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Does the frequency of logging the track points make a difference in the accuracy of TracBack? It can be configured to NORMAL, MORE OFTER, or MOST OFTEN. Maybe more log points would keep you closer to the track??

geo

I did a bunch more testing, and I think I understand how to get it to work for me. But others of you might not like the scenario.

If you view the map while tracking, there are two data fields in the upper part of the screen. Touch either one, and you can select what data you want to be shown. Two of interest are the OFF COURSE, which seems to give the distance back to the course, and the TO COURSE, which gives a direction back to the course. (Rather than the TO COURSE, I prefer the pointer.) Since the accuracy of the unit varies from time to time, these data fields are just generalities, not precise guiding parameters.

What I've been doing if I want to retrace my track is to set a bunch of waypoints along the way. Then I save the track, make a reverse copy of it, and use WHERE TO to back-track along that copy. It correctly starts at the beginning and points me to the next waypoint. So the two data fields I use on the map are DISTANCE TO NEXT and POINTER.

TracBack also works in a similar manner if I set a bunch of waypoints going in. But if I use Tracback and later look at the data in Google Earth, it doesn't show the trip data (such as total track distance) separately for the inbound and return trips. By using the reverse copy rather than TracBack, I can look at what really happened in both directions

I was wrong in my earlier post about the unit ignoring the first waypoint; I was using it incorrectly.

Hope this helps.

geo

With some help from Rich Owings, I figured out what is going on. If I navigate to a single waypoint, I get both a visual and an audible alert. The visual provides an "OK" button for me to click and dismiss the message, but it goes away regardless after about ten seconds.

Navigating a route built from waypoints gives an audible alert but no visual message.

Navigating Tracback on a track that contains waypoints gives no alerts at all.

This seems quite inconsistent. IMHO, it would seem that anytime there are waypoints involved in the navigation, alerts should be given.  Oh well....

geo

1. How do I enable both visual and tone proximity alerts in the Oregon 450?  What happens is that if I create a route from waypoints and start navigation along that route, I get a tone but no visual pop-up. If I use Tracback or navigate a reverse track, I get no alerts at all. Right after I bought the unit, I recall getting both visual and tonal alerts, and I'd like to have that back.

2. Assuming I get the alerts to work, how do I make the visible alert stay visible until I release it? If I don't hear the tone alert, I'd like to later be able to see that I did reach a waypoint.

Thanks!

geo

From what I can tell, trackback always takes me back to the SECOND waypoint I've set. It doesn't track to the first waypoint. I suppose the 450 assumes that the first waypoint is the starting point in a track. I can certainly make that happen, but it seems Illogical.

Also, if I build a route from scratch using waypoints I've saved, it always assumes I'm beginning from the first waypoint. That means it won't show the distance from my starting point to the first waypoint. Instead, it shows the distance from wherever I am to the SECOND waypoint. Thus, if my starting point isn't the same as the first waypoint, I can't navigate to that first waypoint.

Is this what other people experience?

Thanks for the information!

geo