WAAS

[iffwalleyes]

Can someonw explain to me what this is and how it works? If a unit I have now doesn't have Waas is there an addition receiver that can be bought to convert it. I have a Lowrance Global Map 100 and absoultly love it and for the most part it is very accurate but I was just wondering about the WAAS system since it seems to be the way of the future. Thanks

[Deemo]

Nope I dont think you can upgrade. If you want to learn more about how GPS's work go to the lowrance home page it should help.

[irvingdog]

You want the long answer or the short one?
Good! Short it is!
Wide Area Augmentation System is a way of making your WAAS enabled GPS more accurate in open area like aviation or on big water. It uses a system of ground based recievers as well as your satelites to adjust for the margin of error that can occur in your GPS due to atmospheric pressure and other variables that effect accuracy. That said, its typical civilian benefit is limited, and I've heard it can be battery hungery. On a typical day, I can monitor the accuracy of a GPS (on the reception page) and put you within a very workable distance to your favorite fishing spot, tree stand, car, geocache, home, etc, etc, etc.

O.K. Maybe that wasn't the short answer.

[rmh2o]

Check the Garmin site it explains WAAS

[Brian Jones]

I have been running a lot of tests with my new gps and have learned a few interesting things. If you need to get within 10ft of what you are looking for than having WASS is a must. The only catch is that you better be locked into WASS a while before you get to the desired location or it won't be as effective. When you first turn on the gps it will lock you in at 2D or 3D, 2D has marked me sometimes up to 250-300ft away from the correct location, 3D generally puts me 15-50ft from the correct spot. For this reason you must be on the move for the gps to correct itself once it locks into WASS. I had heard that WASS would be a waste for the most part here in MN because of how the satellites are configured in space, they said we would only get it at odd hours of the day. I have been able to get it at many different times of night and day so not sure where that theory came from. Hope this sheds a little light on the subject for some of you.

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First Choice Guide Service
The Cass Lake Chain
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Phone: (612)730-no_spam

[Scott Steil]

I have yet to see my Garmin operate in WAAS. I have in enabled but still nothing. It is my understanding that when it is actually using WAAS it will be displayed as such. I have yet to see it on my screen.

[iffwalleyes]

I see thanks guys so the long and short of it is at this point WAAS probably isn't that benefical. Like I said my lowrance is pretty good the way it is but I was wondering if I could make it a little better. I will just wait until everything is working off of the WAAS. Thanks again

[Hemlock]

WAAS works about 75% of the time up on LOW, and proves to be very accurate when it is aquired.

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Hemlock
"Throw'm back"

[muchowja]

Isn't WAAS run by a combination of satellites and ground towers? GPS is solely satellite. That is why WAAS doesn't always work, you are not able to receive a signal from any of the WAAS towers, and thus you are limited to just the satellites.

[irvingdog]

Yep, that's what I meant by ground-based recievers. There is one in Leader Mn, and it makes the WAAS at my cabin on Fishtrap pretty sharp. I will, however, dispute the need for WAAS to get yourself within 10 feet of an object. If co-ords are collected properly, reception is good, and the user knows what they are doing, good old GPS is good enough for most applications. There are over 600 geocaches hidden in Minnesota, and one gets found just about every day of the year, and caches are small..........

[G_man]

Whats a geocache? Also, can you give the slightly educated tips they should follow to properly collect coordinates etc to allow them to more accurately use their GPS.

[irvingdog]

A geaocache is this.
As far as tips goes, it is pretty simple, depending on the machine you use. On your satalite page, make sure your accuracy is as high as you can hope for, given the variables that you cannot control. Sometimes watching and waiting for better reception is a big help. Multiple, moving attempts at a destination also help. Inching in at a location can mess you up often. A nice normal walking pace will help. My observation has been that I've gotten some of my worst reception on clear, moonless nights. Strange, huh?

[G_man]

Wish it was as simple as just sitting on a spot and finding out it is good fishing and then marking the waypoint ...

Thats typically what I do.

[G_man]

In reviewing the geocache link, I don't think I see the benefits of finding a cache ...