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A better GPSR unit?


Macro

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I use a Garmin Etrex. Originally I purchased it for hiking and camping...basically as a safety measure when on remote outings so we never got lost. Then I discovered geocaching. For the most part I never considered the equipment a limitation thinking that if I was within 20 or 30 feet of an ammo can I could probably figure out where it was. Lately though I have started working on a few microcaches. Now 20 to 30 feet off mean not finding a cache...and it is starting to get really frustrating. icon_mad.gif

 

So, my question is...Is buying a better (more expensive) GPSR going to make any difference? What makes one better than another? Better reciever? Better metrics for calculation?

 

If someone out there upgraded from an Etrex to a better unit and can endorse one for me, I would really appreciate it. (So will my girlfriend since she gets my Etrex if I upgrade!)

 

Thanks,

Macro

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If you buy a more expexive unit here is what you will get. You will have to decided if it is worth it.

 

1) Maps, There cool sometime usefull but are an additional expence

 

2) A better antenna. Your eTrex does not have a great antenna. Many unit like the Magellan 315 Garmin III+ and so on have Quadrifilar antennas. These work better in most cases. Also many of the more expesive unit have external antenna hook-ups that allow you to hook up amplified antennas the also increas you reception abilities.

 

3) WAAS support. The new differential correction is built into many units but it works best in the open and tend to be the first thing you will loose in heavy cover. Nice feature but people will argue on its usefulness.

 

On the other hand you have a modern GPS and you will not get much much more accurate then the eTrex. A better antenna will help keep a lock in bad reception conditions but in the open your eTrex is just as accurate as a $1000 Street Pilot III. So if you like all the bells and whistles go for it but you got a good unit to start.

 

I would suggest looking at the GPSMAP 76. It gives you a better antenna and exteranal hook up. It has WAAS and maps. I love mine, and it is only about $300

 

Other unit to look at would be GPSMAP 76S (coming soon). More memory and a built in Compass and altimiter. Look at the new Magelland Meridian series. And if your going to use it a lot in your car give the GPS V a look.

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I really dont want any bells or whistles. I dont need a compass, I carry one already....dont want maps, I guess all I do want is the most accurate reception I can get. I want to be able to pin point a set of coordinates. I want to be within 5 feet of where I am supposed to be looking. I want the GPSR to point to ONE location....not change its mind 5 times and point me all over the place.

 

What is the best unit for this purpose? Is it really that much better than an Etrex and worth the money?

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quote:
Originally posted by macro:

I want to be within 5 feet of where I am supposed to be looking. I want the GPSR to point to ONE location....not change its mind 5 times and point me all over the place.

 

What is the best unit for this purpose?


 

That unit is called a "gun". You use it to kidnap the cache owner, and force them to show you where the cache is.

 

No matter how "exact" your receiver may be, you're still subject to the inaccuracies of the cache owner's unit.

 

Learning to deal with the inaccuracies of the GPSR is just part of the game.

 

PS_sig.gif

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While I can't say what is better than your Etrex, I can tell you that a friends Map 330 is MUCH better than my Eagle Explorer on many levels, even on the one you're asking about, which is accuracy.

 

We went on a hunt yesterday and I was always 10-20 yards in the other direction with my unit and he was in the vacinity of the cache, almost always finding it before I did. When I go alone it almost always takes me a while to find the cache due to my accuracy. My friend (it was actually BunkerDave) commented, "I'm suprised you're actually still involved with this sport if that's what you have to go through to find a cache." I guess I just didn't know better. So, there is a difference between at least the Eagle Explorer and Map 330. Not exactly an anwer to your specific question, but still an answer. icon_razz.gif

 

Tyler Slack's Geocaching in Utah

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If all your after is as accurate a setup as you can get and you don't want or need the maps and any of the other bells and whistles then I would suggest getting a Garmin GPS 76 (note: not the GPSMAP 76) This unit is a less expesive then the GPSMAP 76. The GPS 76 has a base map but no memory for additional maps. It does have WAAS support. Also buy an amplified external antenna like the one offered by Garmin or Mighty Mouse. These two unit together will give you about the best accuracy in any situation. Unfortuantely it will not be much more accurate then your eTrex. With WAAS you can expect your errors to go down to 3-5 meters best case.

 

If you want more accurate then that your going to need surveyor grade differential GPS unit that usually come mounted on an external frame backpack and have access to the secondary encrypted signal brocasted for the military. The units usually start above $20,000 and have step license fee to use the encrypted frequencies.

 

Good luck

mcb

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quote:
Originally posted by Prime Suspect:

 

That unit is called a "gun". You use it to kidnap the cache owner, and force them to show you where the cache is.

 


[bOLD]HEY![/bOLD] Don't suggest that! And especially not to him!! This thread is about the accuracy of the GPSR units, ok? Therefore, as the seeker is also limited to the accuracy of the hider's GPSR, you should hunt down the cache hider and give him the best GPSR you can find!

 

King Pellinore

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quote:
Originally posted by Prime Suspect:

 

That unit is called a "gun". You use it to kidnap the cache owner, and force them to show you where the cache is.

 

No matter how "exact" your receiver may be, you're still subject to the inaccuracies of the cache owner's unit.

