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GPS Drift and Environmental Factor Impact on GPS Accuracy for Garmin Outdoor Handheld Products

GPS drift and environmental factors can impact the accuracy of locations and activities recorded by your Garmin Handheld product. The information in this article will help you understand and reduce the impacts of GPS drift and environmental factors.

GPS Drift

GPS drift, in the most practical sense, is the difference between your actual location and the location recorded by a GPS receiver. Consumer-grade GPS receivers (such as the ones Garmin makes) are not 100% accurate, this may cause a minor difference between your actual location and your recorded location.

If your device is recording a GPS location every few seconds you can see what appears to be movement even if you are standing still. The distance recorded while standing still is a representation of GPS Drift.


Accuracy of GPS Elevation

Elevation calibrated by GPS is accurate to +/-400 feet at any given point with a strong GPS signal. Elevation is determined by the device acquiring a GPS signal, while maps will provide elevation information based on survey data. GPS elevation readings may be different than elevations on maps or marked on trails and roads. For devices that feature a barometric altimeter for elevation readings, see Related.


Environmental Factors

Any outside influence on the accuracy of your Garmin device is an environmental factor and can cause a degraded GPS signal. Environmental factors can vary by the ability of the device to receive an uninterrupted GPS radio signal from the satellites. Dense tree cover for example can be an obstacle. You can think of environmental factors as things that interrupt the signal path of a GPS signal from the satellite to your device. 

The longer your handheld has to receive uninterrupted GPS signals from the area in which you are located the more accurate your location information will be. It is highly recommended that you give your device an opportunity to get a solid GPS fix from multiple satellites before starting your adventure. 

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