GPSMap 60CSx jumping and drifting while stopped

I am a new GPS user. I recently bought a 60CSx based on good reviews
and I am generally pleased with one exception. When I am stopped, the
position/speed continually jumps around by several feet/mph.

This happens anytime I am stopped. As far as I can tell, I am getting
good multiple satellite locks, with error shown as ~15ft. WAAS is
enabled. I am updated to the latest firmware.

Garmin tech support informs me this behavior is normal. I have read a
few user reviews where this is mentioned, but it is not mentioned in
all reviews. My Garmin c330 doesn't seem to do this FWIW.

Is this behavior normal for all GPS's, seen only on 60CSx's, or are
there some 60CSx lemons out there? Or is this the price to be paid for
the extra sensitivity of the 60CSx?

Are there any settings that can reduce this effect? Something like a
deadband or averaging below a certain speed would be nice, but I can't
find anything like that other than the track setting for "record by
distance". This doesn't seem to stop the jumping as seen on the trip
computer page, though.

Thanks for any info .....

John W

I have the same experience with my 60CSX. The problem with the unit
"walking" while you are standing still is related to the algorithm for
determining when a small change in position is due to measurement error when
the unit updates its position every second, or due to a change in the real
position of the unit. I understand this algorithm is based on the apparent
speed of movement, but other factors could be taken into account as well.
The 60CSX algorithm is not very well tuned and should be improved. My old
eTrex Legend apparently had a different algorithm and did not "walk" at all;
I could stop on the trail for a half-hour lunch and the Legend would show no
movement at all. On the other hand, the Legend's odometer function tended to
understate total distance traveled on a hike where there was frequent
stopping along the way. I think this was related to its algorithm being
tuned to see small or very slow movements as standing still. The odometer
function on my 60 CSX seems to perform much better. There appears to be
something of a tradeoff here--to tune the algorithm to sensitively record
all "apparent" movements and accept some "walking" or tune it the other way
and accept the consequences. I personally think Garmin could improve that
tradeoff for the 60CSX--I would prefer less "walking."

ditto. I have the 76csx and it also "walks" when standing still... and
ditto with the etrex and rino.. neither "walked"....

so.. this is what is meant by "new and improved"? :-)

Larry G wrote:

I am almost certain that the software on the Garmin is designed by a
group of people that do not own or use GPS receivers and that never have
any conversations with people that do. They are absolutely clueless
about what people do and do not like about their receivers and never
seem to implement features simply because the buyers want them.

That gets a new fix about once a second and no two fixes are ever going
to be in exactly the same spot. So the software views the distance from
one point to the next as "travel".

There are a number of things Garmin could have done to keep that
"travel" from being added to the odometers. They could have set a
threshold for the minimum of movement needed to increment the odometers.
Or they could have had it discard any movements below a certain speed.
Or maybe given us a user setting to control the threshold of movement
that would be added.

They gave you a lemon, make lemonade. Consider it perfect for studying
the systematic dispersion of trackpoints when stationary. Or some other

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)