WAAS enabled really needed?

[Caleb S]

I have been looking at GPS units and see that WAAS enabled units can provide more accurate positioning. I also read that WAAS does not always work and may not even provide a more accurate reading than if the WAAS is turned off.

The reason I ask is I have ordered a GPS and now see it is not WAAS enabled. Should I be concerned?

[Far-I]

Waas is a good idea. Without it you would be fine, for fishing purposes, but with it you can get over specific structure more accurately. There are certain times of day when the correction sattelites are in your specific area, which can be viewed by searching the web.

[spotchecker]

Google-waas navigation they give a prety good explanation at garmin

[deadeye]

It simply gives you a more accurate idea of where your at by compensating for a disruption of the gps signal by the atmosphere. The WAAS sattelites dont tell you where your at, but send that calculation signal to the gps to allow for a more precise reading. Instead of having a 30-50 foot room for error, its closer to 10 feet. It really helps with marking a small peice of structure on a main structure. I beleve that it also helps with giving a better idea of elevation too. I would leave it on, it won't affect battery life or anything like that. It is just going to put you on the spot better.

[Powerstroke]

It provides you with a more accurate idea of where you are.

I wouldn't say that it doesn't always work, I would say that if you don't have a good enough signal it doesn't magically make your GPS more accurate. If you have a great signal, and you have WAAS, it will work.

Technically you only need a couple satellites to mark your position. The more satellites you lock on the more accurate. WAAS takes that info and gives the most accurate idea possible, usually within 10ft. Without WAAS you're only likely to get within 50ft, not always bad, but sometimes 50-100ft is a lot of room for error.

[tonkapat]

waas works on my ifinder most of the time and on the 332c all the time. if u get a gps without it less than 30 ft or worse accuracy is about all u will get. my opinion send it back

[eyebjim]

I wouldn't get one without WAAS. When not getting WASS my estimated postion error is at least 50 feet on the H2Oc. When receiving WAAS the EPE is usually 20 feet or better.

[brianh]

Pretty sure ya need 4 sats. Three for position and the forth for checking clock error.

[aanderud]

Send it back and get a new GPS. It's a very cheap feature for any GPS manufacturer to put into a unit. I'm surprised that there are people selling GPSes that don't have it, as this 'new' technology was turned on in 2003 and under development almost a decade before that.

Some quotes from wikipedia:

The WAAS specification requires it to provide a position accuracy of 7.6 meters or better (for both lateral and vertical measurements), at least 95% of the time.[2] Actual performance measurements of system at specific locations have shown it typically provides better than 1.0 meters laterally and 1.5 meters vertically throughout most of the contiguous United States and large parts of Canada and Alaska

[ripstick]

I was told by a very good fender. That wass is a good thing but the farther north you go it tends to weaken.

[Shack]

Ah, the Wide Area Augmentation System

Is this something us fisherman have been programmed into thinking we need to have or is it really needed?

This is a question I have been researching lately and my personal findings have came up with a “No” answer.

The chip sets in some of the new hand held GPS’s are very sensitive, that are not included in the WAAS option.

What I found is “WAAS is only effective when near one of the ground stations that is broadcasting its differential corrections to the geostationary WAAS satellites. Since the WAAS satellites are pretty low on the horizon from most east-coast and northern North American locations, they're hard to pick up with any regularity from ground-based receivers. The WAAS ground stations are located near major aircraft hubs (which is what WAAS was designed to help with) and don't provide useful correction data outside of a relatively small local area anyway“.

Why buy 16 channels when only 12 are needed or at the most used?

I currently use a non-WAAS (Dave said so, thats all I need) hand held unit (XOG) and it is extremely accurate. From the road to the ice, I get right on spots I have researched before hand or new ones I find on the ice. I love my XOG with a Lakemasterchip .

Dave at Pro Fishing Supply can hook any one up at a great price : Click here!

[vikingmeatwad]

This is why I didn't buy an XOG, I really wish they would have made it WAAS compatible.

[LMITOUT]

Ah, the Wide Area Augmentation System

Is this something us fisherman have been programmed into thinking we need to have or is it really needed?

Answer: Yes.

You won't get the accuracy without it. Period.

With my H2O I get sub-20' EPE with WAAS locked in and even a tad better on a consistent basis in my boat, most likely due to the external GPS puck which has a more open view to the sky than the H2O that is either in my hand, cradle, or in my pocket.

