garmin hanheld show paddling on the rocks

S

subaruseun

Sealiner
on monday i was fishing off the west coast off my kayak.
i found a fish or two and simply marked the location, but when looking t the screen i was apparently on the rocks?

i was clearly 100m + off the side.


secondly when in the bay the map shows 2.0m water depth when it is clearly 10m+

is there a setting or is this just "how these gadgets work"

on the second note garmins response is that they get the info off naval charts supplied by the local surveys of the respective country... clearly this is in contravention of the CPA... did a i get what they claimed the gadget can do?
it works out at sea, but then again not sure how accurate that is.

ps: no attention seeking here-you know who you are :fbash
 
M

miles

Sealiner
I've never had any problems with any of my GARMIN units giving incorrect data. I trust my GARMIN plotter with my life, literally!! Most of the time, i run out to the tuna grounds in the pitch dark and get sunrise about 10nm offshore and similarly, when i return, the sun normally sets when i'm still 5-15nm offshore, which means running back home using ONLY your GPS. They are VERY, VERY, VERY accurate.

Back to your problem. Are you using any maps on the unit?

How long was the unit switched on for, when you noticed the problem? When you start any GPS, it will take some time to locate the satellites. Some units take a few minutes, other a few seconds, all depends on the unit and the location (ie.inside a boat cabin).

The unit you have has got a very small screen. If you zoom in all the way, until it can't zoom anymore, does it still show you are on the rocks? The problem with the small screens is that you can't easily see data. You need to zoom in........

Regarding the water depth, once again, were you zoomed in all the way? Remember, the GPS is a NAVIGATIONAL instrument and NOT a depth/fish finder. Data will differ due to natural reasons, high tide, low tide, sand being washed up and closing up deeper channels, etc, etc. However, on the whole, the mapping of todays units are SUPERB.

Have you used any other GPS's before?

It could be a faulty unit or it could be that you're not yet familiar with your unit.
 
H

Hammertime

Sealiner
Have you installed the map?
Without the map you will be on land when you're on sea and the accuracy is not pin point or acceptable say 10-12ft out. I had this experience off Millers before I put a map in.

Once you have installed the map, you will not have that problem. If you have installed the map and it's doing that, then you have the one they forgot to throw off the assembly line, because garmin plotters are unbelievable.
Miles left out the mention of mist which you know living in Ct can be worse than night time. Running through the bay from Simons Town to Cape point a 12nautical mile journey, then passing between SW reefs and Bellows Rock on the way to the outside without a single landmark is common practice. All in the mist, all on a handdheld if you are on my boat and no problems.
 
S

subaruseun

Sealiner
thanks for replying Miles.

last week the unit was in my pdf jacket pocket in on mode and this probably is, the reason why it shows wrong data when not connecting properly to satelites.

i kept in in the open this weekend and showed im paddling in the water this time.

the charts show a depth of 2.0m, however the fishfinder and my sinker lines indicate water depth of 8-9m and some place 10.m

i have chart hxaf451s namibia to knysna sa 2011.

i use a garmin forerunner 405 running watch, this has shown me running 5m below sea level at the beach... lol
 
S

subaruseun

Sealiner
thanks Hammertime.

i dont venture more than 1.0km from the shore ever.

the gps is exactly for the mist! as we had yesterday and it works!
 
B

BulkCarrier

Sealiner
Remember they can't chart the whole ocean 100 %. These charts are build up from sat photo's where they guess the depth or they use the dept recordings of ships that travel's the worlds oceans.

Certain parts like table bay they do specific surveys, because they need the correct depth for the shipping in and out of the harbour.

Now to your problem. I don't think anybody care and will ever try and navigate his tanker through the little bay you are fishing in a melkbos or further up the westcoast. For that reason the charts is a bit useless so close to shore.

"Edit to correct can to can't"
 
S

subaruseun

Sealiner
BulkCarrier wrote:
Now to your problem. I don't think anybody care and will ever try and navigate his tanker through the little bay you are fishing in a melkbos or further up the westcoast. For that reason the charts is a bit useless so close to shore.

"Edit to correct can to can't"
Click to expand...

any submarine spy boat planning to lie in 2.0m water is in for a nasty surprise

i agree with above...

i wonder how many recreationals buy this products meant for tankers!

there is a big market in the recreational sector that could be exploited
 
MichaelK

MichaelK

Sealiner
Subraseun, i had a hand held GPS that was also giving me the incorrect readings. It turned out that i had not calibrated the thing correctly. Take it to your local dealer and ask them to correctly calibrate it for you. Remember to include marine in the settings
 
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