Frustrated, need advice

[+TheSilverPen]

Hello!

I was in Charleston, SC this weekend and decided to start my new geocaching adventure there. I went to West Ashley Park and worked my way around to the icons on the map. I would get notice I was near, but when I went around the spot, it suddenly bounced to showing me the cache was as much as 798 feet away, and then if I took one step another direction, it says 3 feet away. So I moved grasses, looked up trees, looked in logs, looked under leaves, got a heavy dose of bites and sweat.

So cache number one was a loss, I assumed someone took it. It was at a park and grab spot.

Cache number two indicated at a spot that was flooded, and then...

the third one same thing, I was upon it, searched and it keep zooming the distance and orange line to opposite direction several feet away. After I got the notice it was near me.

Sigh... I am feeling frustrated and failed.I am able to see hints, info, descriptions, and after I hit start, the orange line came on and the distance, etc. Like I expected. But alas...

Fourth cache was at the Holy City brewery, and I was near, looked and looked and not sure what I was looking for, it is a small. We were meeting people, one who is a very experienced geocacher. She walked over to the location with me, of course the app was doing it's crazy thing again, but it noticed me twice we were at the close spot.

We found a perfect item to be the cache, I messaged the person it was linked to-- to ask since I was new and didn't want to say success without confirming. After all the thing was empty.They told me that it wasn't it. Sigh again, I saw nothing nor the geocacher friend saw anything either, else.

Same thing at the Park Circle cache, a park and grab. The thing had me circling, and it changed feet several times, and notices popped up for that cache. I saw a pencil and thought that should be a good sign, but no tiny cache. In the same few feet, the app indicated 3 feet, then jumped 110 feet, then jumped 30 feet, within same 5 steps.I crossed the street and went back and forth till I was exhausted.

Got a ton of good exercise, enjoyed it mostly, but I am ready to almost quit.

Please someone tell me what I am not seeing, does everyone's app jump like it is on drugs? Are caches maybe stolen often explaining the not finding them? I saw others out caching, but could not catch up to them to ask for advice.I do not want the answers and the work done for me, just a nudge in right direction, and how to understand the app situation. Thanks for any and all help.

[iFoundSomethingToday]

It may be your phone. Try using another phone (ex, your kid's phone your friend's phone) and see what happens. This happens a lot with phones with bad GPS. I used to have an iPhone 4 and it always bounced all over the place. I always turned on Satellite map mode to make it easier to myself.

[+cerberus1]

Most times, when I get within 30' or so while walking, I put my GPSr away and start looking.

 

We found that some phones seem better than others. Not sure why. Age and electronics mostly, I'd guess.

- But one with us once was 35' away from us on most caches we found that day, with a brand new iPhone.

 

Stick with 1.5/1.5 Difficulty/Terrain or lower caches , small to large for a while, until you get an idea what you might be looking for.

Smaller (in some cases) being harder to find.

Hides styles of Cache Owners sometimes vary, so once you find one or two, you have a heads up (maybe) on the next.

[+NanCycle]

Two bits of advice:

 

For the forum--tell us what phone and what app you are using.

 

For getting started in geocaching--go out with an experienced cacher. Sounds like you already know someone.

[+TheSilverPen]

I have Android. I used my eyes as much as possible, but wanted to know if I really was close as a few are near busy roads, and I dont play frogger very well..lol. Sounds like I just need to get in "ballpark" and try to find it with eyes until I get used to how they tend to look. The friend lives far away,we just happened to be there. I will put an ad in local boards to see if I can get a geo-buddy to start with. I cant see forums on phone or the comments much on each cache, so had to get on computer, and some I was looking for did state they were badly damaged, and one was not found by another searcher, so maybe I was unlucky, as well. Will keep trying and thanks for all the terrific advice. I will use the info to try again.

[+Rustynails]

If your serious about caching get a real gps such as a garmin. I've always used a garmin and my phone is used for communication. Start with low difficulty caches. Find an experienced cacher in your area to learn from. Caches are not hidden to be obvious.

Edited May 30, 2017 by rustynails.

[+TriciaG]

If your serious about caching get a real gps such as a garmin. I've always used a garmin and my phone is used for communication. Start with low difficulty caches. Find an experienced cacher in your area to learn from. Caches are not hidden to be obvious.

This, except strike the first two sentences. Serious cachers can use phones. It just seems like yours is a bit of a dud.

[+Crow-T-Robot]

If your distances are jumping from a few feet to a few hundred feet, there is something wonky going on with the phone or app. Or you're getting very poor satellite reception/lock. A GPS/phone jumping from a few feet to 20-30 feet can be considered fairly normal. Unless you buy a survey grade GPS (which are accurate to within a centimeter), a phone or GPS is only going to be accurate to within 10-30'.

