Navigating tips for beginners

[Guest cache_only]

This may be old hat to some, but I'm posting it here for those fairly new to the sport.

 

Why you need a compass:

 

If you are not finding a cache because your GPS "GO TO" graphic display starts going crazy (arrow keeps pointing all over the place), then you are very near the cache. At this point, cancel the "GO TO" feature. Refer to this cache's waypoint page and remember the last three digits of both the LAT and LON. Now, bring up the page that gives the *current* LAT and LON display. Take out your compass. If your coordinates show you are currently north of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 180 and move until you reach the desired LAT, or, if you are currently south of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 360 and move until you reach the desired LAT. Stop. Now for the LON: If your coordinates show you are currently east of the cache, then shoot an azimuth of 270 and travel until you reach the desired LON, or, if you are west of the cache, shoot an azimuth of 90 and travel until you reach the desired LON. At this point you should be right on the specified coordinates of the cache. In this method you are moving a strict N-S and then a strict E-W, thereby isolating one variable at a time. It is much easier this way.

 

Also, a compass is valuable in the event your GPS fails while on the hunt. When I dismount my vehicle to begin my search, I always walk a few paces to get an initial track and bearing. I write the *bearing* to the cache on a piece of paper. If my GPS fails for any reason on the hunt, I refer to the bearing from my truck to the cache and add (or subtract, it doesn't matter) 180 degrees to get a back azimuth to my truck. Follow this back azimuth and it should lead you to your vehicle (or place of origin, whatever the case may be).

 

If you do not have a compass (or even if you do), *ALWAYS REMEMBER TO MARK (STORE) THE LOCATION OF YOUR VEHICLE WHEN BEGINNING THE SEARCH.* Do not rely on that awkward, awful , MOB (Man Overboard, or, "breadcrumb") feature. The EXACT path you took to the cache isn't important, but the location of your vehicle is! I've gotten turned around a few times (forgetting my compass at home), and it gets downright scary when it starts getting to be dusk and you find you lost your orientation to your vehicle. If you stored your vehicle location into the GPS, then just hit the "GO TO" feature to take you back to your vehicle. The MOB feature is difficult to use and unreliable. I programmed mine to mark every minute, and one time I tried to use it only to find out it saved two points: one a mile from me and another 22 miles from me. I was in trouble. REMEMBER TO STORE THE LOCATION OF YOUR VEHICLE!

 

If you want a real good compass, get one from a maker called Stocker & Yale. They are located in Beverly, Massachusetts. They make the compasses for the military and they are available to civilian sales. I have the one with the radioactive tritium for use at night. It is self-illuminating. You do NOT need to shine a flashlight on it to get it to glow at night (as with phosphorous types of illumination). It is about $100. The non-radioactive (non-glowing) one costs about $80. They are well worth the money.

 

Hope these tips help. Good luck and take care. Rob.

[Guest jridley]

I just came to the forums to post this very advice. BRING A COMPASS! When you get close to the cache, the GPS may thrash a bit. Also, I've found that in heavy forest cover, you can't always get a good enough satellite lock while you walk so that the unit can tell which way you're going.

 

Here's how I use my compass; when I get close, I stand where the GPS can get a good lock. I actually leave it in GOTO mode, where the unit shows the compass display and the direction to the cache. At this point I ignore the orientation of the display since the GPS is clueless. I use the compass to find north, then I rotate the GPS unit until the compass display is properly oriented. Then I can easily see the direction and distance to the cache.

 

I like how the eTrex drops into smaller units as you get closer, switching down to unit and even tenths of feet (not that it's that accurate, but still) - this makes it nice. I've used a friend's magellan, and unless there's something I don't understand, it stays in "miles" mode, and not only is 0.01 miles not very accurate (52.8 feet), it's less easy to relate to than the Garmin's "67 feet to cache"

[Guest cache_only]

a Garmin GPS 12 and it displays distance to go in .01 miles, too. I don't like it either. I didn't know the eTrek displayed feet. Anyway, I believe any GPS gets screwey when nearing the cache. That's why I just display the current LAT/LON and shoot azimuths to my cache.

 

By the way, aren't you in the Detroit area? I believe you visited one of my caches.

