Geocaching In The Trees

[Magilla Gorilla]

I live in the Forever green state, Washington state. I got my etrek legend about 2 months ago and has worked out good for geocaching, but not were there is tree cover. Sometimes when there is just a few tress overhead i cant get a singal. I love the forest but most of the time i go out to find a cache in them i can even get a singal so rather then go to them and see if i can get one i've been passing them up. Its doent look like the legend has an antenna accessorie that i can get for it, or does it?.

 

So what i want to know is what would be a good Gps unit for all the tree cover in Washington that doesnt need an exturnal antenna? or would i need to get that too?

 

Thanks

[+as77]

The Etrexes have the least sensitive antenna. Just about any other GPSr device on the market is more sensitive, even the Gekos. The ones having a big quadrifilar antenna are the most sensitive ones.

[+stu_and_sarah]

Before we bought the 60CS, we would often take a magnetic compass. That way you can get a satellite lock in a clearing, then take a bearing and distance to the cache. Combined with the clue and a bit of searching, it's usually possible to find it.

 

Good luck,

 

Stu

[koz]

there are also a couple of other htreads re: folks getting this message even under clearskies...i was even getting it in wyoming!...suspects include the govt and/or aliens

[+briansnat]

The Etrexes have the least sensitive antenna. Just about any other GPSr device on the market is more sensitive, even the Gekos.

 

The Gecko has the same antenna as the eTrex.

 

Anyway, I use my eTrex under heavy tree cover all the time and rarely lose a signal . Two things you can do to help are, first to turn your GPS on well before you enter the forest (I usually turn it on in my car on the way to the cache). This way it knows where all the sats are and if it loses them, it will regain them right away.

 

Second, be sure you are holding it properly. The eTrex likes to be held flat, with the face pointing to the sky. If you hold it any other way you will not get good reception. I've seen eTrex users have them hanging from the lanyard around their necks, clipped to their belts, or holding them in their hands upside down, or swinging in their hand as they walk. You will not get good reception if you do this and will definitely lose it under the trees.

 

It's a bit of a pain to have to hold it out, flat all the time, particularly for extended hikes, so I purchased the neoprene eTrex case and clip it the top of the shoulder strap of my pack.

Edited July 15, 2004 by briansnat

[Pipanella]

I've found that what briansnat says is true. I have an eTrex yellow, and as long as I hold it flat to the sky and out a little bit from my body, it does fine. Under tree cover, I sometimes need to do the triangulation thing, but eventually, it leads me to the general area, where I can turn it off and 'think like a hider.'

[+wifireman]

I've found that what briansnat says is true.  I have an eTrex yellow, and as long as I hold it flat to the sky and out a little bit from my body, it does fine.  Under tree cover, I sometimes need to do the triangulation thing, but eventually, it leads me to the general area, where I can turn it off and 'think like a hider.'

I have the same problem with my Garmin GPSMap76 gets all bouncy or the arrow will never move sometimes. Ok what is triangulation and how to use it? and do you use a compass?

Edited July 15, 2004 by smokey & the teacher

[+wolf452]

Triangulation is based on triangles. Not quite. If I am standing at 'A' and get a compass reading to 'B' and 'C' (two objects of known location), I can determine my location (accurate to the compass). With GPS and Geocaching, the idea is "if the cache 'C' is N45°E from this tree and N45°W from that tree, then it must be here". Yes you really need a compass, but then you should already have one. This of course also needs the belief that the bearing to the coordinate is more accurate than the distance to the coordinate.

[+as77]

The Gecko has the same antenna as the eTrex.

Even if the Gekos have the same antenna as the Etrexes, I have read comparative reviews about the two and there is general agreement that the Gekos get a fix faster and hold it far better under tree canopy than the Etrexes. Looks like Garmin did a great job optimizing the hard- and software to achieve this.

[+ohgr]

My girlfriend's Geko aquires Sats. way faster than my Etrex, but I've never done the comparison with WAAS turned off on my unit. Both units seem to be equally accurate.

 

As far as under the trees, for me it seems to depend on how close under the trees, as in how close the canopy to the ground, and how close you are to the tree(s). We did an orange grove cache a few weeks back, and both units were dead on.

 

Ohgr