 

Once you get within that 30' circle, it's normal for the phone or GPS to go a little haywire and change distances if you take a few steps because it "sees" you inside the location it is pointing to. It doesn't really know how to help you since it thinks you've reached your destination. As others have said, get to within 30' and start looking at the surroundings rather than your phone.

 

What kind of phone and app are you using? Check your location settings and make sure you're using your GPS to determine your location. If it's set to determine your location by using cellular networks, that might be why you're seeing these huge swings in distances.

[+Team Microdot]

I wonder if what we're seeing here is an android that's relying on cell triangulation only i.e. GPS is turned off?

[+niraD]

I wonder if what we're seeing here is an android that's relying on cell triangulation only i.e. GPS is turned off?

That's what I've seen when my Android apps have reported positions that were wildly off, and jumping around wildly as well.

[+gginnj]

"Check your location settings and make sure you're using your GPS to determine your location. If it's set to determine your location by using cellular networks, that might be why you're seeing these huge swings in distances. "

 

I am using an iPhone 5C - I don't get huge swings, but very chaotic within the 30' mark - it does say +/- feet - I guess that's normal.

Given the cost of a GPS unit, I'm not so ready to jump into one.

 

1. But....How does one verify that the phone is using GPS vs cellular? I searched the settings and didn't find this?

2. As a newbie myself, those Did not finds are very frustrating, especially when you read the activity log and keep seeing - "found it right away" "saw it right away" however, I accept I'm new and that explains it. When I took flying lessons - the instructor kept pointing and saying see that plane, how about that one, one over there.....I was like, no...what plane? he said after awhile they jump right out at you, so I'm guessing this is the same.

 

To TheSilverPen what I've done is started watching some of the YouTube videos on geocache finds - they show many different methods of hiding, and gives you ideas on what to look for.

 

I've decided to add to my arsenal a cheap metal detector - hopefully will sniff out some of those hidden bison tubes in the woods and weeds, won't work for light posts and other metal objects,

but It was fairly cheap (<$20.00) - haven't used it yet - next weekend!

[+niraD]

I've never used an iPhone myself, so I can't tell you how to check whether the location services are using GPS or using cell tower triangulation, wifi networks, and other less reliable systems. But someone who does use an iPhone will probably help out with that soon.

 

2. As a newbie myself, those Did not finds are very frustrating, especially when you read the activity log and keep seeing - "found it right away" "saw it right away" however, I accept I'm new and that explains it.

Yeah, unfortunately a lot of caches with low difficulty ratings are considered easy because they are in "the usual spot" that experienced geocachers know to check. That doesn't really help newbies who haven't learned where "the usual spots" are though.

 

But here are some beginners tips that I've posted before. They may help.

 

A common recommendation for beginners is to stick with small size, regular size, and large size caches. Until you're more experienced, avoid micro size caches, some of which are smaller than most beginners can imagine (sometimes called "nanos"). Save those for later, after you have some experience.

 

Also, stick with caches that have a difficulty rating of no more than 2 stars . Save the more difficult ones for later. You may also want to choose caches with easy terrain ratings. (The difficulty rating tells you how hard it is to find the cache once you get there. The terrain rating tells you how hard it is to get there.) And it is often best to start with traditional caches, which will be at the published coordinates. Multi-caches or mystery/puzzle caches or other cache types can require more work just to figure out where the container is located.

 

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. Once you get within that distance of ground zero, put your device away and look around for places where a container could be hidden.

 

Where would you hide something? Do you notice anything unusual? Is anything too new, too old, too organized (e.g., UPS: an Unnatural Pile of Sticks/Stones), too symmetrical, not quite the right color or shape, etc.? Don’t look only on the ground; the cache may be knee-level, waist-level, eye-level, or overhead. How might the container be secured in place? With magnets? With a hook? With string? With fishing line? With something else? Does anything move when you touch it? (Be careful when touching things though.)

 

Go ahead and read the cache's additional hints (if provided), and read the past logs and look at any photos in the cache's image gallery. They may help you understand what you're looking for, and how/where it may be hidden. It may also help to look at some of the cache containers available online. For example, check out the cache containers sold by Groundspeak. Also, take a look at the Pictures - Cool Cache Containers (CCC's) thread in the forums, and check out some geocaching videos on YouTube.

