Bringing a GPS? - Lower balcony may be best

[dance4fun]

We did a trip to Alaska last year. I had downloaded all the topo maps for the trip to my GPS unit. It was great. Any time we want to know exactly were we were, we pulled out the GPS and fired it up from either the balcony or when on excursions. We used it to record the (exact) track of our float plane on the glacier excursion and the boat locations on the whale watching tour. Our cabin was two decks below the Lido overhang.

 

This year, we did a tip to Canada (St. John and Halifax) from NYC. I pre-loaded the GPS with all the maps. But when I tried to acquire singals from the balcony on this trip, the Lido deck overhang blocked the GPS' view of the sky. We were one deck below the Lido. Even two decks down might have not been enough to see sufficient sky.

 

Bring your GPS, they can add a lot to your trip. But consider the overhang.

 

On our next cruise, we are more on a middle deck than on the upper balconies.

[donaldsc]

I am not sure what model GPS you have but some of the new ones have a more sensitive chip. I can receive a good signal on my NUVI 660 inside my house. I also do not have to put it on the dashboard of the car - I can put it in the console between the seats and get a good signal.

 

Another possible solution (if one is available for your GPS) is an amplified external antenna. You can probably pick one up for $25 - $35. I bought one for the NUVI and I do not needed although when I use it on the console with the external antenna, all the signal strengh bars are maxed out.

 

DON

[dance4fun]

Thanks. We do have an older Garmin model with an optional external antenna meant for marine usage. The overhang on the Lido deck on the Victory was significant and the metal much thicker than a car roof. We could get a couple of signals, but not enough for a good fix. In Alaska, we could get a signal with or without the external ant. Thanks for your suggestion.