Car finders - why is this so hard?

[Bluesman2008]

With the (claimed) accuracy of GPS within 3 or 4 yards, why can none of these car finders even get close? I must've download a dozen of them and none are even close. I don't get it. How can this be so complicated? I usually download and test two at a time. Anyone have any luck with one that actually works?

 

[dezymond]

These are for parking spots I assume? (Hopefully your car hasn't been stolen on multiple occasions). I have tried it once a few years ago and it was accurate enough to be within the general area of where my car is.

Instead of relying on an app, why not get some sorta flag you can prop in your window when you park? Kinda like sports team flags people have on their car windows, but use something else if sports isn't your thing.

 

[bbtkd]

With the (claimed) accuracy of GPS within 3 or 4 yards, why can none of these car finders even get close? I must've download a dozen of them and none are even close. I don't get it. How can this be so complicated? I usually download and test two at a time. Anyone have any luck with one that actually works?

It's the GPS, not the apps. We've used exercise apps which track our walks using GPS, and report speed, distance, etc. We've had walks where GPS has mis-reported our location by 500+ miles, or think we're standing still when we're not. We're in the plains of South Dakota, in a small town with no hills, no tall buildings, etc to block the signal. My Bionic was worlds better than my OG Droid, and my S4 is even better. Still, not perfect. I think that the problem is that we're inclined to carry our phones close to our bodies, attenuating the signal enough to throw them off. I suspect that if you carried your phone in a head mounted case (patent pending), GPS would work flawlessly.

 

[Bluesman2008]

No I just carry it in my hand.

 

[mike4410]

Is it that hard to remember where you parked? You really need an app????

 

[Bluesman2008]

Sometimes I'm in two or three of over 20 courts in one day. And sometimes when I'm running late, yes, I've lost track sometimes.

 

[Neoart]

Sometimes I'm in two or three of over 20 courts in one day.
And sometimes when I'm running late, yes, I've lost track sometimes.

I know the feeling - Try to find car you borrowed first time in Amsterdam when every block looks the same after 5 hours shopping & now walking back it - you think. Did I cross 2 canals or 3?

If not back at certain time - it will get towed.
After giving up - I got a cab being feet could no longer walk -
Telling him what the area looked like - he figured it out. Thank God they know English in panic mode.
From then on - I always brought a spare GPS with.

 

[TRD4RNR]

I use https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.paybyphone
It's a pay the parking meter app with a Google Maps powered "Car Finder" feature.
Of course you're still gonna have to remember to drop the pin on the cars location once parked

 

[bbtkd]

...Of course you're still gonna have to remember to drop the pin on the cars location once parked

And hope that when you pin it that your GPS is reading the location correctly. Wonder if anyone has reported their car stolen when they couldn't find it where their GPS misreported it was.

 

[aaf709]

I use Car Locator myself, but I also check for landmarks.

 

[imvern]

Check out "MyCar Locator Free"
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nomadrobot.mycarlocatorfre

 

[Bluesman2008]

I'll give it a try. Thanks.

 

[wcjeep]

While not a car locator app, I've needed to mark GPS coordinates at work. While standing at the spot to be marked, I open Google Maps and share my current location. I email one of my other accounts. Later in the office I can pull up either email account to grab the field location. Verifying on a PC is always the spot I marked.

GPS can easily flip 20ft one way or another. It's worked so far.

 

[Bluesman2008]

Well, I tried MyCar Locator several times. It's still not really close but it is the closest one I've tried so far. I'll keep it until I find something more accurate.

 

[bbtkd]

Well, I tried MyCar Locator several times. It's still not really close but it is the closest one I've tried so far. I'll keep it until I find something more accurate.

You won't find anything more accurate. It's not the apps, it's the GPS.