Article: 21668 of sci.geo.satellite-nav
From: mitchell@intercom.net (Richard Mitchell)
Newsgroups: sci.geo.satellite-nav
Subject: I don't get it
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 21:23:50 EDT
Sender: mitchell@intercom.net (Richard Mitchell)
Message-ID: <4pt3b6$f43@shore4.intercom.net
NNTP-Posting-Host: ocean.intercom.net
The other day I went out and got a GPS 38 (you know, Global
Positioning System device). Excited to use it, I went out
into the
middle of a field (I'm fully aware of the accuracy limitations
with SA) and took a position point. I waited until I had
a good
lock on 6 bars first.
Then, I walked some distance away - at least a half of a mile.
Making sure that I still had a good position fix, I then pressed
the "GOTO" button and selected my point from the menu.
Not
really sure what was going to happen next, in order to protect
myself, I crept down to the ground and by standing on my feet,
sort of turned into a human ball. Then, with my right arm
extended to the heavens holding the GPS, I clenched my eyes shut
and pressed the "Enter" button.
There was no flash of light. No boom. Not even a
puff of smoke.
I cautiously opened my eyes. Can you believe it?
I hadn't even
moved an inch, let alone be anywhere closer to the point I had
selected.
Is my unit defective? I traded my car for it and am now
without
transportation until I can get it working. Will fresh batteries
make any improvement?
Richard
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There are a number of possible reasons why you have been so
disappointingly unsuccessful
1 Due to a joint litigation
from Messrs. Delta, American and
Northwest, Garmin was forced to block out this function
in the 52
states.
2 You may be above average
weight, excessively pregnant or were
carrying oversize baggage. These issues receive scant coverage
in the
user manual. Have you ever asked a flight attendant for anything
on
any of the above carriers?
3 Wearing rubber soled shoes
can affect reliable operation as
well as looking strange.
4 This may be a problem specific
to this particular model, users
of the 90 etc. have had no similar occurrences and have been
generally
pleased with this mode. Maybe had you had a more expensive car
originally you could have bought one with the added global features.
5 Where you standing next
to a large fixed object? Because of SA
and local oscillator jitter it is possible that the object might
have
moved instead. There is a software trap to prevent this sort
of thing
from happening normally although one unfortunate owner inadvertently
moved the entire London Bridge to some desert somewhere whilst
on a
visit over here. There are also known problems which affect such
mundane household items such as blood stained gloves, knives,
vases and large
weapon shipments.
There are probably lawyers specializing in this sort of thing
now who
will be able to divest you of all your remaining worldly belongings.
--
Graham E Laucht
Deepest England
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It's probably just fine. Try going up in an aircraft, and
get above
the 18,000 mile vertical "dead-band" that's limiting you.
Of course, don't go over 104 mph, lest you trigger the other
Garmin
feature and are subjected to "Poor GPS Coverage".
-Steve :-)
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Richard: It is obvious that you should sue the supplier for every
dime
you can get. And get a court order banning the use of the
word GOTO in
all users manuals.
Alan,
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ht. I think you are missing the aluminum foil lined
wingtip shoes. Give it a try.
Rabbit
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Have you ever tried .. saying ENGAGE... or ENERGIZE...
i know some people that have tried it and have a lot of
good
experience with it!!!
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The software trap referred to by Graham Laucht also affects brothels.
Some poor stiff (no pun intended) accidentally used his in La
Grange, and
now that little whorehouse in Texas moved to Dallas and
became a
restaurant, whereupon it promptly shut down (I think folks
liked the
previous menu better).
Bill Stadelman
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You're trying to use your unit in the manual navigation mode!
You'll
need to walk, ride or fly to get back to that GOTO waypoint.
The
"auto-nav transport" mode is a little harder to use.
Get to the menu
that has the following entry:
Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Highlight and then press ENTER. On my Garmin 45 it is the
same menu
that has the Enable Speed 90 Knots entry.
Of course you have to know
the special key sequence to get to it and I can't remember it!
Can anyone
help us out here?
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No apparently the GOTO feature has been disabled until Selective
Availability has been turned off. Just imagine the embarrassment
this
could cause when you want to go home at the end of the
day and end
up in your neighbor's bathroom (whilst occupied?).
Anyway, for any software engineers watching, we all know that
there is
no level of hell deep enough for a programmer reckless enough
to use the
word GOTO! Omygod!!! I've just said it... <stops
as three small demons
materialize and drag myself into the pit of perdition pausing
only
enough to let me press the POST key on my newsreader ...
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