Garmin GPSMAP 2206, 2210 Owner's Manual

Also see for GPSMAP 2206: Quick reference guide Install guide

Contents

84 GPSMAP 2206/2210 Owner’s ManualAPPENDIX > WHAT IS WAAS/EGNOS?What is WAAS/EGNOS?The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is an FAA-funded service toimprove the overall integrity of the GPS signal for users in North America. InEurope, WAAS is referred to as EGNOS.The system is made up of satellites and approximately 25 ground referencestations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Twomaster stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stationsand create a GPS data correction message.According to the FAA’s Web site, testing of WAAS in September 2002 confirmedan accuracy performance of 1–2 meters horizontal and 2–3 meters verticalthroughout the majority of the continental United States and portions of Alaska.WAAS is just one service provider that adheres to the Minimum OperationalPerformance Standard (MOPS) for global Satellite Based Augmentation Systems(SBAS). Eventually there will be several services of worldwide geostationarycommunication satellites that broadcast integrity information and differentialcorrection data as transmitted by ground reference stations.All SBAS systems use the same receiver frequency; therefore any operationalSBAS system should be capable of providing your GPS unit with increasedaccuracy at any location in the world.Currently, enabling WAAS on your GPSMAP 2206/2210 in regions that are notsupported by ground stations may not improve accuracy, even when receivingsignals from an SBAS satellite. In fact, it can degrade the accuracy to less thanthat provided by GPS satellites alone. For this reason, when you enable WAASon your Garmin GPS receiver, the receiver automatically uses the method thatachieves the best accuracy.For more information, go to http://gps.faa.gov.WAAS CapabilityThe GPSMAP 2206/2210 is capable of receiving WAAS satellite signals.Effective use of the WAAS satellite signal may be limited by your geographiclocation in relation to those satellites, now in developmental service. WAASsatellite signal reception requires an absolute clear view of the sky and works bestwhen there are no nearby obstructions such as buildings or mountains.WAAS satellites are numbered 33 or higher when viewing the sky view on yourGPSMAP 2206/2210. Initial reception of the WAAS signal may take up to 15-20minutes, then 1–2 minutes afterwards. When WAAS differential correction hasbeen received for GPS satellites (numbers 32 or below), a “D” appears in thesignal bar of the sky view and “Ready For Navigation with WAAS” appears inthe Status field. To learn more about the WAAS system, its satellite locationsand current state of development, visit the FAA web site (http://gps.faa.gov).Because WAAS requires CPU resources of the GPSMAP 2206/2210 to searchfor and track the satellites, you can disable the WAAS feature to improve unitperformance if WAAS reception is not available in your area.To disable or enable WAAS capability:1. On the GPS tab, highlight the Setup sub tab.2. Use the ROCKER to highlight the WAAS field, and press ENTER.3. Highlight On or Off, and press ENTER.