Newbee seeking advice

[+okc553]

Hello everyone. I have only recently discovered the joys of Geocaching so I am still stumbling about learning, but enjoying it all as well! Two questions:

Firstly, I need some advice on which Handheld GPS to buy.

Secondly, until I buy a handheld I am relying on my iPhone and the Geocache App. For some reason, the "Accuracy" is set t/o +/- 65m, which makes things a little tricky. Is there a way of changing that setting please?

Thanks in advance.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Hello everyone. I have only recently discovered the joys of Geocaching so I am still stumbling about learning, but enjoying it all as well! Two questions:

Firstly, I need some advice on which Handheld GPS to buy.

Secondly, until I buy a handheld I am relying on my iPhone and the Geocache App. For some reason, the "Accuracy" is set t/o +/- 65m, which makes things a little tricky. Is there a way of changing that setting please?

Thanks in advance.

 

Which App? Groundspeak have two, and there are others!

But, usually you can't change the 'accuracy'

 

Follow the arrow has a section on various GPS's and how they compare. (It's written by one of the UK reviewers) and lots of other helpful info for cachers, especially those in the UK.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

It's not true "accuracy", and it isn't a setting. It is a 'margin of error' possibility. ALL GPS-type devices have it... it's a part of the beast.

Yes, for brevity, they call it "Accuracy", but that truly isn't what it means.

 

If that is the sole reason that you want a dedicated unit, it is not necessarily a good reason.

 

Some dedicated units may be more consistent, but they all have a 'margin-of-error', regardless. Even within the same Brand/make/model, there are variations in that factor.

 

 

If you expect to find a consumer-grade unit that will take you TO a geocache each and every time, it simply isn't going to happen. It will take you to the area of a geocache (coordinates)... at least not a unit that most of us would be willing to shell out for.

In that geocaches are supposedly placed with other consumer-grade device readings, a professional-grade unit does you no good anyway.

 

Any Garmin unit or even Magellan unit should suffice, newer models of course, have more "frosting" -- handy, but unnecessary features.

"Frosting" is nice, to be sure... but not really necessary.

[+whh0]

This may appear a silly question but you do have the GPS enabled on your phone don't you? I once forgot to switch it on and my phone was telling me the cache I was looking for was in the middle of a runway!

[+WarNinjas]

I have found over 3000 caches and hidden over 150 all using a phone. I did buy a real gps but don't use it.