 

Take care, my friend.

 

Rob

 

[This message has been edited by cache_only (edited 30 April 2001).]

[Guest JIntorcio]

This thread reads a bit like and advertisement for the eTrex Vista or other GPS units with a built-in electronic compass. I use the Vista but normally keep the compass switched off to conserve battery power. As I get close to a cache site, I turn it on and use it pretty much as recommended here. I get the same results without carrying an additional device.

[Guest cache_only]

Advertisement? Built-in electronic compass?

 

If you would have read just some of my post, I was actually giving a plug of admiration to Stocker & Yale, the company that builds the radioactive tritium compass for the US Army. There is no battery. You will not lose the radioactive glow until about eight to ten years after manufacture, nor will you lose the azimuth. Try getting a backlight and azimuth from a GPS with a dead battery.

 

So how did you come up with the idea I was shilling for Garmin?

[Guest JIntorcio]

I'm just commenting on all the plugs for a compass. And, for the typical switched-on GPS user, an electronic device would seem the way to go, don't you agree!

 

Don't get me wrong - I think basic compass use is a lot of fun too. I run in occasional orienteering events where a GPS receiver is practically worthless. But, in the sport of Geocaching, the electronics are quintessential. Why not use the electronic compass as well?

[Guest cache_only]

Contingency planning: What if a geocacher is deep into the woods and his batteries fail? What if he drops his GPS against a rock and it fails?

 

These things have to be taken into consideration. When my wife and I cache, we take the GPS, the compass, and two Motorola Walkabout FRS radios. We often split up to do this or that. I do not want to lose communication with my wife.

 

All these things are insurance policies. I would rather lug too many things into the woods and be safe as opposed to not bringing enough.

 

My years in the military have taught me well to plan for contingencies.

[Guest CaptHawke]

Well, if I had an electronic compass on my GPS I probably would use it. But a compass usually comes bundled on the higher priced models that have a lot of other features not needed for finding a plastic bucket in the local woods. Do I really need a base map of South America? My plain vanilla eTrex, a $10 Suunto compass and good topo map work just fine. The cheapest model with an electronic compass would double my equipment costs. And be no more reliable. Call me a frugal Yankee.

 

Well, maybe I'm not the typical switched-on GPS user. For me the electronics aren't quintessential. If I use all my navigation tools and skills, I don't have to turn on my eTrex until I'm within a hundred yards of the cache. And then as I really close in on the cache and enter the GPS accuracy radius, GPS actually becomes less and less useful. Using my last find ("Joe English" in NH. Very nice two part cache.)as an example, between my back door and the cache (about 10 miles away, as the crow flies), GPS was needed for about 1% of the distance. Quintessential? Hardly. GPS just makes up for the fact that most maps don't have enough detail and most people wouldn't know how to read them anyway. Like you said, GPS would be practically worthless for orienteering; with super detailed O maps you match the map to the terrain around you and know exactly where you are. No batteries or open sky needed.

 

Just the opinions of a retro kinda guy who also carries an Olympus OM-1 and likes cars with manual transmissions. Technology is cool, but don't let it take over you life.

 

C. Hawke

 

[This message has been edited by CaptHawke (edited 02 May 2001).]

[Guest JIntorcio]

You?re a frugal Yankee!

 

So... Quintessential might not have been the best word. How about "inherent"? Seems to me that if you aren?t using a GPS, you aren?t Geocaching.

 

While it?s probably true that it?s only needed for the final leg of the hunt, I typically turn my receiver on when I leave the house ? half the thrill is watching the little pointer magically progress on the map toward to the logged waypoint as it estimates my arrival time. At least that?s a big part of the kick for me.

[Guest JIntorcio]

You?re a frugal Yankee!

 

So... Quintessential might not have been the best word. How about "inherent"? Seems to me that if you aren?t using a GPS, you aren?t Geocaching.

 

While it?s probably true that it?s only needed for the final leg of the hunt, I typically turn my receiver on when I leave the house ? half the thrill is watching the little pointer magically progress on the map toward to the logged waypoint as it estimates my arrival time. At least that?s a big part of the kick for me.

