Dr.MORO

Alternative solution ideas: Smartphone-pairable add-on GPS receivers? (such as Bad Elf GPS) Establish a method to connect handheld GPS receiver to smartphone?

No wonder... Thanks. So, maybe not solved yet again?

Thanks, Atlas Cached!!! Oh, how did I miss this Garmin Monterra®???!!! Hmmm, $649.99 USD... https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/113522 As for function, not bad at all. (one thumb up Emoji) Has anyone actually tested and can confirm all latest Emojis and Unicode character set (even right-to-left languages) are displayed properly? Or at least for Geocache names and logs containing Emoji characters? The Garmin customer support never mentioned the Garmin Monterra model being compatible with Emojis, and just said none from Garmin are Emoji-compatible at present. Weird. Will ask them about the Garmin Monterra model and Emoji again. Also, any competitors from other GPS device manufactures?

Thanks for your reply, arisoft. At present, unfortunately the answer is, there is no known commercial handheld hiking GPS receiver (NOT including smartphones, as I have said repeatedly) sold that properly displays latest full Unicode character set, yet. So, the issue unfortunately cannot be solved fully, at this moment. And yes, work arounds can be applied. Hope is there to someday have this fully resolved, although only if we continue asking for it. One day, hopefully soon.

Thank you so so much, robertlipe, the Chief Babel-Head, for both of your super-detailed yet understandable explanation from the possibly most appropriate person to answer. Truly appreciated! (insert two continuous thumb-up Emoji here, with wink emoticon) And do I consider this question sufficiently answered now? Q: Does your handheld GPS device (excluding smartphones) properly show Emoji characters on-screen? Hmmm, good point. Probably yes. I totally understand that present handheld GPS receivers will never be able to properly display all Unicode (including Emoji) characters as how they are meant to be, no matter if within GPX file or else. Thanks for that. Then, the next question in my head: "Is it an issue to be solved somehow (New GPX scheme? New GPSr?), being in a Geocaching era of Emojis and smartphones?" To be a bit more specific, would there ever be in the near future, a GPS device that is as accurate and as quick as the present outdoors hiking handheld GPS receivers like a Garmin Oregon, while also being able to display all the latest character sets & languages on-screen like our present smartphones and it's OS? Best of both, in one? I would love to have such GPS device, and wondering why there isn't any available. I do understand there could be many issues to overcome to make this happen: Smartphone OS onto GPS handheld? Or, transform smartphone into a better GPS receiver? Sorry, but answer to one question just leads to more questions... a mad scientist's norm (Tonge-sticking winking Emoji here) Emoji characters are here to stay, and something has to change for the better future. Ignoring the issue leads to no future. For now, parsing and filtering out the unsupported Unicode (Emoji included) characters from my GPX files before loading into my Garmin Oregon, will be my stopgap drill. The rabbit hole still continues... Happy New Year 2019!

Based on when the huge local event is held which I tie-in my CITO event, it would be best that CITO Week, April 2019 contains Saturday April 27th. GCHQ, please? And also let us know when CITO Week, April 2019 will be held, so organizer can plan with enough time ahead. FYI, Earth Day 2019 is on Monday April 22.

Hi all! I also have been organizing a CITO event for several years now along the Charles River in Massachusetts. And now wondering when exactly 2019 CITO weeks are going to be.

Mobile phones are NOT in question here, hence my initial question says 'excluding smartphones'. The smartphone OS and it's app can handle the Emoji characters. I am asking about handheld GPS receivers here, the ones for outdoors hiking and such like from Garmin, etc.

Which GPS device do you use?

Hi all, and thanks for all the input so far. My initial question is about GPSr and Emojis, but I know this all goes even further into a rabbit hole of UTF-codes and Unicode versions, as well as other languages. On a side note, I have already proven that a simple Emoji character input into Google Earth Pro Mac desktop app, will corrupt the myplace.kml file as posted on Google forum. Google forum "Warning! Emojis corrupt my places KML file in desktop Google Earth Pro?" To me, many things related to GPX files, Google Earth Kml files, and GPSr, including Geocaching, has NOT caught up with the newer character codings which is seemingly changing even faster with newer Emojis and such being added every year or so. Perhaps, the GPX file schema 1.1 is becoming outdated, and is incompatible with the Emojis characters from the start? In any case, I have received another reply from Garmin to my questions: Q: Is there any Garmin handheld GPS device sold today that is compatible, and displays Emoji characters properly on-screen? If so, please specify the model. A: There are none that are available at this time. Q: If not, then is there any future plans at Garmin to have these Garmin handheld GPS devices become compatible with Emoji characters? A: As for any known plans I have not heard anything about the emojis. I would recommend to follow the link below to our idea page and submit this as the more people request certain things the higher the chance of getting these type features added. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/ I am wondering what GCHQ is thinking about the Emoji issue in GPX files as Geocache names and in the logs. Not worried? Or, planning for a change? The rabbit hole continues...

