Getting good coordinates for cache placement

[brudderman]

I'm going to start placing a few caches and will, of course, need accurate coordinates for that. I know that I can tap on Cachly's current location indicator and get a popup with the coordinates (and the accuracy) and an option to copy them. But will this single sample be good enough placement? If so, then I'm set with what I already have in Cachly (my "go to" app which I do love!).

In some areas coordinates bounce around quite a bit, so it seems that an average over several minutes would be better in such cases. Not having a dedicated GPSr, how would I go about getting coordinates that are good enough to post for placement with my iPhone 6s? Perhaps another app for this occasional single purpose?

I apologize for my ignorance here but would sure appreciate suggestions and pointers from those with experience in this.

Thanks!

[ChrisDen]

Check the plot on Google Earth. My experience is that you cannot go wrong if your coords show to be good there. 

Plot your coords as a waypoint. Wall away and then go to the waypoint as if you are finding a cache. That is also a good check 

[brudderman]

@ChrisDen

Thanks for suggesting this! I often look at where a cache I'm hunting appears on Google Maps satellite view to see how my location compares. This is helpful as long as I have and internet connection to download the satellite map images since they apparently can't be saved offline as are the regular maps. I've never used Google Earth in this fashion but will begin to experiment with it and try your procedure. 

Thanks again.

[barefootguru]

Your phone will report the same location irrespective of what app you're using.

A phone (currently) won't be as accurate as a dedicated GPS unit, particularly under trees.  Both are bad around taller buildings.

As well as ChrisDen's advice, you should take multiple readings over different days, mathematically average them, and use that result.

Good luck!

[rragan]

Is Average My Location on the feature list? Not a high priority for those who only find caches. 

[Nic Hubbard]

58 minutes ago, rragan said:

Is Average My Location on the feature list? Not a high priority for those who only find caches. 

I have it on "a list" but I don't have it slated for an upcoming release. I need to do more research about it, but from what I have read previously getting multiple readings on iPhone is not very effective like it is on a GPSr.

[rragan]

Agreed Nick. Every time I use it in Geosphere, the initial reading is what becomes the final reading. Not sure why. Maybe some other way to store multiple readings based on several days visited or even just walk 50 feet away and back again and add a new sample. 

[Bolling]

I do the multiple reading approach as well. I leave and come back and take a new reading and then usually type the last three digits of each coordinate into a spreadsheet and average them. I think a future enchantment that can average multiple coordinates within Cachly could be useful and result in better coordinates than just leaving the phone in one place and averaging over time. 

[ChrisDen]

I must admit I don't average the readings. Walk away and back again numerous times. From that there is one set of coords that appear more than others surrounded by a few that are .001 out. Then there are some that are different by  3 or 4 thousands. Those need to be ignored.

To me a simple average brings in one's that are obviously incorrect. I would not have this feature as a priority. There are others that are far more useful eggs Status update, delete a cache from all offline lists