gps coordinates off

[+crazyred65]

hello I was going to place my first cache box and when I went into place my gps coordinates it was way off form map online ? I haven't don't it yet till I know what's going on.i have checked mygps coordinates on 2 other gps and it's right on them.

[+Panther&Pine]

You may want to spend some more time caching before deciding to put out your own cache.

But are you using a GPS device or a phone? That can make a difference.

When you put the coordinates in are they remotely close or are they on the other side of town?

[+Revent]

hello I was going to place my first cache box and when I went into place my gps coordinates it was way off form map online ? I haven't don't it yet till I know what's going on.i have checked mygps coordinates on 2 other gps and it's right on them.

 

Not quite sure what you mean by 'off', but if what you mean is the map window doesn't match reality then it's an OpenStreetMap bug, and can be reported with a 'note' on openstreetmap.org

[+crazyred65]

there are way off like by 2 mile's off gps i'am using .not cell phone

[+Chrysalides]

Do you mean you obtained GPS coordinates with 3 different devices, and they all agree. But when you plug the coordinates into online map, it shows a different location from where you were?

 

Some questions :

 

1) What are the 3 devices you used?

2) What online map were you looking at? Google Maps?

 

Some notes :

 

1) GPS can take multiple minutes before returning an accurate location, depending on how long it was since it was last used, and how good is signal reception. Phones can sometime return a location much quicker, but not necessarily more accurate. Having said that, if the locations are all within, say, 20 feet of each other, it is unlikely that all 3 devices are incorrect.

 

2) Google Maps sometimes try to snap to the nearest "interesting" location. I can't seem to get Google Maps on my phone to show where the coordinates point - it instead wants to show me "this is where you want to go instead". On Windows browser, I enter the coordinates twice, then look at where the green arrow is pointing.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Read and typed the numbers correctly?

[+crazyred65]

yes it was on this webpage for entering a cache . yes google maps . 2 garmin and and some other gps . all so if I put in my zip code one here it's way off too . yes I did it 3 time with the number's .

[+niraD]

If you entered the digits correctly, then you might check the format. For example, the locations

N 37° 25.502 W 122° 06.834

N 37.25502° W 122.06834°

both use the same digits, but they're miles apart from each other.

[+crazyred65]

Ok everyone we got it now it was google map messing up . Thank you all for your in put.

[+GeoTrekker26]

Ok everyone we got it now it was google map messing up . Thank you all for your in put.

 

Just to be clear, it was you messing up on google maps. I'm not pointing fingers, after all, everyone makes mistakes, but google maps will not be off by 2 miles, and it's not fair to blame google maps when it was not a google problem. I'm glad you found your error.

[+cwilliams316]

I'm having issues with coordinates as well. Google Maps isn't the problem though. We were going to place our first cache yesterday, had it all set found a great spot, so set it in and then tried getting accurate coords.

 

Using a Garmin Nuvi 1100 GPS and Droid 4.

 

To start I let the GPS sit on top of the cache area for a few minutes, then clicked on "Where am I" and wrote down the coordinates. Then using my smartphone used the Geocacher app and wrote those coords down. They were slightly different but very close. I then walked around the area staying within 10 feet of the cache and took note of more coords.

 

We then walked back to my vehicle which was about 300 feet away, entered the first coords into the GPS and hit go. When I arrived at the cache location, the GPS still showed it was 300 feet away. I then entered the other coordinates I had written down and when at the cache they all showed I was between 300-500 feet away from the cache...

 

I then averaged all the coords together, hit GO and while standing at the cache, it still showed me at 300 feet away. (prior to each attempt my son and I walked back to our vehicle before hitting GO on the GPS)

 

I downloaded several Coordinate apps and none of those helped. It was very cloudy yesterday so I thought that may be a factor, plus I've had this Garmin for 4 years and never updated it. So this morning when the kids left for school, I updated the GPS and saw the sky was clear so headed back over to the area and still the exact same thing. Always showing the cache hundreds of feet away.

 

So then I hopped on Google Earth, got to the exact location, wrote down the coords popped them in the GPS and they brought me to the next street over from where the cache is.(basically right in front of a house that the cache is behind)

 

I don't get what the problem is. The cache site is located about 800 feet behind a plaza, and about 50 feet from someones backyard. (it's on public property, a small pretty much unknown pond/tree area with a 1/2 mile long fence behind it. It seems all the coordinates I'm picking up from the cache site bring me to the front of a residents home.

 

I never have any real issues with either device, normally just enter the coords and go, or use live map etc. Also I'm familiar with the different types of coordinates so definitely entering them correctly.

 

Any ideas?

[+T.D.M.22]

Let's see if I get this. You take co-ords, and then use your Garmin Nuvi to navigate to the co-ords. That actually takes you to the house in front of the cache location.

 

Just a guess here what's happening; What those types of GPS do are take you to the approximate address rather than the actual co-ords. Remember it's made to take you to street addresses, so that's where it will take you.

 

Solution? I'm assuming there's a way to navigate to co-ords rather than addresses. Use one of your phones apps to navigate to the co-ords. Or go buy a handheld GPS and use that.

[+K13]

I'm having issues with coordinates as well. Google Maps isn't the problem though. We were going to place our first cache yesterday, had it all set found a great spot, so set it in and then tried getting accurate coords.

 

Using a Garmin Nuvi 1100 GPS and Droid 4.

 

To start I let the GPS sit on top of the cache area for a few minutes, then clicked on "Where am I" and wrote down the coordinates. Then using my smartphone used the Geocacher app and wrote those coords down. They were slightly different but very close. I then walked around the area staying within 10 feet of the cache and took note of more coords.

 

We then walked back to my vehicle which was about 300 feet away, entered the first coords into the GPS and hit go. When I arrived at the cache location, the GPS still showed it was 300 feet away. I then entered the other coordinates I had written down and when at the cache they all showed I was between 300-500 feet away from the cache...

 

I then averaged all the coords together, hit GO and while standing at the cache, it still showed me at 300 feet away. (prior to each attempt my son and I walked back to our vehicle before hitting GO on the GPS)

 

I downloaded several Coordinate apps and none of those helped. It was very cloudy yesterday so I thought that may be a factor, plus I've had this Garmin for 4 years and never updated it. So this morning when the kids left for school, I updated the GPS and saw the sky was clear so headed back over to the area and still the exact same thing. Always showing the cache hundreds of feet away.

 

So then I hopped on Google Earth, got to the exact location, wrote down the coords popped them in the GPS and they brought me to the next street over from where the cache is.(basically right in front of a house that the cache is behind)

 

I don't get what the problem is. The cache site is located about 800 feet behind a plaza, and about 50 feet from someones backyard. (it's on public property, a small pretty much unknown pond/tree area with a 1/2 mile long fence behind it. It seems all the coordinates I'm picking up from the cache site bring me to the front of a residents home.

 

I never have any real issues with either device, normally just enter the coords and go, or use live map etc. Also I'm familiar with the different types of coordinates so definitely entering them correctly.

 

Any ideas?

 

I'm in agreement with DoubleDeuce. There is likely a setting in your Nuvi which is keeping you on roads/streets instead of going all the way to the coordinates you entered. You can also try "Perfect Mark" app for your phone. It may give you better results obtaining the coordinates in the field. Good Luck.

[+Chief301]

I'm having issues with coordinates as well. Google Maps isn't the problem though. We were going to place our first cache yesterday, had it all set found a great spot, so set it in and then tried getting accurate coords.

 

Using a Garmin Nuvi 1100 GPS and Droid 4.

 

To start I let the GPS sit on top of the cache area for a few minutes, then clicked on "Where am I" and wrote down the coordinates. Then using my smartphone used the Geocacher app and wrote those coords down. They were slightly different but very close. I then walked around the area staying within 10 feet of the cache and took note of more coords.

 

We then walked back to my vehicle which was about 300 feet away, entered the first coords into the GPS and hit go. When I arrived at the cache location, the GPS still showed it was 300 feet away. I then entered the other coordinates I had written down and when at the cache they all showed I was between 300-500 feet away from the cache...

 

I then averaged all the coords together, hit GO and while standing at the cache, it still showed me at 300 feet away. (prior to each attempt my son and I walked back to our vehicle before hitting GO on the GPS)

 

I downloaded several Coordinate apps and none of those helped. It was very cloudy yesterday so I thought that may be a factor, plus I've had this Garmin for 4 years and never updated it. So this morning when the kids left for school, I updated the GPS and saw the sky was clear so headed back over to the area and still the exact same thing. Always showing the cache hundreds of feet away.

 

So then I hopped on Google Earth, got to the exact location, wrote down the coords popped them in the GPS and they brought me to the next street over from where the cache is.(basically right in front of a house that the cache is behind)

 

I don't get what the problem is. The cache site is located about 800 feet behind a plaza, and about 50 feet from someones backyard. (it's on public property, a small pretty much unknown pond/tree area with a 1/2 mile long fence behind it. It seems all the coordinates I'm picking up from the cache site bring me to the front of a residents home.

