GPS in the boot

David Newton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the rucksack in
the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the signal
but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container and it
acts as if nothing is untoward?

Weird, isn't it? The same thing has happened to me, but when I was
looking round a car sales place with a mate, we were startled to find
that the bodywork on some cars appeared to be plastic!
--
Gordon Harris

Bitstring <[email hidden]>, from the wonderful
person David Newton <[email hidden]> said

Quoted message said:

Had my first serious Lakeland walk for almost a year yesterday.

The Mosedale round from the green at Wasdale, up on to Pillar via Black Sail
Pass and then to Steeple and back via Dore Head.

The point of this post though is the dogged reliability of my Etrex Summit.

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the rucksack in
the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the signal
but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container and it
acts as if nothing is untoward?

Luck. Actually the wavelengths used will go right through canvas,
leather, and glass .. metal usually has a detrimental effect, and water
stops them pretty much dead (hence the effect of leaves, especially wet
ones, and the human body).

I'm surprised it worked in the boot, if we're talking metal boot lid,
less so if it's an estate car or hatchback with lots of glass over a
(cardboard) parcel shelf over the rucksack. Mine has worked on the
passenger seat, but usually, if I peer closely at it, it is working on
'peripheral view' satellites, and having lots of trouble with the ones
straight up.

--
GSV Three Minds in a Can
Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

David Newton said:

Had my first serious Lakeland walk for almost a year yesterday.

The Mosedale round from the green at Wasdale, up on to Pillar via Black
Sail Pass and then to Steeple and back via Dore Head.

The point of this post though is the dogged reliability of my Etrex
Summit.

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the rucksack
in the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the
signal but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container
and it acts as if nothing is untoward?

Been there done that. All I had in the track log after a weekend in the
Lakes was the return journey down the M6 and M1, finally losing lock around
Watford Gap.
--
Dave

The message <[email hidden]>
from "David Newton" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

The point of this post though is the dogged reliability of my Etrex Summit.

Quoted message said:

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the
rucksack in
the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

I have been caught that way with the gps in the glove compartment.

Quoted message said:

.....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

Quoted message said:

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the signal
but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container and it
acts as if nothing is untoward?

It must have had what to it was a clear view of the sky.

Incidentally with light tree cover at the start of Saturdays epic my
Vista C threw one hell of a wobbly clocking up over 60 miles in the
first hour although the maximum speed only registered a mere 17.9 mph.
Assorted yellow Etrexes, a 12 and Vista did not have the same problem.
Not often I walk 84 mile in under 10 hours. :-)

--
Roger Chapman
sig file out of date

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

David Newton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the rucksack in
the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the signal
but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container and it
acts as if nothing is untoward?

Weird, isn't it? The same thing has happened to me, but when I was
looking round a car sales place with a mate, we were startled to find
that the bodywork on some cars appeared to be plastic!

Plastic? More likely fibreglass I'd have thought.
--
If you can keep your head when all around are losing theirs...
then you've failed to grasp some important aspect of the
situation.

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Not often I walk 84 mile in under 10 hours. :-)

You're being modest again :-)

I know 12 hours is the norm :-)

On a serious note, I once started a walk and my first track-point showed
up as a violent spur from my start point and I'd never been to where it
showed. Paul - you remember him - suggested not having the GPS set to
record until he'd got a lock on the satellites. This prevented the
spurious track points at the beginning of a session.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

Dave Pickles said:

finally losing lock around Watford Gap.

Seems reasonable. It probably got depressed.

Chris

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Weird, isn't it? The same thing has happened to me, but when I was
looking round a car sales place with a mate, we were startled to find
that the bodywork on some cars appeared to be plastic!

Plastic? More likely fibreglass I'd have thought.

My 2001 espace body is plastic exceptthe bonnet. Made by MATRA
for renault. The new model is steel panelled though.

Nick

Chris Gilbert said:

Dave Pickles said:

finally losing lock around Watford Gap.

Seems reasonable. It probably got depressed.

Terrible pain in the diodes on its left side?

Richard Webb

Now then, Dave. Long time no hear/read :o) Welcome back.

--
Regards, Paul (R)
My Lake District walking site:
www.lakelandwalker.co.uk

"David Newton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Had my first serious Lakeland walk for almost a year yesterday.

The message <[email hidden]>
from "W. D. Grey" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

On a serious note, I once started a walk and my first track-point showed
up as a violent spur from my start point and I'd never been to where it
showed. Paul - you remember him - suggested not having the GPS set to
record until he'd got a lock on the satellites. This prevented the
spurious track points at the beginning of a session.

Paul who? :-)

The spiders web didn't start immediately and while some of it was in an
area with some tree cover there was a second burst on the steep hillside
leading up to the hole in the wall. And no amount of spiders web would
account for the average speed being comfortably in excess of the maximum
speed. I can send you a copy of the track if you like. It appears that
Sundays track (part of the same active log) had no significant
deviations.

And just or the record I carry my gps on my shoulder where it should get
a better view of the sky than the several other GPSs in the party worn
on chest strap or belt that didn't malfunction.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

Fran <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] said...

Quoted message said:

David Newton <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I arrived back at the car and put the GPS in my rucksack and the rucksack in
the boot. I forgot to turn the unit off....

....and it still tracked me all the way back to Spark Bridge where I was
staying overwriting half my route up on to the fells.

