Serious Help Needed

[ophelia906]

I've gone out 3 times to find caches now. First time we were searching for 2 different caches and didn't find EITHER ONE! Second time, with additional clues in hand from past logs and descriptions written down and in hand, we found the original 2 caches but the second one was really just pure chance.

 

Went out a second time tonight with hubby and pup to do a big loop where we'd be looking for FIVE caches. We found ZERO of FIVE! Three were magnetic caches including one micro. We spent about 40 minutes looking for one in a wooded area to no avail. Is it our GPS (Garmin Nuvi 255W)? Is it us? We've tried listening to the GPS talk to us, we've tried just moving until the "feet away" is within 5 (since it never seems to get to 0) and we've tried using the "Where Am I?" that tells us our exact coordinates until we're lined up with what we have written down. NOTHING!

 

Are there tricks to finding caches? I know many are camouflaged, some are small, etc but even with those points in mind we still have had a lot of trouble. We really love the idea of GC but so far have just been disappointed.

 

Please help!

[+briansnat]

First off automotive units are poor choices for geocaching. A key feature for geocachers is the compass navigation screen that points to the cache and counts down distance. Most automotive GPS units don't have this feature.

 

Second, no matter what GPS you use, with the combined margin of error of your unit and the hider's, the cache can be 30. 40 or 50+ feet from where your GPS says it is. Most novices concentrate their search in too small an area. Ignore what your GPS is telling you and think. Look around and consider where you would hide something in that general area.

[+sweetlife]

Nuvi's are not the best for geocaching, they are great to get you to the spot, but at GZ (ground zero) they are not all that accurate. Don't give up though. Even though the nuvi says 5 ft. you are lucky to be within about 30 or so. If you are going to use a nuvi for Geocaching, make sure that you have it set for pedestrian travel, or it will try to stick you to the nearest road. We have only used ours once or twice for finding a cache. and would not recommend it. I know there are others out there that will not agree with me.

 

You might want to watch Ebay for a used GPS

 

Barry of sweetlife

[hoosier guy]

Don't give up! look for some 1/1 large caches or some marked as park & grab. Start easy and work up. Hope to see you recording finds soon.

[+JL_HSTRE]

Went out a second time tonight with hubby and pup to do a big loop where we'd be looking for FIVE caches. We found ZERO of FIVE! Three were magnetic caches including one micro.

 

Magnetic caches are nearly always actually micro sized: either the nano blinkies or the rectangular key cases. The nano blinkies sometimes do not have a size listed (on the grounds that nano is too small even for a micro, though this is technically incorrect) but they are just really tiny micro caches.

 

Keep in mind magnetic caches have to be attached to something metal. I have seen a few where a wooden object has a metal plate attached to it then the magnetic cache is attached to the plate. But generally you're looking for some kind of sign, bench, or table.

 

As a new cacher you probably want to start with larger caches: medium/regular sized if you can or small if you can't. Go for caches with 1 star difficulty if possible. By starting with the bigger, easier caches you can get a better feel for the accuracy of your GPS and help get your brain more in a geocaching mode.

[+dfx]

set the nuvi to both "pedestrian" mode and "off road" mode once you leave the car. it still won't be as good as a dedicated handheld device, but at least the distance it shows you will be pretty accurate.

[+Bubbles&Bonkers]

Don't give up! We used our Nuvi for the first 150 or so and finally bought a handheld.

 

1- We always set it on the Where Am I feature.

2- Yes, look for larger caches at first.

3- Make sure you're looking for caches that have recently been found.

4- When you get nearby, stop looking at the GPS and look at your surroundings. Use "geosense". Is there a pile of sticks at the bottom of a tree covering a cache? Is there a slight path through the grass leading the way to the cache? Etc etc etc.

 

Have fun!! Maybe teach the dog to sniff 'em out, too. Okay, that hasn't worked for us yet, but maybe you'll have better luck!

[+roziecakes]

Here is my guide taken from another thread about how to cache with a Nuvi. The 255W is the exact model that I have as well, and I've used it for even deep woods caching using the method I mention below, I don't even have to put it in pedestrian mode. Best of luck!

 

I have a nuvi 255W as well. I do find caches with it, even some out in the woods, when I don't have my handheld on me. It works great, if you can get the hang of this technique. I even leave mine in automobile mode.

 

(*Note: Some newer units you can't do this with anymore, but mine is less than a year old, and it works)

 

On the main screen (where there are the "Where to" and the "View Map" icons), hold your finger down on the signal bars (upper lefthand corner) until a screen pops up with the coordinates.

 

I look at what the coordinates are supposed to be for the cache, and I start moving towards those numbers. I watch the numbers go up and down, and follow the numbers in the right direction until I get to the coordinates listed on the cache page.

 

It actually really works. It takes a little bit of practice, but it works great when our handheld GPS is at home and I want to go caching. It took me a couple of days to get it down. I know it's not as convenient as following an arrow, but you might try it!

 

Hope that helps!

