Geocaching map is way off

[+GEO COWBOYS]

I hid a cache a yesterday, created its page, however the GPS coordinates is completely off by maybe a half mile. I double checked and put the coordinates in on Google Maps and it hit the exact spot where I hid it.  Is this happening to anyone else?

[+Max and 99]

8 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I hid a cache a yesterday, created its page, however the GPS coordinates is completely off by maybe a half mile. I double checked and put the coordinates in on Google Maps and it hit the exact spot where I hid it.  Is this happening to anyone else?

That's a conundrum! Same format?

[RuideAlmeida]

15 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I double checked and put the coordinates in on Google Maps...

 

Google Earth or Google Maps have an (intended?) error on coordinates... larger or smaller depending the location.

 

"All of which may vary in their original resolution and quality of the above processes, so right off there is no single accuracy measurement. This is why Google has that disclaimer about accuracy: Google makes no claims as to the accuracy of the coordinates in Google Earth."

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by RuideAlmeida

[+GEO COWBOYS]

N 48° 01.077 W 122° 47.240

This format for Geocaching map

 

48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W

This format for Google Maps

 

They should match on both maps

[RuideAlmeida]

2 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

N 48° 01.077 W 122° 47.240

This format for Geocaching map

 

48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W

This format for Google Maps

 

They should match on both maps

 

Not quite... But you can set the same format in GE... "Tools", "Options", "Show lat/long", "Degrees decimal minutes".

Edited August 15, 2018 by RuideAlmeida

[+The A-Team]

Just now, GEO COWBOYS said:

N 48° 01.077 W 122° 47.240

This format for Geocaching map

 

48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W

This format for Google Maps

 

They should match on both maps

Those are two different formats. The first is DD MM.mmm, and the second is DD MM SS.

 

When changing formats, you can't just mash round numbers into a square hole. A conversion has to happen first. To convert your second coordinates to the format used by geocaching.com, you'd have to do the following:

• The degrees (48 and 122) can be carried over as-is
• The whole minutes (01 and 47) can be carried over as-is
• The seconds (07.7 and 24.0) need to be converted to fractions of a minute. Since a minute contains 60 seconds, you need to divide these numbers by 60. This results in 0.128 and 0.400, respectively, rounded to 3 digits. These fractions then need to be added to the whole minutes, which results in minutes of 01.128 and 47.400. Add the degrees in front, and you get N48 01.128 W122 47.400.

[+Max and 99]

Those don't convert the same on my tool.

[+HHL]

 

8 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W

This format for Google Maps

Converts to this:

Degrees:  48.0188  -122.79
Minutes:  N 48° 01.128  W 122° 47.400
Seconds:  N 48° 1' 7.68''  W 122° 47' 24.00''
UTM:  10U  E 515659  N 5318411

On conversion: what A-Team said.

Edited August 15, 2018 by HHL
Typo

[+The A-Team]

12 minutes ago, RuideAlmeida said:

Google Earth or Google Maps have an (intended?) error on coordinates... larger or smaller depending the location.

Outside of China (where there's a government-mandated requirement to shift maps), I'm not aware of any intentional shifting of the map or coordinates plotted on it.

[+Max and 99]

13 minutes ago, The A-Team said:

N 48 01.128 W122 47.400.

I converted by hand and got the same thing as A Team.

[+GEO COWBOYS]

Wow. Got to be a mathmagician which I am not. LOL.

 

Thank you A-Team for the solution. It worked.

 

I think it might be easier for a math dummy (me) to just ask a math genius for the converted coordinates on my future hides. 

[Keystone]

For coordinate conversion, use an online automated tool like the one within the cache submission process, or a third party solution like Boulter.com.

[+Max and 99]

3 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

Wow. Got to be a mathmagician which I am not. LOL.

 

Thank you A-Team for the solution. It worked.

 

I think it might be easier for a math dummy (me) to just ask a math genius for the converted coordinates on my future hides. 

Just use a converter tool. There are lots available online and takes seconds to use.  Gpsboulter is my favorite, but their maps are not working right now.

Edited August 15, 2018 by Max and 99

[RuideAlmeida]

2 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I think it might be easier for a math dummy (me) to just ask a math genius for the converted coordinates on my future hides. 

 

Did you changed the format in Google? Easier.

[+palmetto]

28 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

hid a cache a yesterday, created its page, however the GPS coordinates is completely off by maybe a half mile. I double checked and put the coordinates in on Google Maps and it hit the exact spot where I hid it.

