How do I get accurate coordinates with a phone?

[+joyinthelitterbox]

I lost my garmin when I moved a few years ago and used my phone to get coordinates when hiding 2 new caches in my area. Log notes indicate the coords were off by 70-80 feet on both and some kind souls updated them. I used the coords on my phone. Is there an app or a better way to get an accurate reading? I am teaching a class on geocahing this week at a local college and want to make sure my students (as well as myself) know how to get as accurate a reading as possible. Thanks

[+Viajero Perdido]

You don't say what kind of phone.

If Android, try the GPS Averaging app.

If iPhone, search for an averaging app.

Edited April 17, 2018 by Viajero Perdido
linky

[+K13]

Also, when checking/determining coordinates, change the phone setting to use only the gps.

[+noncentric]

You may find this Help Center article helpful:  5.1 How to get accurate coordinates

The key thing you'll want to do when getting coordinates, with any device, is called "waypoint averaging".  It's unlikely that coords will be accurate by just going to a spot and getting the coords after standing still for a few seconds.  It takes a bit more time for the device, whether a phone or GPSr, to 'settle' on the one location where it is stationary for a few minutes.

FYI -- Finders of your caches noted in their logs that they got other coordinates, but your cache pages still show the coords you entered.  You'd need to submit an "Update Coordinates" log to change the coords on your caches.  See this Help Center article:  7.7 Update geocache coordinates

[+CAVinoGal]

Hubby and I both take readings with our phones (Google Pixel).  Then we walk away and come back and take more readings.  We often go another day with teh coordinates we got the first time to see where they take us to.  So far, on about 10 hides between the 2 of us, we've only had one say the coords were off; and he gave his coords wihich were only about 5-6 feet different.  No one else has said anything about coordinate issues, so taking multiple readings with two devices, over a couple of days, seems to work for us.

[+arisoft]

Depending on the device the coordinate averaging method may work or not. Some devices tends to lock to the position when not moving which makes averaging tool useless.

I have used two methods to get more accurate coordinates. The first one is easy. Try to find the ground zero position multiple times using your device. Every time start from different direction about 50 feet away. Notice how near you will get to the right place. If there is a constant deviation then adjust coordinates slightly and start over until your ground zero is repeatedly near the cache at random direction.

The second method is manual averaging. You need four measuring spots at constat distance from the cache. For example 15 feet to north, south, east and west. The exact direction is not important as long as spots are orthogonally selected. Move your position from one spot to another and make notes about latitude and longitude measurements. Usually you need only the last two or three decimal digits for latitude and longitude. More rounds are better. When you have measured, for example four rounds which equals to 16 measurements for latitude and longitude, you can calculate the average by adding all latitude and longitude measurements together and dividing by the number of measurements to get the average coordinates of the cache in the center.