[+TheSilverPen]

More good ideas added since I last read this thread. I so appreciate it, as I feel now, I am more likely to succeed than fail. I thank you all, as it was so hard to not find, when it did say "easy" in the description. The next outing, I will check all the items above, such as GPS settings, see videos on youtube (I never thought to look), and such. So many descriptions are fairly relative to the person, too. Like "small" to me would be hand size perhaps, but maybe it means pill bottle, too. And "easy" to me, means a few slaps of the weeds, or lifting a limb, or under a bench. But perhaps it means opening a panel of something, etc. Will go at it with this information and hope I update the post with "found one!" I did lose 7 lbs hunting caches, so I still call that a success.

[+TheSilverPen]

My phone makes it hard to look up pictures etc, so will have all that groundwork done ahead, and look up sample caches as in the post above.

Edited May 30, 2017 by TheSilverPen

[+GeoTrekker26]

You have been asked twice what phone you are using. You replied android which is the operating system running on the phone. Knowing the make and model of your phone might provide some insight into what you can expect in GPS behavior.

[+JohnCNA]

I have Android. I used my eyes as much as possible, but wanted to know if I really was close as a few are near busy roads, and I dont play frogger very well..lol. Sounds like I just need to get in "ballpark" and try to find it with eyes until I get used to how they tend to look. The friend lives far away,we just happened to be there. I will put an ad in local boards to see if I can get a geo-buddy to start with. I cant see forums on phone or the comments much on each cache, so had to get on computer, and some I was looking for did state they were badly damaged, and one was not found by another searcher, so maybe I was unlucky, as well. Will keep trying and thanks for all the terrific advice. I will use the info to try again.

 

Check the Location settings for your phone. If it's not set to 'High Accuracy' it will only be using WiFi and Cellular for location, which are not accurate enough for geocaching. High Accuracy is what turns on the GPS function.

[+Bear and Ragged]

I have Android. I used my eyes as much as possible, but wanted to know if I really was close as a few are near busy roads, and I dont play frogger very well..lol. Sounds like I just need to get in "ballpark" and try to find it with eyes until I get used to how they tend to look.

 

Will keep trying and thanks for all the terrific advice. I will use the info to try again.

 

Phones, and GPS units, do have their 'off days'

 

Watch where the arrow/compass/map shows the cache as you approach from a distance.

As you get closer 30 down to 20 feet away, start looking at where the cache might be hidden.

It is a case of experiance. The more you find, the easier it gets...

 

Knowing WHAT you are looking for, and where and how it can be hidden, is probably half the battle! Watch out for those Micro/nano cache sizes.

[+Team Microdot]

You have been asked twice what phone you are using. You replied android which is the operating system running on the phone. Knowing the make and model of your phone might provide some insight into what you can expect in GPS behavior.

 

AND someone here might be able to guide the OP in how to check that GPS is enabled on their phone - if only they would answer our questions

[+Rustynails]

If your serious about caching get a real gps such as a garmin. I've always used a garmin and my phone is used for communication. Start with low difficulty caches. Find an experienced cacher in your area to learn from. Caches are not hidden to be obvious.

This, except strike the first two sentences. Serious cachers can use phones. It just seems like yours is a bit of a dud.

 

Not a dud. I can call/text anyone and they can call/text me. Believe it or not, that's the main purpose of phones.

[+TriciaG]

If your serious about caching get a real gps such as a garmin. I've always used a garmin and my phone is used for communication. Start with low difficulty caches. Find an experienced cacher in your area to learn from. Caches are not hidden to be obvious.

This, except strike the first two sentences. Serious cachers can use phones. It just seems like yours is a bit of a dud.

Not a dud. I can call/text anyone and they can call/text me. Believe it or not, that's the main purpose of phones.

 

LOL! Maybe 5-10% of use my Pocket Computer/Communicator gets is for actually calling or texting anyone.

Edited May 31, 2017 by TriciaG

[+dcaches]

My android: setting....connections....location....high accuracy.

[+makeme]

My android: Samsung S6..Setting...Personal...Locations...Locating method...High Accuracy. We started out using our android phones before I purchased a Garmin GPS. The reason for the GPS was because I was either running out of battery life or there was no cell coverage. My husband always uses his phone and sometimes finds the cache before I do. I use both apps, geocaching and c:geo. The new geocaching app is less friendly than the older version. Wish they hadn't change it..

Try and find a local event to attend and meet your local cachers. And as others have suggested look for small, medium and large caches.

And have fun.

[+huskydays]

Does the android app have the option of satellite/hybrid maps? I find them very useful (I'm on iOS) - if my GPS is extra jumpy that day I can use the satellite imagery as reference to figure out my location instead. Doesn't fix the initial problem but helps narrow down a GZ.

