NorthWest Arkansas Cachers

The next time an iPhone user complains about the coordinates on your cache, keep in mind this quote from the founder of gc.com:

Copied from the geocaching feedback site:

Jeremy Irish, Official Rep, replied 3 days ago
I don't expect this will deter people from using devices that have poor accuracy like the iPhone, but I do see some benefit in showing what device was used to mark the coordinates for a geocache. So by that merit this idea is "under consideration."

We don't support the posting of new cache listings via our iPhone application because accuracy isn't good enough, in our opinion.

While the iPhone is an alternative if somebody forgot their GPS or are traveling, it doesn't appear that it should be depended upon as your primary GPS.

What does everyone think? Have you noticed accuracy problems when hiding / finding caches?

I purchased the app for my Iphone.
The info on the cache is great to have as well as the maps.

I have only tried twice to actually geocache with it.

The accuracy sucks at some where between 50 - 150'

What I like best is the closest cache feature, then I load the
coords inthe the Garmain and we are good to go.

All my caches have been hidden using an iphone using MotionX GPS app. Recent I have been taking a garmin etrex with me as a double check, and most times, the numbers are .001-.003 off from each other, if that.

iphones are great to use in urban settings, with the GPS and the cell phone triangulation, theycan pin in quite well.

Wooded areas however.....let's say that was was why I got a second GPS to go with the iphone

I've only tried it twice as stated, but not in an urban situation.
I will try it Saturday while trying Nicodemus' new cache, if me
and my crutches will make it.

I have not tried it for triangulation, that intirigues me
thanks for the tip.

And BTW it's fun seeing some acitvity on the board again.

I started caching back in March with just my iPhone and didn't buy a dedicated GPSr for about 2 months. Like it's been said, it is great for urban caches, but most of the time I had to rely on looking at physical landmarks from the satellite image to narrow my search because the accuracy never seemed that great for me. At least in my experience it was basically worthless in the woods (one of the reasons that prompted me to buy a real GPSr).

To hide a cache before I got my GPSr, I would mark the general location of where I wanted to hide one and then look at an online topographical/satellite map (usually google) to mark the coordinates. Probably not the best way to do it, but without a GPSr I trusted coordinates from online references more than my iPhone's (again, these all had to be urban to do this).

I'll say first that I don't personally own an iPhone. This has however intrigued me. I've been reading up on iPhone GPS accuracy and how it works. How an iPhone ascertain's its location seems to be a combination of Wi-Fi, GPS, and 3G connectivity.

If you all are getting somewhat accurate readings, meaning less than a mile your phone is doing wonderfully. There seems to be a lot of chatter on the internet about iPhones thinking that people are hundreds of miles away from their actual location, in some instances different hemispheres.

One person had a suggestion to turn off the 3G and Wi-Fi when using the GPS, and you might achieve better results. Accuracy doesn't seem to be tied to the GPS application one uses.

Anyway, I don't know that this is really relevant or helps anyone but just thought I'd throw it in there. I'll be in the corner fashioning a tin foil hat as this thread goes deeper down the rabbit hole.

Just for kicks I tried it out for one of my own hides, my urban Park n Grab today.

53' was the best I could get!

That was with the wifi and 3G turned and wifi turned off as as Pst76 suggested.

I think I will stick with my Garmin 60csx.

Now for my own tin foil hat.........

But I still like the closet cache and map features!

Overall I would rate it as a good app for the phone

I was able to find a couple of caches on my recent trip to CO with my iphone, the cords were really close. But I'm not ready to use it all the time, still will use my gps for serious caching. But really love being able to find nearby caches in a flash, one of the caches was on the monarch pass, definitely not a urban cache, oh and I was FTF on it, almost a week after is published.