|
|
Posts: 4266
| How accurate is your GPS?
I bought a Garmin 162 before last year and then had to buy an update for it at the end of last year that was supposed to make it more accurate.
Well, last week I ran it all week and it just plain sucks!
It was consistently off by 100 yards, give or take 10 yards. It was far more accurate before I had to buy the new disc with the upgrade. I had good strong reception, so that isn't the issue.
So, what's acceptable for your unit. I can see 20 yards....tops. I was out there wandering around like a tourist, and once I did find what I was looking for, it was no help keeping me where I wanted to be or following the contours.
Beav |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | GPS accuracy can be summed up like this.
1) When you're recieveing the WAAS (Wide Area Augmentaion System) signal, you're gps should be accurate from between 10 and 50 ft.
2) If you're trying to use "electronic maps" on your gps screen to try to establish accuracy, you'll never do it. GPS will always have error and the lake maps are never perfect. Combine the two and there's your wide range of inaccuracy. Now I will say this, some lake maps are more accurate than others. Winnebago, when it fisrt became available, we notoriously in accurate.
Electronic lake maps are a guide, not to be used as a sole navigational aid under any circumstances.
The "upgrade" to your 162 was probally the WAAS upgrade that I know Garmin made available. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| One of the options in "Enable WAAS" and it's on. The upgrade was the 5.0 version that goes from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It was a disc that you had to buy and send in your old disc and they sent you money back.
The FHS maps are part of the upgrade, and they were part of the old one. Remember, you could buy a "State"?
Well, all I know is it was lots more accurate before.
Now it sucks, even using the longitude and latitude. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | The issue is not the accuracy of your GPS, the issue is the accuracy of the maps. Increased accuracy of your GPS will accentuate inaccuracy of your map.
Steve |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | did you notice it being inaccurate in the last week or so? if so its possible the elevated terror alert could have something to do with it..seriously.. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| All I know is that the FHS map hasn't changed, and it was accurate within 10 yards last fall.
Maybe it is the heightened terror alert.
I e-mailed Garmin support to see what the problem could be. I'll keep you posted on their answer.
Beav |
|
| |
|
Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | The Maps are not all that accurate they are taken from DNR sources and in some cases haven't been surveyed in years. I have the Navionics with 1 meter and even those I sometimes have trouble finding the spots or even the spots I marked by myself. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Yes, the fishing hot spots map has not changed, the inaccuracy of the map is just now more apparent to you.
Steve |
|
| |
|
Posts: 185
Location: Mendota Heights, MN | Adding to what marine1 said. Most, if not all of the DNR surveyed lake maps where done before the advent of GPS. That means they used triangulation, and other dubiously accurate means to draw the map. The maps are not to usefull with gps, they are a guideline at best. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4266
| The Hot Spots map of Cass that I have has the longitude and latitude lines right on the map.
Last season I used the readings to find spots, and they were real close. I'm just wondering that because I only loaded one lake in it last year, but loaded one section of lakes in it this time (the Bemidji area) that it somehow effects the accuracy.
There were humps that I drove up on and stayed on last year simply by using the GPS to follow the contours. This year, as I neared the humps I slowed down and drove the icon right up on the hump but was still in 30 feet of water. After I was all the way over the hump on the GPS screen, a good 100 yards, I finally started climbing up the side. It's driving me nuts that a tool that was so valuable last year sucks this year.
Beav |
|
| |
|
Posts: 63
| I'm running a LCX -16ci Lowrance, and just had it upgraded last year to the new screen and software. I also picked up the Lakemaster Lake Map Software this year for Wisconsin. So far its been pretty much right on. I was using Navionics Wisconsin Chip before, and on Silver lake, Kenosha County, I was driving on land alot of the time. Lakemaster Chip is alot better, Pewaukee, Okauchee & Silver all real good. But I'm going to see how good it is, up in Hayward area in a couple weeks. I'm not familar with Garmin Units, which I'm sure are good units. Could be the Map disk?
Good Lack  |
|
| |
|
| All I know is on LOTW this past week, I had a few issues.
Most of the time, the hazards are nutz on. However, as I found when I gunned my motor to get out of spot, I hit a hazard. I was well over 50 yards from where the hazard was on the GPS map.
I have no complaints really though. Without that GPS, I wouldn't feel comfortable going over 10-15 MPH on LOTW. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | I feel the best way to use GPS (and I use mine religiously) is to simply mark key elements on your body of water and general navigation routes. They are awesome tools IMHO. I use a Magellan Sportrak Map with the "US basemap software". No breaklines on the lakes. Only general boundries and POI's. |
|
| |
