Paragon33

I am in the same situation. I own the 650 and an iPhone 4s. I will tell you my own personal experiences, and you can decide on your own. I use my phone more often. I use the $9.99 app. The accuracy is excellent in the city and suburbs. Out away from town it can be "bouncy" with the signal. And sluggish. If you are out of cell range, it becomes extremely hard to use the phone obviously. Now, the iPhone shines when using the map while honing in on a cache. It will darn near zoom into the exact bush the cache is located in. It simply is awesome in that regard. Now my "area" may have newer maps that Apple uses. Others may not have the same up to date experience. But I love it. I also would say that a majority of the time, my trips are unplanned. I find myself with some free time and out I go. I do not carry my 650 with me, I carry my iPhone 100% of the time. I may decide to go on my lunch hour. I hit find all nearby caches on my phone and voila, off I go. The convenience is second to none. Now, that being said, the iPhone is REALLY BAD for battery life. It drains fast. I think there are little battery charge gadgets available now that you could carry, but mine would always be dead, so don't count on that. Now the cons of a phone many point out are the dropping it in water and durability. I have a waterproof case and it is very rugged. Fits my life. That choice is yours. Also, the data plan many point out. You can't have an iPhone without a data plan, the wireless companies don't allow it. So, yes, using the internet and the app, all awesome, again those things kill your battery. Now, for the 650. I don't have the 650t. There are really bad maps preinstalled. I am just now learning there are free maps and etc. I found an old 2GB MicroSD card, and loaded up the North America City Navigator from Garmin on it. It was a 1.76GB download from somewhere. It seems to make driving and getting around a bit easier. It does not have the "birdseye" map like the iPhone, but I am looking to see how the Garmin Birdseye compares to Apple app. I suspect the Apple map is far superior but I don't know for sure. I have many times used each unit in each hand simultaneously, both are equally accurate, in my opinion. The 650 may lag behind at times. I don't think it updates as fast as an iPhone. But I suspect that also relates to battery life. Now also, let me point out, yesterday I went to a cemetery on my lunch hour, as there are 5 caches in the place. I arrived and for whatever reason, the internet was down. Be it Verizon or an iPhone issue, I was dead in the water. And since I don't leave my 650 in the car, I was at the mercy of the cellular gods. It was a pretty wasted trip. Lets see what else. The 650 has a boatload of options. I wish I could walk and work with someone who has mastered it, it would make things easier. But alas I am a pretty private person so I'm on my own. I find the phone and app easier to use, i.e. less clunky and easy to navigate. But that may be me personally. I can also log the cache as found instantly and type in the conditions like weather and cache shape instantly while standing at the cache. I text a lot from my phone, and having a qwerty keyboard on the phone, way better than the 650. Maybe on the 650 there is a option for a qwerty keyboard layout, this I do not know. On the 650 you can log it as found. You need to connect it to a computer and transfer the text file and fill out the description later. On the phone its instant, but doing so also uses internet and battery life. So in my opinion, the phone is far superior graphically (out of the box). Equally accurate. Battery life goes to 650 hands down. 650 wins outside of cellular coverage areas obviously. Durability is a toss up depending on whether you need a case that is rugged for your lifestyle anyways. Phone wins for ease of use, but that is subjective obviously. I hope I gave you something to consider. Or I just muddied the waters. Happy caching.

Ok, let me clarify a bit further. I like the GPS unit, but it is not very user friendly compared to the iphone. Lets imagine for an instant that I have a waterproof and shock resistant case (I do see http://www.lifeproof.com/en/why-lifeproof/water/). It works well under water. Lets also imagine that the phone was "free" for keeping my service with them. I don't have a home phone, so having a phone is a necessity. So yes, service cost is an issue. But I see that as a necessary "expense". Along the lines of internet and car insurance. Anyways. My point is, maybe I am using this gps unit wrong. I am going to check the background setting when I get home. You say you purchased maps? Is that normal to buy maps? I just assumed it was preloaded with some quality maps. I don't use it as a car unit, although it crossed my mind, pay that kind of money it should work well for navigation. But I have one and don't care to use it for that. I assume when you say you could get satellite images, you pay for those as well? The compass I mentioned, because prior to this weekend, all I had was a white screen and this little triangle on the screen. I would walk 15 feet or so and then look to see if I was closer or farther than my intended target. As you can imagine, that's a lot of mileage trying to obtain direction. Again, I will say, I could be dumb when it comes to setting this thing to work for caching only. I wouldn't mind paying for maps, although they are built into the phone per se, IF it was like the phone. I agree battery life is horrendous on a phone. Totally agree. I did buy the unit to replace my phone. I was just wondering if all these items I like are actually part of the GPS but I didn't know how to enable them.

