DESAL

Everything seems to be working with the Navigation. Running 2006.2 DVD.

BUT NO altimeter reading. It says "0" - Any ideas!!!!

I have voice, directions, satellites, ETA buy pushing the correct buttons, maps, etc. Don't know when the last Comand update was done.

Yacht Master

Del Ray Beach is pretty close to sealevel, that is 0

DESAL

Your right cann't get to much closer to sea level. The problem is we do have bridges and high spots 30' 50' above level. My had held GPS will give me a reading but is it possible that the MB system is not that sensitive??

Diesel Benz

The altitude resolution is 50 metres if I remember right. 50' would still be shown as zero.

murman

According to GPS Magazine, the increments are 100 feet.

DESAL

That could be the answer. I'll have to look to see it says in the engeering menu.

Thanks

mtnbenzer

I guess I've missed the altimeter function. Do I have it on my E-550 NAV
v.2007.1? I've seen no reference to it in the manual or on the NAV.

georgedaman

Is it possible that the altimeter is not real time measured but already writen in the data files???

Forumid

Isn't the highest point in FL something like 440 ft? Sounds like to really give your altimeter a good test, you'll need to take a nice, long road trip to somewhere like the Rockies....

DESAL

MTNBENZER,
I have 2006.2 software in a E320 but I think this applies to your 2007.1 too and your vehicle. If you have the latest comand update what I am going to explain could change a little. The new software has and ETA on the screen feature. But I have not done this update yet.

When I push the MAP button I get the map and if I push any of the small buttons along the side of the map, tabs will show. One of which says DISPLAY. Hit that one and you will see a GPS button. Turn that ON. Hit the back button and you will be back to the map. AT THE BOTTOM of the screen you should see NORTH SOUTH and numbers and to the right of that is ALT which it the altimeter reading and under that SAT which is the number of satellites that are locked on. Look in you comand manual under navigation and you should find instructions that talk about the GPS button. I idon't think it talks about the ALT feature in the GPS but on my system that is where it is.

DESAL

Just realized you have an 08 and the NAV is different. But it turns out not that much.....Went to MB web site and ran the COMAND video on your "S". Attached is one of the screens that does show EVEL (altimeter) and the SAT. So it is there. Just keep pushing buttons.

mtnbenzer

It's snowing like banshees here in the CO mtns. so I'll check on this later today. This is very helpful and it sounds as if i should be able to find this. I also got your link to video so will take a look. Since I use a GPS for outdoors I've been thinking it's weird that there isn't such a function with the MB NAV.

SAguirre

The altimeter rounds up or down to the nearest 100 feet. I grew up in Boca and I doubt that you have any area, except a parking garage, where you will be able to get the altimeter to hit 100 feet. Perhaps when you get to North Central Florida you might see some altitude. I always use my altimeter, but I am in an area where I rarely drop bellow 5,000 feet. So I don’t think that you have any problems, it is just the nature of the system and where you are driving that is causing this issue.

Steve

DESAL

Thanks Diesel Benz, murman and SAguirre....

I started the NAV and sure enough it showed "0" but this time I kept looking at the screen and once the satellites started locking on the "0" changes to 100 ft, just for a second and then back to "0".

It looks like it does some sort of a self-test. The point is that it is working.

Unfortunately I’m use to my little handheld Garmin 3600 which is much more sensitive.

By the way if anybody wants to see a altimeter reading. Take a handheld on board the next airplane ride and point it to the sky - it is really cool to see the readings and GPS locate your position.

Diesel Benz

I'm assuming it just measured the altitude with a few tens of feet error and then shortly flipped to the 100 ft side before it locked to more satellites and got a more accurate reading.

It is an inherent GPS feature that the altitude accuracy is far poorer than the lateral reading. MB may also have selected a lower display granularity just because it is less important for car driving to have an accurate altitude reading, better to have a more stable reading.

A hand held device may show altitude with finer granularity but it does not necessarily mean it is more accurate. My W221 shows lock on 12 satellites pretty constantly (can go momentarily down to 9) and my location isn't the best for GPS. With the good roof antenna I find it difficult for a hand held to obtain better absolute accuracy (or it could average a longer period, which then is a compromise at higher speed). GPS chip sets have improved recently, older MBs may not be equally accurate.

pfphipps

The altitude calculation from GPS signals is always less accurate than the other measurements. This is due to geometry and if GPS signals alone are used, it will always be less accurate. There are ways to get more accurate location, including altitude, such as WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) or differential GPS. Even some relatively cheap GPS receivers use WAAS but don't know if WAAS is used by the Mercedes receivers. (WAAS is for the USA but there are some other similar systems in other parts of the world.)

Just for information, the GPS satellites only transmit timing signals. Longitude or latitude is not transmitted. The receiver itself must convert the timing signals to what you see on a receiver. And the receiver itself must have the mapping information--the satellite signal has none of this information (or the location of nearby restaurants). This must be in the receiver. In many cases, the manufacturer thinks altitude is not the most pressing thing for a receiver and it is kind of ignored since it is less accurate to begin with--just depends on the receiver.

frogstaple

That's a cool feature. And to think that after 2.5 years and 50,000 miles of ownership I thought I knew all the little secrets in my car.