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Entering Coordinates


Ramblin Raccoons

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I'm relatively new to geocaching and have found a handful of general caches (not sure if that's their actual name) where you download the coordinates from geocaching.com and follow your directional gps until you find the cache location. I wanted to try out a different type of cache so I located a puzzle cache in my area. The coordinates given are only to get you to the puzzle, not the actual cache. I deciphered the puzzle and found out what coordinates I needed to lead me to the cache but now I'm stuck. I'm using my iPhone with the geocaching.com app (the paid one, not the free one) and it was working well for a beginner like me until this point. I have no idea how to input a set of coordinates to search for as opposed to just searching the already entered cache coordinates from the geocaching site. The only place I can even find that lets me add coordinates is to set a waypoint, but I believe that only puts a pin in the spot I'm standing, or next to "the cache" where in my case, the cache isn't actually THE cache, just the puzzle clue. If anyone could help me figure out how to input new coordinates I'd really appreciate it. Or am I going to need to break down and buy a handheld gps to do these more involved caches?

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I'm a little confused...you say you are using the official Geocaching app from Groundspeak, right? I'm asking because I don't know any way to drop a pin on the map with this app.

 

Now, assuming you are using the official app, when you are in the Navigate to Geocache screen (in other words, while you are actively navigating to a particular cache) there is a little flag icon in the upper right hand corner next to the Compaas icon. Tap that.

 

Soooo many folks come on the forums asking about this, it's far and away the most commonly asked question about the app because it's not real obvious.

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I'm a little confused...you say you are using the official Geocaching app from Groundspeak, right? I'm asking because I don't know any way to drop a pin on the map with this app.

 

Now, assuming you are using the official app, when you are in the Navigate to Geocache screen (in other words, while you are actively navigating to a particular cache) there is a little flag icon in the upper right hand corner next to the Compaas icon. Tap that.

 

Soooo many folks come on the forums asking about this, it's far and away the most commonly asked question about the app because it's not real obvious.

 

By the way, the "general" caches you speak of are known as Traditional caches.

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Oh, wait a minute, I think I see what you did. Did you already find the little flag icon I was talking about? Sounds like maybe you did and are asking about what to do from there. When that screen opens, it asks you to enter a new waypoint. If you tap New Waypoint you can change the name to whatever you want (like "XYZ Cache Final" or whatever). The next two lines are the coordinates....by default they are the coordinates of the spot where you currently are standing. You can click each one and change those coordinates to whatever you need and it will drop a pin at THOSE coordinates (I don't use this feature often so I forgot it does put a pin on the map....my "helpful advice" usually just involves telling people how to find the feature :) ). It also gives you the shortcut of dropping a pin at your Current Location or the Cache Location

 

Once you have created that additional waypoint, it will stay attached to that cache listing in the app. So, say you solve a puzzle at home and want to save the Final coordinates for later...that new waypoint will be on the map when you open the Navigate to Geocache for that cache. Tap the flag and select "Set as Target" to navigate to it.

 

Hope I've explained all this clearly enough. Like I said, I don't use this feature often, I usually punch additional waypoints into my GPS instead.

 

This feature would also be handy to save an additional waypoint at your current location to mark your car's location before you venture into the woods....if you get turned around and can't find your way back out of the woods, just set your car's location as target to find your way back.

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Thanks so much! That answers my question exactly. I almost had it but I was just doing too many steps when I was entering in my waypoint coordinates. I thought you had to click either "current location" or "cache location" I didn't realize that once you entered in the coordinates you didn't have to click either of those, that you just had to return to your map. Hopefully now I'll be able to solve more than just the "traditional cache" :) Thanks again.

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