Took the Plunge Today.

[+apersson850]

What time of the day you are out there is important. Not that the GPS receiver cares about whether you ought to be asleep or not, but since the satellite constellation above your head changes all the time, there is a different number of satellites over the horizon, in more or less receivable positions, depending upon at what time you visit the same spot.

 

The satellites make two revolutions around the globe each day. But the globe is rotating on its own, too, both around itself and around the sun, so after 11 hours 56 minutes, the satellite constellation is identical again.

 

Having several sats within the 45° circle on the sat screen makes a lot of difference, compared to six in total, where five are outside the inner ring.

 

Anders

[+Centaur]

Just checking on a point here. UMC, when you say the V loses lock, you are refering to the "POOR COVERAGE" message popping up yes?

 

When you are having these problems, have you looked at the sattalite page? How many birds are shown inside the inner ring and what is their signal strength like for them? Are the bars solid black or filled in grey? Im just courious if the issue is one of the GPS taking a long time to lock on, or if your actually having a signal strength problem in the receiver.

 

As been stated, many factors can account for poor lock, be it tree coverage, the position of the birds in the sky, etc. Before the GPS can even figure out where the birds are, it has to have good signals, so keep an eye on your signal strength indicators and especially for birds directly overhead. If your out in the open and the sat has low strength then something aint right.

 

About the only time I get a poor coverage message on my V is when im in tree cover so thick I cant even see the sky while standing still. If i walk about Ill usualy pick it up again.

-Centaur

[+ZachNLiam]

The only time recently I've had any trouble with sat lock was a couple weekends go in Yosemite Valley. For those who haven't been there, the valley floor is surrounded by huge granite mountains about 3000' up on all sides. The geometry of the satellites played a BIG part in how quickly both my SPIII and GPSMAP76 locked on.

 

We drove up to Glacier Point, and the SPIII lost lock maybe 3 or 4 times, never for more than a minute. I would look at the sat page, and sure enough, none overhead. As soon as the road would turn, or a sat would orbit overhead, LOCK.

 

We hiked down from Glacier Point and I left the MAP76 on the whole time, most of the time in a little pocket on my backpack near my head. With my fat head on one side and a 3000' mountain on the other it only lost lock for a few seconds maybe a total of 10 times. I thought this was pretty amazing. It had good signal long enough at most times to give us an EXTREMELY accurate track all the way back to camp, and the elevation profile was very smooth (meaning it was a 3D lock practically the whole time). I know about how many times it lost lock (usually for only a couple seconds) because I have it set to beep when it loses lock.

 

Also, my son had his Legend on the whole way down, and he never complained once about it not receiving. So every time he looked at it, it was going strong.

 

My point is, I didn't expect too much, and the gps did better than I thought it would. This is a VERY steep mountainside with switchbacks down, so half the sky is gone right away, and there's a 3000' mountain facing it, so that horizon is gone, and my head kept getting in its way, not to mention the sections of trees, etc.

 

Now I'm not sure what my point is. lol. UMC, compare it to another one. See if it works better - my gps almost ALWAYS surprises me with how well it works.

[+ZachNLiam]

Here's my son at the trailhead with his Legend and new "girlfriend." LOL

 

http://www.randyjensenphoto.com/Zachgirlfriend.jpg

 

Always more fun with pictures, don't you think? lol

[+GOT GPS?]

Okay try this:

Have both the GM100 and the GPS V out in a field then turn them both on at the same time, and keep them 2 feet apart. Have the GPS V up near eye level, and held vertical with the Antenna vertical too. Have both units in your hands, and on their satellite pages. Go into and out of thick woods, while comparing units.

 

The GPS V is a great tool, but mine has a problem with a slow clock. When it's been off for a long time, it is way behind. Each nanosecond equals about .3 meters, so I get a bit of error when the clock isn't getting the proper calibration(needing a good lock to do). Even when it's been on though, it does not compare with the Magellan Meridian, since my Platinum is right on with the time. I compare my GPS units against Atomic time, since I have clocks that recieve an atomic time signal(Radio Controlled clocks).

 

A billion nanoseconds equals One Second of time.

 

My GPS V is great for everything but geocaching, and then I use the Platinum to cache with.

 

I used my GPS V this morning at Kensington Metropark in South East Michigan for an 8.12 mile run at 4.1 mph, and it performed very good under many trees on the Hike bike trail, and no breaks in the tracklog. The GPS is still 12 seconds behind atomic time though, whereas the platinum is right on.

 

The other gripe this morning is the Radio Shack NiMH batteries, in that they are too loose in the battery compartment of the GPS V, but the Energizers are very good in the unit. The Radio Shack batts would shake with the smallest jarring, causing the GPS V to constantly shut off. So what im saying is to use Energizers.

 

My GPS V would be nice if it had a super accurate clock, that helped each time it re-established a lock.

 

I had a GPS 3plus, and it was bad during a 3 mile run, in that it's tracklog did not even match my actual run. The streets were exactly north-south and east-west(not one straight line at all).

 

3 important things:

1) Recieving an error-free satellite almanac in a clear area for 10-15 minutes.

 

2) Manufactured Quality of your device, other than the particular model that it is. Like one vista may behave quite different from another Vista even with the same Versions. Internal electronic noise may effect overall accuracy. The Airlines may be afraid that some electronic devices may be defective causing large electomagnetic interference in the airplanes.

 

3) Amount of satellites, and their positions in the sky (Satellite geometry) - very important.

