Data Hacking

278 Part IV — Playtime
Test all the batteries you plan on taking with you before setting off. You can use a simple battery
meter (see Figure 11-24), available from photographic outlets and other electrical stores.
FIGURE 11-24: Battery tester
Better Antennas
If you don’t have good satellite reception, then geocaching is a no-no. Usually, when outdoors
you get pretty good reception, but if you have to travel into tree-covered areas or valleys, you
may find it easier if you take steps to improve the reception of your GPS receiver. There are
two things you can do.
The first is to use an external antenna, like the one shown in Figure 11-25, which is designed
for the Garmin GPS III, GPS III+, and GPS V.
These antennas either replace the existing antenna or connect to a separate socket. Along with
the upside of better reception, there are downsides. While they are usually much better than
built-in antennas when under the cover of trees or in areas where rock faces reduce the efficiency
of the factory-shipped antenna, they do draw more power from the unit than the built-in
antenna. This means that having additional power sources becomes vital.