GPS

[golf2da]

How accurate are they now?

I have been using one now for about 18 months and felt they have been quite accurate but I have never actually measured it to find out how accurate they are now. I use the 150 yard marker in the fairway and it is always close, but how close is close? I have not really checked. I know years ago the goverment had not let us use the tecnology to get real close and that is why I believe we never used them for golf, but they have relaxed their regulations and our GPS of today is a lot more accurate. I have not checked mine. Does anyone here have any more knowledge on this subject now that there are various brands coming on the market. How accurate are they? :)

[Sergei]

I have had a gps unit (etrex vista) for hiking on trails and navigating in my car. It is WAAS enabled technology which is the latest greatest technology for North American gps units. Accuracy is limited to how many satellites the unit can acquire. More satellites, means more accuracy. My unit in fact tells me how many satellites it acquired and thereby giving me a read out on how accurate the current reading is. The best I have ever been able to do is have an accuracy of 19 feet, which is 6 yards.

 

Those same devices sold for golf gps use the same technology as my little etrex. I can't imagine greater than +/- 6 yard accuracy. Given that these gps units don't know where the flag is, you can be at least a club off.

 

I am sticking with the bushnell rangefinders, until I hear otherwise. Plus they can be used out on the driving range or off course for practice.

 

Just my .02....

[agoodgolfer]

I have been using one now for about 18 months and felt they have been quite accurate but I have never actually measured it to find out how accurate they are now. I use the 150 yard marker in the fairway and it is always close, but how close is close? I have not really checked. I know years ago the goverment had not let us use the tecnology to get real close and that is why I believe we never used them for golf, but they have relaxed their regulations and our GPS of today is a lot more accurate. I have not checked mine. Does anyone here have any more knowledge on this subject now that there are various brands coming on the market. How accurate are they? :)

 

As I posted in the other thread, 14 feet is about as good as a civilian will get. The state of the art military stuff will do within a foot, but as a civilian we don't have access to their gps units or satelites.

 

Under perfect conditions, a civilian unit will do under 14 feet, but most people will never see 'perfect'. Atmospheric presure, air turbulance, etc all play an important role in accuracy.

 

Now this isn't to say that your GPS unit is always 14 feet off. Your unit gives a pretty accurate reading most of the time, but under what many consider optimal conditions your unit can still easily be 14 off.

 

Does that mean you shouldn't use a gps unit? No! It just means make sure you understand both the pros and cons before doing so. 14 feet isn't a big deal for most golfers, while its a completely different shot for some.

 

I'm just an amature GPS user but my wife has a degree in GIS, which makes her 'the pro'. We're probably one of a few house holds that discuss GPS accuracy at the dinner table :P

 

I've found some good reads on GPS accuracy in the last few weeks. I'd be more then happy to track them down and share them if you're interested in reading. A good place to start off in the search for GPS info is GPSpassion.com.

 

I could go off on this subject as it become more of a passion for myself - let me know if you'd like a more in depth post and I'd be happy to give it.

 

Chris

[golf2da]

I have been using one now for about 18 months and felt they have been quite accurate but I have never actually measured it to find out how accurate they are now. I use the 150 yard marker in the fairway and it is always close, but how close is close? I have not really checked. I know years ago the goverment had not let us use the tecnology to get real close and that is why I believe we never used them for golf, but they have relaxed their regulations and our GPS of today is a lot more accurate. I have not checked mine. Does anyone here have any more knowledge on this subject now that there are various brands coming on the market. How accurate are they? :)

 

As I posted in the other thread, 14 feet is about as good as a civilian will get. The state of the art military stuff will do within a foot, but as a civilian we don't have access to their gps units or satelites.

 

Under perfect conditions, a civilian unit will do under 14 feet, but most people will never see 'perfect'. Atmospheric presure, air turbulance, etc all play an important role in accuracy.

 

Now this isn't to say that your GPS unit is always 14 feet off. Your unit gives a pretty accurate reading most of the time, but under what many consider optimal conditions your unit can still easily be 14 off.

 

Does that mean you shouldn't use a gps unit? No! It just means make sure you understand both the pros and cons before doing so. 14 feet isn't a big deal for most golfers, while its a completely different shot for some.

 

I'm just an amature GPS user but my wife has a degree in GIS, which makes her 'the pro'. We're probably one of a few house holds that discuss GPS accuracy at the dinner table :P

 

I've found some good reads on GPS accuracy in the last few weeks. I'd be more then happy to track them down and share them if you're interested in reading. A good place to start off in the search for GPS info is GPSpassion.com.

 

I could go off on this subject as it become more of a passion for myself - let me know if you'd like a more in depth post and I'd be happy to give it.

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting. Thanks for the post. I do belive I will check into it a little more. I know some times I indeed looked at the yardarge more than once with disbelieve. most of the time it is right on. I will indeed check it out.

 

 

 

I operate a gps on my pda and it is more accurate the more satilittes you read. there is a lot of times it is reading 9 of them so I figured I was getting pretty close.

 

 

 

I'll do more checking thanks.

 

 

 

I managed to get this information from intelligolf which is the PDA program that I use.

 

 

 

For the past two years, Karrier Communications has been evaluating GPS receivers, NMEA standards, the latest Space Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS), and Bluetooth. Until recently, handheld GPS receivers have only been accurate to +/- 10 meters. While +/- 10 meters is fine for handheld navigation systems (e.g. maps in your car), that is basically two clubs lengths of "inaccuracy" for golfers. With the recent release of the US Government's Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), accuracy levels have been significantly enhanced. WAAS-based GPS receivers are now claiming accuracy levels to inside of 3 meters. That is well within the range of accuracy needed for golf. In addition, The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS), and Japan's MTSAT Satellite-based Augmentation System will provide similar WAAS precision and are collectively part of SBAS.

[arkstorm]

I have an anecdotal, though non-scientific response...

 

I have a SkyCaddie GPS and another guy in my foursome has a laser range finder. Both measuring from the same spot, our readings are usually within 1-2 yards of each other. I have never seen a 19 foot (6.3 yard) discrepency.

[Ken_In_CA]

I have had a gps unit (etrex vista) for hiking on trails and navigating in my car. It is WAAS enabled technology which is the latest greatest technology for North American gps units...

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a question. I was interested in getting a gps unit (like the etrex) for backpacking, hiking, etc, and was wondering if there is a site where people have mapped a golf course and put that info on the web to download.

 

Ken

[golf2da]

I have had a gps unit (etrex vista) for hiking on trails and navigating in my car. It is WAAS enabled technology which is the latest greatest technology for North American gps units...

 

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I have a question. I was interested in getting a gps unit (like the etrex) for backpacking, hiking, etc, and was wondering if there is a site where people have mapped a golf course and put that info on the web to download.

 

Ken

 

 

 

I have maped a lot of courses and up loaded them to teh internet but they are with intelligolf.com. I don't know any way you could get them unless you have the intelligolf program.

 

 

 

It is quite easy to map a course.

[clinkinfo]

I have an anecdotal, though non-scientific response...

 

I have a SkyCaddie GPS and another guy in my foursome has a laser range finder. Both measuring from the same spot, our readings are usually within 1-2 yards of each other. I have never seen a 19 foot (6.3 yard) discrepency.

 

 

I have both and I agree, I don't see differences of 6.3 yards. 1, maybe 2 whenever I check both.