Placing my first cache. Noob question

[+rebelace]

I feel like I am overlooking something really obvious in the manual and on the forums despite my endless searching for this answer. But I recently purchased a Garmin Oregon 400T to help me with my new found hobby and want to place a cache. I see that the best way is that some nicer GPS is to "average a waypoint" is this possible with my Garmin?

[GreenLantern5000]

It should be able to do that........ To be sure though, check the manual for "averaging waypoints".

[+Arrow42]

I feel like I am overlooking something really obvious in the manual and on the forums despite my endless searching for this answer. But I recently purchased a Garmin Oregon 400T to help me with my new found hobby and want to place a cache. I see that the best way is that some nicer GPS is to "average a waypoint" is this possible with my Garmin?

 

Even if the GPSr doesn't have the the ability built in, you can do it by hand.

 

1. Stand over GZ for a few moments, write down a reading.

2. Walk a few dozen yards in one direction and walk back. Take a new reading.

3. Repeat step 2 until you feel silly. (4 readings in total would be fine)

4. Leave GZ and come back at a different time. Repeat steps 1 to 3.

5. Take all 8 readings and check for outlyers. If one number seems way off compared to the rest, toss it out. If all 8 readings seem wildly different (100+ feet), then there might be something wrong your GPSr or tree/building coverage just might be too much to get reasonable accuracy. Consider using hints to get the person closer. ("Near the forked tree", etc)

6. Find the average like you normally would for any set of numbers.

 

Don't feel that you necessarily need to do all of this every time. It might be a little excessive if the hide is fairly obvious.

[knowschad]

It is my understanding that waypoint averaging was recently added to the Oregon firmware

 

(see version 2.97 changes here: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4393)

 

There is also a Wherigo program available that someone wrote that will do waypoint averaging.

 

However, while I am a strong believer in waypoint averaging, Garmin's techs (who I'm sure know a whole lot more than this geocacher) have a different opinion:

 

http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/20...-averaging.html

[+Haffy]

One other thing I would like to suggest. Don't be in such a big hurry to hide your 1st cache. Have fun finding them and get a "feel" of the type of cache you like to find and do some serious planning and make it an interesting hide. Don't just go out and put it under some lampost or guardrail just for the sake of hiding one.

[+StarBrand]

Don't worry about averaging. Modern units do not have a problem of showing spurious instantaneous data.

 

Consider the following scenarios.

• the sats have poor geometry, weak signals - Result: you averaged bad data.
  
• The sats have excellent geometry and goos signals - Result: no need to average.
  
• So-So sat geometry and mid range signals - Result: Once in a while averaging helps out.
  

Let your unit settle down and take a reading - call it good.

[+briansnat]

I feel like I am overlooking something really obvious in the manual and on the forums despite my endless searching for this answer. But I recently purchased a Garmin Oregon 400T to help me with my new found hobby and want to place a cache. I see that the best way is that some nicer GPS is to "average a waypoint" is this possible with my Garmin?

 

If your GPS automatically averages then you may as well use the feature. It can't hurt. But in most instances I feel that averaging is a waste of time, especially if you are doing it manually. For you to get a proper average you'd need to return to the spot over a period of a few days and take readings with differing sat alignments. Even if you do this you are only going to improve your coordinates by a matter of a few feet, virtally insignificant when it comes to geocaching.

 

If you have good reception conditions, a good signal and good sat alighment you should get a good reading regardless. So let your GPS settle for a minute or so, mark a waypoint and you are done. If you have lousy conditions, signal or sat alignment then you will only be averaging bad data.

 

I've placed cose to 270 caches and haven't averaged the overwhelming majority of them. I rarely get complaints about my coordinates and in the few instances where I do they are usually on caches where I

averaged (largely because when I do average its when conditions are poor).

Edited July 20, 2009 by briansnat

[+rebelace]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Answered my question

[+GrateBear]

One more option--I'll take two or three readings at the site, then go on Google Earth and find the same location. Most times, I can pretty much zero in where I've placed the cache and the coords are really close to the average of the readings I've taken. This is really helpful when placing a cache in an area where there are tall buildings around and the GPSr jumps all over the place.

[+Jeep4two]

As posted above - waypoint averaging isn't built into the unit from the factory since the latest beta firmware is. . . . well beta.

 

However if you don't mind running beta firmware you can have the averaging by loading the 3.01 (or any version at or above 2.97 - although you should skip 2.99).

 

I recently did my first hide, and used averaging (took initial read, averaged right then, then returned a few days later while waiting to get published and avearged again). My feedback from the first few finders has been positive.

 

My hide site is in heavy tree cover and a deep valley with little sky to the west. That's why I wanted to use averaging. However with that said, my Oregon 400t only moved the initial read about 7 feet from the primary read across the two days and about 20 total minutes of data collection, so as some have said, manually averaging is an OK way to go, or just going with your first read as long as your unit has a good solid lock and good signal is fine.

 

Now - sit back and enjoy your soon to come logs - great fun!