Help reading compass/getting directions.

[gemmie89]

Hello. I am new to Geocaching, and have found 3 so far. But am really struggling with reading the compass and getting the directions through my phone. And my finds so far seem to take ages and ages and I think it's because I don't understand the map/compass properly to take me to the proper place the cache is hidden. Any help and added tips would be great, Thanks.

[+lee737]

What phone are you using?

I find my iPhone or GPSr give a more accurate heading to follow when I'm actually moving.

[gemmie89]

I'm using a Nexus 4 and my other half has got a LG G2 and we seem to struggle reading them both with the compass on the app. We load it up, and click on the Geocache then press start which should take us to the location. It tells us it in metres, but the compass doesnt show anything, the hands are always pointing the same way and we never know which direction we should be heading in.

[+corupt1]

This may sound simple, but you have the GPS feature turned on on your phones? A lot of people shut those off to save battery life (really doesn't seem to use a lot to leave it on).

[+Chief301]

So how did you find the three you've found so far? Obviously you've had some success navigating to a set of coordinates. What is the compass doing or not doing that's making it difficult for you?

 

You say you are following the arrow and watching the distance count down in meters? I'm not understanding. The issue. As long as you keep walking in the direction the arrow is pointing, once the distance gets down to less than 10 meters or so, you're there. Put the phone away and start looking for the cache.

 

Some phones and GPS's get confused and get wonky when you're not moving or moving very slowly....they track better when they have a constant motion in a consistent direction. If you've stopped moving and the arrow seems to be wandering around aimlessly, try walking about 100' away from the cache site and approaching it again at a good walking pace. Sometimes that helps. C

Edited August 14, 2015 by Chief301

[+GeoLovesGreen]

I was thinking I may get a better GPS gadget. I use my Iphone and also I have download the local caches to VIEWRANGER as i have the 1:25000 scale maps on it, but I know the reading can be out. (I read the maps and the land as much as the GPS)

 

Thank re RE advice on moving next time I will try that.

 

TODAY the clue said "At GZ you will likely be standing over the cache. It's at arms length." Well my iphone said I was in the middle of the River. and you need to be at the right spot. It took a while but I did find it.

 

It was also under some trees which can really effect the signal to.

Edited August 14, 2015 by GeoLovesGreen

[+elizabethany]

I gave up on the app compass as it was unreliable, and use the heading and distance from the app and a physical compass.

 

Edit: Spelling

Edited August 18, 2015 by elizabethany

[+on4bam]

I've never used the compass while caching. I just look at the map, follow tracks and/or roads and when getting closer to a WP or cache follow the general line on the map and start looking around for "obvious" spots. The more caches you find, the more obvious spots you'll recognize.

[+TeamRiverside]

I found another post that directed me to a YouTube video and now I see I don't need an additional GPS device. I can just use my iPhone.