Garmin Question

[-cheeto-]

So, some of you might know I bought a Garmin for myself as an after-christmas present to myself since I did not get one 🙂

I have a ETrex Vista HCX

So I put in to Go To a cache. As I am nearing the cache, it has seemed recently that following the arrow is completely pointless. It points all over the place and mostly in the wrong direction. I usually just end up going by distance and the actual current corrdinates reading (I learned how to do that from the expert at using only current coordinates to find caches: Sagasu)

I never had this problem at all with my prior Magellan. It always pointed me to the cache until I was at GZ. Well at least pointed me close anyway 🙂

I like things easy and I am just wondering if maybe I have something set wrong or something. Are these symptoms synonymous with a bad signal in the area with the Garmin or something? It happens even in open fields with no apparent interfering obstacles.

I did not notice it when I first got it so I don’t know if it’s a new problem or what…

Thoughts??

-cheeto-

[cheezehead]

A: The Compass need to be Calibrated?
B: You can turn the Compass off(Well I can on my Map60 by holding the page button down)

[Team Deejay]

This is why most people here recommend you buy a GPS without the “electronic compass”. While a few people like them, most people find they are too sensitive to the angle you hold the GPS to be effective. Try turning it off and see if it works better.

[-cheeto-]

Thanks for the heads up on calibrating the electronic compass. I did so and it worked much better tonight. I also noticed that there is a setting on when to switch to the electronic compass when tracking and I think I could lower that setting so that it only uses that when you walk really slow.

It’s not so bad now but before it was calibrated it was getting crazy 🙂 One interesting thing about the electronic compass is it knows when you turn around and stay in the same spot which the magellan I had did not do that.

Thanks for the help guys…

-cheeto-

[cheezehead]

Hey, no problem. So far, that the only issue I have with my map 60 is that I’ll be in the wood and all of a sudden I gave to do a few 360’s. And sometimes, for whatever reason, it will just lose calibration and I have had it happen with both units I had. The original and the one Garmin replaced.

[Team Hemisphere Dancer]

You do know you can just turn the gps and not do the calibration dance. Right?

[-cheeto-]

Hey but I liked the calibration dance with the little encouraging note that says “just right”… It’s like a little self help unit.

Oh nevermind…

[cheezehead]

@-cheeto- wrote:

Hey but I liked the calibration dance with the little encouraging note that says “just right”… It’s like a little self help unit.

It will also tell ya if your dancing too fast or too slow.

[shrek and fiona]

each time you change the batteries you will need to calibrate it

[gkrone]

Calibration Dance?

Does that go

Put your left hand in
Put your left hand out
put your left hand in
and you shake it all about

[Team Hemisphere Dancer]

no it’s,

Turn your GPS right
and you turn it a bit more

Then do a little spin
til it say, “just right”

You do it all again
til it says complete
That’s what its all about!

[cheezehead]

Turn,
Turn,
Turn ya Booty!
Just Right!

But what happens if ya do it to the left?

[Greendale4X4]

I had the same problem until I read the manual.

Keep the GPSr “HORIZONTAL” and it will act fine. I still sometimes forget to do that, since I’ve only had mine for a month now.

-J

[-cheeto-]

I had the same problem until I read the manual.

I missed the manual… it was probably one of those important things that came in the box that I whipped open and threw aside…. Maybe I should go back and read it some day.

Seriously guys, thanks for the heads up on calibrating the unit and to do it after changing the batteries and that I don’t have to dance if I don’t want to.

For the record, I am “into” dancing as much as I am reading instructions and manuals.

-cheeto-

[Team Hemisphere Dancer]

@-cheeto- wrote:

I had the same problem until I read the manual.

I missed the manual… it was probably one of those important things that came in the box that I whipped open and threw aside…. Maybe I should go back and read it some day.

Seriously guys, thanks for the heads up on calibrating the unit and to do it after changing the batteries and that I don’t have to dance if I don’t want to.

For the record, I am “into” dancing as much as I am reading instructions and manuals.

-cheeto-

Reading the manual is against the code.

[Author]

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