 

I've never used an iPhone myself, so I can't tell you how to check whether the location services are using GPS or using cell tower triangulation, wifi networks, and other less reliable systems. But someone who does use an iPhone will probably help out with that soon.

OP is using Android but if anyone with an iPhone and similar issues stumbles along this thread and wants to know:

 

On an iPhone (iOS 10):

Settings > Privacy > Location Services

From here, make sure GPS is turned on, then scroll down and select the geocaching app to make sure the app has permission to use it.

 

On iPhones, 'Assisted GPS' is used as standard, meaning that is GPS signal is weak/screwy the phone will automatically try to use WiFi, bluetooth and cell-tower data to pinpoint a more accurate location. You can't turn this off without turning off GPS as well, it's all or nothing (there may be an aftermarket option if the phone is jailbreaked, I understand that opens a world of possibilities but I have limited understanding on this).

[+TheSilverPen]

UPDATE: I took all the advice, suggestions and leads....got two more apps which are high rated among cache hunters...they look fantastic!

Finally found a more local group to share ideas with and maybe go to events with. Not right at my home location, but within close enough proximity.

Read several more articles that were linked for me, and learned much more. I think I am better prepared for this now.

Finally, I am back home so can search in hometown areas I am familiar with, which should provide me a better idea where a person would hide the cache. All the sites in list are places I have visited or do so regularly, thus I feel less timid about walking all over the premises.

This weekend I plan to go again with all these new cool tools, and I know (stay positive) I will have success.

Thanks again for all the help, steering me in right directions, without spoilers, and keeping my motivation at the top. You guys rock!!!!

[+eljay]

Hopefully you got the GPS stuff sorted out.

 

Bigger picture... I got a lot happier once I figured out how to use the cache search feature to keep the difficulty/terrain low and also only to look for caches that have been found very recently and consistently. A lot of people don't log "do not finds" so if you have some cache that was found once a month for ages and then suddenly nobody's found it in six months I wouldn't bother with it at first. You can always go back later to the others.

 

And as people have said, once you get some experience there's usually an obvious place to put a cache. It's not always there, of course, which is part of the fun, but it does speed things up to start there even if the GPS is sending you 10 feet away.

[+TheSilverPen]

I am so proud to announce the hints, tips and links have resulted in my first two finds!!! I tried many, and failed, but my son went along for moral support and he got the caching bug now too. He wants to go caching with his girlfriend now. lol...

After a few more fails, I looked closer at the descriptions and chose easier ones, and in areas I was less shy about stomping around, and woohoo! I ma realizing about how far off the compass likes to ump, and how to kind of guess by the jumps if I am in the zone. And now I got two more people anxious to start hunting as well. I call that success!

[+cerberus1]

Cool.

[+niraD]

Congratulations! Welcome to the addiction geocaching!

[+dcaches]

Happy to hear you were successful! Welcome to the addiction;)

[+OneEighth]

My android: setting....connections....location....high accuracy.

Bingo! This is what I was coming to say. I have an S6 and my g/f has the S5 and our gps locations were wildly different. Mine was usually spot on while hers jumped all over the place as OP described. I finally took her phone and went through the settings to find that it was set to 'GPS Only' and not 'High Accuracy'. Once I switched it, it started working great.

[+Disd33332]

If your serious about caching get a real gps such as a garmin. I've always used a garmin and my phone is used for communication. Start with low difficulty caches. Find an experienced cacher in your area to learn from. Caches are not hidden to be obvious.

This, except strike the first two sentences. Serious cachers can use phones. It just seems like yours is a bit of a dud.

Not a dud. I can call/text anyone and they can call/text me. Believe it or not, that's the main purpose of phones.

 

LOL! Maybe 5-10% of use my Pocket Computer/Communicator gets is for actually calling or texting anyone.

[+Disd33332]

I'm brand new to geocaching... which iOS app is best to use? Thanks!

[+cerberus1]

I'm brand new to geocaching... which iOS app is best to use? Thanks!

I don't believe there is a "best", just what works well for you.

 

You're already a pm, why not simply load the Geocaching app and get started from there?

[+Bear and Ragged]

I'm brand new to geocaching... which iOS app is best to use? Thanks!

I don't believe there is a "best", just what works well for you.

 

You're already a pm, why not simply load the Geocaching app and get started from there?

 

I've tried Groundspeaks app... Don't like it. (It's not up to thier old "Paid For" app.)

 

As you are a Premium Member, try Cachly. It's the one I use, and find it does what I want to do.

(It is a Pay for one...)