Tony Russell wrote:
>
> Hi folks, well, I've at last decided that the Magellan Pioneer just has to
> go. Even after new batteries and complete re-initializing it took 25
> minutes to take a fix. Even when then switched off and on again straight
> away it took another five mins to take a fix in the exact same location -
> and then the fix had shifted by 39 minutes further east, and then repeated
> it took a further five minutes and shifted the fix again. It has to be
> total b/s!! So, in the bin you rotten monster!!
>
> Well, that makes me feel better.
First off, fish your Magellan out of the bin - it may be salvagable.
1) Try leaving it on in the same location where it can "see" the
satellites continuously and waiting at least half an hour after
it gets the initial fix; see if it is behaving any better.
2) Next, check that the time and date are correct (including the
timezone/offset), and that the position is about right. Check
that the region/state is also correct (it defaults to AK = Alaska.)
If you have a previous GPS reading from the location, enter it
(if possible.) Repeat 1.
3) If all else fails, send me the corpse and I'll see if anything
can be done for it.
> Now, all you GPS geniusses, what sort of replacement would you
> recommend? I guess a Garmin, but what model would you suggest
> for a frustrated birder conceding that I have to spend around
> $500-600 for one that might work and give me birding fixes in
> no more than a minute or so? What would you suggest Mr Taylor?
I have a Garmin II+ which suits my needs; the 12XL is functionally
equivalent, but has a different case and internal antenna much
like the Magellan. Either of these would be fine for most people.
One unit that is quite intriguing is the Garmin eTrex Summit.
While it lacks many of the features of the II+/12XL units,
it does have some unique features of its own. It has an
electronic magnetic compass to indicate your direction when
you aren't moving (or don't have a GPS signal), and an aneroic
barometer linked to the GPS altitude for auto-calibration.
It records data points in 3D, and has altitude profiling which
would be useful for pilots and probably hikers. Sensitivity is
apparently slightly less than other Garmin units (hard to tell
since it lacks the satellite display page!) but is supposed to
work just as well under tree cover. It doesn't have an external
antenna connector, but will work with a reradiating antenna.
Details of the outdoor models are available at:
http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/index.html
Also see: http://joe.mehaffey.com - this site has lots of
general GPS information and reviews of different units.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Paul Taylor Veni, vidi, tici -
I came, I saw, I ticked.
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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