How to get good coordinates (when hiding) - Revision history

NiraD: copy edit

2007-02-28T00:20:09Z

copy edit

71.32.230.121: /* Method Two */

2005-12-14T01:50:25Z

‎Method Two

CoyoteRed at 16:15, 22 May 2005

2005-05-22T16:15:41Z

BigWhiteTruck: Categorized

2005-05-22T06:12:50Z

Categorized

Geomanda at 06:06, 21 May 2005

2005-05-21T06:06:50Z

Camo-crazed at 05:48, 21 May 2005

2005-05-21T05:48:09Z

New page

Many cachers complain when they find a cache and the coordinates are 75 feet away. To help prevent this from happening to your caches, use this method:

'''step one'''
Walk up to your cache and hold the GPS as close to it as possible without blocking out too many sattelites.

'''step two'''
Wait for 3-6 minutes without moving your GPS, then take a mark.

'''step three'''
Repeat steps 1 and 2 after walking away and coming back from several different directions.

'''step four'''
Repeat all the steps on a day with different weather

'''step five'''
Go back to your cache and, after waiting several minutes, find out which waypoint is the closest to the actual location.

'''step six'''
Repeat step five until it becomes obvious which waypoint is actually the closest to the cache.

If you are not that much of a perfectionist, then you can skip step four.

'''Some tips for getting good readings'''
----------

If the cache is in an area with very bad reception, go into a nearby area with good reception, get a good number of sats, then walk in a straight line toward your cache before taking a mark.

Always wait at least 2 minutes before taking a mark, even with lots of sats. This way, the GPS has time to average the signal from the sattelites and get more accurate coordinates.

Read the users manual. They should tell you how to hold your GPS to get better reception. For Magellans, at least, you should hold the GPS vertically, so that the top is pointing up.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 == Method One ==
-'''step one'''
+# Approach your cache and hold the GPSr as close to it as possible, with as clear a view of the sky (GPS satellites) as possible. You can suspend the unit over the cache from a branch or walking stick.
-Walk up to your cache and hold the GPS as close to it as possible without blocking out too many satellites.
+# Wait for 3-6 minutes without moving your GPSr, then mark a waypoint.
-'''step two'''
+== Method Two ==
-Wait for 3-6 minutes without moving your GPS, then take a mark.
+This method works very well for units that auto-average like Magellan's SporTrak series.
-'''step three'''
+# Approach your cache and hold the GPSr as close to it as possible. You can suspend the unit over the cache from a branch or walking stick.
-Repeat steps 1 and 2 after walking away and coming back from several different directions.
+# Ensure you have good satellite geometry and signal at the point you are marking.
-'''step four'''
+Make note of the Datum that your GPS unit set to use.  The common datum used on Geocaching.com is WGS84, although they no longer print that fact next to the coordinates of a geocache.  If you wish to publish your geocache on geocaching.com, and you are using a different datum, few, if any people will find your geocache, unless the hint very explicitly describes the location.
-Repeat all the steps on a day with different weather
-−
-'''step five'''
-Go back to your cache and, after waiting several minutes, find out which waypoint is the closest to the actual location.
-−
-'''step six'''
-Repeat step five until it becomes obvious which waypoint is actually the closest to the cache.
-−
-−
-If you are not that much of a perfectionist, then you can skip step four.
-−
-−
-== Method Two ==
-Here is another method which works very well for units that auto-average like Magellan's SporTrak series.
-−
-* Place the unit on the cache or very near it.  You can suspend the unit over the cache from a branch or walking stick.
-* Ensure you have good satellite geometry and signal at the point you are marking.
-* Let the unit average for about 3 to 5 minutes.
-* Move the unit just enough to break auto-averaging and immediately replace in the same spot.
-* Let the unit now average for at least 10 minutes if you have good signal and coverage, longer when signal and coverage is poorer.
-* Mark the waypoint.
-* Make note of the Datum that your GPS unit set to use.  The common datum used on Geocaching.com is WGS84, although they no longer print that fact next to the coordinates of a geocache.  If you wish to publish your geocache on geocaching.com, and you are using a different datum, few, if any people will find your geocache, unless the hint very explicitly describes the location.
 ''Magellan SporTraks are notorious for their "sling shot effect" so obtaining accurate readings are completely different from many other units, but the above method will yield very accurate results''
 == Some tips for getting good readings ==
 * If the cache is in an area with very bad reception, go into a nearby area with good reception, get a good number of satellites, then walk in a straight line toward your cache before taking a mark.

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 * Let the unit now average for at least 10 minutes if you have good signal and coverage, longer when signal and coverage is poorer.
 * Mark the waypoint.
 ''Magellan SporTraks are notorious for their "sling shot effect" so obtaining accurate readings are completely different from many other units, but the above method will yield very accurate results''
 == Some tips for getting good readings ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[Category:Guides]]
-Many cachers complain when they find a cache and the coordinates are 75 feet away. To help prevent this  from happening to your caches, use this method:
+Many cachers complain when they find a cache and the coordinates are 75 feet away. To help prevent this  from happening to your caches, use one of the following methods:
 '''step one'''
 Walk up to your cache and hold the GPS as close to it as possible without blocking out too many satellites.
@@ Line 24: / Line 25: @@
-'''Some tips for getting good readings'''
+* Place the unit on the cache or very near it.  You can suspend the unit over the cache from a branch or walking stick.
-----------
+* Ensure you have good satellite geometry and signal at the point you are marking.
-If the cache is in an area with very bad reception, go into a nearby area with good reception, get a good number of sats, then walk in a straight line toward your cache before taking a mark.
+''Magellan SporTraks are notorious for their "sling shot effect" so obtaining accurate readings are completely different from many other units, but the above method will yield very accurate results''
 Read the users manual. It should tell you how to hold your GPS to get better reception. For Magellans, at least, you should hold the GPS vertically, so that the top is pointing up.

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:12, 22 May 2005
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	[[Category:Guides]]
	Many cachers complain when they find a cache and the coordinates are 75 feet away. To help prevent this from happening to your caches, use this method:		Many cachers complain when they find a cache and the coordinates are 75 feet away. To help prevent this from happening to your caches, use this method:

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 '''step one'''
-Walk up to your cache and hold the GPS as close to it as possible without blocking out too many sattelites.
+Walk up to your cache and hold the GPS as close to it as possible without blocking out too many satellites.
 '''step two'''
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 If the cache is in an area with very bad reception, go into a nearby area with good reception, get a good number of sats, then walk in a straight line toward your cache before taking a mark.
-Always wait at least 2 minutes before taking a mark, even with lots of sats. This way, the GPS has time to average the signal from the sattelites and get more accurate coordinates.
+Always wait at least 2 minutes before taking a mark, even with lots of sats. This way, the GPS has time to average the signal from the satellites and get more accurate coordinates.
-Read the users manual. They should tell you how to hold your GPS to get better reception. For Magellans, at least, you should hold the GPS vertically, so that the top is pointing up.
+Read the users manual. It should tell you how to hold your GPS to get better reception. For Magellans, at least, you should hold the GPS vertically, so that the top is pointing up.