[Guest CaptHawke]

"Inherent" works for me. And, yes, if you aren?t using GPS, you aren?t Geocaching. (JIntorcio's Law?) This is a concept that the cache owner has to keep in mind when deciding where to place the cache. If the cache can be found by map and compass alone, it isn't a Geocache.(Hawke's Corollary to JIntorcio's Law?) The cache should be placed far enough away from any landmarks found on a USGS topo map that the seeker will have to break out his/her GPS. For example, if clicking on the link to TopoZone shows that a cache is at the base of a 200' radio tower atop the highest hill in the county, you might as well leave your GPS at home. It might still be worth the trip because of a great view, but since it can easily be found without the GPS, it's not really Geocaching. In this case make the great view the first stage of a multistage cache and then you've got something that's becomes more of a navigational challenge.

[Guest tak1]

Verdana, Arial">quote:

---

Originally posted by JIntorcio:

You?re a frugal Yankee!

 

While it?s probably true that it?s only needed for the final leg of the hunt, I typically turn my receiver on when I leave the house ? half the thrill is watching the little pointer magically progress on the map toward to the logged waypoint as it estimates my arrival time. At least that?s a big part of the kick for me.

---

 

Well said. What's the use in having a gps with the ability to record your route, and then not turning it on.

 

LK

[Guest tak1]

Verdana, Arial">quote:

---

Originally posted by JIntorcio:

You?re a frugal Yankee!

 

While it?s probably true that it?s only needed for the final leg of the hunt, I typically turn my receiver on when I leave the house ? half the thrill is watching the little pointer magically progress on the map toward to the logged waypoint as it estimates my arrival time. At least that?s a big part of the kick for me.

---

 

Well said. What's the use in having a gps with the ability to record your route, and then not turning it on.

 

LK

[Guest CaptHawke]

quote:

---

Originally posted by tak1:

Well said. What's the use in having a gps with the ability to record your route, and then not turning it on.

 

LK

---

 

"Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards."

-Aldous Huxley

 

"A person has mastered a new technology when they know where the 'OFF' switch is and when it to push it."

-Cephas Hawke

[Guest Rocky]

I have several compasses I carry with me in my caching pack. I too find the last 40 yds best determined the old fashion way. However the best use for them is to give them to my non gps nut caching companions. I call out the bearing to the cache and then let them lead the way with their compass. Seems to get them more involved in the fun of locating the cache.

[Guest oz_digga]

Whats a azimuth?, i thought it was a precious metal!.. like platinumnmn!

Or is it a Sci-fi author?

[Guest Silver]

Azimuth was a great sci-fi author! He died a few years ago so they had to barium.

 

Silver

[Guest Nemesis]

I'm sorry to hear about Azimuth. Was he originally Russian or Germanium, or not even Europium at all? But, I suppose that's none of our Bismuth .

 

Cheers,

Donovan Govan.

[Guest Nemesis]

I'm sorry to hear about Azimuth. Was he originally Russian or Germanium, or not even Europium at all? But, I suppose that's none of our Bismuth .

 

Cheers,

Donovan Govan.

[Guest gstrong1]

Ahh the compass.I just picked up the first compass I've ever owned.Just got into the geocaching thing a couple of months ago after reading the article in the D&C Weekend section with our own Quinn in the picture.Ordered my III Plus that day & my Vista a couple of weeks later.Placed a bunch of caches & found a bunch.Having a ball.Getting used to playing with the GPS's but realize the importance of having a faithful backup along while out in unfamliar territory.I picked up the Suunto KB-20 Handbearing Compass.(Maybe I should have posted this before I bought the compass & got some input on what type to get)Any suggestions on where I can get some literature on practical use of this type or maybe some advice from you veterans regarding the use of this type of compass while out on a cache hunt.

 

------------------

Gary "Gimpy" Strong

Rochester,NY

[Guest Cape Cod Cache]

G, found this on a post a while back and bookmarked it. Pretty basic, but Mil-Spec. Then again, there's always the library.

http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/21-26/toc.htm

 

[This message has been edited by Cape Cod Cache (edited 09 May 2001).]

