridian Platinum, HEADING is the direction that the top of the unit is pointing as determined by the electronic compass. If you are driving more than likely your GPS is positioned to your side and is not pointing directly down the road. Also, the electronic compass can be affected by the steel in the car.

 

Course Over Ground (COG) is the direction of motion as determined by the satalite signals. This will be unaffected by which way you point your unit.

 

Try using the Customize feature on the menu to display COG and see if your problems are corrected.

 

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."

[iweb]

Another guy was driving so I was trying everything including laying it on the dash, upside down, backwards, etc. We drove down a road toward a cache then turned around and instead of it showing 180° it was way off that heading. But you might have something, we stopped so I could recalibrate the compass and while outside it did seem to match the Pro's heading. But I have had this for 2 months and it used to be real accurate in the truck. I will try the COG thingie too, thanks.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

IMHO, I believe that the COG (course over ground)has nothing to do with your issue. On the other hand, I'd check out the following options in the menu:

 

MENU -> Map Setup -> Orientation

MENU -> Setup -> North Reference

MENU -> Setup ->Compass Orientation

 

Depending on how you combine them, you will get 'weird' bearings or the compass will only work if you have set a waypoint or will only work if you're moving or will behave like a normal compass.

 

Fabien.

 

[captclev]

the pro does not have a electronic compass. Therefore, the heading it was giving was actually a c.o.g. The meridian plat will give variences in heading due to magnetic fields in the vehicle, speakers, electronics, event alternator will effect the compass, thus the heading. Customize your compass screen to include c.o.g and it will give you a true direction of travel, the same as the sport trak pro. Also, be sure your compass orientation is set for "magnetic north" instead of "gps course" access this from the setup menu. Captclev, a member of the GANDERGANG from Lansing Michigan.

[iweb]

I think (GEO) may be on to something, while sitting in my easy chair I did a goto to a point that is north of me. The compass screen showed the waypoint as being SW of me and the heading was the same. I changed the top of screen from being north to being direction of travel and now the compass points north! I will try it in the truck today to make sure. I sure could of saved a lot of reloading firmware time if this is the fix!

[+embra]

I'm not sure if this applies to your situation, iweb, but if you have the compass set to magnetic and you're trying to read it in a vehicle, the surrounding metal can make your readings wacky. In such a situation you would want the compass set to GPS orientation until you're away from the metal.

 

From you last post, it sounds like you're on to a more likely explanation.

 

Max

Often wrong but seldom in doubt

[iweb]

Well I thought I had it figured out! Now while standing still my bearing and heading changes continuously up and down 20 degrees for about a minute and then it may stop. If I either move the unit to flat or from flat to upright the heading and bearing both change. I tried changing all the settings and it still did it. I was also 30' off from the cache and I can usually get to within 2'. Any ideas? Go back to 3.12 or try the 4.06 or maybe the unit went bad???

[biggestmuff]

I noticed the same problem with my MeriPlat today in the car driving around. On the Road screen the compass seems to be dead on, but the 'heading' reading is off anywhere from 5 to 100 degrees. The 'heading' measurement is constantly jumping around and not a steady reading off of the compass reading. The GPSr is sitting vertically in my dash mounted retractable cupholder angled slightly towards the driver's seat.

 

Is the inaccuracy in the 'heading' readout do to it being mounted vertically? I changed it's position, but the GPSr still reacted the same. Is it because it's in a metal vehicle? Why doesn't the metal affect the compass reading? When I got out of the car the 'heading' and compass reading were still of and the 'heading' reading continued to jump around, but not as bad as it was doing in the car.

 

I have changed the road screen's 'heading' area to 'COG' now. I'll try and get out later and see if it now matches up with the compass, which it should.

[biggestmuff]

I changed my 'heading' block on the road screen to 'COG'. I just thought the compass band on that road screen was the readout of the MeriPlat's internal magnetic compass, but I guess it's not. It has to be a COG readout.

 

Is there a certain position to hold the MeriPlat so the heading/magnetic compass (same thing, right?) readout is steady and doesn't jump all over the place?

[+Cache Hunter D]

I had the same problem with my MeriPlat. The thing that fixed it was to tell it to use the GPS course for the compass then switch it back to magnetic. Seems to happen with my MeriPlat often if I'm around too much metal, but switching it a couple times always fixes it.

 

Also, you'll notice the compass drift if you hold it vertically. Even though it's 3-axis, it's alot more accurate in the horizontal.

 

Hope this helps.

[biggestmuff]

thanks, man!