Hello hope someone can help.

I have a htc desire with Orange. I have been using my phone for geocaching. It used to take me within a metre or 2. Now i find i struggle to find many caches because the system is way off. on my last cache i used my wifes phone (also a desire) and hers was ok.. The difference was approximately 12m out.

I have tried calibrting with the figure of 8 method and doesnt seem to work.

Can any give me a pointer or a fix it woud be much appreciated.

The figure of 8 only resets the compass, not the GPS. Are you testing both phones in the exact same location?

Dedicated GPS units allow you to change the datum used which can affect the perceived accuracy if used in the wrong part of the world with the wrong map. I doubt that your phone system will have that as an option and will be locked to using WGS 84 but worth checking the settings to see if there is an option which may have changed it to something else.

I am wondering if the location set tins are different on each of your desires? I use wifi and gps to determine my location as this is said to be the fastest and most accurate way of getting a lock on to your location.

As for the above settings, I don't think our desires are that advanced.

On my Nokia phone this is called Assisted GPS and helps with faster position location and accuracy. The other possibility is that something has affected the sensitivity of the phone and it is struggling to lock on to four satellites. A grip of death syndrome? Changed cover recently or the way you are holding it?

If its a andriod phone make sure "Use Wireless Networks" isnt ticked and that Use GPS Satellites" is ticked.

If that phone is running some other OS disregard this post.

I also use my Desire for geocaching though i do have a dedicated gps unit too. Make sure you have gps and mobile internet turned on - when I first tried mine i only used gps and it was useless!

I am missing something, as 12m seems pretty accurate to me.

I was thinking exactly the same.

With a dedicated unit its 100m+ out at times off-road.

Thanks for replies everyone. sorry for long gap but have been at work all day.

It is android. with regards to accuracy the readings i used to get went within a metre or 2. i'm guessing its the compass then rather than gps.

I haven't changed the back but i did drop the phone a while back and the rear cover came off. the back cover has a slight bulge in it on one side where one of the little securing tabs snapped off. so maybe this has something to do with it?

I haven't been geocaching since last year and now warmer weather is here have started again and this is when i have noticed it. Its just frustrating when i am going to co-ordinates that put me way out