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Re: [RC] Garmin Forerunner & VV Rides - Don Huston

Hello Angie,

Possibly with it on your arm the signal was good going one way but the satellites were mostly on the GPS side so going back your head and shoulders blocked signal. Just guessing but that's why I put mine up center on my back and I almost never lose signal.

Most GPS's have a built in function that runs for a few seconds when signal is lost. They continue recording trackpoints at the same direction and speed of the last two points then stop (sometimes beep) until signal returns (sometimes beep). So if you are turning and lose signal the GPS goes straight (across the river) and waits for the return of signal (crosses river again?).

MapSource Topo is optional at $100. It allows you to load detailed map topo data (elevations, existing trails, etc) to your GPS so you have a more detailed screen if you want it. Plus on the computer you can do many things with the tracks you get from your GPS like clean up the jumps, break a 50 into the individual loops getting speed and distance to see how each loop went, save to GPX, etc. You can highlight any particular section of the track and get the gain, speed and distance for that little piece (like just how high and steep was that freaking climb?).

Don Huston


At 07:47 AM 2/3/2009 Tuesday, you wrote:

I wear my GPS in a small cell phone case velcroed to my upper arm.

Garmin Mapsource software? Guess I should go look in my box again. I don't remember putting anything on my computer that came with the GPS. Just plugged it into Motionbased.

Angie

-- Don Huston <donhuston@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello Angie,

Yes I did look at the tracks and saw that they jumped around some.
That can be caused by your body blocking the signal especially in the
trees where the signal is already weak. I found the best place for my
GPS is on the outside in the center and near the top of my small
CamelPak. I attached a cheap cell phone case there that holds the GPS secure.

If you upload your GPS to your Garmin MapSource software you can go
thru the data and fix a lot of those jumps. Then "save as" to a GPX
file and upload that to MotionBased and your tracks will fit much better.

Don Huston


At 12:54 PM 2/2/2009 Monday, you wrote:

>So...anybody look at my tracks and think these things are accurate
>within a foot or two? If so, I've got a horse that can jump Lookout
>Creek (a good 30 feet wide with 15' banks) without breaking gait.
>Look at that track...it's got me on both sides of the creek (snakey
>band of trees). Also, the route I'm doing behind my house is a 12"
>wide trail. I should be on the exact same track every time around.
>Instead it looks like I'm running through half the trees in the
>woods. Every time you see a perfectly straight line you can bet that
>thing took a shortcut! The track where it did that along the creek
>had no excuse. I'm out in the open..but there is a big ridge on one
>side and a mountain about 1/4 mile away on the other.
>
>Angie


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Re: [RC] Garmin Forerunner & VV Rides, rides2far@xxxxxxxx