How can it be that a couple of tree branches overhead blocks out the signal
but put the thing inside a sealed container in a sealed container and it
acts as if nothing is untoward?

Weird, isn't it? The same thing has happened to me, but when I was
looking round a car sales place with a mate, we were startled to find
that the bodywork on some cars appeared to be plastic!

Plastic? More likely fibreglass I'd have thought.

I didn't stay to ponder!
--
Gordon Harris

W. D. Grey <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

On a serious note, I once started a walk and my first track-point
showed up as a violent spur from my start point and I'd never been to
where it showed. Paul - you remember him - suggested not having the
GPS set to record until he'd got a lock on the satellites. This
prevented the spurious track points at the beginning of a session.

On another serious note.. :-)
I was using two GPSrs, Summit to navigate and Vista to record the track
on a car journey. I forgot to set it to record after establishing
lock, so I only got a track from the Summit. :-)
--
Gordon Harris

Roger <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The spiders web didn't start immediately and while some of it was in an
area with some tree cover there was a second burst on the steep hillside
leading up to the hole in the wall. And no amount of spiders web would
account for the average speed being comfortably in excess of the maximum
speed. I can send you a copy of the track if you like. It appears that
Sundays track (part of the same active log) had no significant
deviations.

If it isn't too much trouble I would be interested in taking a look
Roger?
I tend to move spurious points to my estimate of the correct spot when I
check it in Tracklogs, it's easy to do.
--
Gordon Harris

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon Harris <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

If it isn't too much trouble I would be interested in taking a look
Roger?
I tend to move spurious points to my estimate of the correct spot when I
check it in Tracklogs, it's easy to do.

Shouldn't be a problem if your address has not been munged and you have
Ozi. I don't have Tracklogs for the ELD and (being a luddite at heart)
have no idea how to export a track from either Tracklogs or Memorymap.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 34 summits
New - 15 (Marilyns 4, Sweats 1, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 19 (Marilyns 5, Sweats 10, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from "W. D. Grey" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

On a serious note, I once started a walk and my first track-point showed
up as a violent spur from my start point and I'd never been to where it
showed. Paul - you remember him - suggested not having the GPS set to
record until he'd got a lock on the satellites. This prevented the
spurious track points at the beginning of a session.

Paul who? :-)

Yes :-)

Quoted message said:

The spiders web didn't start immediately and while some of it was in an
area with some tree cover there was a second burst on the steep hillside
leading up to the hole in the wall. And no amount of spiders web would
account for the average speed being comfortably in excess of the maximum
speed. I can send you a copy of the track if you like. It appears that
Sundays track (part of the same active log) had no significant
deviations.

I've never experience that sort of anomaly with my Garmin 12X and it
does sound very odd indeed.

I would be interested to see your track please.

Quoted message said:

And just or the record I carry my gps on my shoulder where it should get
a better view of the sky than the several other GPSs in the party worn
on chest strap or belt that didn't malfunction.

Yes I've noticed your GPS high on your left shoulder, I carry mine just
below the shoulder in a cheap Mobile phone case and don't have problems.
I used to have gaps in my track when I carried it on my belt though.

--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon Harris <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

If it isn't too much trouble I would be interested in taking a look
Roger?
I tend to move spurious points to my estimate of the correct spot when I
check it in Tracklogs, it's easy to do.

Shouldn't be a problem if your address has not been munged and you have
Ozi. I don't have Tracklogs for the ELD

You can still download the data (tracks / waypoints) from the GPS even
for areas you have no detailed maps for. You can also see the track
overlaid on the MiniScale mapping which covers the whole mainland but at
that scale it isn't much use.

Quoted message said:

and (being a luddite at heart)
have no idea how to export a track from either Tracklogs or Memorymap.

In Tracklogs select the track in question from the list and from the
File menu select Save As.

To import an exported one choose Open from the File menu.

--

Dominic Sexton

Roger <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon Harris <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

If it isn't too much trouble I would be interested in taking a look
Roger?
I tend to move spurious points to my estimate of the correct spot when I
check it in Tracklogs, it's easy to do.

Shouldn't be a problem if your address has not been munged and you have
Ozi. I don't have Tracklogs for the ELD and (being a luddite at heart)
have no idea how to export a track from either Tracklogs or Memorymap.

See email... I have swapped fthe tracks rom Ozi via Vista GPS to
Tracklogs, where I can play with the track points, deleting and dragging
with a click of the mouse.

I have to say that it looks like an intermittent severe deterioration in
satellite reception, though I can't see how that would happen in a GPS
on your shoulder. It could possibly be a faulty receiver, I
suppose.

The first leaps seem to happen as you walked by Brotherswater, ie, large
expanse of water. Then as you turned off the road to head for
Helvellyn, it was not clear whether you followed the road, as in the
return journey, or peeled off earlier on the path going over the lower
slopes of wotsisname!

Then on the way to the gap in the wall, the track leaps across Grisedale
to the opposite slope, makes a good track for quite a distance, then
leaps back across to resume the plod up to the Gap, but with some
jitters.

One thing I noticed when I had a look at the track profile in Tracklogs
was that the aberrations coincided with sharp peaks in the profile,
making the route look like Bristly Ridge. So there is a wild jump in
height as well as horizontally at these points, perhaps to be expected.

I would be interested to know what Chris M would deduce from a look at
the track....

I'm having a shot at correcting it by deleting and/or moving the false
points.
--
Gordon Harris