Finding Exact Coords

[+jallman]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

[+Team Cotati]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

 

Back off the cache location 50' or so. Walk to the cache and take a reading. Do this 3 times from three different directions if possible. If the 3 readings are 'close', make an average. If they are not 'close' repeat until they are. Otherwise just do the best that you can with the circumstances at hand.

 

BTW, there are no 'exact' coords. It is a matter of equiptment and precision.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Team Cotati

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Some people record multiple waypoints and average them. But most people accept that the 10 - 30 feet accuracy is part of the hunt.

[+Team Cotati]

Some people record multiple waypoints and average them. But most people accept that the 10 - 30 feet accuracy is part of the hunt.

 

I quite frankly do not believe that. In my experience, virtually all cache hiders want their coords to be as 'accurate' as possible at the time of placement. Why would you do less? Finders on the other hand as we all well know need to be searching within THE radius.

[+TrailGators]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

Let your GPS settle in the same spot for several minutes. Once my GPS settles I will take an average of 50-100 readings. My GPS has an averaging feature. Finally, I will check my coords by testing them by approaching the cache from a few different angles. Edited December 1, 2007 by TrailGators

[+elmuyloco5]

Can I also suggest that you take a step back and really get a good look at your surroundings. You'll never get "right" on it, but you'd be surprised at how well you can find something by just looking around. We've gotten stuck several times by only thinking about what the GPS says, but once we took a few steps away and really looked, there it was!

[+jallman]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

Let your GPS settle in the same spot for several minutes. Once my GPS settles I will take an average of 50-100 readings. My GPS has an averaging feature. Finally, I will check my coords by testing them by approaching the cache from a few different angles.

 

Cool!! The 60CSX I'm getting does averaging!! I'll play with it in the yard when I get it before I place my first cache....

 

Thanks all!!

[knowschad]

Some people record multiple waypoints and average them. But most people accept that the 10 - 30 feet accuracy is part of the hunt.

 

I quite frankly do not believe that. In my experience, virtually all cache hiders want their coords to be as 'accurate' as possible at the time of placement. Why would you do less? Finders on the other hand as we all well know need to be searching within THE radius.

 

That would totally depend on the situation, wouldn't it? An ammo box in a hollow stump in the woods can have very rough coords. I'm not even gonna mention micros to Team Cotati, but a small cache in a spot loaded with places to hide a small would require much more accurate coords.

[+x_Marks_the_spot]

If you really want to get accurate coordinates and you have a few thousand dollars lying around, you can go for this. Subfoot accuracy!!

Edited December 2, 2007 by x_Marks_the_spot

[+briansnat]

Some people record multiple waypoints and average them. But most people accept that the 10 - 30 feet accuracy is part of the hunt.

 

I agree. To get close to perfect coordinates you need to take numerous readings over a period of several days. Most people aren't willing to do that, nor should they be expected to.

 

If you have a unit that averages, it can't hurt to use the feature, but there is no real need to average if you have a good signal. Manual averaging is a waste of time. You spend a half hour for what, an additional 5-8 feet of accuracy?

 

I think most experienced geocachers are delighted if the coords are only 10 feet off and 30 feet is perfectly acceptable. When you think about it, where would the fun be if the GPS put you dead on every time?

[+Haffy]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

Let your GPS settle in the same spot for several minutes. Once my GPS settles I will take an average of 50-100 readings. My GPS has an averaging feature. Finally, I will check my coords by testing them by approaching the cache from a few different angles.

 

Cool!! The 60CSX I'm getting does averaging!! I'll play with it in the yard when I get it before I place my first cache....

 

Thanks all!!

 

May I add one suggestion first? Why don't you go out and find a few caches first before hiding one? That way you will get an idea of how your GPS works and how others have hid theirs as well. I think I found maybe close to 100 caches before I hid my first.

[+briansnat]

Some people record multiple waypoints and average them. But most people accept that the 10 - 30 feet accuracy is part of the hunt.

 

I agree. To get close to perfect coordinates you need to take numerous readings over a period of several days. Most people aren't willing to do that, nor should they be expected to.

 

If you have a unit that averages, it can't hurt to use the feature, but there is no real need to average if you have a good signal. Manual averaging is a waste of time. You spend a half hour for what, an additional 5-8 feet of accuracy?