Hi all again! Ok, just started a new tread in the GPS forum, to consolidate what is known, and not, about this Emoji issue. I will post in this new tread from now on, although will be 'watching' this one as well. Thanks! Emojis, GPS receivers, and GPX files

Hi all again! Ok, just started a new tread in the GPS forum, to consolidate what is known, and not, about this Emoji issue. I will post in this new tread from now on, although will be 'watching' this one as well. Thanks! Emojis, GPS receivers, and GPX files

Hi all, Quick question: Does your handheld GPS device (excluding smartphones) properly show Emoji characters on-screen? Why ask? Well, my trusty Garmin Oregon 450 does NOT show Emojis contained within the Geocaching GPX files, and Garmin confirms "The device does not support the use of emoji characters." when asked. Are Emojis playing nice with your GPSr, and GPX files? Or, is it an issue to be solved somehow (New GPX scheme? New GPSr?), being in a Geocaching era of Emojis and smartphones? Which handheld GPS device do you use for Geocaching, and does it show Emojis properly on-screen? Looks for some answers...

Hi all, FYI, Emoji talk tread is also here, which I probably will post from now on, but not here. Forum link "Emojis in Cache Names" Thanks!

Hi all, I just received a reply from Garmin International Product Support - Outdoor Team, after asking whether GPX files with Emojis are supported with my Garmin Oregon 450 GPS device. Official Answer: "The device does not support the use of emoji characters." Oh dear... GPX file are NOT meant to contain Emojis in the first place, I guess. Yet, GCHQ and geocaching GPX files started to include Emojis anyways, and now facing the unwelcome consequences from this. I will reply to their message and ask whether newer Garmin handheld GPS devices support Emojis or not. And if not, are they going to support Emojis in the near future, or not. More to follow...

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like Emoji IS a major unsolved widespread issue with GPX file format, and the devices and softwares that use them. Of course, also an unpleasant problem for us Geocachers as well. Needs some kind of fundamental fix to deal with them, as they will not go away, rather the number of Emoji characters are growing every once in a while. I have just tried an Emoji character containing GPX file with Garmin BaseCamp for Mac software, and results were interesting. On the map display, Emojis are just bank characters (NOT displayed at all), while if I double-click the geocache on the maps, within the window the Emojis are all properly showing as intended. Weird... I wonder what GCHQ developers, and other GPSr manufacturers are doing to deal with Emojis?

Thanks local New England geocacher RecipeForDisaster! Now I wonder if there are ANY handheld GPSr out there that shows Emojis properly on-screen, other than smartphones. Anyone? List so far: Shows proper Emojis: ?  Ignore Emojis: Garmin eTrex 20 Garmin Oregon 450 Garmin Oregon 700

Thanks, barefootjeff! Now I wonder if there are ANY handheld GPSr out there that shows Emojis properly on-screen, other than smartphones. Anyone? List so far: Shows proper Emojis: ? Ignore Emojis: Garmin eTrex 20 Garmin Oregon 450 Garmin Oregon 700

Hi! Searched for any topics on GPX and Emoji, and found this old tread. I will try to post in other treads I've found, to collect information about issues on GPX files and Emojis. Sorry for the multi-tread posting. I have recently noticed that a single Emoji within the GPX file, whether in the geocache name or in the log, when imported into Google Earth Mac desktop app would corrupt the saved myplaces.kml file. Actually, this may be a n issue with Google Earth Mac desktop app, as adding just an Emoji to the Google Earth Mac desktop app will corrupt the saved myplaces.kml file even without a GPX file import, as I've posted here on Google Earth forum. "Warning! Emojis corrupt my places KML file in desktop Google Earth Pro?" Also, the Emojis will not show up at all in older Garmin devices like my trusty Oregon 450. Yes, I know it's time to upgrade my GPSr, but not even sure if Emojis in GPX files will properly show up on-screen with the latest Garmin GPSr devices. Can anyone confirm that GPX files with Emojis are properly displayed on newer GPSr devices? Any input would be welcome! Thanks! ~ Dr.MORO

Hi! Searched for any topics on GPX and Emoji, and found this old tread. I will try to post in other treads I've found, to collect information about issues on GPX files and Emojis. Sorry for the multi-tread posting. I have recently noticed that a single Emoji within the GPX file, whether in the geocache name or in the log, when imported into Google Earth Mac desktop app would corrupt the saved myplaces.kml file. Actually, this may be a n issue with Google Earth Mac desktop app, as adding just an Emoji to the Google Earth Mac desktop app will corrupt the saved myplaces.kml file even without a GPX file import, as I've posted here on Google Earth forum. "Warning! Emojis corrupt my places KML file in desktop Google Earth Pro?" Also, the Emojis will not show up at all in older Garmin devices like my trusty Oregon 450. Yes, I know it's time to upgrade my GPSr, but not even sure if Emojis in GPX files will properly show up on-screen with the latest Garmin GPSr devices. Can anyone confirm that GPX files with Emojis are properly displayed on newer GPSr devices? Any input would be welcome! Thanks! ~ Dr.MORO

Just noticed this issue myself, and came to check the forum. Indeed just not me. I wonder when this started to happen? Definitely not like this before, properly in order of time uploaded, or the date this has been changed by poster. GCHQ? Any word? Please fix this ASAP!!!

YES, thank you very much for the Kenya as my 49th flag!

AND just visited profiles of everyone on this tread, from Japan. Enjoy!

Awesome!!! Thanks NYPaddleCacher! As I mentioned, currently on my way to the land of the rising sun, so I will visit others' profile here, just in case. Safe travels!

Awesome! Look forward to seeing the Kenya flag added to my Flag Counter in June. BTW, if anyone here does not have the Japanese flag, I can add it to you in about a month.