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New Cache = Bad Coordinates


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I've visited and found several newly published caches within the last two or three months and have noticed a definite trend toward inaccurate coordinates. One published this week was at least 50 feet off the posted mark. The cache page logs indicated that the hint is what directed people to the container. I also relied on the hint. A month earlier, myself and one other were hoping to be the FTF at a new cache but we both posted DNF's instead. The actual FTF stumbled upon the cache quite by accident, again over 50 feet away. My experience has shown that the older, more established caches have fairly reliable coordinates. At least not as far as 50 feet (or more) from GZ, and not with the regularity I'm seeing lately. Anyone else noticing this?

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I haven't noticed this, but then again, if the co-ords are going to be off, you're more likely to notice it on a newer cache because on an older cache they probably would have been corrected.

Agreed. But do you think it may have something to do with the use of cell phones as GPSr's or Google Maps or Google Earth? I heard that it's easier to find a cache with a smart phone than it is to place accurate coordinates with one. Is that true?

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I haven't noticed this, but then again, if the co-ords are going to be off, you're more likely to notice it on a newer cache because on an older cache they probably would have been corrected.

Agreed. But do you think it may have something to do with the use of cell phones as GPSr's or Google Maps or Google Earth? I heard that it's easier to find a cache with a smart phone than it is to place accurate coordinates with one. Is that true?

smart phone caching isn't "new" in technology land.

I can find caches ok with my smartphone, but I've never hidden a cache with one, so I don't really know.

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I haven't noticed this, but then again, if the co-ords are going to be off, you're more likely to notice it on a newer cache because on an older cache they probably would have been corrected.

Agreed. But do you think it may have something to do with the use of cell phones as GPSr's or Google Maps or Google Earth? I heard that it's easier to find a cache with a smart phone than it is to place accurate coordinates with one. Is that true?

Depends on the phone, depends on what you're comparing it to, depends on whether you're in the woods or not, depends on how you use it, depends on... stuff.

 

Properly used, with a clear view of the sky, I believe my Android phone's GPSr is entirely accurate enough for geocache finding and placing. Improperly used, it isn't. In deep woods it has problems, more so I would assume than a high end dedicated GPSr.

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I haven't noticed this, but then again, if the co-ords are going to be off, you're more likely to notice it on a newer cache because on an older cache they probably would have been corrected.

Agreed. But do you think it may have something to do with the use of cell phones as GPSr's or Google Maps or Google Earth? I heard that it's easier to find a cache with a smart phone than it is to place accurate coordinates with one. Is that true?

Depends on the phone, depends on what you're comparing it to, depends on whether you're in the woods or not, depends on how you use it, depends on... stuff.

 

Properly used, with a clear view of the sky, I believe my Android phone's GPSr is entirely accurate enough for geocache finding and placing. Improperly used, it isn't. In deep woods it has problems, more so I would assume than a high end dedicated GPSr.

 

Plus I don't think people who use phones average their coordinates. Can you mark a spot with a cell phone GPS app? I've always used dedicated GPS units so I don't know how it's done with apps. Back in 2002 I used a not very powerful yellow etrex for a few months and took multiple readings, I also walked away from the cache and returned to it multiple times to check the readings. Then when I moved up to more powerful GPSs I always use the averaging feature and average about 100x.

 

I do think we're seeing an increase in bad coordinates with the advent of cell phone apps and the ease of getting lat/long coordinates from online maps. I don't know how, as a community, we can stop the problem.

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I get great coordinates with my Droid. And from what I've heard the iPhone 3GS and 4 don't have the inaccuracy issues of older iPhones.

 

The issue might be less the device and more the user: those hiding caches so soon after they started caching that they not only should have more experience about caching but more experience about using their GPS device of choice.

 

It's not limited to only the uber-novices though. A local who had been caching for over a year and had about 200 finds went on a cache hiding spree and there were some coordinates issues on many of them. He did get some tips from others, make some corrections, and his subsequent coordinates have been on target.

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The iPhone 4 does pretty good if you understand it's limitations. I was 6 feet off on a properly surveyed point yesterday. However I use an Oregon 450t for placing caches. The 3GS isn't as accurate.

 

As for the original question, I've experienced poor coordinates from all ages of caches. Outside of three specific cachers, I generally see good coordinates. Those three...ouch. One uses a Garmin Nuvi to place caches.

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Although the devices used to obtain the coordinates MAY be an issue, I believe the biggest issue is that many people placing new hides are mostly in a hurry to "git 'r done". Doing anything right (especially the first time or two) takes longer than what most are willing to take. It's a matter of crossing the T's and dotting the I's.

 

It would be difficult to determine if the problem truly is because of smart phones, people who rely on maps, misreadings, or simply people that are in too much of a hurry.

 

Perhaps it is a combination of "all of the above"!

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Perhaps it's as simple as the fact that more caches are being set, so more errors occur. If 1 cache is set in each week with 90% accuracy, it will be 10 weeks before an inaccurate cache is set. If 10 caches are set in a week with 90% accuracy, every week there will be 1 cache with inaccurate coordinates.

 

Personally, I did spend a lot more time checking coordinates with my six years ago with my Etrex Legend than I spend now.

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