Etrex 30 way off

[rapracing]

I just purchased a Garmin Etrex 30 and for the past two days I have used it with a Garmin GPS 48 that I purchased in 1998. It old unit is spot on within a few feet using know coordinates. The Etrex is averaging about .12 miles off. Is there something I can do or do I just need to send this unit back

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

It should at least be close, unless one or more settings are wrong. The units themselves aren't usually "bad"... just wrong settings.

 

First: Assure that it is set to WGS84 datum.

Second: Assure that the format setting is (D)DD MM.mmm -- Degree-Decimal-Minute. (pay attention to the decimal setting)

If either one (or both) of these settings are off, you will be consistently off-target.

 

From the GS Help Center: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=208 . Yes, it says that most are factory set to those settings, but a few do slip through once in a while.

 

 

EDIT to add: Take note also, it could be the '48 that is set wrong!! The point is of course, they should take you to the SAME spot.

The '48 is very similar to the older GPSMAP12. They could only use two settings to the right of the decimal. Don't worry about that... it matters very little.

Edited May 3, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+kunarion]

In case it's just a satellite acquisition thing, here's some info from Garmin about "Autolocate":

https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?caseId=%7Baaf3a820-e16f-11e1-e8a7-000000000000%7D

[+luvvinbird]

I'm baffled. Both my eTrex 30's and both my eTrex 20's worked perfectly right out of the box after a quick set-up of the numbers already mentioned here. They're great units, I'm sure it's only a setting. Download the .pdf manual from the Garmin website if you haven't already done so. It may be helpful to read it on your PC and follow along with adjustments.

[rapracing]

I verified the settings and they are WGS84 Datum and hddd mm.mmm. Just in case I ran outside to a known latitude/longitude location and it is still way off.

 

The 48 has worked flawlessly for many years and at known locations it is within a few feet nearly every time. I can't imagine that a unit that is nearly 17 years old would be more accurate than a new unit but I guess it is.

 

If I set a waypoint on the Etrex using coordinates it will bring me back to that spot but if I use a know location it is way off

[+BCandMsKitty]

So the 30 is accurate to itself.

If all your settings are OK I'd call Customer Support (toll free)

 

North America Customer Support

 

If you're not in North America, there's the same thing on that page for Europe Consumer

[+JohnCNA]

Don't forget to check that the eTrex is set for Direct routing, and Lock on Road is turned off.

[+luvvinbird]

Something's not making sense. If you punch in the manual coordinates of a cache location the receiver is bang on? If you "send to my GPS" the receiver is off the mark?

[rapracing]

Boy do I feel stupid. Not sure if I can explain but the 48 Lat & Lon readings include the seconds. The etrex does not.

 

Example:

 

48 = 41 04' 56.0" - 078 28' 19.8

etrex = 41 04.972' - 078 28.278'

 

I was setting a waypoints with the 48 and returning to them using the etrex. I was trying to make it fit in the coordinates on the etrex. I know.....what an idiot. Oh well, it took a couple hours to figure it out but now I know. I'll give it a try again in a couple days but I think we're good to go

[+kunarion]

the 48 Lat & Lon readings include the seconds. The etrex does not.

Great catch! Comparing the readings of two devices can be especially tricky.

[+BCandMsKitty]

Something's not making sense. If you punch in the manual coordinates of a cache location the receiver is bang on? If you "send to my GPS" the receiver is off the mark?

Not what he said

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Uh-huh... suggested five hours prior, to check BOTH units.

 

Glad that it is resolved.

 

Those old "brick"-style Garmin units are rock solid. They just don't have the features that newer generation units do, mapping capabilities; color; expandable memory; USB connections; super-sensitive antennae; "paperless" abilities...

They certainly have proven their ruggedness though, far outlasting the newer units.

Maybe that is why they last longer... less things to go wrong.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+MountainWoods]

Uh-huh... suggested five hours prior, to check BOTH units.

 

Glad that it is resolved.

 

Those old "brick"-style Garmin units are rock solid. They just don't have the features that newer generation units do, mapping capabilities; color; expandable memory; USB connections; super-sensitive antennae; "paperless" abilities...

They certainly have proven their ruggedness though, far outlasting the newer units.

Maybe that is why they last longer... less things to go wrong.

Since he was talking about the eTrex 30, I've corrected this a bit to remove references to things that the eTrex 30 has. Hmmm.

[rapracing]

I got out this afternoon and again this evening before dark. Seems everything is good on latitude and longitude. I did notice something else however. Maybe I'm too picky. Elevation was anywhere from 40-45 ft different at waypoints this evening than this afternoon. (Lower). Is that common?

[Andronicus]

I got out this afternoon and again this evening before dark. Seems everything is good on latitude and longitude. I did notice something else however. Maybe I'm too picky. Elevation was anywhere from 40-45 ft different at waypoints this evening than this afternoon. (Lower). Is that common?

GPS elevation accuracy is never very good. It is just a result of the triangulation calculations (try to think of the triganomatry of satillites at 20,000km up there; errors add up faster in the vertical direction than they do in the horizontal direction).

[Andronicus]

Uh-huh... suggested five hours prior, to check BOTH units.

 

Glad that it is resolved.

 

Those old "brick"-style Garmin units are rock solid. They just don't have the features that newer generation units do, mapping capabilities; color; expandable memory; USB connections; super-sensitive antennae; "paperless" abilities...

They certainly have proven their ruggedness though, far outlasting the newer units.

Maybe that is why they last longer... less things to go wrong.

Since he was talking about the eTrex 30 older 48, I've corrected this a bit to remove left in (and underlined) the references to things that the eTrex 30 has older 48 doesn't have.

Fixed for you

[+JohnCNA]

I got out this afternoon and again this evening before dark. Seems everything is good on latitude and longitude. I did notice something else however. Maybe I'm too picky. Elevation was anywhere from 40-45 ft different at waypoints this evening than this afternoon. (Lower). Is that common?

The eTrex 30 has a barometric altimeter. Is it turned on? Have you calibrated it? I don't know how that might affect your readings. Or not.

[rapracing]

I ended up getting two of these units to use with a Royal Ranger group at my church. The past two days I have had them out side by side. I'm not sure why or if it is just he way it is but they are not telling me the same thing. In fact, sometimes not even close.

 

Yes all setting are correct and the same.

 

Elevation with them side by side can be off as much as 80-100 ft.

 

a bigger concern is Waypoints are sometimes 500+ feet different. If so, IMHO they are all but worthless for caching

 

Is this common??

 

I don't know if one is bad and if so which one. I am not real happy with them at all. I am considering sending them back.

 

Thoughts?

Edited May 14, 2015 by rapracing

[+ecanderson]

Pick a geocache from gc.com where no one has complained about the coordinates. Take the two units and compare the actual displayed coordinate data to that of the cache. One of them will, if you really have got an issue, report something silly. Send that one back.