 

Mapsource file of the run:

My RUN with the GPS V today

 

------------------------

My home page about GPS units and information

 

[This message was edited by GOT GPS? on October 09, 2002 at 10:18 AM.]

[umc]

Centaur,

 

Yes I'm getting the poor reception message and losing the lock. The whole time I have been running my tests I have been staring at the sat screen and watching them go on and off. As far of the 45 degree ring I'm not sure how many sats were inside of there when I was losing lock. This morning there were 2 to 3 inside the 45 degree ring. Basically the bars are black and they go up quick and down quick. You can watch them drop off. When I'm staying locked you can watch one drop off and another one will pick up depending. I can stand out in the open and I get a lot of birds locked up but they are constantly changing, ie. the same ones don't stay with the same signal strength. I believe that is normal even is standing still.

 

Now on that note and others I'm starting to think that it may have to do both the time of day/position of birds in the sky and how long its on before going into the woods. I will test that tomorrow after work. The times when I went was late Monday night and tuesday and wednsday mornings, nothing around 5pm for my test.

 

Got GPS,

 

Thats interesting what you mention about the time. I know we have spoke before about meeting up so if that would be something you can do I would appreciate it. If you go running at Kensington how about meeting up with me there this weekend to compare notes. I have had problems there along with doing some of my testing there. Let me know.

 

ZnL, Great story.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Confused New Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

[umc]

Centaur,

 

Yes I'm getting the poor reception message and losing the lock. The whole time I have been running my tests I have been staring at the sat screen and watching them go on and off. As far of the 45 degree ring I'm not sure how many sats were inside of there when I was losing lock. This morning there were 2 to 3 inside the 45 degree ring. Basically the bars are black and they go up quick and down quick. You can watch them drop off. When I'm staying locked you can watch one drop off and another one will pick up depending. I can stand out in the open and I get a lot of birds locked up but they are constantly changing, ie. the same ones don't stay with the same signal strength. I believe that is normal even is standing still.

 

Now on that note and others I'm starting to think that it may have to do both the time of day/position of birds in the sky and how long its on before going into the woods. I will test that tomorrow after work. The times when I went was late Monday night and tuesday and wednsday mornings, nothing around 5pm for my test.

 

Got GPS,

 

Thats interesting what you mention about the time. I know we have spoke before about meeting up so if that would be something you can do I would appreciate it. If you go running at Kensington how about meeting up with me there this weekend to compare notes. I have had problems there along with doing some of my testing there. Let me know.

 

ZnL, Great story.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Confused New Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

[umc]

Update.

 

First off while driving yesterday I was having all sorts of prolbems with losing lock and the cursor drifting off the screen. Don't know what could have been going on while driving because it wasn't like I was in any bad areas. Who knows, it was weird.

Moving foward.

Yesterday I went back to the park and had the V on the whole way there. Didn't lose lock once. So now with leaving it on while approaching the park it seems to keep lock. I also noticed yesterday when trying to hold the V differently it did better. Like GOT GPS said I held the V up higher than hip level vertically with the antenna vertically and when I did that the bars went way up. So I also think the way its held along with the antenna position makes a big difference. I forgot to do this while out there but I wanted to turn it off and wait for a bit and then turn it back on in the woods and see if it would hold lock while holding it up like mentioned. I think I am convinced to keep the V and I even placed the car mount on my dash with the permanent sticker. It may take be a little while before I go out in the field without my GM100 but hopefully I will feel confident enough to do that one day.

 

Thanks for all the help and I do believe I will change the name of this thread to reflect all the great info in here if the boards allow me to do so.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Confused New Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

[umc]

Oh well can't change the title.

 

I have been having good luck with the V as of late. I went on two caches today and didn't lose lock once on one but the second I lost it a couple of times but not when it counted and probably because of the way I was holding the V. I am more and more impressed with the autorouting everyday. Now I need to figure out how to take only one map area out and add in another without having to redo all of the downloaded maps. Any ideas?

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

Coming Around, New Owner Of a Garmin GPS V Received on 10-03-02

[+Criminal]

I have my V on during the drive to the cache. When I unplug the remote antenna all the signals drop off and dissapear. When I reinstall the stock antenna the unit sees nothing. I have no signals at all. If I turn it off and back on again it works fine.

 

I dunno.......

 

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

If your house catches afire, and there aint no water around,

Throw your jelly out the window; let the dog-gone shack burn down.

**Huddie Ledbetter**

[+Uncle Alaska]

I do the same thing with my V...but I put the small antenna on imediately and then either put it on the dash or roll down my window and put it on the car roof (until I collect my gear and get out) regardless I have never completely lost all the signals for good (thus needing to reset the power like you do)

Must be the good feelings and vibrations that I send to it (plus I keep it warm under my pillow while sleepin...You never know if you will get abducted by aliens in the middle of the night and end up stark naked in the middle of a Nebraska wheat field three days later without a GPS!!!!)

-UA

[vfrdirk]

I'm sure everyone is aware of the Battery Bounce problem on many Garmin GPSr's, but as a motorcyclist, it's quite a problem for me, especially off-road. This outfit, Cycoactive, has a page on a semi-permanent fix for those affected Garmin units using silcone blobs.

 

Garmin battery bounce fixes

 

As for removing a single map section, I'm still working on that problem....

 

Dirk

[+Uncle Alaska]

I bought a handlebar kit for my V and included in it was a small plastic and metal spring spacer that fits between pairs of batteries...it works great while riding with the receiver on my bike. If you just wanted the spacer (not the bracket) I bet you could get Garmin to sell (or give you one) it to you real cheap.

-UA

 

...Proudly ranked 620th in the state of California!