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GPS/Glonass: displays 50m too high?

asked 2014-05-13 15:06:50 +0300

Robomike gravatar image

updated 2014-05-13 15:09:32 +0300

I noticed a height difference of about 50 meters, when I move to points of known height (absolute altitude above sea level) in Germany, even when the accuracy is high (a few meters) and the horizontal position (i. E. in a maps app) is given very precisely. Jolla's value is higher than the real one. Android Apps and "GPSInfo" from warehouse give identical values, so I think it's the system. Someone able to confirm?

Michael

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You've confirmed it's not GPS in common that's causing the issue? I would guess other GPS-devices can/would do the same...

RobNas ( 2014-05-13 23:33:28 +0300 )edit

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answered 2014-05-13 18:51:09 +0300

lechris gravatar image

From my point of view it's a tough task to get altitude information right just from satelite navigation. It's based on trilateration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateration) and if you take the satelite's orbits into account the altitude is the dimension with the highest uncertainity in the resulting intersection figure. That's why other positioning solutions use additional sensors to get a more precise altitude.

The displayed accurracy is usually an estimation from the tracked satelite's positions and the received signal.

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Agreed, barometers are much better for estimating altitude than GPS.

I was thinking about making a temperature/barometer TOH

r0kk3rz ( 2014-09-10 21:44:09 +0300 )edit

A barometer TOH would be quite useful when sailing too.

vattuvarg ( 2014-09-12 08:28:00 +0300 )edit

sailing? I hadn't thought of that use case, I was mainly thinking of things like hiking/mountaineering or downhill activities like mountain biking, skiing where you might want to track altitude along with GPS co-ords

r0kk3rz ( 2014-09-12 13:24:20 +0300 )edit

Well, most basic tools have multiple uses...

vattuvarg ( 2014-09-12 18:56:12 +0300 )edit
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answered 2014-09-10 19:27:51 +0300

dthierbach gravatar image

Can confirm (also in Germany). It's possible that this is somehow influenced by the reference system. http://www.ottmarlabonde.de/L1/Pr1.Applet1.html shows a difference of about 50m between IfE89 (whatever that is, IfE = Institut für Erdforschung?) and geodesic systems closer to WGS 84. The original applet doesn't seem to be available anymore.

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Just to push it up... compared with my backup Jolla (marginal note: is it enthusiasm or idiocy to buy the same device twice, just because a fear of breakdown?): that second one adds further ~20 meters. So, in my patio: real height (from map) -> 224m, Jolla 1 -> 273m, Jolla 2 -> 292m. Nominal accuracy on both better than 15m. With Jolla you are always on top.

Robomike ( 2015-06-03 22:52:51 +0300 )edit
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Asked: 2014-05-13 15:06:50 +0300

Seen: 546 times

Last updated: Sep 10 '14