WAAS enable or not?

[+Scanlon]

I have a Garmin 60C and want to know whether I should or should not enable WAAS. I have heard the resolution may be more accurate but slower and use more battery when enabled. On the other hand I have been using it with WAAS not enabled and it seems to work just fine. What is the concensus?? Enabled or not??

[+Minimike2]

Enable.

 

Although if you are hunting a geocache placed with a +/- 50' error, it won't matter much.

[+Team Typowiz]

I just decided to do a search on WAAS and see what conversation there had been in the past on this topic. Exactly how do you do this? It won't allow a search word that is less than four characters - so can't search on WAAS. I tried to search on Wide Area Acquisition, which if my memory is correct, is what the first three words of WAAS are - but 'wide' and 'area' are under five characters, so can't search on that. How the heck can I search on this topic? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance ...

[+RRLover]

I just decided to do a search on WAAS and see what conversation there had been in the past on this topic. Exactly how do you do this? It won't allow a search word that is less than four characters - so can't search on WAAS. I tried to search on Wide Area Acquisition, which if my memory is correct, is what the first three words of WAAS are - but 'wide' and 'area' are under five characters, so can't search on that. How the heck can I search on this topic? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance ...

The second 'A' is "Augmentation".

 

Norm

[Barnie's Band of Gold]

I have a Garmin 60C and want to know whether I should or should not enable WAAS. I have heard the resolution may be more accurate but slower and use more battery when enabled. On the other hand I have been using it with WAAS not enabled and it seems to work just fine. What is the concensus?? Enabled or not??

Without knowing your location and proximity to a WAAS signal it is impossible to accurately answer this question. HOWEVER, you say that "with WAAS not enabled and it seems to work just fine" so why bother?

 

WAAS is not much help for the typical places that geocachers find themselves (canyons, behind buildings, large trees, etc). Of course your mileage may vary.

[+W7WT]

Over the years, I have used a 76S, 76C, and a Vista HCX and always had the WAAS enabled. So when I bought the wife a 76CSx and with the WAAS enabled it would not bring up the "Ds". I sent it to Garmin and just got it back. I enabled the WAAS and it got a full set of Satellites with "D" on the bars inside the house. I had it placed near a western window. Took it about 20 minutes to do so. Does it make any difference, I don't really know. Just makes me feel better. Garman didn't give me any information on what they did. Maybe all they did was to update it.

 

Dick

[+EraSeek]

Without knowing your location and proximity to a WAAS signal it is impossible to accurately answer this question. HOWEVER, you say that "with WAAS not enabled and it seems to work just fine" so why bother?

 

WAAS is not much help for the typical places that geocachers find themselves (canyons, behind buildings, large trees, etc). Of course your mileage may vary.

 

Here is the real time WAAS coverage. It has certainly expanded over the last few years. I'd say he and most of us are "Within proximity to a WAAS signal"! http://www.nstb.tc.faa.gov/RT_VerticalProtectionLevel.htm

WAAS is useful and vital. To us it is useful but not vital.

[+EraSeek]

One reason people don't see the usefulness of WAAS in my opinion is because it provides corrections and often those corrections are minor such as now: http://www.nstb.tc.faa.gov/RT_WaasSIGPStatus.htm with only a meter or two of corrections for the ionospheric errors currently. But there are times when 1) those minor corrections may be vital (ie. heavy fog) 2)there is more disturbance and thus more errors (solar events) 3)WAAS corrects more than just ionospheric errors, but also timing and satellite position errors, which also are important to a good coordinate position. So, yes, it is useful.

[+gpsblake]

Might as well enable it but with all of today's receivers having the high sensitive chip, it won't help you find a single geocache any easier. All GPS units will put you in the right area.

[seldom_sn]

Might as well enable it but with all of today's receivers having the high sensitive chip, it won't help you find a single geocache any easier. All GPS units will put you in the right area.

 

That's been my experience. 60CSX and OR300, WAAS on or off, neither unit reported improved EPE.

[namiboy]

i've always had waas enabled but my batteries seem to last long, so not sure how much of a battery drain waas is either.

