Hopelessly Lost

[JR3592]

I am new to the world of Geocaching and I am having some trouble. Sorry if this is a duplicate topic but I searched and did not find anything related. I have a Garmin Etrex (original old yeller) and sometimes when I type in a coordinate I come right on top of the cache, the next time I might be looking 30' out in the river when the cache is 400' down river of where the Etrex says it is. Is there that much differance between units readings or is the Etrex just messed up? Is there some way to calibrate the unit? I don't have the money to replace the unit that I bought to assist in me in finding my way back out of some place I got into. I respond to natural disasters and assist survivors in recovery. I bought the Etrex to plug in a waypoint and then drive/walk into a disaster area and then use the Etrex go get back out. In most natural disasters all road signs are gone and navigation can be a nightmare. I did'ny need to find someplace, only my way back. The old girl has worked wonders for me in the past but not to well for gepcaching. Any suggestions?

[+dfx]

You may have some coordinate format or datum issues. Coordinates listed on geocaching.com are in DDD MM.mmm format and in WGS84 datum. Make sure your eTrex is configured to the same settings. If you do find that it was set to something else, you need to enter/transfer any waypoints that you may already have created again.

Edited July 24, 2011 by dfx

[+Night Stalker]

It might also be the hiders issues. If you are coming within 20' of the cache most of the time I would doubt that it is your GPS. Sometimes the hider accidentally reverses a coupled of the number in the coordinates. Sometimes that person does not take the time to average his coords to make them more accurate, and I have found at least one cacher that thinks it should be more challenging so the coordinates are always off. If you really have concerns try caching with an experienced cacher and compare where you both zero out.

[JR3592]

You may have some coordinate format or datum issues. Coordinates listed on geocaching.com are in DDD MM.mmm format and in WGS84 datum. Make sure your eTrex is configured to the same settings. If you do find that it was set to something else, you need to enter/transfer any waypoints that you may already have created again.

 

Ok - this is how it's set up with one exception, my position format is actually listed as hddd.mm.mmm' I think this is the same since there is nothing else close and I do have the WSG84 datum.

[JR3592]

It might also be the hiders issues. If you are coming within 20' of the cache most of the time I would doubt that it is your GPS. Sometimes the hider accidentally reverses a coupled of the number in the coordinates. Sometimes that person does not take the time to average his coords to make them more accurate, and I have found at least one cacher that thinks it should be more challenging so the coordinates are always off. If you really have concerns try caching with an experienced cacher and compare where you both zero out.

 

Depending on the degree of accuracy from the satellite reception I'm somewhere "close" except a couple of way off's that were in the 100's of feet and then we'll blame that on the hider. Thanks, Jim

[+New Jersey TJ]

It might also be the hiders issues. If you are coming within 20' of the cache most of the time I would doubt that it is your GPS. Sometimes the hider accidentally reverses a coupled of the number in the coordinates. Sometimes that person does not take the time to average his coords to make them more accurate, and I have found at least one cacher that thinks it should be more challenging so the coordinates are always off. If you really have concerns try caching with an experienced cacher and compare where you both zero out.

 

Depending on the degree of accuracy from the satellite reception I'm somewhere "close" except a couple of way off's that were in the 100's of feet and then we'll blame that on the hider. Thanks, Jim

 

For the "way offs", read back through the logs to see if others commented that the coords were "soft" (this sort of means "way off" . . lol). In some cases you may even see better coordinates posted. Unless the cache is new, if the coords are off, chances are someone would have commented to that effect.