Can't get WAAS satellites when friend does

Hi, I was out biking with a friend the other day. We both have the
same GPS- the 60CSx. On his satellite screen he had satellites showing
Ws under them 9he said it indicated WAAS), mine showed nothing but
regular bars.

I'm set for WAAS
I don't have the Battery saver mode on
Any suggestions?

Thanks and please email me at: vista2@cablelan.net as I'm quite
anxious to get going with more accurate tracking.

OK, you didn't mention how long you have been trying to get the WAAS
signal?? On my GPS60 it took about 25 minutes for the first full
search! The search for WAAS satellites may be about the same for the
Csx??? It starts with sat. ID 33 and searches for a couple of
minutes then moves on to the next,,, it will take a while to get to
the two new WAAS birds ID # 48 and 51

Once the GPS has acquired the info, it will jump to those Birds first
the next time it is turned on! If for some reason my GPS doesn't
find those birds, it will start a new (25 to 30 minute) search until
one of those birds pops back into view!

Hope this helps,
SKM

Good thought but we were both out the same amount of time and I'd been
riding there for TONS of miles in the prior weeks so that can't be it,
I think.

I think that skm (below) had it right. Just because you were out for
the same amount of time *on this trip* doesn't mean much. The *first*
time you acquire the WAAS satellites will take a significant period of
time and your GPS will need a good clear view of the southern sky
(assuming you're in the northern hemisphere) so it can see the WAAS
satellites as it cycles through the list. If you're moving around
then it may well be looking for a satellite that happens to be blocked
at the time. Then when it continues to cycle through the possible
satellite numbers it won't get back to looking for the right one for
quite some time.

So sometime when you can leave your GPS out for an extended period of
time (around half an hour), pick a spot with a clear horizon across
the whole southern sky and let the unit try to acquire the WAAS
satellites (obviously with WAAS enabled and in NORMAL mode). Once
it's found the WAAS satellites that are visible from your area then
subsequent locks on them will be much easier and faster.

This is Garmins information on WAAS.

The origins of WAAS

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of
Transportation (DOT) are developing the WAAS program for use in
precision flight approaches. Currently, GPS alone does not meet the
FAA's navigation requirements for accuracy, integrity, and
availability. WAAS corrects for GPS signal errors caused by
ionospheric disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors, and it
provides vital integrity information regarding the health of each GPS
satellite.

How it Works

WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned
across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master
stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference
stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts
for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by
the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is
then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or
satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is
compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-
enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?

Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America.
There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even
though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been
corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For
some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the
equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or
mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is
ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended
coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS
(differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not
require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

Other governments are developing similar satellite-based differential
systems. In Asia, it's the Japanese Multi-Functional Satellite
Augmentation System (MSAS), while Europe has the Euro Geostationary
Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Eventually, GPS users around the
world will have access to precise position data using these and other
compatible systems.