Location on Collect is captured using a combination of phone GPS, internet connectivity and satellites. In case the first two are not available and the phone is completely offline, the app uses satellites to capture the location. However, there is a possibility that some areas do not have satellites available overhead as well. In such cases, it's difficult to get an accurate location.
So how do you know how many satellites are available around you which are helping fetch your location? We have a provision on the app to check this. Below are the steps to be followed :
Step 1 : Open the form on Collect app.
Step 2 : On the top right corner, click on the three dots and check satellite link. You can see the number of satellites determining your location.
If the number of available satellites or those which are helping fetch your location is a very low number, you can ask the data collector to move around a little bit, go to an open area etc. till a location can be fetched.
You can also choose on Collect web dashboard how accurate you want the location to be. There are three levels — low, medium, or high.
Here's what the different accuracy levels on Collect mean -
- Low accuracy means we will try to fetch the location till we get a accuracy of 500-2000m and we will fetch the location for maximum 15 seconds.
- Medium accuracy means we will try to fetch the location till we get a accuracy of 100m for maximum 20 seconds.
- High accuracy means we will try to fetch the location till we get a accuracy of 10m and we will try to fetch the location for 30 seconds.
This essentially means that if, for instance, you choose medium accuracy on Collect, and the best location which is fetched at a place is at 500m accuracy, Collect wouldn't allow them to submit the response till a more accurate location is fetched.
However, this can get tricky in the seas since satellite coverage and cellular tower presence (on the land) may be far and sparse.