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Post by thefreak on May 24, 2007 19:42:52 GMT -9
Hello everyone! I've pondered this question for some time and thought I'd throw it out to the community to see what the majority says. How accurate should coordinates to a cache be? I own a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx and I must say that when it comes to caching it's dead on. I recently placed a cache and was told the coords were spot on and the cacher did not have to search. I provided updated coords on another cache and it has helped others find it. Is this the desired result? Or does it diminish the "hunt"? Should coords be in the vicinity of the cache and not point directly to it? Your thoughts...
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Luna B
Silver Cacher
Posts: 204
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Post by Luna B on May 24, 2007 20:58:33 GMT -9
Hi freak, well I am new to this sport and do not have as accurate a unit as you (sob) so I plead with you all, please mark em right on the money.
I could not find one cache, it was left 45' away from the mapped coordinates. Frost1G1anT gave me some advice and suggested when (if)I found it to use an average system, and even gave me instructions on how to do it. I found it and I just checked that cache and others were now able to find the cache using my points. yee haw
My point is, here you are out in the woods looking for sometimes a mircoscopic little thingy. Its mind boggling when you think about it. Plus the skeeters just came out today. those are my thoughts. thx
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on May 24, 2007 21:19:55 GMT -9
If a cache is placed, the gps coordinates should be averaged 300-400 times. This does not take long at all...a few minutes max. if the gps does not have an averaging mode, let it set on the cache 3-4 minutes to stabilize. Those that set a cache in place, glance at the gps, and mark the coords are not really helping/aiding the searchers (Drop and Jot as I refer to that method). When you are walking along with the device and stop, it takes a while for the "satellites to catch up with the gps". This can result in a reading being off by 40 feet if you read as soon as you stop. Add the average accuracy of most gps devices (17-27 feet), and those coords could be waaaaaaay off.
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Post by TundraQuad on May 25, 2007 6:01:57 GMT -9
I feel the co-ords should be as accurate as possible unless otherwise stated in the description. There is one cache here that comes to mind up Murphy Dome. The co-ords are deliberately off by about 72 feet. Unfortunately (in my opinion) this is just marked as a traditional cache. Not a mystery and there is nothing in the description or hint to lead you in the right direction. All of that has resulted in the neighboring ground thoroughly disturbed. So much for the with out a trace code.
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Post by ladybugkids on May 25, 2007 7:19:38 GMT -9
The coordinates for a cache should be as accurate as possible.
Sometimes something goes wrong and despite one's best efforts result in unintentionally bad coordinates. When this happens, other cachers can help by recording a waypoint and posting it in their log. I'll still don't know why the coordinates for all four caches I placed on the same evening in Creamer's Field a couple of months ago were off by about 102' and the same heading. Fortunately, the next two cachers out were able to find the caches and let me know of the problem so I could go out and rewaypoint the caches.
There is a BIG difference between a well thought out evil hide with excellent coordinates that takes a long time to find and a cache that's hard to find because the coordinates are off.
As TQ4 and powmia notes, bad coordinates lead to frustrated cachers and sometimes degraded natural enviroments.
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Post by oleruns on May 26, 2007 15:13:00 GMT -9
Do the best you can to get them right on. Some days two GPS units will agree where a spot is and other days, they'll be 30 feet off.
I hope that helps.
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