How close to the coordinates must caches be located?

[+IMGOIN2]

Topic speaks for itself--and to my novice status. Since GPS is so accurate, obviously the coordinates given for any cache are not likely to put you on top of the cache; so any rule about how far away from the coordinates a cache must be located?

[+NanCycle]

Topic speaks for itself--and to my novice status. Since GPS is so accurate, obviously the coordinates given for any cache are not likely to put you on top of the cache; so any rule about how far away from the coordinates a cache must be located?

 

You are asking the question backwards. The coordinates must be as close as possible to the actual location of the cache.

[+Team DEMP]

Topic speaks for itself--and to my novice status. Since GPS is so accurate, obviously the coordinates given for any cache are not likely to put you on top of the cache; so any rule about how far away from the coordinates a cache must be located?

 

The cache is always located as the exact coordinates :-D Of course the exact coordinates taken by the cache owner when they placed it under the conditions at that time, which includes the type of device used. A dedicated GPS in an area with open open sky is usually good for about 3m/10ft radius for level of accuracy. Even under the best of circumstances, the GPS used at the time the cache is placed might be off a bit and the GPS of the cacher looking for it might be off a bit so even if both were accurate to within 3m/10ft, the accuracy might put the cache with 6m/20ft.

 

Depending on the conditions, I'd expect a cache to be within a 30ft radius of the coordinates, but depending on the area, that might mean 3 possible hiding spots or 300 possible hiding spots.

 

If you are asking about placing a cache, do your best and those that go and find it will comment and sometimes provide updated coordinates if necessary. Don't be sloppy on purpose but don't fret it too much. If you are asking about when you go out to find other peoples caches, expect about a 30 in all directions from where you seem to have the spot as showing.

[Pup Patrol]

Topic speaks for itself--and to my novice status. Since GPS is so accurate, obviously the coordinates given for any cache are not likely to put you on top of the cache; so any rule about how far away from the coordinates a cache must be located?

 

Your gps, my gps, the cache hider's gps...all might show different coordinates for a Traditional cache. One needs to expect some variance between devices.

 

There is no rule about a cache being a certain distance from the published coordinates. The coordinates are supposed to be the location of the container.

 

Guidelines

https://www.geocaching.com/about/guidelines.aspx

 

Traditional Caches

 

A traditional cache consists of at least a container and logbook and is located at the posted coordinates.

 

Also keep in mind that the longer a cache has been out there, and the more finds it has, the more likely one can expect to see some migration of the container. Not everyone puts containers back exactly where the hider originally placed it.

 

Also, some four-legged critters enjoy playing with and chewing on cache containers.

 

B.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Pup Patrol

[+The Leprechauns]

In areas with great satellite reception and flat terrain, like the Nevada desert, it's possible to follow your GPS until it says "0 feet" and then look down and find the cache at your feet, tucked behind some rocks in a sagebrush. That's a fun experience for me, coming from Pennsylvania. At home, the wooded hills and valleys often play havoc with good reception. Following a stream along the bottom of a deep ravine in a pine forest, 30 foot accuracy is my reasonable expectation.

 

When I'm hiding a cache, I take extra care to get the best coordinates possible. This involves visiting the location more than once on different days, and letting my GPS sit at ground zero for several minutes while using the "averaging" function. There are some cache owners who intentionally add a "fuzzy factor" to their coordinates in order to "provide a challenge." There is a special place in purgatory for those cache owners, where they shall spend years wandering in a dense thicket, searching for a tiny ticket to heaven that's marked with coordinates which are 150 feet off.

[+GeoTrekker26]

There is a special place in purgatory for those cache owners, where they shall spend years wandering in a dense thicket, searching for a tiny ticket to heaven that's marked with coordinates which are 150 feet off.

 

Include the coordinates where you found it in your online log.

Log a NM.

If neither of those work, use NA.