Thread: Gps

Not sure which one it is?

I have a sort of an idea what I am doing...But, I just can't get on top of the cover....The lake has a lot of weeds..So, it sort of makes it toughier for me to find...

Jeremy

Consumer based GPS are accurate only to a certain degree...(the military will only allow us so much accuracy)...

Depending on where your antenna is, your waypoints will be "off" by how far the antenna is from the xducer plus (+) the inherent inaccuracy already in GPS systems...

Most GPS accuracy is +/- 10-15ft...then if your antenna mounting is 10-15ft from your xducer....it's entirely possible to be 30ft from your target structure when your "arrive" at your waypoint on the screen...

Rickie

Hi

Thanks for the information....I know how to get somewhat close to the waypoint...But, just get confused when get within in like 20 feet or so....Sort of start going in circles and then I am all confused....

Jeremy

Look at the actual GPS position where you are at, and maneuver from there - don't worry about the icons.

One thing I like is to turn on, I think it is course up instead of North up in the menu.

Originally Posted by jcd

get confused when get within in like 20 feet or so....going in circles

GPS "accuracy" is affected by several things--most of which are beyond your control. One thing that is within your control is the placement of the GPS antenna and transducer, as rnvinc correctly observes. If the horizontal distance is more than a couple of feet, your frustration will never end. Think about it. Your transducer looks down at the actual position of the structure. The GPS antenna looks up at the satellites to calculate the lat/lon position--of the antenna, not the transducer. Not only does this happen when you're looking for a WP, but it also happened when you made the WP.

Have you tried using good-old-fashioned buoys in addition to the GPS? Watching the GPS displey, slow down to 1 to 2 mph as you approach the WP. Drop a buoy as you pass the point where the GPS thinks the WP is located, swing around, and go back to the buoy. Using only the sonar and di displays, work a circle around the buoy, and zero in on the BP. If the actual location is far from your first buoy, drop a second one right where you find the BP.

Last step is to make at least one more WP with your GPS antenna right over the buoy. I don't know how to do WP "averaging", but that should give you a blended set of coordinates (sort of like marking the bulls-eye on a target based on the points where a shotgun already put the tightest cluster of pellets.)

Grass can totally obscure BPs, so this project is best done early in the spring.

Jcd, 80% of my fishing is bp so i have to rely on gps much, first make sure you are over the bp good when you mark it,then when you are headed toward it zoom out,line up straight toward it ,zooming in as you travel,making sure you are running a straight line, as you get near and have zoom in all the way ,your unit will move some,do not try to adjust much for you were going straight but unit is adjusting some and if you turn as much as unit first show you will be turn too much and then have to turn back too much and unit will start readjusting to your every move and you will miss your target most of the time. As already said even if you do not see bp ,throw out marker and you can continue till you have gone far enought to make a straight line to come back to,if you then look at gps as you head toward marker you will see by your trail that you were either to left or right of bp and know which side of marker to go to to be on bp. With a little pratice ,you can hit it the first time 95% of the time,but make sure as already said to have gps set coarse up.again if unit say you need to turn to left much ,only turn a little

I alway try and triangulate with stationary object on the banks also,trees,phone poles,boat houses,docks ect.