Squonkpups Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 The instruction manuals for both my Garmin 3 Plus and Eagle Explorer tell me that I must be moving at least 5 mph for an accurate reading. I notice that when in a car that when I stop the display which I have set to read course up can drift in increments pivoting around the position cursor whether on course, plot, map or compass mode even though the coordinates stay the same until the car moves again. Today while geohunting the first time it read zero distance it was 150 feet away from the second time it read zero distance while walking a triangle and jumped all over the place. The trail plotter on the walk back to the car was way off going well past the car opposite the heading I walked. How do I interpret this wandering display without running on foot at full steam for an accurate display? It's hard enough to find cashe's as it is without large position discrepencies. Quote Link to comment
Squonkpups Posted December 5, 2003 Author Share Posted December 5, 2003 Sorry about the repeats but I kept getting an error message. Quote Link to comment
+Team GPSaxophone Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 I thought flood control prevented quintuple postings, or did you wait 30 seconds between each? Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 Sorry about the repeats but I kept getting an error message. Why don't you close those other threads, so the conversation stays in one place? Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 The instruction manuals for both my Garmin 3 Plus and Eagle Explorer tell me that I must be moving at least 5 mph for an accurate reading. I think you're misinterpreting what they are saying. The 5mph is only to get an accurate pointer to the waypoint you are heading to. It has nothing to do with getting an accurate fix on your current location. The reason you have to be moving is that that's the only way the GPS can determine the units orientation. It take a position reading from a second or two ago, and compares it your current position. From that it can calculate your direction of travel. It then assumes you're holding the GPS so that the top of the unit is pointed in the direction you're traveling in. That gives it the GPSs physical orientation, and it can then display the pointer correctly. Quote Link to comment
Kerry. Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 (edited) The wandering display is basically normal and really these days is nothing compared to what it used be like. Positional accuracy isn't affected if one is moving or stopped. What is affected is things like Course Over Ground, bearings to waypoints etc basicallymore directional issues. These days would have thought 5 mph is rather on the high (max) side for reasonable directional readings. Cheers, Kerry. Edited December 5, 2003 by Kerry. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.