It's on the screen of the unit when showing what satellites its connected to (unit on the right, 1.8 meters):
View attachment 1997401
In addition to multi-GNSS (using GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO), they're utilizing multiband support, adding the
L5 frequency supported by newer GPS satellites. That's where the increased accuracy is gained. To my knowledge, the only non military devices in the US that can do this are currently the GPSMAP 65S and 66SR.
A
review of the GPSMAP 66SR talks about this a bit and the compares the accuracy to other devices (GPSMAP 66i, IPhone 12, Fenix GPS watch).
OK I didn't think Garmin was silly enough to claim 6 foot accuracy. The review is like many I have read. The guy likes his GPS unit and it does look like a nice one.
If you read the article for the actual comparison data he collected along his grand canyon trail test:
The Garmin 66sr unit was 94% accurate.
The Fenix 6s pro solar was 93% accurate.
The Garmin 66i unit was 91% accurate.
The iPhone was 87% accurate.
The Garmin 66sr came closest on distance with a 1.4 mile distance error over the 23.2 mile trail.
The Precision was slightly better than the other GPS units tested but the margin for precision error was about the same as the others.
I've written software for, and tested, many GPS units over the last 12 years or so. The results you see above from the article are typical for most GPS units I've tested in that time.
The testing of GPS against aerial photos is inherently inaccurate. Aerial photos have a margin of error on flat land of about 30 foot. In steep terrain that error goes way up. Without measurement in relation to known control points any estimation of accuracy is purely anecdotal.
As a practical matter when testing I've found the antenna design and the placement of the unit in relation to nearby objects, including your body, has more effect on the accuracy of readings than the chipset or any whiz bang features. If the person who wrote the article had mounted the GPS units along the same horizontal plane and in the same relationship to the person carrying it I'm sure you would see the differences between the units tighten up considerably.
The reason Garmin, and the other GPS manufacturers don't use accuracy as a selling point is because GPS units are measuring devices. Measuring devices are subject to ISO standards of accuracy for measurement. That's a tough standard to excel in for GPS units because the ISO standard uses both accuracy and precision to calculate the resulting accuracy figures. When using that standard all GPS units will at best reflect the base system accuracy of 10 meters (33 feet).
You can read more about accuracy and precision here:
Accuracy is how close a measurement is to the true value, while precision is how consistently you get the same measurement under the same conditions.
www.thoughtco.com
The GPS satellite timing systems have been improved over time. That results in better positional accuracy for all units in ideal conditions. When conditions are not optimal the number of signals, signal cohesion, antenna design, dwell time and operator placement become the determining factors in accuracy. The only improvement a manufacturer can bring in that more typical use situation is improved antenna design.
After years of testing I prefer Garmin manufactured units. They are robust with generally good design and most handheld units have good antennas. If I were looking for a new GPS unit I would definitely consider one of these units.
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