 

Learning to deal with the inaccuracies of the GPSR is just part of the game.

 

http://gdbclub.org/GeoCache/PS_sig.gif


 

That is great..unfortunately I will be the one placing the cache! I am primarily concerned with the accuracy I place these......and after shooting for 25 years, if the best group I could get with a gun was 5 feet, I am afraid I would still be looking for better equipment!

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I guess I'm not a very good test subject because I've just started in Geocache. I bought a Garmin GPSMAP 76. It cost me $295 on E-Bay. Now it's the first unit I've ever used but I have to tell you it's awesome. I use it to drive as close to the cache as possible then I usually walk right up to it. Now I have to tell you that I does point here there and everywhere but I realized that I'm walking fast and I blow right by what I'm looking for. I've set my unit to give me a beep when I get to withinn 100 ft. so I can slow down and let the unit catch up. I sometimes still get the twirling needle but I usually get to within a few feet. I've had this unit for about a week now and I think this is too easy. Only one gave me a hard time and it wasn't the units fault. The cache was at my feet but I couldn't see it. I was was under rocks and hidden perfectlly. I think I'm in love.

Bob

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Best bet, is a GPS 315, with the latest firmware upgrade(vers. 3.15), which is a Good geocaching unit.

 

Other GPS units have more of an other purpose:

etrex's - Good for Running, Jogging, or hiking.

GPS 76/Map76 - Good for Boating.

Meridian units - Good for all but Running.

GPS V - Good for all, but pricey.

etc

 

If you wanted to track yourself on an exercise program, get the eTrex.

For all around basic use get the low end Meridian Green.

For use in unknown areas, get a mapping unit.

 

So for just Geocaching, get the GPS 315, for all around economy, get the low end meridian, or an eTrex.

 

5_Rubik.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by macro:

I really dont want any bells or whistles. I dont need a compass, I carry one already....dont want maps, I guess all I do want is the most accurate reception I can get. I want to be able to pin point a set of coordinates. I want to be within 5 feet of where I am supposed to be looking. I want the GPSR to point to ONE location....not change its mind 5 times and point me all over the place.

 

What is the best unit for this purpose? Is it really that much better than an Etrex and worth the money?


 

My friend has the yellow etrex and he let me borrow it for a week to go geocaching. I hated the fact that it would lose the satellites so easily when in the trees.

 

I bought a Magellan 315 from my brother-in-law for $80. It was brand new, he never even used it. The magellan does a LOT better at keeping a lock on the satellites in the trees. The only thing I didn't like was that it would only show the distance down to .01 miles and it would average my location if I wasn't moving fast enough because I had firmware version 2.03 on it. I borrowed another friends PC cable and installed version 3.15 on it. Now it rocks. It reads down to the foot, locks onto satellites much better in the trees, and only averages if I'm standing still

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The 315 is a great little unit but... The original poster asked for maximum accuracy and althought the 315 is a good unit it does not have WAAS support. The most accurate consumer grade GPS units avalible is ones with WAAS support. You may argue the actual practicality of WAAS for geocaching but if you want the most accuracy it is the best way.

 

Regular GPS is 15 meters or less.

 

Radio Differential correction will give you 5 meters or less

 

WAAS Differential correction will give you 3 meters of less

 

Now you can take your pick Magellan or Garmin but for best accuracy pick one with WAAS.

 

Later

mc

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quote:
Originally posted by mcb:

You may argue the actual practicality of WAAS for geocaching but if you want the most accuracy it is the best way.

 

WAAS Differential correction will give you 3 meters of less

 

Now you can take your pick Magellan or Garmin but for best accuracy pick one with WAAS.

mc


 

What exactly is WAAS?

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WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System. It is at present two satellites over the US that are in geosynchronous orbit that send down corrections to the ranging signals that the lower 12 hour orbit standard GPS satellites are sending to your GPS unit. This is accomplished through a series of unlink sites through the US that measure the local error in the standard signal and then send the corrections up to the WAAS satellite that send it on to you. Thus improving your accuracy from about 15 meter worst case to as good a 3 meters so.

 

Garmin has some good info on it and list all their unit that are WAAS capable.

 

http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

 

mcb

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I really enjoy my Magellan 315. It is constantly averaging your current position when you are not moving. When I want to get really close to the coords, I switch to my location navigation screen and try to match them exactly. This really helps when the coords are accurate. What has been said about the variation in cache owners' GPSRs is true, but if they're on, it can make a big difference. My brother and I just did a cache that was under thick black water. It could've been a lot more difficult without that averaging. We had good satellite reception and it put us within about seven feet of the cache. When I place a cache, I just put my GPS down near the cache location while I'm doing last minute touch-ups on the camo, etc. By the time I'm ready to go the averaging has settled down and I only need one or two readings for a solid location.

 

Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar...

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Folks, I know we all love our brands, but if Macro is consistantly within 20-30' of caches, no consumer purchase is really going to help.

 

That's about as good as it gets with either a top of the line Garmin or a top of the line Magellan. WAAS, different ant., etc. *may* give a few feet of improvement on some caches, but there is not going to be an order of magnitude in difference.

 

-jjf

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