Placing a cache/coordinates

[+lijohay]

I want to place a cache but my phone app doesn't give me good coordinates. Someone said try google earth, but I can't figure out how to get the coordinates on my phone. I can find them on my desktop by pointing to the area I want to place the cache, but they never match my phone. I have a garmin for driving, but not sure if that will give me correct coordinates. Wasn't sure I wanted to purchase a handheld gps yet, but is that my best option?

Thanks!

[+L0ne.R]

I want to place a cache but my phone app doesn't give me good coordinates. Someone said try google earth, but I can't figure out how to get the coordinates on my phone. I can find them on my desktop by pointing to the area I want to place the cache, but they never match my phone. I have a garmin for driving, but not sure if that will give me correct coordinates. Wasn't sure I wanted to purchase a handheld gps yet, but is that my best option?

Thanks!

 

Let us know what make and model of smartphone you have, example iPhone 4s, and we can recommend apps that will help you get more accurate coordinates. The geocaching app is not designed for getting coords. A handheld would be your best option and you would find it useful. Your garmin nuvi should work but I've never used one to get coordinates so can't instruct.

 

P.S. Don't use google earth. It's not accurate.

Edited March 17, 2015 by L0ne.R

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I want to place a cache but my phone app doesn't give me good coordinates.

Pray tell, what makes you believe the app doesn't provide you with good coordinates?

It seemingly has gotten you close enough to make almost 70 Finds.

 

What you are encountering in Google Earth is that GE is defaulted to a different coordinate format.

It is switchable...

 

Open Google Earth>

Top line menu, select Tools>

Drop down menu, select Options...>

Within that dialog box, locate a box named Show Lat/Long>

Select the third button down from the top (Degrees, Decimal Minutes)>

Bottom-right corner of that dialog box, select [Apply].

 

Coordinates now displayed in GE will be of the same format as those used by geocaching.com -- DDM or Degree-Decimal Minutes.

 

Now that you know how to do that... Never fully trust any map, especially an on-line map. USGS printed Topo maps are about as good as maps get. The inherent problem is that a flat map cannot accurately display the surface of the earth, which is not truly spherical, flat nor level.

As good as those (USGS) maps are, you cannot connect them edge-to-edge and have things (roads, waterways, contour intervals) line up from page to page. On-line maps (including GE and Google maps) are worse yet.

 

Any cheap GPSr unit will generally provide more trustworthy coordinates than will a flat map... assuming that the user knows how to properly use their device.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+geordiell]

I use an app on my iPhone 4 called Motion-X GPS its really accurate and I take a reading from that my Geocaching app and my Garmin.. 9 times outta 10 the Motion X is the most accurate from what I can tell.

geordiell

[+mrreet]

From my experience (in my area) I have found the following.

In order from least accurate to most accurate.

 

-Car / Navigation GPS (mostly tom-toms in my first hand experience)

-Early Generation Smartphones (iPhone 3gs / iPhone 4 (not s) / some black berry i had)

-Late model smartphones (iPhone 5 & 6)

-Google Earth (not maps but Earth)

-Handheld GPSr's (magellan explorist 210, Garmin Dakota 20, Garmin Oregon 600)

 

When I want to get Coords I will take two GPSr's and put them into averaging mode and grab the coords from my phone. I will then average the 3 and verify in google earth.

[+lijohay]

I want to place a cache but my phone app doesn't give me good coordinates.

Pray tell, what makes you believe the app doesn't provide you with good coordinates?

It seemingly has gotten you close enough to make almost 70 Finds.

 

What you are encountering in Google Earth is that GE is defaulted to a different coordinate format.

It is switchable...

 

Open Google Earth>

Top line menu, select Tools>

Drop down menu, select Options...>

Within that dialog box, locate a box named Show Lat/Long>

Select the third button down from the top (Degrees, Decimal Minutes)>

Bottom-right corner of that dialog box, select [Apply].

 

Coordinates now displayed in GE will be of the same format as those used by geocaching.com -- DDM or Degree-Decimal Minutes.

 

Now that you know how to do that... Never fully trust any map, especially an on-line map. USGS printed Topo maps are about as good as maps get. The inherent problem is that a flat map cannot accurately display the surface of the earth, which is not truly spherical, flat nor level.

As good as those (USGS) maps are, you cannot connect them edge-to-edge and have things (roads, waterways, contour intervals) line up from page to page. On-line maps (including GE and Google maps) are worse yet.

 

Any cheap GPSr unit will generally provide more trustworthy coordinates than will a flat map... assuming that the user knows how to properly use their device.

[+lijohay]

Yes, i have FOUND plenty once I got in the vicinity, but I placed a cache recently that I was told had the completely wrong coordinates...used a phone app to get them. That is my dilemma. I appreciate your recommendations and will try them out soon. Google earth on my phone is different than the desktop and I can't find the coordinates in the program on my phone. I have taken you instructions and tweaked the settings to see if we can get a good placement. Maybe I will contact a local to help.

Thanks again.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Yes, i have FOUND plenty once I got in the vicinity, but I placed a cache recently that I was told had the completely wrong coordinates...used a phone app to get them. That is my dilemma. I appreciate your recommendations and will try them out soon. Google earth on my phone is different than the desktop and I can't find the coordinates in the program on my phone. I have taken you instructions and tweaked the settings to see if we can get a good placement. Maybe I will contact a local to help.

Thanks again.

Hmmm... I don't see that you have placed a geocache -- at least not one that was published on geocaching.com. If you had and it was archived, it would still be viewable through your profile.

 

Contacting a local for some hands-on help would be an excellent idea. Certainly a better idea than to put absolute faith in on-line maps.

[+niraD]

If you don't trust your coordinates, then test them. Enter them into your device and use it to navigate back to the cache location from at least 100ft away. As you approach the cache location, the arrow should point right at it. Repeat the process from various directions. No matter which direction you approach the cache location from, the arrow should point at it.

 

If it doesn't, then adjust the coordinates until it does.

 

Bonus points for repeating the test on a different day, when the GPS satellites are in a different configuration.

[+SageTracey]

Yes, i have FOUND plenty once I got in the vicinity, but I placed a cache recently that I was told had the completely wrong coordinates...used a phone app to get them. That is my dilemma. I appreciate your recommendations and will try them out soon. Google earth on my phone is different than the desktop and I can't find the coordinates in the program on my phone. I have taken you instructions and tweaked the settings to see if we can get a good placement. Maybe I will contact a local to help.

Thanks again.

Hmmm... I don't see that you have placed a geocache -- at least not one that was published on geocaching.com. If you had and it was archived, it would still be viewable through your profile.

 

Contacting a local for some hands-on help would be an excellent idea. Certainly a better idea than to put absolute faith in on-line maps.

 

OP didn't say she had published a geocache, she said she had placed one and was told she had the completely wrong coordinates - sounds to me as though her reviewer has provided this feedback before the cache is published. OP is now seeking help to resolve so she can get it published.