MOUNTING your GPS antenna ???

[Luna Sea 5]

Watching something on TV the other day and they mentioned that you should mount your GPS antenna on the stern of the boat.

Why?

Because that is where your depth/fish finder transducer is mounted.

If you mark something on your sounder, your gps antenna will mark you EXACTLY over that spot.  With most large boats who have their GPS antenna mounted on there T-top, your marking almost 10' or more away from what you are reading on your sounder.

Make sense?

[IrishAyes]

For our purposes I don't think 10 feet will make a difference. Your GPS will only put you within 30 meters of it's mark anyway and not exactly on it every time.

[Bucktail]

For our purposes I don't think 10 feet will make a difference. Your GPS will only put you within 30 meters of it's mark anyway and not exactly on it every time.

If the GPS has WAAS it should put you within 3 meters of its mark.

[IrishAyes]

For our purposes I don't think 10 feet will make a difference. Your GPS will only put you within 30 meters of it's mark anyway and not exactly on it every time.

If the GPS has WAAS it should put you within 3 meters of its mark.

Bob, I think the 3 meter figure is more of a sales ploy by the manufactures than reality. As in, 'This unit CAN put you within...'

[Bucktail]

Yeah, maybe.  I was selling marine electronics back when the WAAS system units were just becoming available.  At that time the best GPS were only accurate to within 30 meters.  When the WAAS system was unscrambled by the government it was a big deal at the time.  It promised 3 meter accuracy.

I think it is more accurate than the older GPS, but I haven't tested it that thoroughly to be sure.  So, who knows?

[Luna Sea 5]

interesting topic.. wondering why the pro's would say such a wrong statement on VS..

[Tacklebox Joe]

because their being paid to say so. awh, the power of money.

[Treebeard]

The other part of that idea that doesn't really hold water .. on most boats big enough to worry about the difference,  these days it is much more common to find thru-hull transducers or shoot-thru's mounted somewhere mid-ships as opposed to transom mounts..