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Thread: What am I doing wrong?

  1. #1
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    Default What am I doing wrong?


    My Garmin map 76 will not get any closer than 50 ft of a target. The way I am testing it is getting as close to a buoy as possible and clicking on the marker button. Then letting my 76 take me back later. 50ft or more before I get back to the buoy the little screen comes up and says you are arriving at your destination. Does this meat that at this point is where the buoy is supposed to be? If so it is a long way off. I have tested it several times and it has never gotten within the 3 meters like it supposed to do.
    Thanks for the help

  2. #2
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    Look in your menu and see if you are able to turn WAAS on and off, It needs to be on
    Biguns only:D

  3. #3
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    Try using the Map screen and you'll have better results. Using the "Go To" function is fine for locating an object you can see like your truck in the woods but not for something you need to get right over like a crappie condo that's out of sight.

    On the map screen the triangle in the middle of the screen represents your GPS and the waypoints will show up around you depending on how much you zoom in or out, which changes the area of coverage on the screen. When you get in the area of your condo (saved waypoint), zoom out until it shows up on the screen and then move the boat so the waypoint gets closer to the triangle in the middle and zoom in as you get closer until you're zoomed in to 30 or 20 feet. When the base of the triangle is over the waypoint you should see the condo on your graph.

    Also, make sure your WAAS is "Enabled" - they come with it "Disabled" by default.
    FISH ON!
    Jerry Blake

    www.BLAKETOURS.com

  4. #4
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    A couple of things:

    1. Satellite geometry - or the number satellites in the sky AND how they're dispersed across the visible sky - determines accuracy on a given day or even hour of the day. So you have two variables at play; the day you recorded the waypoint....and the day that your went back to find it. Best accuracy is when satellites are distributed evenly from horizon to horizon for closest triangulation. There are web sites that can forecast the best days or hours of the day for GPS work.

    2. When going back to bird-dog the saved waypoint, continue circling the point rather than going back and forth across it. Generally the waypoint you saved (the brushpile or condo) will be in the imaginary center of your circle.

    Hope this helps. GPS usage is not exactly as straight-forward as it might seem, or as advertised to be. Like the depth finder electronics, it requires quite a bit of practice and study. Good fishing!

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by westsam
    50ft or more before I get back to the buoy the little screen comes up and says you are arriving at your destination. Does this meat that at this point is where the buoy is supposed to be?
    With my handheld Garmin Rino, that's still quite a ways from your waypoint location. That little beep and the warning that comes up is intended to let you know to start watching how many feet until you're on the target, and what direction to travel to get there. Most of the time, we can pinpoint a geocache in an open location within a couple feet. This is important when you're looking for something that can be smaller than a thimble. I'd suggest that you practice with it by setting a waypoint and coming back to it while reading the coords. Try reading the instructions too, that can really help.
    Good luck!
    I have a jig with a face like this!:eek:

  6. #6
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    Check out this previous thread - http://www.crappie.com/gr8vb3/showthread.php?t=27490 - it address the exact issue you are talking about and uses the Map76 in the article. The article is also on my website.
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
    Darryl Morris

    FAMILY FISHING TRIPS GUIDE SERVICE
    501-844-5418 --- [email protected]

  7. #7
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    ....and a bit more help

    This is THE site to get a ton of information about GPS usage:

    http://gpsinformation.net/

    Scroll down to this section:

    Tutorial: How Does GPS Work

    I could be wrong about this, but unless more WAAS satellites have been put up, WAAS probably won't help you except near the East and West coast. There were only two the last time I checked. Also, get in the habit of noticing Estimated Accuracy each time you go out to practice and see how it varies - even in a span of an hour. And, as Jerry has said, be very careful to not get in overzoom since it can be very misleading.

    As has already been suggested, practice a lot and study the methods used in geocaching. Hope this helps.

  8. #8
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    Don't forget that in deep water the buoy can move around some to add to the error, and the arriving announcement probably has a little slop in it to allow for speed in a car.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry Blake
    Try using the Map screen and you'll have better results. Using the "Go To" function is fine for locating an object you can see like your truck in the woods but not for something you need to get right over like a crappie condo that's out of sight.

    On the map screen the triangle in the middle of the screen represents your GPS and the waypoints will show up around you depending on how much you zoom in or out, which changes the area of coverage on the screen. When you get in the area of your condo (saved waypoint), zoom out until it shows up on the screen and then move the boat so the waypoint gets closer to the triangle in the middle and zoom in as you get closer until you're zoomed in to 30 or 20 feet. When the base of the triangle is over the waypoint you should see the condo on your graph.

    Also, make sure your WAAS is "Enabled" - they come with it "Disabled" by default.
    Jerry the triangle that shows up on the map screen that represents the waypoint you are going to will it show up automatically or do you have do something to the 76 to get the triangle to show up?

  10. #10
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    You are using a "Go To" and that will "NOT" put you right on the waypoint no matter how much you try. You said you are using the "mark" key (the Enter key) to save a waypoint and that's good. Then you are obviously setting up a "go to". "Go to's" are only used for waypoints you don't know where they are and the gps navigates you to them and then you "see" them like Jerry said. But instead if you bring up the "map" screen and then zoom in or out as needed you can drive back to the "known" location of the waypoint within mere feet. In other words, if you mark the bouy as a waypoint and then drive halfway across the lake, stop and put your gps on the map screen and zoom in to 50ft. Now, take off and drive back to the bouy. Once you get within the range (50' in this case) your waypoint will show up on the map screen automatically. Then if you drove your boat over the bouy the triangle (your location) will move over the waypoint on the screen. You have to do your navigation from the "map" screen and cancel all your "go to" functions. It's all explained in the article I wrote (link above) and even took pics for visual aids. Bottomline, save your waypoints, use your map screen and then just boat back to the area you know they are at. They will show up on the "map" screen automatically and then you can begin to zero in on them. (
    Don't forget to zoom in to at least 30ft. on the map screen.)
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
    Darryl Morris

    FAMILY FISHING TRIPS GUIDE SERVICE
    501-844-5418 --- [email protected]

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