Using compass coordinates: clueless me rank beginner

[+lahoare]

Hi. Please take pity on me. I only found out that geocaching exists two days ago. I downloaded the app and went to the nearest cache near our house. The problem is I have NO CLUE how to use a compass. I downloaded two different compass apps on my iPhone 5, and also used the one in the Geocache app. I am an older woman trying to encourage myself to get exercise and this sounds like fun. I have a PhD, so I like to think that I'm not entirely stupid (although that could very easily be wrong ). However, stupid or not I ended up very close to the place, my phone said 'start looking' but then I got entirely confused about the numbers in the commas points. This is REALLY basic 101 stuff but:

 

What do the numbers actually tell you - like are you looking for where those two points intersect?

How do you find them, I just ended up walking around in circles, not because I was trying to find the cache but because I was trying to align my body and iPhone with the compass points. People clearly thought I was nuts and then it got cold and I gave up. However I know I was very close. I'm the sort of person who NEEDS to understand, if I found it by crude luck that wouldn't be very satisfying for me.

 

Please can someone either tell me or point me to some instruction on the meaning of those mystery numbers?

 

Thanks in hope.....

Edited April 6, 2016 by lahoare

[+MtnMutt-ProDuckShins]

Are talking about the coords on bottom of screen as to your current location vs where your cache destination is?

 

Arrow points toward cache showing the distance.

Edited April 6, 2016 by MtnMutt-ProDuckShins

[+cerberus1]

When the app said, "start looking", it's time to put the phone away, and do just that.

The coordinates moving as you take each step will make you batty.

 

Civilian GPS at its best is only accurate +/- 10'.

"At its best" is kinda dependant on the cache owner having a perfect day when he hid it also.

That doesn't happen too often.

So when you're around 20' or so heading closer, is when you start to look around, and figure where you'd hide it.

 

Some helpful info might be grabbed from Geocaching 101, and the Help Center.

Have fun, good luck.

[+ByronForestPreserve]

Your phone does a decent job of heading you in the right direction, but won't really take you precisely to the geocache. In the app, once you have selected to navigate to the cache and are on the compass screen, follow the arrow until the "distance" shows within a 20 foot range or so. Keep in mind that most phones/gps units don't know which direction you are facing until you are moving. The bearing is based on readings over a short time. So the arrow might seem to move a lot when you first get going, but will settle down after several steps. On a good day, phones and GPS units can get very close to the coordinates, but on bad days--cloudy, for example--the accuracy might be off by 30'. I put my GPS or phone back in my pocket at that point and just start looking. Stand still for a moment and think where you would hide something. Is there a tree that stands out? A large fallen branch? A strange and oddly neat pile of sticks?

 

If you need to double check using your compass in the app, remember about having to move for the compass to be accurate. Don't take one step, turn with the arrow, take another step, see that the arrow moved, etc., because you will soon be going in small, frustrated circles. Instead, travel in one direction for 20-30' and watch the arrow. Turn 90 degrees and repeat. After walking a larger circumference around where you think the cache is, the arrow will have hopefully consistently pointed at a small area in the middle.

 

Make sure you are aware of what cache size you are looking for, too. It makes a huge difference to know if you are looking for an ammo can or a small film canister. In addition, check the "difficulty" rating of the cache. One star indicates that the cache should be failry obvious, while a difficulty of 3 would mean it's considered tough even for experienced cachers.

 

Good luck, and don't give up!

[+lahoare]

Thank you so much everyone, that is immensely useful. As someone said going around in ever decreasing, frustrating circles was what I was definitely doing. I'm going to go back today and try to avoid overthinking it, which is probably what I've done and is typical of me. The cash I am looking for is listed as a micro one, so I probably picked a difficult one to start off with, that would be typical too

[+cerberus1]

As someone said going around in ever decreasing, frustrating circles was what I was definitely doing.

There's even a name for that (and a brief explanation of, "start looking" on the app).

[Grumpy Old Duffer]

If you've got a Smart Phone use https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2

[+BadgerGirl53703]

I am also new at caching... just curious where you'd fine the coordinates listed on the cache info page. I've looked on the app and online and don't see them. My smart phone usually gets me close but sometimes I'd like to use a GPS app that is more detailed on specific location for those caches more difficult to find. Thanks in advance for your help!

[+cerberus1]

I am also new at caching... just curious where you'd fine the coordinates listed on the cache info page. I've looked on the app and online and don't see them. My smart phone usually gets me close but sometimes I'd like to use a GPS app that is more detailed on specific location for those caches more difficult to find. Thanks in advance for your help!

Not sure what you're asking.

You won't get "more detail" from an app on a difficult-to-find cache other than what the CO presents on the cache page, or subtle hints from logs of others who found it.

 

If you're speaking of accuracy, no app is gonna get you closer to GZ than your phone's GPS already provides.

 

On the cache page, coordinates are under the difficulty/terrain.

[+noncentric]

I am also new at caching... just curious where you'd fine the coordinates listed on the cache info page. I've looked on the app and online and don't see them. My smart phone usually gets me close but sometimes I'd like to use a GPS app that is more detailed on specific location for those caches more difficult to find. Thanks in advance for your help!

Coordinates are best used to get to the general area of the hiding spot. Different GPS devices/phones may have different levels of accuracy, even the same device/phone may have a different accuracy based on the weather or season. It's entirely possible that the CO's coordinates were 15 feet 'off' when they placed the cache and that your device is 15 feet 'off' when you go to look for it. This means it's quite reasonable to consider a search area 30 feet around.

As cerberus1 mentioned, the GPS accuracy is based on the device. If you're using a phone, then the GPS chip is inside the phone and the various apps are reading from that chip.

 

Keep in mind, the primary concept of geocaching is to find the geocaches. Not just to go to a set of coordinates. I mention this just because I see you logged a Find on a cache that wasn't there, even though you "confirmed the coordinates with the CO".

[+BadgerGirl53703]

Cerberus1 - I was just wondering how I would find the specific coordinates to try a different app, but it's true, same phone so it probably wouldn't matter. I see them on the online website that they are listed... I guess I was looking to see if they were listed on the app somewhere? Not a huge deal, I can open the website too.

 

noncentric - Trust me, I wish I could find them all! I will say this post was after a struggled day of doing exactly what the mystery said only to find it wasn't there. RE the one we logged but didn't find... this was our first mystery so we wanted to make sure we were where we were supposed to be and that we had done it right. They have had issues in the past with people removing this cache and the CO thinks that's what the issue was. When he re-enables it, I will go out and log it the right way.

 

Thanks to both for responding so quickly! I was just hoping for another way to help locate the caches... we were only able to find 3 of the 10 we attempted. I know there are lots of hiding strategies and from the sounds of it, once you start to recognize them, they will be easier to find. I've only got 12 finds to date so clearly I'm pretty new at this. My girlfriend and I are trying to get our hubbys involved too so when we have a day like that, it's hard to keep their interest. Thanks again for responding!