Hiking inaccuracies with Garmin 60CSx

[piratemonkey 0]

I've noticed that when I'm on the bike, my Garmin 60CSx is very accurate. However, when I'm hiking, it's not -- it can be miles off, depending on the hike.

Briana, Julie (PastaPilot's S.O.) and I recently hiked Mt. Whitney. Instead of recording a 22 mile trip, it turned out to be 27. I was staggering a lot, but not enough to add 5 miles! There were also a couple of big "spikes" in the tracks -- there's no way we were at these spots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratemonkeyc...433671/sizes/l/

I noticed under Settings one of the options for route calculation is a "pedestrian" setting. I plan to put it on that setting the next time I hike to see if it's more accurate. I've read that if you walk without stopping at all, it tends to be more accurate but if you stop a lot it tends to record a drift. Might also need to increase the number of track points recorded from 3,000 to a larger value.

I calibrated the GPS when we got up there so that shouldn't have been a problem.

Any tips on improving hiking accuracy welcomed.

[Sneeker 29]

I've noticed that when I'm on the bike, my Garmin 60CSx is very accurate. However, when I'm hiking, it's not -- it can be miles off, depending on the hike.

Briana, Julie (PastaPilot's S.O.) and I recently hiked Mt. Whitney. Instead of recording a 22 mile trip, it turned out to be 27. I was staggering a lot, but not enough to add 5 miles! There were also a couple of big "spikes" in the tracks -- there's no way we were at these spots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piratemonkeyc...433671/sizes/l/

I noticed under Settings one of the options for route calculation is a "pedestrian" setting. I plan to put it on that setting the next time I hike to see if it's more accurate. I've read that if you walk without stopping at all, it tends to be more accurate but if you stop a lot it tends to record a drift. Might also need to increase the number of track points recorded from 3,000 to a larger value.

I calibrated the GPS when we got up there so that shouldn't have been a problem.

Any tips on improving hiking accuracy welcomed.

Was the WAAS function turned on?

http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

When WAAS is on it eats batteries faster tho.

[DigDug 0]

Those jumps look like reception issues. Where is the unit located? (i.e. does it have a clear view of the sky or is it in a backpack, or obscured by your body, etc).

If you want maximum accuracy, make sure battery saver mode is turned off, and WAAS is on as suggested (yes, it will eat batteries more). I've noticed that distances on the odometer screen can often be different than in the final tracks - probalby due to rounding. You could try pulling the active tracks up in Mapsource and editing out the error spikes to see if the expected mileage is closer - but it doesn't look like 5 miles of jumping to me based on that picture.

I don't think "Pedestrian" mode won't help. I'm pretty sure that's just for route calculation and has nothing to do with tracks.

[RogerTOWM 0]

I don’t have a clue why the GPS is acting up for you. But then I don’t have a clue why you would want to walk up Mount Whitney when you have perfectly good motorcycles!

[jbw 0]

I bet your are seeing a phenomenon called multipathing...

As you are hiking a satellite may be blocked by a mountain but the signal instead bounces off another nearby mountain making it take longer to reach your GPS. This could cause errors similar to the ones you are seeing.

Edit: now after looking at Wikipedia I found an interesting tidbit:

"Multipath effects are much less severe in moving vehicles. When the antenna is moving, false solutions using reflected signals quickly fail to converge and only the direct signals result in stable solutions."

my interpretation of this(without giving it much thought): multi-path signals are very position dependent and change quickly when you are moving at a high rate of speed. Thus the GPS knows that these are not the actual line of sight measurement.

Josh

[piratemonkey 0]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to try the recommendations on the next hike. I'll be curious to see how much more quickly the batteries get eaten up. A while back I tried lithium batteries and I thought maybe *that* was causing problems (I had read about some people who put in brand new lithium batteries in their Garmins having issues).

[sandiegoland 0]

Though still not necessarily accurate, I'll bet the track coming down would measure shorter...

Less 'transient' time...

[Zenosan 2]

Not sure if this is the same problem.

When I drive from Escondido to my house in Page, Az.. I see a distinct change in accuracy in my 60csx when I get to Page. The position indicator is always at least 20 ft off the road I am actually driving on. I have tried recalibrating the compass but that didn't seem to make much difference. Always seems to be a bit off from the road location of the map I am on by at least 20 ft.

