Accuracy problem in the Go To mode

[HJS]

I have an etrex venture. Lately I have had the distance readings be way off in the Go To mode. In almost a year I never had it that bad. I always had problems with the arrow pointing in the current direction, that's why I supplement the GPS with a compass. But I was always able to rely on the distance counter until I got close in. Not any more. Yet when I go to the page that displays the coordinates the accuracy is within 20 some feet.

 

Don't think I'm stupid, but I backtracked the problem. At the 3rd cache of the day I had already started into the woods when I realized the batteries were dying. So I changed batteries ( while the GPS was ON and in the GoTo mode). Since then, on this cache and about 10 more my display of distance to the target has been way off, sometimes up to 100 feet.

I can't make sense of it, but it's real. And it has definetely added a degree of difficulty to my geocaching adventures.

Any thoughts from the community????

[+EraSeek]

Don't know, but sometimes, if you have Mapsource installed, and Lock On Roads turned on, if you are close to a road the unit will still think you are at the road, thus distance to cache will be from the road to cache rather than from you to cache. Might turn that off and see if it helps.

 

 

"See the wonderous works of Providence! The uncertainty of human things!" Geo.Washington

[+Searching_ut]

Is there any chance you're now heading out into tougher terrain? My sportrak in particular wanders all over the place in some mountain canyons. It will say I need to go north 40 feet, but after I've traveled maybe 20 feet it will change it's mind and say I'm .2 miles north of the waypoint. Multipath can drive it nuts.

 

The fact that the goto calculated distance doesn't seem to match the actual position the unit thinks you're in sounds really wierd. (If I read your post correct). I'm not sure what the reset sequence is for the Venture, but I'd probably try a complete reset. You can most likely find the sequence on Joe and Jacks site at:

 

http://gpsinformation.net/

 

I'd also do a quick check at Garmins site to see if there are any software updates for your unit. Sometimes updating, or just reloading the firmware will correct bizzare glitches.

[+Desdinova]

I know on the Etrx Vista (what i have) the manual say you have to recalibate (that spinning in circle thing) the compass every time you chnage the batteries.

 

You could also check Garmin's site to see if they have any firmware updates since flashing the firmware will reset the unit.

 

Justa few things i could think of off the top of my head, though not sure how much it helps in your stuation