[Az-Geocaching] How accurate is the GPS?

[SquishyGecko]

Welcome to Geocaching!

Your question is one that I asked myself a month or so ago, which is about
as long as I've been involved in geocaching.  A number of people responded
to me with tips.  Two of the most important were:

1. Approach the cache site from different directions, mark down each set of
coordinates, then average them out.

2. Lay the GPSr on the site and let it sit for a few minutes so it will
settle down.

Usually I can get my Meridian Gold to take me within three to six feet of a
cache.  Depending upon buildings and such, there will be more interference
and less accuracy.  You mentioned testing yours at ASU.  Over the past
weekend I hit a cache there at ASU near the Mathematics building.  With all
the buildings and such in the way, the GPSr only got me within 100 feet.
Opening my eyes and remembering the teachings of Graldrich got me the rest
of the way.  (He taught me to look in the obvious places first, a painful
lesson as I lost a FTF to him!) :)

The other thing I've noticed, at least with the Meridian Gold, is that when
your batteries are getting weak, the unit doesn't seem so quick to settle
down or nearly as accurate.  On one recent trip I was using the GPSr to give
me directions, and it made me u-turn five times on the same street within
the same five blocks.

Hope this was helpful.  Take care! :)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Krider" <James.Krider@asu.edu>
To: <listserv@azgeocaching.com>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 11:18 AM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] How accurate is the GPS?


: I am new to geocaching and have had my Magellan Meridian Color less than
: a month.  When looking for caches at Freestone Park I tried making a
: waypoint near the water fall on my way to "electric playground" cache.
: On the way back I stood on the same spot near the waterfall and the GPS
: said the spot was 25 feet away.
:
: Another test at ASU I stood on a manhole cover and made a waypoint.
: Without moving I then set a go to for that way point which said it was
: 8ft away.  Not bad.  But then without moving the numbers increased
: further and further until it reached 57 feet.
:
: When hunting for geocaches I was assuming I was within 3 m (about 10
: feet).  I can see now it could be up to 60 ft away from the spot.
:
: KNOWBODY
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