Forest list archive: msg00008

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Re: GPS & Forestry



Dear list members:

Please reply this question to the list. There must be plenty of people
interested on discussing the issue.
I have been working with a GPS (trimble scout) for a year in South Brazil.
It will work below a ten meter canopy (semideciduos tropical forest), IF
you have the flexibility and time to fish satellites. Takes some 5-10
minutes to get a reading.
Fortunately most of my points were located on edges, where it worked very
well.
Precision is a serious question. NEVER I got two readings of the very same
place that were closer than 9 meters. Not even for places in which I
repeated the measurement 15 times.
The error seems to vary on a 5-10 minute basis. It was common to be
searching for a place and then it suddenly moves some 30 m.
Do anybody know how long the defense department will keep it ?
I just learned that Garmin has a model excel 12 that uses 12 satellites.
According to the manufacturer, it works below the canopy. I bet a
beer it does not.
I was very glad to sell my trimble scout in Brazil. No complaints about
it, but for the 520 that I payed back in June 1996, I can have two or
three of the new ones.

efraim



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