iPhone - how to determine coordinates for a new cache?

[+LoonVT]

I would like to hide my first cache. I have purchased and am using the iPhone app. When I'm at the home screen (search tab) it lists my current location coordinates. So I tried to complete the online form (old form) with those coordinates and the map put it somewhere I've never heard of (says British grid). Is this just a sample map or is it supposed to be the actual location? How do I get accurate coordinates for my cache using the iPhone app? HELP!

[+AKStafford]

The best answer is to not use an iPhone for hiding a cache. Despite their convenience they just simply are not as accurate as a GPSr.

[+Team-Facetious]

I would like to hide my first cache. I have purchased and am using the iPhone app. When I'm at the home screen (search tab) it lists my current location coordinates. So I tried to complete the online form (old form) with those coordinates and the map put it somewhere I've never heard of (says British grid). Is this just a sample map or is it supposed to be the actual location? How do I get accurate coordinates for my cache using the iPhone app? HELP!

I hid one using an iPhone app, I made sure the accuracy read within 16ft and took about 7 readings. Walk to the spot, take a reading and walk away, repeat. Then I averaged these. When viewing the cache on the map it's pretty darn accurate to the spot I placed it.

[+whh0]

People have hid caches using I-phones before with some success. You certainly need to be getting more than one reading though and use Waypoint average to get the co-ordinates as accurate as you possibly can.

[+Chief301]

You can hide a cache with an iPhone. But getting accurate coordinates is more a result of the care and patience of the hider than the device. I think the reason most iPhone hides get a bad rap is because iPhone-only cachers tend to be newer players who don't fully understand the intricacies of obtaining good coordinates. The phone itself, properly used, can provide just as good coordinates as a dedicatsd GPSr ( or at least good enough to hide a cache).

 

But, the Geocaching app is not designed for hiding caches. I believe this is intentional on the part of the developers to make it not TOO easy to hide caches. The ability to search for caches spontaneously, on the spot, and without prior planning is a good thing. The ability to HIDE caches that way, not so much.

 

Having said all that, I would recommend an app called Perfect Mark. It will take an averaged waypoint reading for you over time. Take several readings on a few different days and average them out, then test your results by navigating back to the spot with those coordinates to check for accuracy.