Does The Little Star Show The Right Coordinates?

[sara&jocke]

Hello!

We have a question! We're really new at this and we're going to buy/borrow a GPS later - but we just wonder if anybody knows if the star on the little map on every "cache-page" is correct?!

I mean - does it show the right coordinate?!

We'd be thankful for a answer!

/ sara&jocke

[GrandpaCannon]

I have never relied on the star to get me to the exact coordinates but I think it is fairly accurate.

[+Geo Leo]

The star shows the location of the coordinates that were entered, but the map shown on the cache page is small and is not detailed enough for anything more than a general idea of the location. You can click on the links provided in the cache page to get more detailed maps. These maps also provide a mark to indicate the location of the coordinates.

[sara&jocke]

Ok. Yes, I understand that it's better to use a GPS. But, ok, thank you. Then maybe I'll try just to find a cache (that seems to be quite easy). Tank you!

[sara&jocke]

Ok! Thanks Geo Leo too!! We'll try and do our best!

[+mcon1]

from my experience, no the star doesn't show the location! It can be off by several hundered feet.

 

It will get you in the general area though. and if its a standard cache, it might help you find it. I tried to use the star to find 2 micros. (my first 2 caches) Not a good idea

[sara&jocke]

Thank you mcon1 too! hm... well well, thanks for your answeres all of you! / Bye!

[+WeightMan]

Try plugging the coordinates into lostoutdoors.com and use either the photo or topo. Those tend to be quite accurate.

[+kone]

I have found the star on the map to be fairly accurate. I found my first cache using just the mapquest map (didn't have a GPS yet). I think if the cache is hidden in a park which has roads or other visible things that could be used as landmarks, using the map star and the description and hints (if given) for the cache, they are possilbe to find that way.

[sara&jocke]

Weightman - I don't know if I did it right, but I couldn't see a thing (just black with a red dot). But maybe it doesn't work here in the north of Sweden?! Thanks anyway!

[+WeightMan]

Weightman - I don't know if I did it right, but I couldn't see a thing (just black with a red dot). But maybe it doesn't work here in the north of Sweden?! Thanks anyway!

That may be right. I don't know what the coverage is on lostoutdoors.com. I know they assume West and North for longitude and latitude. I have not tried it for areas outside the US. There is a thread someplace (I think on the geocaching.com forum) about new maps that GC.com was putting in. Those maps would only be for areas outside the US. I have not followed that thread, but in the early portions that I did read there was some concern about the age of the maps. I just did a quick look through that forum and could not find the thread. I know that the mapquest maps don't always show on caches outside the US and Canada, but when they do they appear to be fairly accurate.

 

You might also check in the Nordic Countries forum to see what might be useful in that part of the world. I don't think there is any one provider of maps that has complete coverage and so there will be gaps.

[+Team Patton]

Weightman - I don't know if I did it right, but I couldn't see a thing (just black with a red dot). But maybe it doesn't work here in the north of Sweden?! Thanks anyway!

That may be right. I don't know what the coverage is on lostoutdoors.com. I know they assume West and North for longitude and latitude. I have not tried it for areas outside the US. There is a thread someplace (I think on the geocaching.com forum) about new maps that GC.com was putting in. Those maps would only be for areas outside the US. I have not followed that thread, but in the early portions that I did read there was some concern about the age of the maps. I just did a quick look through that forum and could not find the thread. I know that the mapquest maps don't always show on caches outside the US and Canada, but when they do they appear to be fairly accurate.

 

You might also check in the Nordic Countries forum to see what might be useful in that part of the world. I don't think there is any one provider of maps that has complete coverage and so there will be gaps.

the web-site says it's only for the US because it's USGS data

[+SixDogTeam]

In my experience the star is generally very accurate.

[+briansnat]

It's pretty accurate, and can help you find the cache without a GPS. The more terrain features the better though. If the cache is in a flat area it's going to be real hard. In a hilly area, near cliffs, streams, etc... it gets easier.

[+writer]

I've found the star on the map to be useful. If you want greater accuracy, I'd go to a topographic map and UTM coordinates instead of lat/lon - because then you are dealing with linear measurements in meters and the scale rulers that help find the spot you want are easier to use. (Lat/lon requires measuring up in one direction, then tipping the ruler and doing many ohter arcane things.) This site might be useful.

[+Carl LaFong]

One thing to keep in mind is that the star on the map is pretty good at showing the location of the LISTED coordinates, but for Puzzle caches, that's not where the cache is; you have to solve a puzzle to get the real coordinates.

[sara&jocke]

Ok, so now we've just found our first two caches!! Thanks all of you - this time the star was quite right on the first one that we found, the other didn't even have a map next to it, so... But at least we've found some now! (Really want a GPS now..!)

Thanks!

/ Sara&jocke

[Major Catastrophe]

The star will be fairly close EXCEPT in the case of a cache that is offset from the initial point. Multipoint caches and puzzle caches will seldom if ever display the final location in the displayed map.