Accuracy of cheap GPS vs GPS watch vs getting a smartphone

[KumquatBlue]

I've just started out geocaching, using a borrowed old smartphone (samsung galaxy ace 3). Currently I'm caching in suburban places, but I'd like to be a bit more adventurous in future.

 

It's been fine, but often the phone is quite far off the location. First and foremost, is this likely to be an issue with the accuracy of my phone, or the accuracy of the given co-ordinates? Sometimes my phone gets decently close, so I'm not sure?

 

I'm considering getting a dedicated GPS, but I would only be able to afford an entry level model such as garmin etrex 10. What is the difference in accuracy between smartphone/entry level gps/high end gps?

 

Alternatively I could get my own smartphone. I already have a tablet, so it's not all that necessarily, but it would also allow me to try "pokemon go" that I've heard about. How can you tell how "good" the GPS in a particular smartphone compared to another smartphone? I'm buying primarily for geocaching, so any recommendations of a smartphone with great GPS (ideally sub 200 pounds) would be gratefully received

 

A slightly more "unusual" solution is this: I am coveting a GPS running watch/activity tracker anyway (and have a milestone birthday coming up). Maybe I should get a higher end watch which will allow navigation to GPS co-ordinates. Still use the older crappy phone for off the cuff urban caching, but load co-ordinates onto the watch when I'm specifically heading somewhere for geocaching. I am leaning towards this solution, BUT I have no idea of the accuracy of GPS watches. Are they better, or worse, than a smartphone? (I'm talking something like garmin fenix 2 or 3, Suunto ambit line, etc)

[+niraD]

I've just started out geocaching, using a borrowed old smartphone (samsung galaxy ace 3). Currently I'm caching in suburban places, but I'd like to be a bit more adventurous in future.

 

It's been fine, but often the phone is quite far off the location. First and foremost, is this likely to be an issue with the accuracy of my phone, or the accuracy of the given co-ordinates? Sometimes my phone gets decently close, so I'm not sure?

How far off is "quite far off"?

 

If it's within roughly 20ft/6m under good conditions, then I wouldn't worry about it. Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10ft). That applies both to your device, and to the cache owner’s device, so you may find the container 5-6m (16-20ft) from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate.

 

If it's much further than that under good conditions, then I'd check to make sure the phone is actually using GPS positioning. The times my phones have been much further off (more than 100ft), the GPS system had been turned off and they were using only cell tower triangulation and/or wifi, which are much less accurate than GPS.

[+cerberus1]

A "cheap" GPSr doesn't compare to a modern smartphone.

A "get what you paid for" kinda thing.

 

You say "Alternatively I could get my own smartphone", and for right now, that may be your best bet.

Gotta-catch-'em-all too.

[KumquatBlue]

I've just started out geocaching, using a borrowed old smartphone (samsung galaxy ace 3). Currently I'm caching in suburban places, but I'd like to be a bit more adventurous in future.

 

It's been fine, but often the phone is quite far off the location. First and foremost, is this likely to be an issue with the accuracy of my phone, or the accuracy of the given co-ordinates? Sometimes my phone gets decently close, so I'm not sure?

How far off is "quite far off"?

 

If it's within roughly 20ft/6m under good conditions, then I wouldn't worry about it. Under ideal conditions, a consumer GPSr will be accurate to about 3m (10ft). That applies both to your device, and to the cache owner’s device, so you may find the container 5-6m (16-20ft) from ground zero under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal conditions, both GPSr readings can be much less accurate.

 

If it's much further than that under good conditions, then I'd check to make sure the phone is actually using GPS positioning. The times my phones have been much further off (more than 100ft), the GPS system had been turned off and they were using only cell tower triangulation and/or wifi, which are much less accurate than GPS.

 

Sometimes is pretty close (under 10m) which I expect, but it's semi-frequently 15-20 metres off.

 

It can't be using cell tower triangulation as it has no sim card in it, so it must be GPS on;y

[KumquatBlue]

A "cheap" GPSr doesn't compare to a modern smartphone.

A "get what you paid for" kinda thing.

 

You say "Alternatively I could get my own smartphone", and for right now, that may be your best bet.

Gotta-catch-'em-all too.

 

Even a fairly cheap smartphone, lets say 100-170 pounds? Something like the moto g3 or g4? Would have better GPS than the garmin etrex 10 or a similar entry level "proper" gps?

 

Thanks for the info btw, I just assumed that all GPSr's must be better than the vast majority of smartphones.

