+LazyK Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Like any 'normal' geocacher, when I use GoogleEarth, I have the 'Geocaching Network KML' enabled. I'm noticing a small inaccuracy in where the waypoints are being calculated and therefore plotted. For example, I was looking at the cache GCT6QK (A.J.A.C.S. 2nd Annual Campout Event Cache): Listed Coordinates: N 32° 52.653 W 111° 12.026 Converted to DD: 32.87755, -111.2004333 I opened GoogleEarth and manually plotted a waypoint using those coordinates. It took me right where I thought it should be. But, when the KML finished loading, I noticed that the waypoint for the cache was a bit off from my created waypoint. Finding that curious, I saved the KML created waypoint. Geocaching Network KML: 32.8777, -111.2002 This inaccuracy is large enough so that downloading the waypoints from directly from GE to my GPS causes major problems when searching for caches. In this case, the two waypoints are ~90 feet apart. Now...for an event like this one, it's not a problem but for a micro, that's insane. Am I missing something? GE and GC both allegedly use WGS84 as the datum, so that shouldn't be the problem. Is the KML providing inaccurate/invalid coordinate values? Thanks, LazyK - Dan Link to comment
Jeremy Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 There is a link called "about google earth kml" on the my account page under the kml link. It explains the inaccuracy there. Link to comment
+LazyK Posted March 15, 2006 Author Share Posted March 15, 2006 I see that it explains that the KML waypoints aren't accurate but it doesn't explain why. Is this inaccuracy because the KML is available to everyone and it would be like getting 'free' pocket queries if the KML coordinates were accurate? LazyK - Dan Link to comment
Jeremy Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 No. It's a behavioral issue. We don't want people just using the basic coordinate data to seek caches. They should be looking at the cache details to understand the information provided to them by the cache owner. Clicking on the cache and adding to a bookmark list will give you all the cache data you need via a Pocket Query. Link to comment
+5winters Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Clicking on the cache and adding to a bookmark list will give you all the cache data you need via a Pocket Query. Any response to my thread about a possible bug with this function? http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=126373 Link to comment
+alexrudd Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 (edited) No. It's a behavioral issue. We don't want people just using the basic coordinate data to seek caches. They should be looking at the cache details to understand the information provided to them by the cache owner. OK, fair enough. (although annoying). But why do it for travel bugs? When I load a travel bug file into GE, it shows extra "steps" due to the added error. This causes the steps to be numbered wrong and makes the file bigger and more complicated. See attached image for what I am talking about. The geocache icon is GSAK export, so that's where the cache actually is. The other two are the same place, but listed twice: once for the TB entering the cache, and a different one for exiting because the coordiates "jumped" EDIT: I just noticed this same occurance has been posted by someone else, with a similar picture too. Sorry for replicating it. Edited March 19, 2006 by alexrudd Link to comment
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