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Why cant I find Caches?


duke2k

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:laughing: Hi I have a Lowrance ifinder go2 gps. I have looked for several caches in my area and haven't found a thing. I have programmed the waypoints into the unit and manage to get to the rough location but I can't seem to get into the exact possition for the coordinates. The unit will tell me that I am within a few feet of the cache but the distance from the cach seems to change although I haven't physically changed position. I also find that the compass pointer arrow seems to turn a lot so that I dont know which direction to travel in.

Can someone please give me better guidance than my gps does?

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When you get close, quit looking at your GPS and look for hiding places. It will get you 10 - 25 feet, add to that the tolerance of the hiders GPS you might be several feet away. Start looking for the regular size with easy difficulty. Some micros can be difficult. Like the movie, "use the force Luke. I too have a Lowrance GPS, it is very good, but never intended to get exact. Consumer grade GPS are just for close, not exact. Nothing wrong with your Ifinder.

 

1. Find a local cacher to go with. 2. Email and ask for more help or clues on some you were unable to find, 3. Go to an event and talk with others.

 

Don't give up.

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:laughing: Hi I have a Lowrance ifinder go2 gps. I have looked for several caches in my area and haven't found a thing. I have programmed the waypoints into the unit and manage to get to the rough location but I can't seem to get into the exact possition for the coordinates. The unit will tell me that I am within a few feet of the cache but the distance from the cach seems to change although I haven't physically changed position. I also find that the compass pointer arrow seems to turn a lot so that I dont know which direction to travel in.

Can someone please give me better guidance than my gps does?

The GPS will only get you within 15-30 of the cache. So you need to put your GPS in your pocket and look for good hiding spots when you get close.
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Depending on the terrain, the GPS will only get you close to the cache. Due to satellites being located and lost by your GPS it will change your coordinates slightly. That is why the GPS says the cache is in a different location even though you do no move. This is especially true if you are in a wooded area because the tree cover makes it hard for the GPS to get the signals from the satellites. I use a Garmin 76CS and the accuracy of it is anywhere from 9 feet to over 50 feet depending on where we are. Also, the coordinates can be off slightly depending on how accurate the GPS of the person that placed that cache was at placement. Sometimes we are within a foot or two to the cache, but we have also been up to 50 feet away. The best way to locate the cache I find depends on the type of cache (i.e. ammo box, tupperware or micro). After the GPS gets you close to the area then you just need to start searching. When you are looking around, check for areas that look out of place (i.e. if in a wood area look at stumps, holes in logs and sticks or bark that is piled up). After finding a few caches you will get a better idea what to look for. Also, make sure you read the cache page to see if there are any hints and read the old logs to make sure others are finding the cache. We used to print pages of the caches we were looking for and take that with us. But we have gone to paperless caching, which is loading the cache pages into a palm pilot so we can look at the page when we are at the site of the cache. We find that this help us. I hope this information can help you find some caches. We have been caching for 4 years now and really enjoy it. There are many different type of caches people hide, some are very hard to locate and others are real easy. Just keep trying and you will eventually find one. Good Luck.

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:laughing: Hi I have a Lowrance ifinder go2 gps. I have looked for several caches in my area and haven't found a thing. I have programmed the waypoints into the unit and manage to get to the rough location but I can't seem to get into the exact possition for the coordinates. The unit will tell me that I am within a few feet of the cache but the distance from the cach seems to change although I haven't physically changed position. I also find that the compass pointer arrow seems to turn a lot so that I dont know which direction to travel in.

Can someone please give me better guidance than my gps does?

What is the Size and Difficutly of the caches you trying to find? For new cachers, I recommend looking for caches that are "Regular-sized" with a "Difficulty" of less than '2'. After you figure out how to get to the cache location, then you can work on finding smaller caches that might be very cleverly-cammoed.

 

Also, are you sure your GPSr is set to the correct Datum. It should be set to WGS84. If it is set to NAD27 or some other Datum, the location may be tens of feet to a couple of hundred feet off, depending on where you are.

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I have programmed the waypoints into the unit and manage to get to the rough location but I can't seem to get into the exact possition for the coordinates.

 

You don't need to be in the exact position. You will rarely find the cache exactly where your GPS says it is. Relying too much on the GPS is a typical novice mistake. In reality the cache could be 30, 40, or 50+ feet from where your GPS is telling you it is. So when you get about 40 feet away start looking. If you come up empty pick up your unit and see if it's telling you something different.

 

I also find that the compass pointer arrow seems to turn a lot so that I dont know which direction to travel in.

 

The Go2 does not have a magnetic compass so you have to be moving at a fairly brisk pace for it to work. What tends to happen is that as you approach the cache you slow down. This means the compass won't work properly. Try

moving a hundred feet or so away from the area, then approaching again while walking faster.

 

The unit will tell me that I am within a few feet of the cache but the distance from the cach seems to change although I haven't physically changed position.

 

This is normal. Signals bounce around a bit. You will see more of this in ravines, near cliffs and around buildings, but it can happen even in an open field.

 

Also make sure your unit is set to the right datum (WGS84) and start off with regular sized caches rated 2 and lower for difficulty and save the micros and higher difficulty caches for when you get a bit more experience.

Edited by briansnat
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:laughing: Hi I have a Lowrance ifinder go2 gps. I have looked for several caches in my area and haven't found a thing. I have programmed the waypoints into the unit and manage to get to the rough location but I can't seem to get into the exact possition for the coordinates. The unit will tell me that I am within a few feet of the cache but the distance from the cach seems to change although I haven't physically changed position. I also find that the compass pointer arrow seems to turn a lot so that I dont know which direction to travel in.

Can someone please give me better guidance than my gps does?

 

I use the same GPS, like all the other posters any only gets you so many feet to the cache then factor in did the placer stand so far away instead of right on top of the cache for the posted coords...

 

But what I do with my Lowrance is use the arrow to get me with in so many feet then I switch to the screen that lists the coords you are at till I pin into the exact ones listed for cache, then put down the gps and start looking.

 

Hope this helps

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Try and ascertain where ground zero is with your gps unit. Then draw an imaginary circle with a radius of 15-20 feet from ground zero and keep your search within that area to begin with. It's best to use a methodical approach. If you still can't find the cache then you can expand the circle. But try to stay within the circle first so as to maximise your efforts.

Edited by gallet
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I had some hit and miss experiences with my Magellan Explorist 100.

found i had it set on the wrong datum.

I was consistantly out by 84 Meters.

Good Read and wealth of information from one newbie to another is Geocaching for Dummies.

I've just bought it and bagged my 25th find in the same week.

It explains about the Datum and search stratigies.

Probably best to get it on Amazon as many of the bookshops don't hold it in Stock

Most Importantly tho... DON'T GIVE UP!!

 

Happy Caching

Ljay [:P]

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Gallet's response actually does work, I use this method all the time, I get in the trees and lose signal, I can get within under 10 feet using WAAS, but not every cacher uses the same model GPS so their coordinates will not always be the same as yours.

Do not worry about the quailty or the neat things the fancy GPS units have, I started with a Geko 101 and now have a legend and love it.

Another suggestion would be to go out with another geocacher, once you start understanding the methodolgy in hiding a cache it becomes easier to find the caches.

Whatever you do, do not give up, once you find your first cache you will be hooked for good, I am also a newby at this, I only have 50 finds right now. I am looking forward to my 100th find.

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