Geocachers of the Rochester Area

[TazD]

This poll question comes you by way of Blue_stone:

I recently read an article about the launch of the 1st of the next generation (IIF) GPS sats. They plan to replace all 24 sats in the next 10 yrs. Consumer grade GPS accuracy is supposed to improve from 20ft to 3ft.

I just have to wonder how it will affect everyone's geocaching experiences. I know there are many times I go nuts trying to find something, and the GPS is all over the place, and I wish for a more accurate signal/GPS.

But then again, if I was almost guaranteed a 3ft accuracy, I have to wonder how much that would cheapen my experience, knowing I can stand and be sure that the cache is within arms length, even before I start looking. I have to think that this would skew, or bell-curve the difficulty ratings, lowering them even for the most evil, or challenging, hides.

I was just at a cache yesterday that is hidden in a 25' x 30' triangle pile of rocks, out in the middle of a wide, flat area with good signal. I spent 1 1/2 hrs looking and could not come up with anything, even when my GPS narrowed my area down to 1/3 of the triangle.

Yeah, a cache like this, would have been nice to have a GPS that got me within arms length. But then again, if I had that, and found a micro in a rock pile in 5 mins, is a cache like that really worth my time, and would I have felt satisfied with the challenge of doing it?

What if I had a 3ft GPS while doing a cache, say any of the AYTE, would it cheapen the challenge of finding a cache like those?

ANYONE can place an evil needle-in-the-haystack micro...
Would it be worth it to lessen the challenge of well thought out and implemented caches, just to get those needle-in-a-haystack-not-very-interesting-just-down-right-evil micros?

[sno_man]

From prior polls and discussions, it seems that most people are into geocaching for the chance to be outdoors, see new areas or interesting things they didn't know about, and have fun. And occasionally eat ice cream. Besides, this will only affect hides place AFTER the upgrade, unless cache owners go back under the more accurate satellites and update the coordinates (the old ones will still be subject to the old inacurracy). So, yeah, some hides may become easier, and the challenge may go away for some, but a Taz cache will still be a Taz cache (and same for Silverfox and many others), no matter what the satellites tell us.

[Of Course I Found It]

[Peppermill 6-Pack]

I just cache for the ice cream afterwards, so better accuracy would mean faster finds, which would mean earlier ice cream trip. I'm good with that!
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Thank goodness (and Hale) its over!

[Paleoman]

I'm the one vote against improving accuracy. I like to get to an area and then let my geo-sense kick in and see if I can match wits with the hider. I just placed a cache this week and it was in a location where my GPS would count down to 0 - 1 foot and everyone has had trouble finding it, even with that degree of accuracy. So in that case you really couldn't make the find any easier. It's not a needle in a haystack hide either just a good hide.
-Paleoman52-
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I'm working to build the bridge that will connect the stone age to the Global positioning age.

[Novac]

When I explain the game to muggles now, they ask me how hard it could be if the GPS leads you "right to it", but we all know better than that. There are many challenges left other than the last 17-20 ft: Which trail(s) to take, where to park, what type of hide will it be, etc. Also: What everyone else already said above.

As for Paleoman, if you get to an area and then let your geo-sense kick in, how would the GPSr accuracy change this? If you put your GPSr in your pocket when you get nearby, then the change in accuracy would make no difference, right?

In my experience, many cache placers put out lousy coords. Some on purpose (blah), some from inexperience (ho hum), and some from laziness (grrr). I am one of those guys who loves posting corrected coords.

Isn't it funny that a few months ago the rumor was going around that we could lose the satellites altogether and now we're discussing the upgrade from 20 to 3 ft?
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Profile, schmofile

[dakboy]

In an ideal world, a more accurate GPS system would result in more creative hides, because you can't rely on the fuzziness (by nature of the system - I'm not talking about intentional soft coords) of the coords to help obscure where your cache may be.

But you'd also end up with a lot more needle-in-a-haystack type setups.
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My geocaching.com profile

[the mahle project]

I agree I like to use some geosense. My family geocached before becoming offical and logging or having a gps we used to just print out a satalite google earthe map and go to the round about location and let the kids loose to look for it. I am loving my gpsbut sometimes miss the days of having to realy search the find seemed more rewarding

[baloneks]

In theory, if the satellite signal was improved, wouldn't the infamous "GPS Bounce" still happen in the woods as the view to the sky's shielded by leaves & trees? So many of them may still be as tricky as now.

Also, I love caching as an excuse to get out on the trails, but if going with my almost 3-year old son, he feels REALLY jipped & bummed if we leave without finding one, so we have the added incentive to DEFINTIELY find at least one.

That's my thoughts on it at least...

[mpyusko]

There is always the option of still using an older, less accurate GPS to find the cache. But another point to consider is these new Satellites will also transmit a stronger signal so even older GPS units will benefit under tree cover, lousy weather, indoors, etc. I'm not a die-hard clear the list cacher. I go out when I'm someplace with the kids or on my own and I have some time. If we're already at a park, I'll look up a cache to find. Increased accuracy may mean it is a little easier to find, but sometimes it's the trip to the cache that's the fun part.
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-mpyusko

"You can follow me, but it's gonna hurt."

[fireside796]

I would welcome an increased accuracy.

We've all looked for hides that were near wasp nests, private property, or other hazards that perhaps the placer had overlooked at the time. I'm sure we all wished that we were certain we were looking in the right spot at least.

I have no problem with clever or difficult finds, but I don't think difficulty should be due to some kind of misdirection.