The GPS unit doesn't get it's signal from the ground stations, but rather the satellites that, like you said, are low on the southern horizon. Most of the time it is not an issue to pick up their signal unless you are behind a large bluff or other tall obstruction to your south. I've had very, very good success picking up WAAS here. The only place where I had spotty reception was fishing on Sakakawea and I was on the southern shoreline against the tall bluffs.

[honda4life]

Well I have the XOG as well with no WAAS enabled. I have not used it yet on the water, but I have a 30 foot long driveway and as im walking I can see it move. Is taht not accurate? or are you saying the position I am in and moving is not accurate on the map? Im confused. When I drive out on a lake with the lakemaster chip and I see a ridge below me and I get out and drill should I not be right on the ridge I see on the map? I love mine so far.

[LMITOUT]

For example, you walk onto the lake and drill a hole. The fishing is good so you make a waypoint right over the hole so you can come back and get on that hotspot tomorrow. With a WAAS enabled unit the waypoint that is saved isn't necessarily right on top of that hole and is really about 15-20' away in some direction unless you're lucky and the current position happened to drift right to your spot when you punch the "save" button. Units without WAAS are going to be a bit further away because they have a higher error. When you come back it'll get you in the general area, but it won't be right over the hole. That's with either unit because of the error, just more with others.

[katoguy]

I see in the new 2009 BPS catalog that Humminbird is selling a receiver for their units that state a meter or less margin of error. How are they doing it? Would it be worth the $199 accessory?

[Shack]

I personally did not say that, it is what I have found .

Good info though LMITOUT .

Now, with my XOG ( I tested this to prove my self a point the other day), I left a spot which I had marked on a cloudy day while on a lake. I came back with the directions of the XOG and the arrow was right on the spot I marked. I did not break out a tape measure though

That is all I am asking with a GPS, plus show me the same lake contours as the H20 (which the XOG does with the Lakemaster chip for less money). I am not flying a plane or on some rescue mission. I wanted a reliable unit I could use in the car or truck (for work) that had turn by turn directions and then use it one the lake to get me pretty close to where I was before.

I did not see any reason to spend more money for WAAS on a non-turn by turn, smaller color screen hand held like the H20, which is a great unit by the way. Plus the XOG had more feature (IMO).

I found a great unit with out WAAS and have been very satisfied!

[honda4life]

thanks shackbash. I should try that. I should mark some structure on a lake and fish it, if successful I will mark it with a small cone or object, and come back the next day and type in the coordinates and see how close it gets me, or even do it at my house for that matter. I really dont think anyone NEEDS to be within 5 feet of where they were last but within 20 feet ya drill some holes and thats darn good enough for most people. chances are if you find a good spot, save it and the depth you were at, and you are within 10 yards, and at the same depth I bet 5 times to 1 you will still catch fish...

[bigbad401]

I have found that WAAS doesn't help me on my GPS unit. With it disabled I get within 12-15 ft and with it on it doesn't get any better. It just sucks more battery trying to find WAAS.

[hunter101]

my son has a unit with waas, we were playing with it hunting in michigan and fishing this winter, with waas enabled it was always a bit more accurate.

[LMITOUT]

I came back with the directions of the XOG and the arrow was right on the spot I marked.

Does the XOG show the number of feet to the waypoint or do you just follow the arrow?

[dan z]

my gps has been through a lot of banging around gettting froze in the boat floor .... and it still has very good accuracy it does seem to take longer with waas turned on but I have found it to be really accurate I tink the electric compass helps too...

L/O my expedetion shows feet so I'm sure the XOG shows it too

[Willard_J]

my $2 compass isn't waas enabled-which gives me lots of problems when I'm trying to triangulate in the fog. gps is great if you fish big water all the time but I'm relying on the low tech stuff in case armegeddon hits while I'm on the lake.(and I've got more $ for beer and bait!!)

[Big Dave2]

I have not done much playing around yet with a WAAS enabled GPS. I still have an old Magellin 320 or something like that. All I can say is that when I mark my fishhouse on a lake and follow the GPS to get back to it, it brings me right back to my fish house door. I marked my house while in my living room and it always brings me right back to the living room.

I am not saying by any means that WAAS is not a good thing or worth any extra money, all I am saying is I am still always impressed at what my old machine will do for me.

[honda4life]

and we should ALL be thankful for such devices. wheter its accurate to 3 feet or 30 feet. it sure beats drillin a hundred holes, or trying to line up between 2 points on opposite shores of a lake and say "yup this should be the spot"