XI5/ Gateway yard test, not good

Guys,
I was having trouble with my XI5 putting me exactly on a know brush pile when I sent the info from my HDS unit to the XI5. Basically, I'm picking a way point and telling the TM to go there.
It seemed like it was off and confusing me on the water.

Well, I did a yard test pulling the boat with a tractor.
Dropping a hat, giving it a way point , telling the TM to go back to it and following the TM as it rotated and spun.
Bottom line is it's 9-12 ft off consistently from the hat. Not good news for a brush pile fisherman. (me)

However, the good news is the XI5 was staying well within 5' of the hat when I marked it with the Anchor feature or memorized it's location with the remote. Incredible technology.

So there it is. For now, I would not buy the Lowrance Gateway cable again. It's not accurate enough.
It could be that my unit is a fluke and simply not working well.
I did recalibrate it,
Also, could be that if I had a 1 Point GPS on my HDS, it would work better.

Perhaps in the future, there will be updates to the Gateway that improve it's accuracy.

Also,
I'm open to tips on how to make it better. For now, I'm out of ideas.

thanks

I suppose I could go back and give my way points new positions that would work accurately with the Gateway.
at least the brush piles I use a lot.
I could call it a number and a letter to let me know what it is.
example, way point 1 would be the original mark where the HDS knows it it. Way Point 1A would be the HDS mark for the location that is correct for the XI5 with the Gateway.

9-12' gps precision isn't bad... GPS.gov: GPS Accuracy

Last week I was on the lake and twice I monitored it intently. I parked by trees for reference and the Xi5 kept me within 2-3' for 10+ minutes both times. In playing with it, I marked a waypoint by another stump then fished away from it. When I told it to go back to that waypoint (probably 30 yds away), it got within 5'. Don't know if the Xi5's shipped with different software or not. I ordered mine early March.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by matzilla

9-12' gps precision isn't bad... GPS.gov: GPS Accuracy

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I agree and you would have to use WAAS to get it that accurate.

Mine is very, very accurate by itself.
It's only when I send it to a way point from my hds unit that it fails.
Somehow the hds and ix5 have a different idea of GPS coordinate s.

Do you guys have it connect ed to a hds via the gateway cable?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by larryb227

I agree and you would have to use WAAS to get it that accurate.

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And we always need to remember that brand GPS specs are listed as "x-ft 95% of the time" ...

That means the other 5% of the time ... Uh oh ...

:yikes

Rickie

I have no need for the gateway at this time. But you can hit your menu twice then down to Satellites and there is a number that indicates your accuracy. I've noticed that if I'm connected to WAAS it will be in the 10 feet range or less, if not then more like 20 to 30 feet. As far as returning to a brush pile I can get dead on it most of the time as long as I zoom in while going to it. (zoom to 100 to 200 feet/length)
I also think if the same unit that makes the waypoint goes back to it your accuracy increases. (repeatability)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brettw

Do you guys have it connect ed to a hds via the gateway cable?

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I do. I went to the one wp with the HDS 7T. I was within 5' (I used a stump as a visual reference).

It was windy as heck today and forecast tomorrow. I was gonna try and go out and verify my experiences so far with the Xi5. When did you get your unit?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by okhawg

I do. I went to the one wp with the HDS 7T. I was within 5' (I used a stump as a visual

It was windy as heck today and forecast tomorrow. I was gonna try and go out and verify my experiences so far with the Xi5. When did you get your unit?

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i want to be sure we're doing the same procedure.
find way pt on Hds,
tell trolling motor to go to it and anchor.
correct?

I'll bet you had your neighbors scratching their heads

Is it possible the issue is that the TM is going to the waypoint but is off because the GPS that was used was the HDS.

What I mean is it possible the TM is in the location that the HDS was in when the waypoint was created

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brettw

i want to be sure we're doing the same procedure.
find way pt on Hds,
tell trolling motor to go to it and anchor.
correct?

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Yes. I was sitting at console about 4-5' north of a stump. I created the waypoint with the HDS. I then fished away. I went back to the HDS and selected go to cursor, which I had moved to the waypoint (I guess technically I didn't select the waypoint directly, don't know if that makes a difference). I ended up about 4' east of that point.

Rprince80 has a point, if you have the tm over the brush pile, and create the waypoint with the HDS, then the waypoint is gonna be off, by whatever the distance is between the tm and the HDS. Whenever you go back, you are going to the HDS's wp, not the brush pile.

I guess I really don't know from where the waypoint is made, when selecting it. I assume the tm from the remote and the HDS if using the HDS. If so, the tm will always be off, when using HDS wp's. My experience was based on setting a wp sitting at the HDS and seeing where the HDS was relative to the wp on return.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by okhawg

Last week I was on the lake and twice I monitored it intently. I parked by trees for reference and the Xi5 kept me within 2-3' for 10+ minutes both times. In playing with it, I marked a waypoint by another stump then fished away from it. When I told it to go back to that waypoint (probably 30 yds away), it got within 5'. Don't know if the Xi5's shipped with different software or not. I ordered mine early March.

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I'm not sure exactly how accurate the xi5 is , using spot lock, but I can say that it does do a very good job (iif the wind is blowing).
I don't drop markers, but I watch the structure I'm fishing on 360, while the spot lock is activated. The spot lock holds my boat way better than I could so manually, with a cable steer trolling motor.The harder the wind blows, the better it works. (I've been out on some pretty windy days).:ThumbsUpI've not try ed to record any routes yet so I don't no how accurate that will be.

Usually I motor right over a way pt and when I see it on DI I toss a bouy and come back. The brush is there.
i was hoping I could avoid that by just telling the TM where to go and it would put me on the same spot.
ideas?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brettw

Usually I motor right over a way pt and when I see it on DI I toss a bouy and come back. The brush is there.
i was hoping I could avoid that by just telling the TM where to go and it would put me on the same spot.
ideas?

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Put 12 rods in the water in front of the boat ... They will tell you when you get to the brush ...

I Promise ...!!

Rickie

12 rods?
who do you think I am, The Crappie Kidd?

Back to my point.
my Hds has found and I marked lots of targets, giving them each a very specific gps.
i can return to it over and over with the Hds.
But, thus far, the Hds sending the exact gps coordinates to the xi5, has not resulted in the same action.
it goes to a location so far off I can't find the brush.

Last thought, and I'll let it die.
There's about 8 ft from my transducer to my HDS. I'm marking structure on the bottom with the transducer, but I'm already 8 ft past it when I mark it. This variation may be part of my problem.


I'll experiment more with this today on the water and not in the yard.


thanks for the help guys,

then again, if my transducer is pointing slightly forward, scanning under the boat, then it becomes a whole different matter of what depth etc as to where the HDS unit is in relation to the beam and brush pile.

I give up. Getting back out the battery cables. :Rofl