why cant i find anything?

[+FDNY260]

i have tried to find three caches now and have been unsuccesfull. so i said one more time, i got coordinates from the magellan web site for a cache located at jones beach in ny. and surprise surprise the waypoint ended up 300ft in the atlantic ocean. im using wgs84 format like i was told but i have to be doing something else wrong because all the logs say its on dry land. can anyone help me? im using a magellan sport trak map. thanks

[+TotemLake]

Are you depending on the map to be accurate or did you actually go out to the site to see if you could find the cache? I frequently find that some waypoints will show to be out on the water, but will actually be right at the edge when I follow the GPSr to the location.

 

I have also noted while at the beach that I (according to the GPSr) walked 3/10 of a mile out into the water, but in reality, I was still standing on the beach and the waves were not reaching my little toes.

 

Cheers!

TL

[+Renegade Knight]

TotemLake is right. If you looked on a map instead of looking for the cache the map could be off. Streets and Trips has my house about 100' East of where it's actually at for example.

 

Another thing to check for is to make sure you are using the same format. Geocaching.com uses DDD MM.MMM your GPS might be expecing DDD MM SS or DD.DDDDD and that too makes a difference if you don't catch it.

[+briansnat]

Are you starting with easy caches?

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

Yeah, the 5/5 on top of Mt. Pinatubo probably isn't the best one to start with (wonder if there's a cache up there?). A few easy ones in city parks or the like would be a good beginning.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

[+walkietalkie]

I feel for yah, I'm in the same boat. Only been on one cache hunt so far and failed miserably. I could tell you how, but don't want to give out bad advice

My plan of action is to get a new GPS thats mine all mine. Get the Topo software. Already got a printer. Can't wait to play around with that and find one of those illusive caches!

Keep trying thats all we can do!

 

~singing~Making a living the old hard way

Taking and giving day by day

Digging the snow and rain and the bright sunshine

---Caching the Line

I feel fine I'm talking about peace of mind I'm gonna take my time

Caching the Line La La La La La La La Caching the Line

[+robert]

It's one of those things I've found after the first one or two that once you get the first one under your belt, it all starts to "make sense" and you can find them a bit easier. You'll start thinking like the person who hid it and it'll be a bit easier. Definitely start with the easier ones and graduate to the harder ones. I've only found 3 so far, with 2 no-finds, but it's still fun. Once that first one is found, you'll feel so accomplished, and even if you don't find the next one, you'll still feel great. Good luck.

 

~robert

(that's mrkablooey, not kablooey)

The Maryland Geocaching Society www.mdgps.net

[+GPS_Brian]

Your zoom factor on the GPSr can also affect that appearance of caches that float in the water (or are placed on the wrong side of a creek ... or any other number of inconsistencies). As you zoom in on the cache you will often find that the placement becomes more correct.

 

-=-=-=-=-=-

GPS_Brian

=-=-=-=-=-=

[+briansnat]

One mistake made by many novices is that they expect the GPS to bring them right to the cache. In reality, it could be 50 or more feet away from what your GPS tells you is ground zero.

 

I usually put the GPS away and start looking when I'm aroung 40-50 feet away. Once there, check any hollow stump, tree or rock crevice that you see. Then look for something that seems a bit out of place like an unnatural pile of rocks, or sticks. This should cover about 90 percent of all caches. The other 10 percent will take more imagination to find.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[+FDNY260]

thanks for the advise folks. this was saposed to be a simple cache. but alas i did go to the site. was standing in 2 feet of beautifull ocean and my gps said i was still almost a hundred feet away. what threw me was on the magellan site there were logs that said it was on the golf course that was easily 800 feet behind me. now i understand that log may be incorrect too but in my manual it says the gps is saposed to be accurate to 3 meeters. even if it was accurate to 15 meeters with sa turned off i was still going to drown trying to find this. i amde the mistake of logging my first cache as being unfounded because it was not there but maybe its my fault. if anyone is using a magellan sport trak map with software and has found a cache, please let me know of any tips on how to set it up so i can find something. i really want to start taking my nephew with me but i want to be able to find one on my own first, thanx

[+briansnat]

Yeah, close to 1000 feet off isn't within the margin of error. Something is wrong with the way your GPS is set up. Since you say the datum is correct, it must be with your coordinates. Are you sure they're set to DDD MM.MMM?

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[cool_and_the_gang]

I hope you stay with it! Don't give up. It can be frustrating at first (see our earlier post about using the GPS in the woods) but if we could just walk up and find the things there wouldn't be any point to it.

 

For me the fun is in learning to harnesss the GPS technology and the self improvement involoved with gaining mastery of reading maps, observing terrain and deducing the likely places for caches.

 

Always double check the coordinates and how they've been entered into your device and if possible take a hardcopy of the cache page with you so you have additional clues (if they are provided) on hand if you need them.

 

There is no shame in using the photos of the site often provided in a pinch and the encrypted clues are easy enough to decode on the spot. Doing so when I'm stumped gets me an additional clue or two and also gives me a minute to clear my head thus preventing impulsive decisions on where to look or where to turn and gives my GPS a minute to collect it's thoughts and give a better position.

 

Even if I didn't find a cache on a particular outing I am thankful for the opportunity to have been able to experience that moment outdoors and, usually, with someone I love!

 

May you know happiness and successul caching!

 

"Great is the matter of birth and death. Life slips quickly by. Time waits for no one. Wake up! Wake up! Don't waste a moment!

[+FDNY260]

thanks for the advise. i will check if the gps is setup the right way and give it anouther shot.