[+KeeperOfTheMist]

i used to use above mentioned method on a different device. on my nuvi i usually set it to what cache i want to go to then on the map screen (after setting to pedestrian, off road) touch the top bar that tells what road your driving on etc then touch the last box on the list this will bring up a mini map kind of with better distance to cache and closer zoom, then when you get to GZ (Ground zero) as mentioned farther up put the nuvi in your pocket and look around while thinking where would be a good place to hide a cache of x size. some are REALLY creative btw so dont get disappointed if you dont find it on your first try. You will get the hang of it eventually though, and you'll also notice a lot of other things that no one even looks at normally

[DannyCaffeine]

This is what I do when my GPS decides to be touchy (and how I found caches before I had a GPS)

 

Know common kinds of hides, LPC's, magnetic key hiders, stumps, fake sprinklers ect.

 

Know what your looking for by container and hints to help zero you in if your GPS is being touchy.

 

Look for unnatural objects or places disturbed by other cachers (foot prints, flattened grass, broken ferns ect)

 

If all else fails, find a poking stick.

[+AuntieWeasel]

Second time, with additional clues in hand from past logs and descriptions written down and in hand, we found the original 2 caches but the second one was really just pure chance.

 

Don't be dissing pure chance! If it weren't for pure chance, you could cut my finds in half.

[+Stargazer22]

[snip]

 

Keep in mind magnetic caches have to be attached to something metal.

 

Actually, they don't have to be attached to anything metal. I have seen a couple of hides down here that were magnetic containers but not hidden on any metal items. Of course the hint is 'magnetic' which misleads searchers to look for ferrous items in the environment. They are usually placed where metal items are within 20 feet of GZ but they are not located on the metal item, despite being magnetic containers.

I guess it's their way of misdirecting searchers to increase the difficulty.

 

Starting out on 1/1 caches that are larger sized is going to be much easier for you. Check past logs to see that what you are searching for has been found recently.

Good luck!

[+geodarts]

It can take a little practice as you begin to learn the common hiding techniques. As others have said, "ground zero" depends on how careful the cache owner was, the kind of gpsr you are using, the strength of the signals. So under the best conditions you might have a search area of 20 feet or more.

 

When I first encountered a cache in a lamp post skirt I thought it was hard. By the time I found five of them thought they were getting old. So as you begin to find caches it becomes easier to find the next

 

Many cache owners are willing to give you extra hints if you ask, which might help in the beginning. Some local cachers might be able to go out with you, which is a good way of learning and building confidence. Titles, cache descriptions, hints, and past logs can be important. Look at cache containers on eBay on other places to get a sense of some of the camo that is out there - although personally I think regular sized ammo cans are the best.

 

If the search stops being fun, go on to another cache or do something else. You will learn which type of caches you enjoy the most so that you can focus on the ones you like to do.

[+roziecakes]

I also should mention that I do recommend that if you can get a non-car GPS for caching. While my technique that I posted above works, I only go caching with my nuvi when I don't have my regular handheld GPS on me for whatever reason.

 

Also, try to find caches with low difficulty ratings first, and also, perhaps meet up with some cachers in your local area who can "show you the ropes." You can learn some really valuable information that way.

 

Try searching for an event in your area, that's the best and easiest way to meet other cachers.

 

Best of luck! I hope you find one soon!

[ophelia906]

You all are AMAZING!! Thank you so much for the encouragement and words of advice. I'll look into buying a hand-held GPS on Ebay and will also set my GPS in the interim to "off road" mode in addition to pedestrian. I didn't know about that!

 

I'll be using all of your other suggestions as well (research containers online so I know what I'm looking for, target finding some 1/1 caches first, know that from GZ I'm looking in about a 30 foot radius, look for other cacher's markings, don't give up on pure chance, and maybe get myself a nifty poking stick as well).

 

Thank you again!!!

[+KorriganQC]

oops. Merci de supprimer mon post!

dsl.

Edited June 12, 2010 by KorriganQC

[+TeamMJ2]

I'm just glad to hear someone else is in the same boat as me. I've been digging into these forums looking for all kinds of ideas, but most of all I get good encouragement that my angst in starting out is normal. This is something I have begun loving to hate if you know what I mean.

[+Chokecherry]

There's no secret answer. It's just developing the sense.

 

I rarely find the first cache of hte day that I'm looking for. It's like my brain has to turn on. I have a hard time with micros and urban caches (I'm more familiar with the woods).

 

Today I was standing on a trail point my GPS into the woods and eyeing up all possible places a cache could be before traveling in because I knew the tree cover would be a problem. I still had to do some searching once I go there. But boy it felt good when I found it.

 

I stop looking when I stop having fun and then I move on to the next one and do that until I have some success. Then I'll clean up my DNF's here and there.

[+Mbiyf8]

I'm just glad to hear someone else is in the same boat as me. I've been digging into these forums looking for all kinds of ideas, but most of all I get good encouragement that my angst in starting out is normal. This is something I have begun loving to hate if you know what I mean.

 

ME TOO! I got off to a great start and now the last 2 times I've gone out I haven't found a thing. I've begun to wonder if something is wrong with the GPS...ha ha. I think I've got to start looking for larger caches, but there are very few near where I live.

 

I may try asking cache owners for a few hints....