Garmin GPSMAP 176 Owner's Manual

Also see for GPSMAP 176: Quick start guide Owner's manual and reference guide Specifications Quick start guide Owner's manual and reference guide

Contents

Garmin GPSMAP 176 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 54 page image

50 GPSMAP 176/176C Owner’s ManualM AIN MENU > GPS TABGPS TabThe GPS tab provides a visual reference of satellite acquisition,receiver status, and position accuracy. The status information showswhat the receiver is doing at any given moment. The sky view andsignal strength bars give an indication of what satellites are visibleto the receiver and whether or not they are being tracked. The signalstrength is shown on a bar graph for each satellite, with the satellitenumber below. As the receiver locks onto satellites, a signal strengthbar appears for each satellite in view, with the appropriate satellitenumber underneath each bar.The progress of satellite acquisition is shown in three stages:• No signal strength bars—the receiver is looking for thesatellites indicated.• Light signal strength bars—the receiver has found thesatellite(s) and is collecting data.• Dark signal strength bars—the receiver has collected thenecessary data and the satellite(s) are ready for use.As soon as the GPSMAP 176/176C has collected the necessary datafrom the best satellites in view to calculate a fix, the status fieldindicates 2D or 3D status. The unit then updates the position, date,and time.You can use the sky view to help determine whether any satellitesare being blocked, and whether you have a current position fix(indicated by a 2D, 2D Differential, 3D, or 3D Differential in thestatus field). The sky view shows a bird’s-eye view of the position ofeach satellite relative to the receiver’s last known position. The outercircle represents the horizon (north up), the inner circle 45º above thehorizon, and the center point a position directly overhead. You canalso set the sky view to a Track Up configuration, causing the top ofthe sky view to align along your current track heading.WAAS CapabilityThe GPSMAP 176/176C is capable of receiving WAAS (Wide AreaAugmentation System) satellite signals. WAAS is an FAA (FederalAviation Administration) funded project to improve the overallaccuracy and integrity of the GPS signal for aviation use, but land/seabased users may also benefit from this system. At this time, thesystem is still in the development stage and is not fully operational.There are currently two WAAS satellites that can be received in theU.S.A., one over the Atlantic Ocean and one over the Pacific Ocean,in a geostationary orbit over the equator. Effective use of the WAASsatellite signal may be limited by your geographic location in relationto those satellites, now in developmental service.