Regarding GPS accuracy, my phone generally claims the coordinates are within
10m, sometimes much lower, occasionally higher. I would imagine that's easily
good enough for finding most birding locations again, what kind of accuracy are
you talking about?
I'm under the impression satellite signals are deliberately encoded to prevent
civilians getting too much better accuracy than that, for military reasons,
including making it hard to pinpoint the location of the actual satellites in
order to shoot them down. To get better accuracy (precision might be a better
word), I think a long succession of coordinates must be averaged. This may be
what the more expensive gear does.
Not so very long ago, GPS wasn't even an option. The alternative for those
without access to expensive electronic distance measuring equipment was a tape
measure or triangulation. In my opinion, the decision by the USA to release
even this level of accuracy to civilians is absolutely wonderful, even if it
does occasionally lead you back to the wrong side of the creek.
Peter Shute
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