more dnf than tftf. please help

[Wildthing99]

Using HTC z and cgeo. More not finds.than finds. What are we doing wrong. How can we make gps on phone more accurate. Losing children's enthusiasm fast!!!!!

[+eusty]

Any gps will only get you within about 10-20 feet of a cache, so it's more a case of looking for it!

 

As you find more then you will get to notice 'signs' that a cache is there, odd pile of sticks/stones, a path through the undergrowth etc Also which type are you after? Stick to looking for larger caches with a low difficulty rating at first

 

[+Sven.]

Remember these could be anything from a

to an

[+Rckhnd]

I had to focus on larger caches at first. I was having a hard time finding my second cache as it was a micro and I had no idea of all the ways these could be hidden.

[+mpilchfamily]

Your DNFs will drop as you become more familiar with containers used and common hiding practices. After a while you'll just be walking around and can't help but notice all sorts of great places you could hide a cache.

[+Rckhnd]

Your DNFs will drop as you become more familiar with containers used and common hiding practices. After a while you'll just be walking around and can't help but notice all sorts of great places you could hide a cache.

 

since you brought that up....

 

I was on a road trip and thought 'I bet there's a cache over there'. Broke out the iPhone app and sure enough, there was.

My next challenge will be to look and see if I can identify an area AND find a cache without any info or GPS at all!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Perhaps, just perhaps you might need open up your mind. From the log of your first find, the kiddy found it (you didn't). Remember the things are hidden. Methods of hiding can run the gamut of everything under the sun.

 

During the first few hunts, so much to remember and think about can seem a bit overwhelming, but all comes well with practice. When you are within 6 meters or so of the hide, forget about looking at your electronic unit. If you are looking at it, you aren't looking for the cache!

 

By the way, is your "find" #2 a Found It, or a DNF? You log one, but say the other.

[+niraD]

A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small size, regular size, and large size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars . Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.) And it is often best to start with traditional caches, which will be at the published coordinates. Multi-caches or mystery/puzzle caches or other cache types can require more work just to figure out where the container is located.

 

Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10'). That applies both to your GPSr, and to the GPSr of the cache owner, so you may find the container 15-20' from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate.

 

Go ahead and read the cache's additional hints (if provided), and read the past logs and look at any photos in the cache's image gallery. They may help you understand what you're looking for, and how/where it may be hidden. It may also help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak. Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums.