iPhone GPS apps 1/2 mile off!

[+Jeobrit]

Hey everyone. I am having such problems with my iPhone and getting coordinates that are accurate. I have tried about 8 different gps apps and they all give me the same coordinates but I google them and they are about a half mile off! There is no reason for this as I'm in town. There is also a cache right bear my home and checked cords for those. What on earth is wrong:( I've worked on this for hours, I have a iPhone 5s

Thank you

[+T.D.M.22]

Your cell gets its location from GPS and its cellular connection. Make sure the GPS option is not turned off. It may be under GPS or location services.

 

Something else to think about is that maybe your phone is perfect, and it's the maps that are off. Try navigating to a geocache and see what happens.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

All of them are wrong -- by the same approximate distance?

You are most likely trying to mix two different types of coordinate formats.

How is it -- and why? -- do you "google them"?

 

Notice these differing formats -- they are the same spot on the earth's surface:

 

• 
   
  
• Decimal Minutes: N 49 08.373 W 123 52.490
  
• Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: N49 08 22 W123 52 29
  
• Decimal Degrees: 49.13955 -123.874833
  

All of these coordinates point to ONE of your latest geocache Finds! They are simply in a different format.

 

If you are searching out particular coordinate points, make sure the mapping system uses the same format as those coordinates you input. Most online mapping program formats are switchable.

 

 

EDIT to add: If you need to convert coordinates, do so here: http://boulter.com/gps/

Edited January 28, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Jeobrit]

Your cell gets its location from GPS and its cellular connection. Make sure the GPS option is not turned off. It may be under GPS or location services.

 

Something else to think about is that maybe your phone is perfect, and it's the maps that are off. Try navigating to a geocache and see what happens.

 

So checked and GPS is on. And the maps are google maps so I wouldn't think they would be off would u?

[+Jeobrit]

All of them are wrong -- by the same approximate distance?

You are most likely trying to mix two different types of coordinate formats.

How is it -- and why? -- do you "google them"?

 

Notice these differing formats -- they are the same spot on the earth's surface:

 

• 
   
  
• Decimal Minutes: N 49 08.373 W 123 52.490
  
• Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: N49 08 22 W123 52 29
  
• Decimal Degrees: 49.13955 -123.874833
  

All of these coordinates point to ONE of your latest geocache Finds! They are simply in a different format.

 

If you are searching out particular coordinate points, make sure the mapping system uses the same format as those coordinates you input. Most online mapping program formats are switchable.

 

 

EDIT to add: If you need to convert coordinates, do so here: http://boulter.com/gps/

 

Yes they are all wrong by the same distance , weird hey!?! The way I have been checking them is by google maps.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Yes they are all wrong by the same distance , weird hey!?! The way I have been checking them is by google maps.

OK, I see what is probably happening here.

 

From what I am reading...

 

You are not "checking" them at all, you are merely looking at a map.

Checking them (in real life) to see that they are all a half-mile off, is much different than simply looking at a map.

 

Online maps, Google being one of the most popular, are notorious for being far "off" from reality in one location yet dead-on in other locations.

Online maps are simply overlays placed upon a grid system. Placing flat overlays upon a non-level and uneven surface make for a near-impossible task. The earth's surface is neither flat nor level.

 

Putting great reliance in online mapping is a recipe for disaster.

These forums are loaded with examples of just that phenomenon -- although I haven't noticed much mention of that fact recently.

-----------

 

The same thing happens when you take printed adjoining (accurate) topo maps, lay them on a table and try to allign them into a much larger map. It simply doesn't work.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Jeobrit]

Yes they are all wrong by the same distance , weird hey!?! The way I have been checking them is by google maps.

OK, I see what is probably happening here.

 

From what I am reading...

 

You are not "checking" them at all, you are merely looking at a map.

Checking them (in real life) to see that they are all a half-mile off, is much different than simply looking at a map.

 

Online maps, Google being one of the most popular, are notorious for being far "off" from reality in one location yet dead-on in other locations.

Online maps are simply overlays placed upon a grid system. Placing flat overlays upon a non-level and uneven surface make for a near-impossible task. The earth's surface is neither flat nor level.

 

Putting great reliance in online mapping is a recipe for disaster.

These forums are loaded with examples of just that phenomenon -- although I haven't noticed much mention of that fact recently.

-----------

 

The same thing happens when you take printed adjoining (accurate) topo maps, lay them on a table and try to allign them into a much larger map. It simply doesn't work.