 

I never have any real issues with either device, normally just enter the coords and go, or use live map etc. Also I'm familiar with the different types of coordinates so definitely entering them correctly.

 

Any ideas?

 

I'm in agreement with DoubleDeuce. There is likely a setting in your Nuvi which is keeping you on roads/streets instead of going all the way to the coordinates you entered. You can also try "Perfect Mark" app for your phone. It may give you better results obtaining the coordinates in the field. Good Luck.

 

Perfect Mark is an iPhone app. Not sure if that's the app for Android, but if that's not it I'm sure they have something similar.

[+cwilliams316]

I'm having issues with coordinates as well. Google Maps isn't the problem though. We were going to place our first cache yesterday, had it all set found a great spot, so set it in and then tried getting accurate coords.

 

Using a Garmin Nuvi 1100 GPS and Droid 4.

 

To start I let the GPS sit on top of the cache area for a few minutes, then clicked on "Where am I" and wrote down the coordinates. Then using my smartphone used the Geocacher app and wrote those coords down. They were slightly different but very close. I then walked around the area staying within 10 feet of the cache and took note of more coords.

 

We then walked back to my vehicle which was about 300 feet away, entered the first coords into the GPS and hit go. When I arrived at the cache location, the GPS still showed it was 300 feet away. I then entered the other coordinates I had written down and when at the cache they all showed I was between 300-500 feet away from the cache...

 

I then averaged all the coords together, hit GO and while standing at the cache, it still showed me at 300 feet away. (prior to each attempt my son and I walked back to our vehicle before hitting GO on the GPS)

 

I downloaded several Coordinate apps and none of those helped. It was very cloudy yesterday so I thought that may be a factor, plus I've had this Garmin for 4 years and never updated it. So this morning when the kids left for school, I updated the GPS and saw the sky was clear so headed back over to the area and still the exact same thing. Always showing the cache hundreds of feet away.

 

So then I hopped on Google Earth, got to the exact location, wrote down the coords popped them in the GPS and they brought me to the next street over from where the cache is.(basically right in front of a house that the cache is behind)

 

I don't get what the problem is. The cache site is located about 800 feet behind a plaza, and about 50 feet from someones backyard. (it's on public property, a small pretty much unknown pond/tree area with a 1/2 mile long fence behind it. It seems all the coordinates I'm picking up from the cache site bring me to the front of a residents home.

 

I never have any real issues with either device, normally just enter the coords and go, or use live map etc. Also I'm familiar with the different types of coordinates so definitely entering them correctly.

 

Any ideas?

 

I'm in agreement with DoubleDeuce. There is likely a setting in your Nuvi which is keeping you on roads/streets instead of going all the way to the coordinates you entered. You can also try "Perfect Mark" app for your phone. It may give you better results obtaining the coordinates in the field. Good Luck.

 

Perfect Mark is an iPhone app. Not sure if that's the app for Android, but if that's not it I'm sure they have something similar.

 

Ok thanks guys, I'll look into more apps. I have used several on my phone to get my current coordinates when at the cache and the Nuvi is still sending me to the next street over.

[+Chief301]

I'm with TDM on this....Nuvi is a car GPS, it's trying to bring you to the nearest street address. I understand Nuvi's can do off road as well but you have to change some settings.

[+cwilliams316]

I'm with TDM on this....Nuvi is a car GPS, it's trying to bring you to the nearest street address. I understand Nuvi's can do off road as well but you have to change some settings.

 

I think I've seen Pedestrian and Bike mode before, I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Crazy thunderstorms going on at the moment.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Ok everyone we got it now it was google map messing up . Thank you all for your in put.

 

Just to be clear, it was you messing up on google maps. I'm not pointing fingers, after all, everyone makes mistakes, but google maps will not be off by 2 miles, and it's not fair to blame google maps when it was not a google problem. I'm glad you found your error.

 

Google maps are atrocious at many things! I would be embarrassed to be Google and offering such a faulty program! Street names wrong. Park boundaries off. So, yes. It is fair to blame Google. Badly defective product.

[+cwilliams316]

I'm with TDM on this....Nuvi is a car GPS, it's trying to bring you to the nearest street address. I understand Nuvi's can do off road as well but you have to change some settings.

 

Got it working. Set it to Pedestrian mode, did "where am I" All good now! Cache is awaiting review to be posted.