Garmin GPS III Plus - Manual (Page 35)

The GPS III+’s Satellite Status Page provides a visual reference of various receiver
functions, including current satellite coverage, receiver operating mode, battery level
and position accuracy. As the receiver locks onto satellites, a signal strength bar
will appear for each satellite in view, with the appropriate satellite number (01-32)
underneath each bar. The progress of satellite acquisition is shown in three stages:
• No signal strength bars— the receiver is looking for the satellites indicated.
• Hollow signal strength bars— the receiver has found the satellite(s) and is
collecting data.
• Solid signal strength bars— the receiver has collected the necessary data and
the satellite(s) is ready for use.
Each satellite has a 30-second data transmission that must be collected (hollow
bar status) before that satellite may be used for navigation (solid bar status). Once a
fix has been calculated, the GPS III+ will then update your position, track, and speed
by selecting and using the best satellites in view. You can also access the GPS III+’s
backlight and contrast feature from this page.
To adjust the screen contrast and/or backlighting:
1. Press LEFT or RIGHT on the rocker keypad to adjust the level of contrast, and press
ENTER to save the new contrast setting.
2. Press UP or DOWN on the rocker keypad to adjust the level of backlighting, and press
ENTER to save the new backlight setting.
Sky View and Signal Strength Bars
The sky view and signal strength bars give you an indication of what satellites are
visible to the receiver, whether or not they are being used to calculate a position fix,
and the signal quality. The satellite sky view shows a bird’s-eye view of the position
of each available satellite relative to the unit’s last known position. The outer circle
represents the horizon (north up); the inner circle 45º above the horizon; and the
center point directly overhead.
The Satellite Status Page
shows where the satellites are
and how strong the signal
is from each one. A solid sig-
nal bar means the satellite is
ready to use.
Use the LEFT/RIGHT keys on
the rocker keypad to adjust
the screen contrast and the
UP/DOWN keys to adjust the
backlighting. Press ENTER to
save the settings.
25
REFERENCE
Satellite Status Page