Number of track points...advantages and disadvantages?

[MichaelJ07]

Regarding the usage of the 60csx, other than using more memory, are there advantages in generating more track points or less track points?  What are these used for in a practical situation?

Thanks.
Mike

[jbensman]

The more the map points the more accuarate your track is.  I use Auto and most often settings.  The tracks can be used to see where you have been or make maps.

[MichaelJ07]

Thanks.

I agree on the making maps of your tracks.  When in the forests chasing those whitetails this year, I will have my units set to metric on my 60csx and the Distance to 1 meter.  I am certain doing so will leave an interesting trail, further supporting my co-hunter's theory as to why I don't get a buck.   

Does anyone else set their track points at such settings?

[Boyd]

I set my 60csx to the maximum - one point per second - and did a comparison with my Oregon. With a 10,000 point limit, this means the log will wrap around in less than 3 hours, but I think it will give you the maximum amount of data available, since the GPS position is refreshed once per second also.

The main thing this taught me was how much noise there is in the 60csx chipset/software. In this example, I walked over the same narrow trails multiple times. The 60csx track points (blue) are scattered all over the place while the Oregon forms a pretty tight pattern. We are viewing this at extreme magnification however, equivalent to something like the 20 foot zoom scale.

[Indrid Cold]

The more the map points the more accuarate your track is.  I use Auto and most often settings.  The tracks can be used to see where you have been or make maps.

That is not exactly so, acuarcy will be determined by the quality of your location fix, not number of track points. More track points will only result in a higher resolution track. So don't be fooled into think that just because you have more points your track will be more accurate.

[MichaelJ07]

I am very pleased with the tracks from my 60csx.  They have been within a meter with each walk.  Hell, that's good enough for me to find my way back to where I lost my hat, swiped by a low hanging branch.

I think, based on my limited life with this device, that more track points in the woods is nice.  Understand though, I just play when I get back to camp.  Kinda like putzing with the data.  I have a good compass and a good map of the area, so I ain't a gonna git lost.  I like to plot my tracks in Autocad and place them on my topo map.  For nothing more than just to see where I've been.  When I use the Auto track point setting, there seems to be several straight lines between points.  Like I said, I won't get lost, but was wondering if more track points had any disadvantages other than accelerating the track point limit.

Thank you all for the replies!  Your time is not wasted.  I appreciate it.

Thankful Mike

[partychief360]

Higher frequency of collection either by time or distance will make a smoother path.  I.E. the path wont cut corners.

I set mine at a 30 second record rate for the ATV and 10 seconds for the snowmachine.  Except for the one time I wanted record how quick the sled was.  I set the rate a 1 second and let'er rip across a lake the result...0-60 in less than 4 seconds...quite the rush.

With 10,000 track point capacity, a 10 sec interval will give one close to 28 hours for tracking, 30 sec, 3.5 days.

Don't get lost...:-)

[Kafn8td]

Is the 10,000 limit for all track points or just the current track?  In other words if I shut the unit off and archive the track, will it start over and give me 10,000 more tracks?
Also if it hits the limit will the unit let me know or just start recording over other tracks?