Thread: Project "HB Donut"

Originally Posted by rnvinc

Justin,
I realize that you're not obligated to HB in any way now that you've bought Lowrance...and I'm glad you are happy with your units...

But, could you possibly do a longtime friend a favor and take 10 minutes and "copy & paste" your quote above into an email to HB...??

Contact Support


I would "OWE YOU" forever...!!

Rickie (an almost satisfied HB owner)

Done Thumbs Up

Originally Posted by jsplinter

a good question was brought up on the TFF....due to humminbird's lack of effort on truly detailed GPS, and since the same company owns Minn Kota....could this be why there are so many complaints on the spot lock of the I-iplot system? If Lowarance made a I-Pilot and used the same GPS technology they have in their FF, then would there spot lock engage as soon as it started to leave the spot? In turn haveing less drift around the circle?

Thats a pretty good question. I was going to bring this up when I was reading about people making sure that they would mount the GPS antenna above or as close to the Transducer. Thats the funny thing about GPS, most people believe that it is spot on down to the foot. Well its not that close, I have several different hand held units, and all of them say that they will give pin point accuracy down to within Five to Seven Feet. Well thats alomst half the length of my boat. Now I dont have an external antenna but I wouldnt think that its that much better Now I believe thats why they are using the five foot radius.

Acutally even the GPS's we use in the military which are suppossed to be more accurate are good to 3 meters (9FT)....just a thought though

If you didn't use the 5 foot radius on the spot lock your I-pilot would sit there and continuously turn left, right, left, right, etc trying to hold you that close to a certain spot. It never would be constant unless you were in a riverine environment where the current was smooth and steady. On a lake the wind is constantly changing and waves from boats don't help either. I think I would burn up the I-pilot steering pretty fast...

I believe the Humminbird 50 channel satellite GPS can stay on 2 foot accuracy very well.

DoubleG

Originally Posted by DoubleGobble00

If you didn't use the 5 foot radius on the spot lock your I-pilot would sit there and continuously turn left, right, left, right, etc trying to hold you that close to a certain spot. It never would be constant unless you were in a riverine environment where the current was smooth and steady. On a lake the wind is constantly changing and waves from boats don't help either. I think I would burn up the I-pilot steering pretty fast...

I believe the Humminbird 50 channel satellite GPS can stay on 2 foot accuracy very well.

DoubleG

good point

Originally Posted by DoubleGobble00

I believe the Humminbird 50 channel satellite GPS can stay on 2 foot accuracy very well.DoubleG

I've had the 50 channel, and it did nothing to help with the donut. so 2ft at 1mph or better might be correct.

And to what doublegobble said, I've pulled up to a waypoint with both Low and HB and I'd be willing to be that it's been within a foot or two. Some of the waypoints I can tell you for sure it's within a foot or 2 because I know how I marked it.

Accuracy really isn't the problem to me at all.

Originally Posted by mduncan62

I've had the 50 channel, and it did nothing to help with the donut. so 2ft at 1mph or better might be correct.

And to what doublegobble said, I've pulled up to a waypoint with both Low and HB and I'd be willing to be that it's been within a foot or two. Some of the waypoints I can tell you for sure it's within a foot or 2 because I know how I marked it.

Accuracy really isn't the problem to me at all.

CP is probably better at answering a question like this because he is more versed in actually how GPS works....BUT...

I really don't think the "Donut" has anything to do with the accuracy of the antennae...

I have the discontinued AS GHRA (High Accuracy) 50 channel antennae and I have still experience the "Donut" at less than 0.5mph....

It is my understanding that the "boat directional tracking icon" is a calculation of algorthms...(programmers lingo)

According to Greg...(Greg..I hope I can quote you here) ..."The powers that be at HB decided that boat directional tracking at speeds of less than 0.5mph was not neccessary"...

Therefore. this "Donut" issue is nothing more than HB deciding is wasn't worth the extra money to pay their programmers to write adequate code into the software to do what Lowrance and Garmin products do without question....

Rickie (an almost satisfied HB owner)

was that a recent determination from HB that you quoted or is this from before