I have had the 650 for a little over a year. I am still new to Geocaching, but wanted a unit that worked "everywhere". My cell lost signal a few times which was bad. Irregardless, I have to be honest I am still not very impressed with the unit. Now, quite frankly, I could be missing out on quite a bit of features because I don't know how to use it. So I will list some questions and my comparison to the iPhone paid app. 1. My iphone shows a map, and quite detailed one at that, when I hit "show nearby geocaches". It shows trees and clusters of bushes, streams and rivers. The Garmin shows a white screen. and a little blue arrow. I prefer the iPhone approach, personally. Is there something I'm missing? 2. My phone shows each cache on the screen. I can then pick them sequentially after each visit and head down the path to the next one in the order I choose. All in a "satellite" type of image. The 650 doesn't. I have to know the next one I want to visit, if for instance there are say 6 caches in a park. I find the phone easier and FAR more intuitive. Heck most times the phone shows the actual walking trail thru the woods. Is there a way to show such detail on the 650? I know it shows caches, but there are no streets or landmarks? 3. When I find a cache, I simply, log it as found, type a short message about condition or weather. Unless its a super busy area and it was a quite unspectacular find. I hit send and post and voila. I can even see if there are TB's and stuff quickly, and log them into my inventory instantly. All on the phone. I have to back out of like 3 screens to get to a point that I can say one is found on my 650. And then I have to connect to computer and remember how to sync it to the site to get them in there. Which I usually forget how. And inevitably watch a you-tube video to get it. Better way on 650 or that's it? Sometimes, I get home and have to be somewhere or something. And then days later remember I have to sync it to show them as found. Just seems like a pain. 4. Speed of update. I swear my phone updates about once every 1/4 second. If I walk 10 feet it continually counts down the feet as I walk. On my 650 I walk 30 feet, wait a few seconds and then see where I need to go. Holding the two side by side, the phone updates faster and more reliably. What am I missing? Or does battery life play a role here? Less updates means longer battery life? There are I'm sure about 12,000 other questions. But these are the ones that are most frustrating to me after this weekend. The lack of true satellite imagery is super disconcerting. It's super cool to see that path and where the next path leads. A blank white screen is just terrible. In all fairness, I finally got a little box at the top this weekend with a giant red arrow pointing me in the proper direction with a distance to target. I don't know why it never showed up before. But I was excited about that, it made getting close to GZ easier. I do understand that cell coverage is a factor. But to be honest, 95% of the places I go, are 5 bar areas. So, in short, the dudes and or dudettes that did the iPhone app, well give them a raise. I am super impressed a 6 dollar app kicks my $600.00 Montana units butt. Or I'm using my unit wrong and my feeble mind needs assistance turning on the features that I like in the phone.

I finally tried my first multi-cache (GC1ZA89) while out with the kids. There were 8 regular caches along my route and figured why not. So we find the first stage easy enough, and I take a pic of the coodinates and write them down. I went to google maps on my iPhone 3Gs and input the coordinates. First without the degree sign, and it put the push pin right in the middle of a muffin factory. We scouted around the edge of the factory, which I was leery to do. Basically we were trespassing in my opinion. But searched around in vain. Re-enetered the coordinates with the degree sign and still put the pin in the middle of the factory. My question, has anyone had reliable results using google maps and inputting coodinates into a iPhone 3Gs? I have yet to purchase a true handheld gps yet. I did get a bonus from work, so I'm saving it for now, as I want to be sure I stick with this activity thru the winter and justify the expenditure. Using the free version groudspeak geocaching app has always been spot on, but the second stage obviously doesn't show. So a recap: 1. Reliable results on Google maps inputting coordinates? 2. Another free app for iPhone for inputting coordiantes? 3. Does the paid version of groundspeaks app allow inputting coordinates? 4. Do handhelds especially paperless GPSr's work well for this type? I don't like getting skunked. I even found one this weekend that had two previous DNF's due to the fact in fell from it's spot and was buried onder leaves and trash. I got that puppy cleaned up and back to it's spot. So yes, it's eating at me that I missed one. Regards

Used the satellite view... (doh) and it was right where I thought it was and made the find. Thanks for the help and kind words and understanding. Love this activity!

I thought sitting in the parking lot of the restaurant in question would put me close enough. I even found the ones directly across the freeway. Just couldn't get it to show. The $10, while to most is a small amount, isn't a huge amount, but I fear the iPhone I have grown used to will soon be retired for a much cheaper alternative, hence no data plan for it. Trying to get my stuff figured out. I am hoping my due diligence and uncle sam are nice this upcoming tax season, and a gps handheld can make it into the budget.

I know. It's like less than a mile from my house. I can only get the 3 caches that I have already found on my phone to show. I'm not sure how to get it to come up or do anything to find it. I bet I was standing within 10 feet of it, just can't be sure.

Ok while out today, caching in the immediate area, a cache wouldn't show on the 3 that the iphone app gives me: http://coord.info/GCT2HQ. How do I get to this cache? I haven't paid for the app or a premium member. I am recently forced separation, paying for anything has been a chore, so spare me the lecture. My kids support comes first. I parked in what I thought was the caches parking lot and even was where I *thought* I should be. Even found a "beaten path". But couldn't be sure. What would you do? What should I do? It is a VERY commercial area, and don't want to wander aimlessly for hours. As I never ever give up. I will find the cache if I know I am in a close proximity. What can I do? Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Have been trying back and forth with the geocaching since April. I absolutely love it, but am getting easily frustrated with my iphone when with my kids (10 and 4). With my recent life upheaval, I will have more time to search I guess. I use the geocache with my iphone but it's frustrating when it says 100 feet and then I walk 100 feet and it says I need to go back the opposite way 100 feet. And justifying the monthly cost while not under contract, might be downgrading for awhile. I didn't buy the app, and that may have something to do with it, I don't know. Have done some reasearch on handheld gps units and hoping I can get one soon. What I'm not sure of, with northeast ohio winters generally keeping people inside, do people search in the snow? It's going to be a bit easy following footprints, I would think. I might be wrong. Just want to mentally justify the expense of a handheld unit prior to purchase, which will be difficult if it sits all winter. I will continue to look at tips and tricks here. And if you see this strange guy wandering around in the forest aimlessly in circles with two kids in tow, don't be afraid to say hi.