GPS rides

[Jim F Mitchell <navion2@pacbell.net>]

Bob Morris wrote:

Perhaps I am being old fashioned but I have GPS'd many
hundreds of miles of trail with survey grade instruments and
am very aware of the problems. Had to sit waiting one day
for over an hour to get readable satellites. Would you want
to do that during a ride?

    Interesting Bob that at XP 2001 we never had anything like this problem in 40 days and 2000 miles. I know the old units and old survey grade equipment had these problems. I have used and still own those older units and have rented survey grade equipment on several jobs. And I have sat for that hour waiting for a good signal. But this has never happened with the latest Garmin handheld units to me or with the latest Trimble GPS survey grade systems. Realize that airplanes can now fly IFR on GPS signals, not something that would be allowed if 1 hour blackouts were still happening.
   I guess the best answers I would like to hear are from the people who did 40 days with them.   Kat votes no, the Mitchells vote yes. And of course the riders can vote with their pocketbooks at rides. That should be the final say, not an AERC rule.

   Jim