GP-1 Question: Battery and Accuracy

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GP-1 Question: Battery and Accuracy

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Started 3 years ago by shineofleo
Latest reply from heartyfisher
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shineofleo

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Joined: May '10
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Just took quite a few pictures with GP-1 attached on the D3, and got 2 major question.

The first one is the battery usage. I took around 300 pictures and used 40% of the battery. Is that normal? I took most of the picture outside, but there are some indoors, which is impossible to get the GPS info anyway, but I leave the GP-1 flashing red. (The GP-1 LED is off if the metering is taking a rest as well, once you half press the shuttle release, it will come back if, you are outside)

The second one is the accuracy. I use NXView to check the GEOTAG, supported by Google map. The position is not right. For example, I took some pictures along a river, but it shows I was in the river... So is there anyway I can fix that?

Cheers!

Posted 3 years ago #
a-dobbins91

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GPS Data isnt 100% accurate.
You need to allow about 15 metres of lee way as to where you are.
AS for the battery dont know.

Posted 3 years ago #
PB PM

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The GP-1 is know to suck battery life, so the increased draw sounds normal. If you are shooting in an area you know it will not work turn it off. It will cause more power draw in areas where I cannot find a signal, because looking for a signal takes more power for a GPS unit than maintaining a connection.

Posted 3 years ago #
Anaxagoras

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a-dobbins91 said:
You need to allow about 15 metres of lee way as to where you are.

True. GPS accuracy depends on many factors (number and position of satellites, weather, reflecting surfaces, etc) but 15 metres (50 feet) is all that can be guaranteed. In normal day-to-day use, however, you can generally get within 5 metres (15 feet) or better.

From what I know (and I could be wrong) the GPS chipset used in the GP-1 is not the 'latest and greatest'.

Also, I don't know how accurately GoogleMaps, etc. are aligned with their GPS positions. It wouldn't seem unreasonable to have some discrepancies, i.e. globe shaped (3D) earth -> flat (2D) maps.

Just for interest, the European Galileo system is due to come on stream in the next couple of years. It's forecast to be accurate to within 1 metre or better.

Posted 3 years ago #
clillja

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From Wikipedia: "Like the US GPS, use of basic (low-accuracy) Galileo services will be free and open to everyone. However, the high-accuracy capabilities will be restricted to military use and paying commercial users."

So don't expect significantly higher accuracy from Galileo unless you are a "premium" customer.

Posted 3 years ago #
clillja

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shineofleo said:

The second one is the accuracy. I use NXView to check the GEOTAG, supported by Google map. The position is not right. For example, I took some pictures along a river, but it shows I was in the river... So is there anyway I can fix that?

Cheers!

You can manually tweak the data it if it makes you feel better. But really, without a high accuracy set up, it's had to know how much of the error lies with the GPS and how much with the map. I'm sure neither is perfect. I get accuracy to about 6m with a fairly current chipset and a wide, unobstructed view of the sky.

Yep, it uses some of the camera's battery power. It's worth it, in my opinion.

Posted 3 years ago #
shineofleo

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Joined: May '10
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Thank you guys!

As for the accuracy, I can accept the small error. But for now, most of my pictures are labeled in the middle of nearby river, which is quite funny. Well, I think I will manual tweak it if I can find out the offset.

I agree that turning the GP-1 off where it doesn't work. But how? The only way to shut it down is... unplug the 10-pin cable as far as I can see. Any good idea?

Posted 3 years ago #
Anaxagoras

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clillja said:
From Wikipedia: "Like the US GPS, use of basic (low-accuracy) Galileo services will be free and open to everyone. However, the high-accuracy capabilities will be restricted to military use and paying commercial users."

So don't expect significantly higher accuracy from Galileo unless you are a "premium" customer.

Further down the Wiki article, and from what I've heard elsewhere, Galileo's basic accuracy is in the metre range. Galileo's premium service gives centimetre accuracy.

A more pertinent argument is whether domestic users will take to Galileo. GPS receivers are now manufactured and sold in such huge numbers (i.e. cheap) that it will be difficult for Galileo receivers to break into the market and compete. Early Galileo receivers will inevitably be expensive and it's quite possible they will not reach the critical mass to become as cheap as GPS receivers.

Incidentally, the chipset makes a significant difference. I've used a Sony GPS unit (hopeless, positions me hundreds of metres from where I really am) and a Solmeta Pro (excellent, if I move 5 metres it correctly reflects it on the map!). Motor vehicle satnavs automatically adjust your position so that if you're anywhere NEAR the road you are ON the road thereby giving a false sense of accuracy.

Posted 3 years ago #
heartyfisher

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I used to work with a stevadore and we were using GPS with a ground-station to position robots that moved containers and stack them in the yard. All computer controlled with dual screen Macs. sure was a fun project to be involved in. needed to be accurate to a few millimeters :-)

Posted 3 years ago #

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GP-1 Question: Battery and Accuracy

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