GPS V Observations

[Guest The 19th]

When I got the GPS V, I tested it mostly in my Jeep driving around town. Today, I was finally able to test the unit out on foot. I figured out the main difference between the fastest/shortest route choices - where it generates a route vs. the Off Road choice - which makes the unit behave like my eTrex. It shows the pointer to the correct heading.

 

Cool, I thought, 'so this is how you get that arrow to come up.' After walking about 500 feet though, the entire heading compass disappeared. It just showed the four fields at the top of the page (portrait mode). I figured it was some refresh issue, so I switched pages until I got back to the heading compass again. This time, it drew the screen correctly and pointed me in the right direction.

 

As I was taking a turn in the path, the arrow rotated like normal, but it "broke"... kind of like if it were to point upward, the bottom part of the arrow was centered, the center part of the arrow was offset to one side, then the tip of the arrow was centered again. The offset distance would range from one pixel to the left or right of the arrow, to way off over by the cardinal letters.

 

At this point, switching pages had no effect. Turning it off then back on would draw the arrow correctly - that is until it rotated again. The unit is running software version 2.01. Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

---------

After I got home, I tried to reproduce the issue. I couldn't get the arrow to "break" as bad as it did on the trail, but here's the best I could do indoors next to the computer:

 

 

While I was playing around with the unit while it was connected to the computer, I realized that I was looking at the Course Pointer rather than the Bearing Pointer, which is thicker and doesn't seem to "break". But still, the broken arrow concerns me.

 

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

Lawrence Rillera

Elk Grove, CA

 

[This message has been edited by The 19th (edited 04 October 2001).]

[Guest Gliderguy]

Any pilot would tell you it is working like an HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator)

 

the break tells you how much right/left of your direct course you are. Any time you re-goto (or turn off your unit) it would re-center itself. Each pixel probably represents some fixed amount of "cross track error" The breaking is actually a feature to give you more information on one screen, not a defect. However, this feature may not be particularly useful for geocaching. You should ONLY see it with a COURSE pointer just as you described. What I am describing would never happen with a bearing pointer.

 

Said another way, the break gives you an idea how far (in feet or miles) off the original direct line of travel you are from when you first hit the GOTO. If you were flying a plane or driving a boat, you could use this info to perfectly follow your courseline. A good example would be for a final approach to the airport, when you not only want to arrive at the runway, but also arrive at the runway pointed and traveling along its length, rather than approaching from some odd angle.

 

On the ground where you have to follow a trail, the center part of the arrow will almost always be offset.

 

[This message has been edited by Gliderguy (edited 04 October 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by Gliderguy (edited 04 October 2001).]

[Guest Gliderguy]

Sorry about the dozen or so edits I just made. I was trying to make my point clearer without getting too technical. If it is still hard to understand I will take a separate stab at it later after I have thought about how to explain it more...

[Guest Moun10Bike]

Gliderguy has it right -- the broken arrow is actually an off-course feature. See page 47 of your manual for more info.

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

29H/101F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest navdog]

I am debating about acquiring another GPS and will probably keep my Vista and give the MAG315 to a friend. Would be interested in hearing how the GPS V holds sat lock under tree cover. Debating between the Meridian Platinum or the GPS V.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

nna). Last weekend, Jeremy and I went out on a cache hunt, he with his eTrex Legend and I with my V. As I believe he would agree, there was little doubt that the V was holding lock much better under cover.

 

I'm also watching the Meridian with interest, though -- looks like it has the potential to be an awesome receiver!

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

29H/101F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest The 19th]

Thanks, Gliderguy! I understand now. I'm no pilot, but I do know of the HSI. I'm just not used to seeing it rotate around!

 

I noticed this yesterday, and seeing a broken course pointer unsettled me a bit while I was following the path, and I guess I just focused in on that, being the unit was new and all.

 

I pretty much realized that my concerns weren't such a big deal when I found the Bearing Pointer option at home trying to get a screenshot of the broken arrow, but I decided to post anyway.

 

My, it sure is obvious that I'm not reading the manual!

 

As far as sat lock in heavy cover... I've seen the unit lock onto 6 sats in my room, 13 ft. accuracy (yes, I do have a roof!), whereas my eTrex Legend has difficulty when I'm standing on my uncovered porch right below. What's strange is - as I move toward my only window with the V, I start losing signal!

 

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

Lawrence Rillera

Elk Grove, CA

[Guest The 19th]

Thanks, Gliderguy! I understand now. I'm no pilot, but I do know of the HSI. I'm just not used to seeing it rotate around!

 

I noticed this yesterday, and seeing a broken course pointer unsettled me a bit while I was following the path, and I guess I just focused in on that, being the unit was new and all.

 

I pretty much realized that my concerns weren't such a big deal when I found the Bearing Pointer option at home trying to get a screenshot of the broken arrow, but I decided to post anyway.

 

My, it sure is obvious that I'm not reading the manual!

 

As far as sat lock in heavy cover... I've seen the unit lock onto 6 sats in my room, 13 ft. accuracy (yes, I do have a roof!), whereas my eTrex Legend has difficulty when I'm standing on my uncovered porch right below. What's strange is - as I move toward my only window with the V, I start losing signal!

