Author Topic: Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)  (Read 5867 times)

mabel

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Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
« on: November 23, 2014, 08:36:45 PM »
Can the Garmin GPSMap64 range use any kind of Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS),

As far as I am aware WASS is on available in the USA

Can EGNOS be used by the GPSMap 64?

Unfortunately I guess  not.


captain paranoia

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Re: Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2014, 10:06:11 PM »
EGNOS and WAAS  are Space-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS).  They are compatible (conforming to RTCA DO-229D, but cover different areas of the world: EGNOS for Europe, WAAS for America.  There are also systems covering other parts of the world.

So, yes, any modern GNSS receiver will be capable of receiving and using SBAS signals.

BUT ground-based users need to understand that these systems are really intended for airborne use, and correct for wide-area systematic errors.  They know nothing about the local multipath environment of a ground-based receiver, and cannot correct for these errors, which can be very significant, especially in canyon and cliff locations.  That little 'WAAS' indicator and estimated error can be very beguiling, but you need to keep watching out for possible multipath errors, and the terrain features that can cause them.