[Crawdaddy 96]

Not sure if this is the same problem.

When I drive from Escondido to my house in Page, Az.. I see a distinct change in accuracy in my 60csx when I get to Page. The position indicator is always at least 20 ft off the road I am actually driving on. I have tried recalibrating the compass but that didn't seem to make much difference. Always seems to be a bit off from the road location of the map I am on by at least 20 ft.

I think you have a different issue Don.......sounds more like your Mapset than the unit itself.....what underlying Mapset are you using? If it's an old/outdated mapset like Garmin Roads and Recreation it wouldn't surprise me to see the roads displayed adjacent to your position (sometimes)......the older mapsets just aren't that accurate much of the time......the built in/basic mapset may also have some flaws........if it's a newer Mapset like City Navigator NT you should be spot on.......there will likely also be a difference in tracking from time to time if/when you're running in battery saver mode as opposed to normal mode.......your track log will show you waundering a bit when in battery saver mode

[paulmbowers 236]

Not sure if this is the same problem.

When I drive from Escondido to my house in Page, Az.. I see a distinct change in accuracy in my 60csx when I get to Page. The position indicator is always at least 20 ft off the road I am actually driving on. I have tried recalibrating the compass but that didn't seem to make much difference. Always seems to be a bit off from the road location of the map I am on by at least 20 ft.

Don's using 1860csx

[Zenosan 2]

Cool transit Paul!

At least if I used that along with my US Army lensatic compass in my Army days while calling in Artillery Fire I would'nt be shelling the wrong guys.

[Joliet 0]

Cool transit Paul!

At least if I used that along with my US Army lensatic compass in my Army days while calling in Artillery Fire I would'nt be shelling the wrong guys.

Don, I am so glad you didn't end that sentence with "again"

[DigDug 0]

Cool transit Paul!

At least if I used that along with my US Army lensatic compass in my Army days while calling in Artillery Fire I would'nt be shelling the wrong guys.

Come on Don! That's not a transit, it's a sextant!

(Trying to get the academic worked up by posting a Wikipedia link! Hey, he tried to get the navigator worked up by calling a sextant a transit!)

I actually have one (cheap plastic one I picked up somewhere) in a box somewhere in my garage.

It's been years since I've had to use one for real, but they're actually interesting pieces of equipment!

[Zenosan 2]

Cool transit Paul!

At least if I used that along with my US Army lensatic compass in my Army days while calling in Artillery Fire I would'nt be shelling the wrong guys.

Come on Don! That's not a transit, it's a sextant!

(Trying to get the academic worked up by posting a Wikipedia link! Hey, he tried to get the navigator worked up by calling a sextant a transit!)

I actually have one (cheap plastic one I picked up somewhere) in a box somewhere in my garage.

It's been years since I've had to use one for real, but they're actually interesting pieces of equipment!

OK - I stand corrected. But Hey- I was an Army Infantry Officer not a Swabby Navy Deck Hand or a sea roving Jarhead! I suppose you guys call maps "charts" or some other off the wall jargon too.

By the way Doug - I really would like a demonstration on the use of the transit, uh, sextant someday.

[RogerTOWM 0]

OK - I stand corrected. But Hey- I was an Army Infantry Officer not a Swabby Navy Deck Hand or a sea roving Jarhead! I suppose you guys call maps "charts" or some other off the wall jargon too.

By the way Doug - I really would like a demonstration on the use of the transit, uh, sextant someday.

Don, Don, Don! Why do you have to pick on the real warriors? Doug is a fly boy, you know the boys in sky blue suits. If you have a beef with him why don't you address it to him and leave our charts alone? And what were you doing calling in arty on your own troops for? (I hope that did not really happen. Sorry if it did.)

So Doug when are you holding sextant classes. I would also like to learn how they work just to understand history better.

[bikeslut 1]

maps...help you get unlost... shelter you from the elements... allow you to ride over mud puddles... used as tinder in a pinch... rolled in to a funnel for collecting dew or as a stethoscope....no end to the uses