Help! Stupid Newbie Question

[cmbleskachek]

Okay, so we VERY recently started geocaching as a family and had fun at the state parks, but since going out on our own, we've not had the best of luck! One find out 4, and the last was listed as family friendly/1.5 difficulty . . . So my question is this: How accurate are the coordinates? Once we sort of pin-point an area, how wide should our search grid be? I haven't found a good answer on this in any of the FAQs columns, so any insight would be appreciated. Also, we are using a smartphone with a c:geo app. Does accuracy vary? The garmin we used at the State Park seemed pretty precise, but I'm guessing those are also exceptionally easy caches? My son was super excited about this activity and is now getting understandably frustrated with each fruitless trek. Thanks for any thoughts, we are really hoping to figure this thing out and get rolling!!!!

[+Dan2099]

Okay, so we VERY recently started geocaching as a family and had fun at the state parks, but since going out on our own, we've not had the best of luck! One find out 4, and the last was listed as family friendly/1.5 difficulty . . . So my question is this: How accurate are the coordinates? Once we sort of pin-point an area, how wide should our search grid be? I haven't found a good answer on this in any of the FAQs columns, so any insight would be appreciated. Also, we are using a smartphone with a c:geo app. Does accuracy vary? The garmin we used at the State Park seemed pretty precise, but I'm guessing those are also exceptionally easy caches? My son was super excited about this activity and is now getting understandably frustrated with each fruitless trek. Thanks for any thoughts, we are really hoping to figure this thing out and get rolling!!!!

 

Most gps's are pretty good at getting you near 15 feet. I would recommend if you are having trouble read the hint, or look at previous logs for hints.... My first guardrail cache took me 10 minutes or more simply because it was a new hobby, just give it time a lot of people talk about honing their "geosense" its just patience and time. Also the rating score is relative to the hide.

 

If you have kids I recommend planning out a few real easy caches like a guardrail, fence, or light post to let them find. Also if you are having a real hard time send a message to the previous finder or owner for a hint.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Dan2099

[+humboldt flier]

Okay, so we VERY recently started geocaching as a family and had fun at the state parks, but since going out on our own, we've not had the best of luck! One find out 4, and the last was listed as family friendly/1.5 difficulty . . . So my question is this: How accurate are the coordinates? Once we sort of pin-point an area, how wide should our search grid be? I haven't found a good answer on this in any of the FAQs columns, so any insight would be appreciated. Also, we are using a smartphone with a c:geo app. Does accuracy vary? The garmin we used at the State Park seemed pretty precise, but I'm guessing those are also exceptionally easy caches? My son was super excited about this activity and is now getting understandably frustrated with each fruitless trek. Thanks for any thoughts, we are really hoping to figure this thing out and get rolling!!!!

 

Most gps's are pretty good at getting you near 15 feet. I would recommend if you are having trouble read the hint, or look at previous logs for hints.... My first guardrail cache took me 10 minutes or more simply because it was a new hobby, just give it time a lot of people talk about honing their "geosense" its just patience and time. Also the rating score is relative to the hide.

 

If you have kids I recommend planning out a few real easy caches like a guardrail, fence, or light post to let them find. Also if you are having a real hard time send a message to the previous finder or owner for a hint.

 

Stick to small and regular sized containers until you get a little experience under your belts.

[+K13]

Especially with young kiddos, skip the micro sized caches at first. The smalls (an up) are usually easier to find and sometimes have trade items the kids love so much. As you become more practiced at finding, try the micro sized ones, but remember there ins't room for much more than a log sheet in those.

 

Welcome to the FUN of geocaching!

[+Jayman11]

All great answers! Welcome to the fun!

[+jellis]

Another thing is to go to a local event and ask some cachers to take you around. You will get advise about geosense and what you should be looking for. I keep telling cachers as we go out and you are near an almost Needle in the Haystack type of cache, is that good Cache Owners would have some type of landmark so they can find the cache again. Like a post, tree, rock. Something they line the cache up to. You sometimes have to think like a hider. Where would YOU hide the cache. It doesn't always work but you will have better luck. And others said, read previous logs and see if anyone gave a nudge, clue anything.

