At 02:05 PM 15/06/03, you wrote:
> >
> >Actually, on a serious note, I have often thought about incorporating a GPS
> >into a RC plane and programming it for a specific flight plan, including
> >takeoff and landing, maintaining specific speeds and such... but the one
> >thing I never investigated is if you can use a GPS to get the current
> >altitude ?
>
>Yes, but the altitude is not very precise. I've seen boats at 1000' above,
>and 600' below sea level, on the same ocean.
>
>You're better off to use barometric or some other means.

The aviation gps's seem to be bang on for altitude. Flying around in the
mountains in a float plane it nailed every
altitude in the air or on the water. The baro altimeter might be 75ft out
on a known surface while the gps was
within 10' of the published all the time. That was just using a Garmin
handheld with the stock antenna and
3-5 lock-on's.

Dave

--
http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList
mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu