Have you ever experienced trouble with your GPS while on your motorcycle? Well, if you have, then you understand how crucial the accuracy of this unit is. We have different factors that contribute to the failure or accuracy of GPS data. In this article, we seek to offer information on motorcycle GPS accuracy. We cannot ignore the fact that GPS failure is also common and so we will also tackle that. You will also be able to know the things that may affect its performance.
Note:
Before we proceed, you need to remember that, while numerous factors are affecting the GPS performance, no data is 100 percent perfect. Other than environmental factors, you need to know that some GPS devices come with varying qualities of hardware and software. This means that even when your device works perfectly, there still exist some margins of error in its recordings.
What is GPS accuracy?
Accuracy of the GPS refers to the degree of matching of the given reading to the exact position. Any result of GPS precision may depend on some factors. Some of these factors may include the number of close satellites, the number of GPS channels on your receiver, signal hindrance due to mountains or buildings, and so on. Let’s move on for better explanations. The following are some of the things that affect the unit’s failure or accuracy:
Lost GPS signal
The accuracy of GPS data may be affected by certain environmental factors. In most cases, signals can be lost and come back after some time. Some of the environmental factors that may cause signal loss are weather-related. During the rains, it is possible to lose the signals. Such signal loss affects your activity since it may report fewer distances than the actual one or may be unable to match the segments that would have matched.
Signals bounce
Another thing that affects GPS tracker accuracy is GPS bounce. Signals can at times rebound before moving from the unit to the satellite. This affects the distance covered by the signals and you will find the device taking long to give the bike’s exact location. Such a bounce can cause you to receive inaccurate information when on your daily activities. Such bounces can at times cause GPS failure. On the other hand, if there are no bounces you can easily the right GPS with high accuracy.
Weather conditions
The signals pass through different climates while moving around the earth. Some air conditions can negatively affect accuracy, while others can affect it positively. For example, during heavy rain, the signals might delay which affects the accuracy. On the other hand, when the weather is calm or sunny, the signals are usually very strong.
The geometry of the satellites
GPS includes many satellites and if you are on open ground, then you have access to many satellites. This means that the different satellites will be helping in telling your exact location, but this will only happen if the satellites sending your data are not grouped in one location on the sky. That means that if you have a bigger sky view, you will be linked to many satellites and so your GPS position will be more accurate. To get a better sky view, you can get an accurate handheld GPS unit to get better signals.
Data corruption
One of the main things that lead to inaccurate data is weak signals which are usually caused by data corruption. Many criminals in the world have been hacking tracking devices, jamming them to make sure they give the wrong information. To stay safe makes sure you buy the right device for your motorbike.
Other errors
Other problems affect GPS location accuracy or failure. Its failure or accuracy may vary depending on hardware integrity, signal strength, and the firmware used (is it updated?) some settings can also alter the accuracy. A good example is, if you decide to set your motorbike’s GPS unit to an automatic-pause as soon as it halts, that can affect the accuracy of the device. The reason is that before the unit works again, you may need to ride several meters away unceasingly so that the unit can start working again.
Thankfully, GPS failure or GPS accuracy should not worry you so much since there is more to be done to prevent it. As long as you avoid the above things that affect its performance, you will be good to go. You will enjoy riding hundreds of miles on your motorbike without any problem.
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