[Guest chipper]

I use my compass as a security blanket. There have been times when my GPS seems to be leading me in the wrong direction. The compass gives me an instant reading on my heading. Most of the time if I have about a mile hike ahead straight up a mountain I just take a reading with my GPS put it back in my pocket and head out. I pull out the GPS every 15 or 20 minutes and see if I'm closeing on the site. Then I do the North/South and East/West thing with my compass to lock onto the last few yards.

[Guest MadGPS]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jridley:

I like how the eTrex drops into smaller units as you get closer, switching down to unit and even tenths of feet (not that it's that accurate, but still) - this makes it nice. I've used a friend's magellan, and unless there's something I don't understand, it stays in "miles" mode, and not only is 0.01 miles not very accurate (52.8 feet), it's less easy to relate to than the Garmin's "67 feet to cache"

---

 

Well your friend can update is Magellan to a new version(ver3.14)if he has a Mag315 and it showns the miles and the feets,all the way to 0 FT ...Cooool

[Guest MadGPS]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jridley:

I like how the eTrex drops into smaller units as you get closer, switching down to unit and even tenths of feet (not that it's that accurate, but still) - this makes it nice. I've used a friend's magellan, and unless there's something I don't understand, it stays in "miles" mode, and not only is 0.01 miles not very accurate (52.8 feet), it's less easy to relate to than the Garmin's "67 feet to cache"

---

 

Well your friend can update is Magellan to a new version(ver3.14)if he has a Mag315 and it showns the miles and the feets,all the way to 0 FT ...Cooool

[Guest bunkerdave]

o have my GPS suddenly change direction on me, I have always found that only meant I was VERY close and just didn't see the cache. I can always walk fifteen of twenty feet in a line and the receiver gets a solid bearing and points me back to the cache. Is the compass being used for getting the bearing while standing still?

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bunkerdave:

I am somewhat baffled, however at all the discussion of needing it to find the cache at the end of the hunt. I am using a Mag. Map300, not top-end, but not base model, either. I have been able to get within 10 feet of every cache I have been to (19) in the last three weeks.

---

 

Try that under thick forest after a day of Pacific Northwest rain -- not so easy! Remember that that 10 foot accuracy measurement you see on your GPS is only as good as the signal being received. The commonly quoted statistic is that your position is within 15 meters of the indicated position 95% of the time under "typical" conditions. I am almost always challenged by poor GPS reception in the woods up here. While the GPS usually gets me close to the spot, the compass helps me pinpoint the location from a distance -- that way, I can mentally mark the point at which the GPS is directing me, and then keep to that spot as I close in. When very close, the swings in GPS position lead to widely swinging bearings, which is why it is good to check the bearing from a distance, where the measurement is more stable and accurate.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bunkerdave:

I am somewhat baffled, however at all the discussion of needing it to find the cache at the end of the hunt. I am using a Mag. Map300, not top-end, but not base model, either. I have been able to get within 10 feet of every cache I have been to (19) in the last three weeks.

---

 

Try that under thick forest after a day of Pacific Northwest rain -- not so easy! Remember that that 10 foot accuracy measurement you see on your GPS is only as good as the signal being received. The commonly quoted statistic is that your position is within 15 meters of the indicated position 95% of the time under "typical" conditions. I am almost always challenged by poor GPS reception in the woods up here. While the GPS usually gets me close to the spot, the compass helps me pinpoint the location from a distance -- that way, I can mentally mark the point at which the GPS is directing me, and then keep to that spot as I close in. When very close, the swings in GPS position lead to widely swinging bearings, which is why it is good to check the bearing from a distance, where the measurement is more stable and accurate.

[Guest spydie]

Hi all!...I just purchased my first GPS (Etrex Venture) and have a question. What part of the unit is actually receiving the signals? Should I walk with it screen up? Does it matter? And will it still pick up acurately if I'm wearing it on a lanyard or have it attached to my body? Just wondering..

Thanks,

-Spydie

[Guest Mike_Teague]

The "top, front" part of the unit(above the screen, basically underneath the garmin logo) contains the antenna..

 

keep the screen part of the unit generally facing towards the sky for the best reception..

 

It does matter. Quite a bit!

 

 

[This message has been edited by Mike_Teague (edited 21 May 2001).]

[Guest syclone]

Why is everybody talking like the president?