 

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

Lawrence Rillera

Elk Grove, CA

[Guest Iron Chef]

I was wondering where the big compass screen had gone too. :~)

 

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

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

[Guest The 19th]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Iron Chef:

I was wondering where the big compass screen had gone too. :~)

---

 

I wonder if this is common to those who are moving from the eTrex series to the GPS V! It's funny how I stumble across screens on the V that I'm so familiar with on my Legend.

 

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

Lawrence Rillera

Elk Grove, CA

[Guest Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The 19th:

I wonder if this is common to those who are moving from the eTrex series to the GPS V! It's funny how I stumble across screens on the V that I'm so familiar with on my Legend.

 

---

 

Yeah, there seems to be a slight learning curve as the systems, although similar, work in some very differnt ways. On my Venture I always used the click stick menu interface to switch screens so now I am getting used to the page button. Anyways, it is just the adjustment period of getting used to the new unit. Overall I am very satisfied. Already my V is able to pick up multiple sats in conditions where my Etrex Venture is useless. I am so very jazzed about it. I was concerned originally when it took a while for the V to acquire the almanac and get some of the sats right (it was displaying 33 and 34, and later 37 which arn't visible or don't exist) but after standing for a while on a jetty with a clear view of the sky and the big blue ocean the unit finally got the constellation to match what my Venture was showing and since then it has preformed flawlessly. It's so nice to not have to print up silly driving maps off the web.

 

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

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

[Guest Iron Chef]

Is it me or is there not a meter showing the amount of avail. memory for maps and waypoint data? Is there supposed to be? I remember there being a memory meter on my Etrex Venture, but I can't seem to find it on the V. I've checked the manuel, but can't seem to find it so I am either missing something (and probably an obvious something at that) or it just doesn't exist. Any thoughts?

 

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

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

[Guest Geoffrey]

As far as I know, there is no 'Available Memory' Meter.

 

GPS V information:

Each Fucnction has it's own memory dished out to it.

1) Memory set aside for 500 waypoints.

2) Memory set aside for 2048 Tracklog points.

3) Basemap Built-in (Permanent-Unchangable).

4) 19 megabte dedicated memory for Mapsource Downloadable maps. Every time you download maps into the GPS, it erases the previous mapsource maps you had in it and puts the new set in the 19 meg memory in the GPS.

 

Information in the Manual:

1)Check page 51 for info on Tracklog memory.

2)Waypoint info on pages 48-49.

3)Mapsource info on page 20.(Some info).

 

About waypoints:

Waypoints really clutter up the map page, if there are too many. There is a program to manage waypoints on the PC.

Link:> http://members.home.net/crh24/gps/g7towin/g7towin.htm

With this program, you can store Waypoints on the computer, and download into the GPS, only the waypoints you need.

 

[This message has been edited by Geoffrey (edited 07 October 2001).]

[Guest Fotogg]

it, but it was right on the money. Amazing device!

[Guest Iron Chef]

Its too bad that there isn't a meter for the waypoint memory and the mapsource memory. Hopefully this will be something that they correct in their first software update. Other than that I haven't had any problems with the unit at all and even that complain is pretty insignifigant. I just use MapSource to manage my waypoints.

 

I took the V geocaching this weekend pretty far away from home and all I can say is that Auto-Routing Rocks! I love it! I miss a turn and it recalculates the route to make up for my mistake. Besides for a memory meter and a switch to change road navigation to off-road navigation I can't think of anything that I'd change.

 

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

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

[Guest peter]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Iron Chef:

Its too bad that there isn't a meter for the waypoint memory and the mapsource memory. Hopefully this will be something that they correct in their first software update.

---

 

I don't think this was an oversight. The 'memory bar' was first introduced by Garmin on the eMap when they greatly increased the possible number of routes and points per route. The result was that it was possible to exceed the available memory space even though you didn't exceed any of the individual categories. I.e. an eMap can't actually have 500 waypoints, 50 routes with 50 legs each, and all tracklogs full at the same time and the memory bar allows you to see if you're getting close to the limit. But on their older units, and I believe also on the V, you can go to the maximum on each of the individual categories, so there's no need for the memory bar.

Note also that the memory bar has never had anything to do with the map memory. You see how full this is when you load it from MapSource. Once loaded there's no need to know how much is left empty since you can't add anything to it incrementally anyway - you always start over from scratch when loading new maps.

I'm sure if enough people complain they'll provide a memory meter on the V, but it really serves no function there - unlike the eMap and some other units where it does have a clear use.

[Guest Iron Chef]

quote:

---

Originally posted by peter:

I don't think this was an oversight. The 'memory bar' was first introduced by Garmin on the eMap when they greatly increased the possible number of routes and points per route. The result was that it was possible to exceed the available memory space even though you didn't exceed any of the individual categories. I.e. an eMap can't actually have 500 waypoints, 50 routes with 50 legs each, and all tracklogs full at the same time and the memory bar allows you to see if you're getting close to the limit. But on their older units, and I believe also on the V, you can go to the maximum on each of the individual categories, so there's no need for the memory bar.

Note also that the memory bar has never had anything to do with the map memory. You see how full this is when you load it from MapSource. Once loaded there's no need to know how much is left empty since you can't add anything to it incrementally anyway - you always start over from scratch when loading new maps.

I'm sure if enough people complain they'll provide a memory meter on the V, but it really serves no function there - unlike the eMap and some other units where it does have a clear use.

---

 

I'm sorry you feel that way. Sorry to "complain" about what seems to be a stupid issue also.

 

-IC