[Iplayoutside]

I've found 22, but lately I've been in a slump. So I know how you feel.

 

This space for rent

[+TotemLake]

BigBirdFDNY,

 

Check your Coord System and make sure your Primary Lat/Lon is selected, if it is, select it again, there it will give you the choice of how your coordinates are entered and displayed; select DEG/MIN.MMM.

 

If all of this is correct, then you may need to reinitialize your GPS once more and reselect WGS84 and the DEG/MIN.MMM. That might help clear any glitches that may be a gotcha.

 

Also, you might want to see if you have the latest firmware on your GPS. It will display upon the first startup screen near the bottom. Make sure you implicitly follow the directions on the upgrade or you could make matters worse. You will be able to see the latest firmware version on Magellan's support page.

 

Cheers!

TL

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BigbirdFDNY:

 

why cant i find anything?

---

Maybe you just suck at this.

 

Naw, I'm just kidding. Check that your unit is expecting the data to be in degree-minutes format. If your unit is set for decimal degrees, or degree-minutes-seconds, it won't be able to interpret the coordinates you've entered properly. You might also try emailing some of the local cachers, and see if you can go out on a hunt with someone that has a good number of finds under his or her belt. If there's a discrepancy between the two units, they'll probably be able to determine the cause.

 

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

[+Hiemdahl]

Don't get discouraged. It's a great sport. possibly uou can get hooked up with a local geocacher and get some hands-on advice. Trying to follow hints from the forum can be difficult.

 

Anyway, good luck.

[+fly46]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Prime Suspect:

quote:

---

Originally posted by BigbirdFDNY:

 

why cant i find anything?

---

Maybe you just suck at this.

 

---

 

HEY!! THAT'S *MY* PROBLEM!!! Lol.. Seriously... I have gone to the same cache site three times to find the container, and I can't find it.. (we know for a fact it's there and I have pictures of what it's hidden in, so I *KNOW* I was at the right place)

 

Just stick with it. Good luck at Caching! Sometimes it can get frustrating, but it sure beats sitting at home and watching television!

[Poppa Duck]

BigBird,

I'm based in the Long Island area. If you want email me with the caches you were trying to find and I may be able to provide a few clues. Alternatively I may be able to direct you to a few simple ones that should be easy to find. We may also be able to work out a time where we could meet up and I can guide you along on a few.

 

In any case - don't give up - after you find the first few, your 'geo-sense' should kick in and they'll be easier to find.

 

-Poppa Duck

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Just a suggestion, but you might want to check the numbers you entered on your GPSr. It sounds as though you may have transposed a couple of them and that would throw you way off.

Another thing to try is to enter a waypoint for something simple like your front door and then move several hundred feet away and try to follow the GPSr back to that waypoint. It's good practice when learning how to use a GPSr. It'll also let you know your unit is not defective.

Good luck!

John of 2oldfarts

 

Smile, make others wonder what you're up to!!!

[+Spange & Crew]

Did you manaully enter the points or download via EasyGPS or other software. Using EasyGPS and downloading straight from the website then into the GPS is pretty foolproof. Just make sure both are set to the correct WGS84 Datum.

 

Have fun!

Spange & Crew

[are.we.there.yet?]

Pick a cache in a familiar area. Make it an easy 1/1. Read everything on the log page...the description, the encrypted clue, the other logs, look at all the photos. Look at all the "spoilers", 'cause you need them. Print everything. Try to find caches that are "large", not those micro things. Click on the map and to go to the map website. Zoom in on the map, so that you have a map of the exact location and all the streets that will take you there. A few geocachers use maps and don't even use a gps. Bring a stick and poke in the ground leaves alot. Try one that was hidden for kids and have alot of toys, they are sometimes easier.

[+FDNY260]

well thanks you all for your advice, but it turns out after alot of testing and 2 hours on the fone with magellan support. the stupid thing is broken. the closest we could get during test said that i was 197 feet away from the object with the gps sitting on top of the object in question. so i got a new one. very pretty sportrak color. tried a test and it said i was 3 feet away. what a differance. now i have to reattempt my caches. thanks for all the halp and advise

[+captnemo]

One thing I found when I first started is to not to rely on the arrow to lead you to the cache. I follow the arrow until it says about 50 feet or so then go to the coordinates and move in with them.

 

I just went back to two caches I couldn't find a year ago and using the above method found them.

 

Don't give up! After you have found a few and hidden a couple, you will start to spot hiding places right off.

[+Searching_ut]

Glad it worked out. Did you take it back to the store and swap it for the Color, or did you work something out with Magellan? My sportrak map has significant position errors on a fairly regular basis. Maybe they can work something out with me (I just won't mention the conditions I get those errors in)

 

I'm really surprised to learn it was a problem with the receiver. I would have thought worst case a firmware update/reload would have taken care of it.

[+pnew]

bigbirdFDNY, attaway to stay with it. you'll be logging finds in no time...

 

The Department of Redundancy Department

A geocache a day keeps the debtors away (cause your never home to take the call...)

[+FDNY260]

well im happy to say i did it!!! I have logged my first find. nice easy one. gps said i was 20 ft away but something told me where it was. thanks for all your help

[+gallahad]

Congtrats on the first find!!! And thanks for posting the original question. The responses helped my confidence level (I've only got one logged so far) quite a bit. For other "newbies" like me, I'd suggest you might want to try a virtual cache for the first effort. I spent a couple of hours connecting the clues with what was actually on the site and my "trial and error" experience with Geocaching 101 was real educational experience..