What is Reddit's opinion of GPS Averaging?

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This is not always accurate as Google Maps have been known to be off over 20ft at times.

I always tell people whether using a smartphone or dedicated GPS, if you're not using GPS averaging you're making everyone's life more difficult. I believe it's built into most dedicated GPS. Android has an appointment called 'GPS Averaging': https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.destil.gpsaveraging

I assume iPhone has one similar. I usually average about 20 points while holding the phone in the air and shaking it. Spot on coordinates everytime.

I use GPS Averaging when grabbing the coordinates for a cache. Leave the phone on the ground for 2-3mins so the GPS can stabilize, then click the measure button and leave it for 5-10mins.

I use GPS averaging for points:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.destil.gpsaveraging

And back country navigator for tracks and navigating to points:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crittermap.backcountrynavigator.license

If you fly me out and let me ride an atv around I'll map it w/ survey grade GPS.

THanks, this did the trick! This should be stickied!

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It was a GPS Averaging app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.destil.gpsaveraging&hl=en_US

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I'd like to report this as it seems to have been sold and turned into malware -- but I can't find a good medium to report it via. Any suggestions?

Only tangentally related to your specific post... but that's what I do...

As a general set of guidelines for collecting coordinates:

I'm personally not a fan of the whole "phones are inaccurate, only get coords with a GPSr" mentality. I think it's completely bogus. Regardless of the device you're using, there are ways to get good, accurate coordinates, and you should use these tactics regardless of what device(s) you're using.

1. Use a coordinate average tool - where it reads the GPS location hundreds of times over a period of time, and averages the answers to a result. Most GPSrs I've used have had a function for this built in. For a smartphone, you can download an app such as this for Android, or this for Apple. [Don't consider these specific app recommendations, they were just the first hits I got.]

2. Use more than one device. If you have a smartphone, a tablet, and a GPSr, get readings from all three, and notice how much they can vary in their answers. If two nearly agree and one is quite a bit different, you may be best off throwing out the outlier result.

3. Check coordinates over multiple days. Weather conditions & cloud cover can affect your readings... so picking up multiple sets over a few days will help get around that issue.

4. Compare your answer to online sources, such as the one you mentioned. Another option is Google Maps. Don't consider the online results as a better answer than what you find - treat is as another answer to average into your multi-day results.

If you're using an Android phone, grab the GPS Averaging app.

This'll allow you to average the coordinates over the course of a few minutes. VERY useful under tree cover or in hilly areas.

Or useful if you have a phone with squirrelly GPS in general :)

iPhones could use GPS Averaging on App Store