 

Is there some way of knowing (roughly) how good the GPS on a smartphone will be? When I look at different phones and compare the processor cores and the number of megapixels, I'd like some way of comparing the GPS performance

[+Touchstone]

Unless you already have a phone, I would think the etrex would be a pretty good bet. Most people nowadays start with the phone/app combo because they already have it, and are familiar with how it operates.

 

I have a watch for running, but I'm not sure I can get my head around trying to use it for geocaching. It's fairly accurate (almost as good as my handheld gps), but you can't load cache information on it (at least not on the one I have).

 

The main advantage I see with my handheld over my phone is that it fairly consistent in counting down the miles/footage when I'm close. I find the phone a bit jumpy, and pretty much <30 or so feet, I'm putting my phone away and starting to look around for obvious hiding places.

[ohgood]

I've just started out geocaching, using a borrowed old smartphone (samsung galaxy ace 3). Currently I'm caching in suburban places, but I'd like to be a bit more adventurous in future.

 

1 it's been fine, but often the phone is quite far off the location.

2 First and foremost, is this likely to be an issue with the accuracy of my phone, or the accuracy of the given co-ordinates?

3 Sometimes my phone gets decently close, so I'm not sure?

 

4 i'm considering getting a dedicated GPS, but I would only be able to afford an entry level model such as garmin etrex 10.

 

5 What is the difference in accuracy between smartphone/entry level gps/high end gps?

 

Alternatively I could get my own smartphone. I already have a tablet, so it's not all that necessarily, but it would also allow me to try "pokemon go" that I've heard about.

 

5 How can you tell how "good" the GPS in a particular smartphone compared to another smartphone? I'm buying primarily for geocaching,

6 so any recommendations of a smartphone with great GPS (ideally sub 200 pounds) would be gratefully received

 

7 A slightly more "unusual" solution is this: I am coveting a GPS running watch/activity tracker anyway (and have a milestone birthday coming up). Maybe I should get a higher end watch which will allow navigation to GPS co-ordinates. Still use the older crappy phone for off the cuff urban caching, but load co-ordinates onto the watch when I'm specifically heading somewhere for geocaching. I am leaning towards this solution, BUT I have no idea of the accuracy of GPS watches. Are they better, or worse, than a smartphone? (I'm talking something like garmin fenix 2 or 3, Suunto ambit line, etc)

 

1 normally this means the phone is set to wifi+cellular+Google services. if it is set to "GPS only" is usually very good in my experience

 

2 both. there are a TON of caches that just have bad cords. some of them get moved, corrected, some don't. then there is the error of the placement gps vs errors from the finding GPS. and animals moving things. and sloppy humans, etc. but occasionally the coordinates are so close is weird/easy. same woods, same tree cover, everything.

 

3 yup. see 2.

 

4 that's fine

 

5 nothing, except the entry fee. oh I'm sure someone here will be highly offended and post 100 links to various bloggers that say the only way , really truly accurately cache is with xyz device.... and that's fine.

 

6 my favorite waterproof phones with accuracies good enough to intimidate folks into shouting at their computer screen:

Casio c811 ($40), Samsung rugby pro $40), both used, kyocera hydro air ($40 new, I think there is a new model now, dunno) out any of the high volume selling s4/s5/etc line. you'll probably want a replaceable battery and extras for weekends of caching/hiking. cases are optional at this price range, you can buy ten of them for one Montana.

 

7 it's going to be hard to input text on that screen, or see hints, or Google stuff. but some people like them.

 

just remember you're looking for a thing in the woods that someone else maybe half tried to get good coordinates for, or maybe didnt, and you'll be fine.

Edited September 6, 2016 by ohgood

[+livee_nz]

I'll just jump in with my 2c on the watches - I bought a garmin fenix3 thinking it had the same geocaching function as the original fenix.

It doesn't. You can type in co-ordinates and navigate to them. You can even upload them, but the most you can read if uploading, is the cache code. No name, or any detail. So this is now my fitness watch - would have got a cheaper one if I knew!.

So I bought a fenix 1 off trademe (like ebay) - this watch I can read everything I need (if the cache description is really long, I can't read it all though). I have only been using it a few times now, but it has led me cache area's and the distance is pretty similar to my galaxy s5 (which battery is shot, which is why i was looking for something else).

It is quite easy to transfer caches to the fenix1 as well, using garmin basecamp software.

I found there are just too many gps handhelds out there for me to even start trying to figure out what to buy, and the watch really appealed for being discrete, and handsfree.

I don't know which way the fenix2 swings. Haven't spied a review for it yet.

Hope that helps a bit

[+fdelgado]

I totally agree. I'm very disapointed with my F3. I can't understand why a GC application has benn developed. May be we should ask for it?