Collins App - Issue with Location (1 Viewer)

[PJPro]

Hi.

When I try to add a sighting to a list, the app seems to be unable to consistently find my location. I have given the app location privileges and, sometimes, it will find my location but on the most part, the location is wrong or seems to get stuck on a previous location.

I assume the app pings the GPS device on the phone to get the location so I cannot understand why it can't find where I am. I have other apps which use the GPS (Google Maps, View Ranger) and they have no issue.

Anyone else experience this problem?

 

[PJPro]

93 views but no reply. I guess this issue is just affecting me

I've taken a look at some apps which claim to keep the GPS live on Android but, given I don't get the issues with Google Maps and View Ranger, I am not optimistic that they will fix the issue.

What I would like to see on the Collins app is an option to refresh the location. One would have thought that simply accessing the location would have done this but perhaps not.

 

[njlarsen]

I think the reason for most of us not knowing anything is that we (at least I) use other apps for recording observations while in the field. Ebird is the one I use, birdtrack if I recall correctly is an alternative.

Niels

 

[Dave Boyle]

I have the same problem with ebird - I just assumed it was me having an old cheap phone & living in an area with poor satellite coverage & no mobile coverage at all.

Somebody suggested downloading Guru Maps but I haven't got around to trying that yet

 

[PJPro]

I've downloaded eBird and Merlin Bird Id. I'll give them a go. Good to have some photos to complement the Collins app and it nice to know that anything I record on eBird can be used for scientific purposes.

This shouldn't be hard. All I want is a (reasonably) accurate location when I add a sighting.

 

[PJPro]

Logged onto the online Cornell site. Looks good. I'll have to wait until I record a track and some sightings before I comment further.

 

[njlarsen]

Based on some discussions elsewhere and my own experiences, and depending on which phone you use, the initial location can be off by 10 m / 30 feet, and the location can drift around at least 5 meters while using the app. Most of the time it is better than that I think (I am using a sixth generation iphone).

Niels

 

[PJPro]

Well eBird is OK. But it's not giving me what I wanted. the location is simply the local area e.g. Pennington Marshes. It's annoying as I have to record a track to start a list, so they must have the detailed location details? I was hoping they would show the track and the points where sightings were made.

I suspect the issue with the Collins App is that the GPS goes to sleep. I have downloaded an app which will prevent the GPS from going to sleep. Maybe that will improve the location in the Collins App?

 

[njlarsen]

Well eBird is OK. But it's not giving me what I wanted. the location is simply the local area e.g. Pennington Marshes. It's annoying as I have to record a track to start a list, so they must have the detailed location details? I was hoping they would show the track and the points where sightings were made.

I suspect the issue with the Collins App is that the GPS goes to sleep. I have downloaded an app which will prevent the GPS from going to sleep. Maybe that will improve the location in the Collins App?

If you go to Ebird.org, "my ebird", "Manage my checklists" and click one of your checklists, you will see the track recorded.

Niels