My first cache hide

[+dibbg]

OK - so I hide my first cache, very exciting.

 

Probably is, I guess my GPSr doesn't show accuracy to the point that is good for other GeoCachers.

 

(I can find them just fine btw)

 

Anyway, so I get to where my hide is at, and my GPS shows:

 

N 34° 59' 56" W 79° 1' 25"

 

I notice on the coordinates page the minutes go out for 4 decimal places, like:

 

N dd° mm' ss.ssss" W dd° mm' ss.ssss"

 

I had two folks find it after an hour of looking, and they said it was about 100 feet off, and they didn't happen to save the coordinates they found it at, so I can't get it from them.

 

I have a Magellan Maestro 3200.

 

This is my cache:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...11-10dc839d226f

 

Anyone know of a way I can be more accurate with the GPS I have??

 

Thanks.

[+StarBrand]

On this web site you should use a slightly different format for reporting coordinates.

 

Decimal minutes DDD MM.mmm

 

You appear to be trying to use Degree Minute Seconds: DDD MM SS.s

 

You can use the website converter to get it over into the correct format. Might set you GPS to use decimal minutes while you are at it.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

OK - so I hide my first cache, very exciting.

 

Probably is, I guess my GPSr doesn't show accuracy to the point that is good for other GeoCachers.

 

(I can find them just fine btw)

 

Anyway, so I get to where my hide is at, and my GPS shows:

 

N 34° 59' 56" W 79° 1' 25"

 

I notice on the coordinates page the minutes go out for 4 decimal places, like:

 

N dd° mm' ss.ssss" W dd° mm' ss.ssss"

 

I had two folks find it after an hour of looking, and they said it was about 100 feet off, and they didn't happen to save the coordinates they found it at, so I can't get it from them.

 

I have a Magellan Maestro 3200.

 

This is my cache:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...11-10dc839d226f

 

Anyone know of a way I can be more accurate with the GPS I have??

 

Thanks.

 

You're using two different coordinate systems. Geocaching coordinates are always displayed using the WGS84 Datum DDD MM.MMM format. You should setup your GPS such that it uses that format then go find your cache the check the coordinates. You can set your GPS down for awhile and let it settle, or if you have an "averaging" function on your GPS you can set it to repeatedly capture the location and it will update the coordinates. Try walking away from the cache and approach it a couple more times from different directions.

 

Since the person that posted the log didn't find the cache I'd take that 100' off comment with a grain of salt. A couple of weeks ago I went to find a cache and my GPS was zeroing in on an area and I couldn't find the cache. Then I saw another area about 100' away that looked like a promising area for hiding a cache. It was under a large metal bridge. When I walked to that area my GPS was telling me that I was 10' away from the cache at that location as well. I suspect that the bridge was interfering with the satellite signals for me as well as for the person that placed the cache.

[+UncleJimbo]

OK - so I hide my first cache, very exciting.

 

Probably is, I guess my GPSr doesn't show accuracy to the point that is good for other GeoCachers.

 

(I can find them just fine btw)

 

Anyway, so I get to where my hide is at, and my GPS shows:

 

N 34° 59' 56" W 79° 1' 25"

 

I notice on the coordinates page the minutes go out for 4 decimal places, like:

 

N dd° mm' ss.ssss" W dd° mm' ss.ssss"

 

I had two folks find it after an hour of looking, and they said it was about 100 feet off, and they didn't happen to save the coordinates they found it at, so I can't get it from them.

 

I have a Magellan Maestro 3200.

 

This is my cache:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...11-10dc839d226f

 

Anyone know of a way I can be more accurate with the GPS I have??

 

Thanks.

It looks like the coordinates listed on the cache page (N 34° 59.933 W 079° 01.417) are equivalent to those you posted above.

 

other conversions...

 

You might need to go to your cache location and take an average of the coordinates (if your GPSr can do that).

[+Rattlebars]

"Reboot"

 

Record coordinates (waypoint001).

Turn off your GPS

Turn on your GPS

Wait for it to get a good fix (about 40 seconds after it shows it's "found itself")

Record your coordinates (waypoint002)

Walk at least 100' one way or the other.

return

Wait about 30 seconds

Record your coordinates (waypoint003)

 

Then if you're working with N and W coordinates (US)

 

Average: N (waypoint001 + waypoint002 + waypoint003) divided by three = Post the result N

Average: W (waypoint001 + waypoint002 + waypoint003) divided by three = Post the result W

 

Substitute your hemisphere (N/S/E/W) for other locations.

 

I've never had a "coordinates were off" complaint on any of my 37 caches

[+sataraid1]

Averaging is of the most help when you can't get any kind of consistent readings. If you take 5 or 6 readings, and three of them are the same, odds are that the identical ones are correct. In that case, averaging would actually be softening your coordinates somewhat.

 

Bear in mind, though, that by the time you're splitting hairs trying to decide if that final digit is a 7 or an 8, you're talking about a nearly insignificant distance that's within the margin of error of even the most precise GPS units.

 

No one's ever going to miss finding a cache because the coordinates were ~002" off.

[+PhxChem]

On this web site you should use a slightly different format for reporting coordinates.

 

HHMMMMM.....not too sure about this one. But....here we go.....why?

[Rostropovich]

My coords for the first one I hid were off by 40 feet even though the GPS showed 6 feet of accuracy. I must of messed up somehow

[+PhxChem]

It's usually good to get a reading, walk away from the cache, walk back to the cache, get another reading and repeat a couple of times....then average the numbers.

 

Seems to have worked on my caches.

[+Okiebryan]

Turning your GPS off then on will not help. The triangulation solution improves with time, and turning it off makes it start all over. This gives you a solution that has not had time to "cook".

[+Menehune Man]

I usually "mark" the spot from 3 directions, then try each to see which one's closest.

 

Seems to work.