[4wheelin_fool]

The app aerial picture is highly accurate, but the arrow is pointless to use on a phone. Reading the hint should help, but a GPS is much better.

Edited August 10, 2012 by 4wheelin_fool

[+jellis]

If you have Garmin, it's best to use it over a phone. I've mostly used the app on my iphone for getting information. I've only used it for finding a cache if I didn't have use of my GPS at the time. And I would never use it to place one.

[+GrateBear]

I've found that c:geo can be both good and bad. Sometimes, fairly close (you'll rarely get within 0' of a cache, but it does happen), and sometime, way off (once it was about 150' off for me). Not sure if it's the app or the phone. I usually rely on my GPSr, but every so often, use my phone. I prefer not to use the phone.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

Okay, so we VERY recently started geocaching as a family and had fun at the state parks, but since going out on our own, we've not had the best of luck! One find out 4, and the last was listed as family friendly/1.5 difficulty . . . So my question is this: How accurate are the coordinates? Once we sort of pin-point an area, how wide should our search grid be? I haven't found a good answer on this in any of the FAQs columns, so any insight would be appreciated. Also, we are using a smartphone with a c:geo app. Does accuracy vary? The garmin we used at the State Park seemed pretty precise, but I'm guessing those are also exceptionally easy caches? My son was super excited about this activity and is now getting understandably frustrated with each fruitless trek. Thanks for any thoughts, we are really hoping to figure this thing out and get rolling!!!!

 

It can, greatly. I like to use this analogy when trying to put into perspective the amount that accuracy can vary:

 

Someone has marked a certain seat in a football stadium and given you the coordinates to find that seat.

 

Terrible coordinates will only get you into the stadium itself.

Bad coordinates will only get you to the correct side of the stadium.

Poor coordinates will only get you to the correct section of the stadium.

Fair coordinates will get you to within 10 rows of the seat.

Good coordinates will get you to the correct row.

Great coordinates will point at the seat you're looking for.

 

Great coordinates are rare. Arrive at GZ with the mindset that the cache could be anywhere within a 30-40 circle.

[oliantoine]

Okay, so we VERY recently started geocaching as a family and had fun at the state parks, but since going out on our own, we've not had the best of luck! One find out 4, and the last was listed as family friendly/1.5 difficulty . . . So my question is this: How accurate are the coordinates? Once we sort of pin-point an area, how wide should our search grid be? I haven't found a good answer on this in any of the FAQs columns, so any insight would be appreciated. Also, we are using a smartphone with a c:geo app. Does accuracy vary? The garmin we used at the State Park seemed pretty precise, but I'm guessing those are also exceptionally easy caches? My son was super excited about this activity and is now getting understandably frustrated with each fruitless trek. Thanks for any thoughts, we are really hoping to figure this thing out and get rolling!!!!

 

It is normal to encounter a couple of DNF at the beginning...

The posted coordinates are (should be) fairly accurate, generally a couple of feet. Your GPSr precision can greatly vary with the weather, the tree coverage,...

The best advice I could give you is : when you are approaching the cache location (< 50 feet), stop looking at your smartphone screen, look around you instead! Search for hints, tracks of previous cachers, unusual thinks, potential locations,... Trust your instinct and the more cache you find, the easier the next one will be to find!

[+ayrbrain]

We were the same starting out. But once you have found different size caches you begin to see how it works. I know we did. I have also learnt that if I think " it couldn't be in there!" then it most likely is. Many a time I haven't looked at a certain area because 'it couldn't possibly be there" only to look later and spy it. Our town is full of micros so that was a learning curve for us. Good luck and enjoy.

[+stijnhommes]

I've had no problems finding micros, but they're were usually near a landmark. If you're searching in state parks, you don't have that luxury. Keep in mind that even under the best of circumstances, the coordinates can be off, so a search radius of 10-15 feet isn't unusual. Don't just look at the coordinates, though, read the cache description carefully and look for hints and when you get nearby, think like a hider. Where would you hide that cache?