GPS Device Lost Signals

Q. Dear go4awalk

I came across your terrific website while continuing in my quest to find a reliable GPS for hiking, and read your article about GPS's.

Perhaps you can answer a question for me. I have owned a Garmin 12CX for about 6 years, but use it very little. I have found that, unless I'm holding the &^%$%^& unit out at a 45 degree angle from my chest, that I can not maintain a signal.

I've never gotten any resolution from Garmin, and have always wondered:

a) is this GPS defective, or

b) are they all so unreliable?

It seems that no one would buy the damn things if you had to constantly hold them with arm extended out from your body; who can hike like that for 8-10 hours?

Can you give me some direction (pardon the pun) with my problem?

Thank you!

Yours,

A. Peter Varney
Londonderry NH, USA

A. Sound to me like your GPS Device is defective - I'd take it back to the shop. They are usually much more reliable than that - though it can be difficult to maintain a signal under tree cover.

For more general information on GPS and GPS Devices - see

For fellow user Questions and Answers about GPS and GPS Devices - see