[+Scanlon]

Thanks for the input from all. Enable or not I guess it dosent matter. I have a gut feeling that my batteries last longer "not enabled" and the accuracy for all my GPS uses is just fine. So I guess I will not enable WAAS unless there is a very strong valid argument to enable. Scanlon

[+Klemmer]

Be sure to DISABLE WAAS if you are outside the "Coverage Area" which actually related to the ground portion of the system's coverage. For example, if you are in South America, you could still receive the WAAS signal (from the geostationary WAAS satellites), but the ground portion of the system will be WRONG, and may make your position worse. Some GPS receivers know this, some don't. Turn it off outside North America to be sure.

 

(Note: Yes, other countries (Europe, Japan, others) will soon have operational WAAS-like systems, but unless you know what you are doing, are sure about their operational status, better turn WAAS off.)

[guggie]

I just decided to do a search on WAAS and see what conversation there had been in the past on this topic. Exactly how do you do this? It won't allow a search word that is less than four characters - so can't search on WAAS. I tried to search on Wide Area Acquisition, which if my memory is correct, is what the first three words of WAAS are - but 'wide' and 'area' are under five characters, so can't search on that. How the heck can I search on this topic? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance ...

 

This limitation is a pain in the neck. Try searching for your terms using google and include the terms site:forums.Groundspeak.com waas

Edited December 13, 2009 by guggie

[+mr007s]

Over the years, I have used a 76S, 76C, and a Vista HCX and always had the WAAS enabled. So when I bought the wife a 76CSx and with the WAAS enabled it would not bring up the "Ds". I sent it to Garmin and just got it back. I enabled the WAAS and it got a full set of Satellites with "D" on the bars inside the house. I had it placed near a western window. Took it about 20 minutes to do so. Does it make any difference, I don't really know. Just makes me feel better. Garman didn't give me any information on what they did. Maybe all they did was to update it.

 

Dick

 

From Garmin's site:

 

Change History

Changes made from version 3.90 to 4.00:

Fixed several errors in NMEA statements introduced in 3.90.

Fixed WAAS information not showing 'D' in satellite bars. Error was introduced in 3.90.

Other minor bug fixes.

 

 

I wonder if this all they done. My 60CSX was acting like your 76 until I updated the Firmware/Software.

Just a thought

[+Team Typowiz]

I just decided to do a search on WAAS and see what conversation there had been in the past on this topic. Exactly how do you do this? It won't allow a search word that is less than four characters - so can't search on WAAS. I tried to search on Wide Area Acquisition, which if my memory is correct, is what the first three words of WAAS are - but 'wide' and 'area' are under five characters, so can't search on that. How the heck can I search on this topic? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance ...

 

This limitation is a pain in the neck. Try searching for your terms using google and include the terms site:forums.Groundspeak.com waas

 

Thanks for the input. Yes, it IS a pain in the neck. Most forums get testy because people don't bother to search before they ask all the age-old questions. This forum makes it essentially impossible for you to search much of the time. Was looking for a help or suggestions forum for the forum, but struck out there, too. Once again, Google to the rescue!

[+GrayHawk613]

I just decided to do a search on WAAS and see what conversation there had been in the past on this topic. Exactly how do you do this? It won't allow a search word that is less than four characters - so can't search on WAAS. I tried to search on Wide Area Acquisition, which if my memory is correct, is what the first three words of WAAS are - but 'wide' and 'area' are under five characters, so can't search on that. How the heck can I search on this topic? Am I missing something? Thanks in advance ...

Google it!

[+ecanderson]

Be sure to DISABLE WAAS if you are outside the "Coverage Area" which actually related to the ground portion of the system's coverage. For example, if you are in South America, you could still receive the WAAS signal (from the geostationary WAAS satellites), but the ground portion of the system will be WRONG, and may make your position worse. Some GPS receivers know this, some don't. Turn it off outside North America to be sure.

???

 

The 'fast' (satellite clock error) correction from WAAS is valid no matter where you are on the face of the planet. A satellite's clock is either off a bit or it isn't. The 'slow' (e.g., atmospheric) sorts of errors are computed by the GPSR itself based upon its own location. WAAS doesn't know where you are, your GPSR unit does, and deals with that information accordingly.