 

Help Center article Coordinate formats

 If you're hiding, I suggest getting into the settings of whatever device you use, and setting the coords format to  Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes (hddmm.mmm) h=hemisphere - ie N S, or E W. 

 

[+Team Christiansen]

1 hour ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I hid a cache a yesterday, created its page, however the GPS coordinates is completely off by maybe a half mile. I double checked and put the coordinates in on Google Maps and it hit the exact spot where I hid it.  Is this happening to anyone else?

Everyone above has given great advice on figuring out coordinate formats and conversion. But there might yet be another issue. How are you obtaining your coordinates in the first place? By looking at Google maps or by recording the coordinates with your smartphone (or handheld GPSr). I hope the latter and not the former.

[+GEO COWBOYS]

I use an app called, "Waypoint Tracker" on my phone. Once I get the coordinates, then I log onto Google Maps once I get home to verify. 

I am blind when it comes to "good apps". I usually go by star ratings.

Edited August 15, 2018 by GEO COWBOYS

[+GEO COWBOYS]

It's kinda funny. I hid four caches  and created their pages (including coordinates with no problems, two of mine, one for my granddaughter and one for a friend. However, this one gave me so much problems, I was about to go get it from its hidden place and try again at a different location.

[+niraD]

2 hours ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

Wow. Got to be a mathmagician which I am not. LOL.

Actually, it isn't that hard. You almost certainly do this math all the time. (Pun intended.)

 

Degrees, minutes, and seconds for coordinates work exactly the same way as hours, minutes, and seconds for time. There are 60 seconds in a minute, and there are 60 minutes in an hour, and there are 60 minutes in a degree.

 

Time:

0.25 hour = 15 minutes

0.5 hour = 30 minutes
0.75 minutes = 45 seconds

 

Coordinates:

0.25 degree = 15 minutes

0.5 degree = 30 minutes
0.75 minutes = 45 seconds

[+hzoi]

It's pretty easy to convert seconds to decimal minutes.  You just have to divide by 60 and then round to three decimal places.

 

Just to pull numbers out of the air, 18.7' = 0.31166666666667", which I'd just round to .312"

[+MNTA]

The web site now accepts any format and does the conversion for you. I just tried 48°01'07.7"N 122°47'24.0"W no problem it lists it as N 48° 01.128 W 122° 47.400

[+hzoi]

17 hours ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I use an app called, "Waypoint Tracker" on my phone. Once I get the coordinates, then I log onto Google Maps once I get home to verify. 

I am blind when it comes to "good apps". I usually go by star ratings.

 

See if your app has the option to change the coordinate format to hdd mm.mmm - then no issue.

[+TeamRabbitRun]

I use FizzyCalc.

Just search for it.

The author prowls these forums with the rest of us.

[+GEO COWBOYS]

I downloaded FizzyCalc. I will have to play with it. Thanks for the app

[+fizzymagic]

1 hour ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I downloaded FizzyCalc. I will have to play with it. Thanks for the app

 

You're welcome!  I hope it is useful.

[+edscott]

Strange.. I've always found when Google satellite images don't agree with my GPS, Google is correct and the GPS will eventually agree.

[+The A-Team]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 6:15 PM, edscott said:

Strange.. I've always found when Google satellite images don't agree with my GPS, Google is correct and the GPS will eventually agree.

That may be the case if your GPSr has flaky reception and eventually settles down, but that's different that what was happening in this discussion. Here, the coordinates that were being used didn't point to the intended location due to a format conversion error.

[+GEO COWBOYS]

I hate to bring this up again

 

I found where I can change coordinates on the GPS. My options are

 

Degrees

Degrees / Min

Degrees / Min / Sec

UTM

MGRS

 

It does not have DDM format. Unless it's Degrees / Min 

 

What option would be best?

[+barefootjeff]

33 minutes ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I hate to bring this up again

 

I found where I can change coordinates on the GPS. My options are

 

Degrees

Degrees / Min

Degrees / Min / Sec

UTM

MGRS

 

It does not have DDM format. Unless it's Degrees / Min 

 

What option would be best?

 

Yes, you want Degrees/Min. It should then show the minutes to at least three decimal places.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

10 hours ago, GEO COWBOYS said:

I hate to bring this up again

 

I found where I can change coordinates on the GPS. My options are

 

Degrees

Degrees / Min

Degrees / Min / Sec

UTM

MGRS

 

It does not have DDM format. Unless it's Degrees / Min 

 

What option would be best?

 

DDM stands for Degrees Decimal Minutes, which would be the same as Degrees / Min (where the minutes are expressed as a decimal value).    The Degrees setting also indicates a value expressed as a decimal number.