Wow I had no idea! So how would u check them?

[+Bear and Ragged]

Off by the same distance, and same direction?

 

DATUM

 

Why do we use WGS-84 and HDD(D)° MM.MMM Datum and Format?

[+Red90]

Jeobrit appears on Vancouver Island. Google maps are fine there.

 

He is doing something wrong. Explain in detail what you are doing...

 

Or simply purchase the Groundspeak caching app and use it.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Red90

[+Jeobrit]

Jeobrit appears on Vancouver Island. Google maps are fine there.

 

He is doing something wrong. Explain in detail what you are doing...

 

Or simply purchase the Groundspeak caching app and use it.

 

That is the app I always use to cache but it is way off as well where it says your coordinates on main page

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Wow I had no idea! So how would u check them?

Before we jump into that... we need to know just what it is that you are trying to do.

I am beginning to think that you are attempting something other than just going out and finding geocaches.

Reason being, if your app obtained the coordinates from geocaching.com, your phone (along with the app(s)) would guide you to those coordinates.

 

But, for some reason, you seem to want to check those coordinates on Google Maps, so I'm guessing that you are up to something other than just hunting for placed geocaches.

That is why I originally asked "-- and WHY? -- do you "google" them?"

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

 

This lead me to believe that you are trying to CREATE a geocache placement. If so, it certainly would've helped if you said that right up front.

Looks to be right, as I just looked at your profile and I see that you recently placed a geocache and then promptly disabled that because you feel the coordinates are not right.

[+Jeobrit]

Off by the same distance, and same direction?

 

DATUM

 

Why do we use WGS-84 and HDD(D)° MM.MMM Datum and Format?

 

Yes

[+Jeobrit]

Wow I had no idea! So how would u check them?

Before we jump into that... we need to know just what it is that you are trying to do.

I am beginning to think that you are attempting something other than just going out and finding geocaches.

Reason being, if your app obtained the coordinates from geocaching.com, your phone (along with the app(s)) would guide you to those coordinates.

 

But, for some reason, you seem to want to check those coordinates on Google Maps, so I'm guessing that you are up to something other than just hunting for placed geocaches.

That is why I originally asked "-- and WHY? -- do you "google" them?"

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

 

This lead me to believe that you are trying to CREATE a geocache placement. If so, it certainly would've helped if you said that right up front.

Looks to be right, as I just looked at your profile and I see that you recently placed a geocache and then promptly disabled that because you feel the coordinates are not right.

Yes sorry I'm trying to hide them. Thought my post would have made it clear, sorry.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I just entered your coordinates into http://boulter.com/gps/ and they show the same results as does Google Maps.

 

Is your placement in that clearing, looks perhaps to be a sand/gravel pit?

[+Red90]

Yes sorry I'm trying to hide them. Thought my post would have made it clear, sorry.

 

So, explain EXACTLY what steps you are using to get them from your phone onto Google maps. Provide every detail. Work through an example.

 

How exactly are you marking the coordinates on the phone? Most likely you are copying the coordinates incorrectly.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Red90

[+bloghuette]

We are using

2x iPhone 4s

1x iPhone 5s

1x iPad Air 2

 

All of them are regularly far way from beeing in the area where they should be. Forget them as GPS, it's trash, no matter which gps Tool.

Testet Apps:

Twonav

Scout/skobbler

iOS Maps

Google Maps

Google Maps Website

Groundspeak (one of the worst, needs minutes to get a Location!)

Looking for cache

Google Earth

Some compass-tools

The compass is everytime completely wrong, no matter what you do, besides it wants to calibrate every few minutes.

[+T.D.M.22]

We are using

2x iPhone 4s

1x iPhone 5s

1x iPad Air 2

 

All of them are regularly far way from beeing in the area where they should be. Forget them as GPS, it's trash, no matter which gps Tool.

Testet Apps:

Twonav

Scout/skobbler

iOS Maps

Google Maps

Google Maps Website

Groundspeak (one of the worst, needs minutes to get a Location!)

Looking for cache

Google Earth

Some compass-tools

The compass is everytime completely wrong, no matter what you do, besides it wants to calibrate every few minutes.

 

Read post number 2 and number 3.

[+Red90]

I have has an iPhone 3GS, 4S and 5S. The GPS is fine on all of them. Not as good as a standalone, but within reason. If you are way off, the user is doing something wrong.