 

I think most experienced geocachers are delighted if the coords are only 10 feet off and 30 feet is perfectly acceptable. When you think about it, where would the fun be if the GPS put you dead on every time?

[+jallman]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

Let your GPS settle in the same spot for several minutes. Once my GPS settles I will take an average of 50-100 readings. My GPS has an averaging feature. Finally, I will check my coords by testing them by approaching the cache from a few different angles.

 

Cool!! The 60CSX I'm getting does averaging!! I'll play with it in the yard when I get it before I place my first cache....

 

Thanks all!!

 

May I add one suggestion first? Why don't you go out and find a few caches first before hiding one? That way you will get an idea of how your GPS works and how others have hid theirs as well. I think I found maybe close to 100 caches before I hid my first.

 

I will... just wondered... I don't plan to hide on until I have found quite a few!!

 

Thanks again everyone!

 

Jason

[+StarBrand]

I usually let the unit settle down and just sit at the spot for about 5 - 10 minutes and then use the averaging function built-in to average 100 or so. I figure that is going to be as close as anything I can do.

[+swizzle]

I've seen it a few times where people who are new to caching are in a hurry to put out their first cache. They walk to the location. Hide there cache and take a reading and go. It's possible that they have lost the satellites well they were walking and took the coords as far as 100 feet away and more. The best way to do it is to go back to the same spot at least on 3 different occasions and definately wait for that puppy to settle. Its always very helpful to have a cachin buddy with some experience and his own gps to double check your work. Also read those logs. If your coords are off the first few to look will let you know. If they are off then ask what coords they had and go check again. I try to get as close as possible. There will always be factors to consider. Clouds and tree cover and from what I read not to long ago one certain rock type wil throw off your gps. I also heard that large metal scrap piles will do the same. If your 30 feet off and the first cacher to look goes on a cloudy day and has heavy tree cover he coud be an additional 30 feet off. Just a few things to consider when setting up your first cache. Swizzle

[+Outlaws1]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

Let your GPS settle in the same spot for several minutes. Once my GPS settles I will take an average of 50-100 readings. My GPS has an averaging feature. Finally, I will check my coords by testing them by approaching the cache from a few different angles.

 

Cool!! The 60CSX I'm getting does averaging!! I'll play with it in the yard when I get it before I place my first cache....

 

Thanks all!!

 

May I add one suggestion first? Why don't you go out and find a few caches first before hiding one? That way you will get an idea of how your GPS works and how others have hid theirs as well. I think I found maybe close to 100 caches before I hid my first.

[+Team Cotati]

I wish that I understood where this idea of some mystical relationship between having found 100 caches and the ability to hide a decent cache.

 

As much as some seem to wish that this stuff was close to requirig highly developed rocket science skills, it doesn't. Oh for sure having some level of knowledge and experience regarding cache hiding is a good thing, 100? No.

[Jonathan360]

hmm

[+PhxChem]

Manual averaging is a waste of time. You spend a half hour for what, an additional 5-8 feet of accuracy?

 

I take one reading. Walk away from the cache. Go back to the cache. Take another reading. Walk away from the cache. Go back to the cache. Take a reading. Then average.

 

Seems to work pretty good.

 

3 readings don't take that long to average. I must just have some good book learnin'!!

 

As much as some seem to wish that this stuff was close to requirig highly developed rocket science skills, it doesn't.

 

Geocaching, no. Tact, apparently.

Edited March 1, 2008 by PhxChem

[+JohnnyVegas]

When you hide a cache how do you get exact coords? The GPS might be plus or minus 10-30 feet or more. Just wondering if there are any techniques for cutting the tolerance down as close to zero as possible.

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

You don't get the exact coordinates, unless you have a survey quality GPS, and even if you did it would not matter because the person looking for the cache will have a regular GPS anyway.

 

edit to add:

I turn my GPS on when I leave my house, then when I hide a cache I take one reading-save it-go home-and write the cache page.

With the quality of GPSr these days, taking lots of readings and then averaging them out for the most part is a waste of time.

I have seen bad coordinates when a cacher turns on his/her GPS after hidding the cache and then saves the coordinantes just seconds after the GPS get logged on.

Just like when I am out caching with my caching partner and he waits untill we get to the cache site to turn on his GPS (I think he is trying to save batteries) He is way off looking in the wrong direction while I am signing the log.

Edited March 1, 2008 by JohnnyVegas