We used a GPS to outline a marsh in a field but found that a few of the points were way off. I spoke with Art Dalton of Prairie Geomatics this morning, and he offered the following tips for better accuracy with a Garmin GPSMap 76 (and probably most other GPSes):
- Give the GPS time to get its bearings. Especially when using a WAAS signal, the GPS can take 10 minutes to get to a good level of accuracy.
- Use an elevated external antenna whenever possible. The GPS needs a good clear 360 degree view of the sky to get its bearings.
- If you can’t use an external antenna, hold the GPS above head height to avoid blocking the signal with your body.
- For tracking the boundaries of an area, set the tracks to Menu/Tracks/Setup Track Log/Recording:Stop when Full, Record Method:Auto, Interval: Most Often. Alternately, set the Record Method to Time and the Interval to 1 second.
- A newer model GPS may offer more storage and faster signal acquisition times , but it probably won’t increase accuracy by very much.
Thanks for the tips Art!
As a a side note, Prarie Geomatics offers Quarter Section points that covers Manitoba (excluding riverlots) for less than $100. It would be very useful to us, but unfortunately it needs a newer model GPS than what we’ve got. I may try to find room in the budget to pick up a new GPS and give it a whirl.
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