User:D39andrew/UR Responses View history

Revision as of 23:05, 30 December 2016 by D39andrew (talk | contribs) (GPS Geek UR rant)

Mine

User wants lane resolution (Geek-out return rant)

Volunteer responding to your report of a map issue. It looks like your GPS position information was inadequate to perform your desired activity. Bad GPS information can cause all sorts of problems. GPS resolution, in perfect conditions, is about 4 meters (that’s about 13 feet). In the USA, a standard lane of traffic is 3.7m (12 ft.). So you want lane determination or other high resolution location information from your GPS, that is also a phone and many other things, stuck somewhere in a metal box, behind glass, with an internal antenna to figure out which 3.7 meter lane you are in with a minimum of 4 meter resolution? Maybe it could do that if you were out in the middle of a flat plain, with good view of the sky and at least 4-6 GPS satellites in view by your device.

In Airplanes, with huge antennas and thousands of dollars of equipment, only get 2.168 meters (8.6 feet) accuracy. The military may get better resolution (classified), but they are spending megabucks. The good news is that accuracy of GPS is improving over time, and you can find out more here: http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/

There's nothing we volunteer map editors can do about this, but in the future, please try ensuring that your handheld device has as clear a view of the sky as possible so it will get the most accuracy out of the GPS satellite signals. Even this may not be enough in deep valleys, thick forests, or urban canyons, but it will help. Safe Travels!

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