re-radiating antenna

[TheBalksMember]

Has anyone used a re-radiating antenna on there gps? I have the etrex vista hcx and heavy tree cover is a problem for me. Just curious if anyone has first hand experience with one and if it helped at all.

Thanks

[RSplash40Member]

No but I’d be interested in hearing more. I seem to have anti-radiating properties in my body. I can take someones perfectly running gps and if I hold it, it goes bonkers.

[K0rplParticipant]

I did use a Powered GPS Re-Radiating antenna a few years back in a squad car, and it worked very well.

I don’t remember the brand name though at the present time.. I will see if I can dig up some more information on it.

[-cheeto-Participant]

I have the etrex vista hcx and heavy tree cover is a problem for me.

I have this same exact unit and I can get a signal just about anywhere…. tree cover does not seem to bother this unit all that much. Have you had other units to compare it to? Ever try a magellan? 😉

For instance, I was at the cache bash and inside the old courthouse for the meet and greet sitting at a table I had a signal.

I know this doesn’t help with the question posed but the “hcx” properties of this unit make it far superior to others in getting signals in “heavy cover”.

[TheBalksMember]

The only thing I have to compare with is my friends who have a 60csx’s and they seem to be able to lock and hold much much better than I can in heavy canopy. On the other hand, my phone gps is a thousand times worse than my gps at getting a signal pretty much anywhere.

I do like my vista, just want to make it a bit better.

[hogrodMember]

For the cost of the re-radiating antenna setup you would probably be better off just putting that money toward a different GPS, especially one that can use external antennas(like the 60csx & 76csx).

These re-radiating setups are really made for use in buildings or cars with that metal filmed window tint. what I have seen they have an antenna that mounts outside that rebroadcast the signal inside. This would do no good what so ever in the woods since the outside antenna would still be in the woods.

If you think the 60csx is good in the woods try it with an external antenna, much more solid signal with less tenancy to drift.

[TheBalksMember]

I downgraded the software and gps firmware to the 2.802.80 version after reading lots of forums and my reception in heavy cover got amazingly better.

I went from +- 64 feet in heavy cover to +- 15 feet in the same cover within an hour of walking the same trail this morning, SOOOOO much better

[hogrodMember]

I’ve seen a a few posts on the geocaching.com forums regarding these firmware issues. I think that software version 2.80 & chipset 2.50 are suppose to be the best for unit accuracy & recording track logs. I have a couple friends with VistaHCX models & they reverted & have not had any issues since.

Here’s one of those threads
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=229219

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