PSP GPS and GeoCaching

[AlacrityFitzhugh]

Hey there,

 

I am looking to join in the hobby/obsession of GeoCaching and am really looking forward to it. (This weekend I am going to scower the island for allthe walkable urban cahing I can get in.)

 

I also am a Playstation Portable addict. music/movies/wifi/photos all in one decent little box is a good thing. The big news for us PSP junkies is the release of a GPS plugin for our portable arcade. They are weak on tech specs or descriptions of the forthcoming hardware and software on the release, but come november I am thinking that I may have the best of all possible worlds when it comes to a GeoCaching gizmo. The only thing I can't figure is where to glue the compass on.

 

Anyway I was wondering if any other Cachers out there have been looking at the upcoming PSP GPS, and wondered if could be a good thing or not. I am thinking that it may be nesesarry to figure out some homebrew software to make it really work but I am really hoping that the software at release will be up to the challenge.

 

Thoughts and hopes post them here

 

Alacrity

[+markp99]

The display will surely be beautiful, but the PSP is not weatherproof or durable enough for use as a geocaching tool.

 

It might make a good car-based geo unit.

Edited September 21, 2006 by markp99

[+Train_Man]

dude just buy a gps don't try to make something else into a gps

[+otterbob]

I have a psp and using GSAK i uploaded the nearest caches to it in a html form. Works slick!

[TheSmartypants]

This may be old and maybe I missed another newer thread, but I have a GPS attachment on my PSP and it works perfectly. You can easily make custom maps from google maps with a ton of detail and use MapThis! free custom software for mapping. I have the PSP 290 ($40 ebay) GPS receiver that plugs right into the unit and folds over onto the back out of the way when needed. Easy to recharge from car or home, extra batteries are cheap, in a good case it's fine for taking on a hike, just keep it padded in a backpack, and from my house it picks up 12 sats from inside and averages 4 to 5 satelites locked at any given time. Oh yeah, and it gets a signal when my friends Magellin GPS does not.

 

In short it's not trying to make something else into a GPS, it's upgrading a very portable and useful tool already to do something more.

[+TrailGators]

This may be old and maybe I missed another newer thread, but I have a GPS attachment on my PSP and it works perfectly. You can easily make custom maps from google maps with a ton of detail and use MapThis! free custom software for mapping. I have the PSP 290 ($40 ebay) GPS receiver that plugs right into the unit and folds over onto the back out of the way when needed. Easy to recharge from car or home, extra batteries are cheap, in a good case it's fine for taking on a hike, just keep it padded in a backpack, and from my house it picks up 12 sats from inside and averages 4 to 5 satelites locked at any given time. Oh yeah, and it gets a signal when my friends Magellin GPS does not.

 

In short it's not trying to make something else into a GPS, it's upgrading a very portable and useful tool already to do something more.

I agree. Plus it would be awesome for doing the new Wherigo game (if it could support it someday). Edited January 13, 2008 by TrailGators

[+T F T C]

The display will surely be beautiful, but the PSP is not weatherproof or durable enough for use as a geocaching tool.

 

This doesn't make any sense. Being waterproof and durable have nothing to do with being able to find geocaches. Especially if hunting urban geocaches. But even if you're on the trail, all you have to do is be careful.

 

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

[TheSmartypants]

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

 

Oh yeah, it works perfectly, and if you make good maps with GMDL the accuracy is fantastic.

 

TrailGators - Wherigo looks pretty interesting, but I've seen no PSP support for it as of yet.

Edited January 13, 2008 by TheSmartypants

[+TrailGators]

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

Oh yeah, it works perfectly, and if you make good maps with GMDL the accuracy is fantastic.

 

TrailGators - Wherigo looks pretty interesting, but I've seen no PSP support for it as of yet.

Sounds cool. Maybe when you get some time you can post some photos of what yours looks like (caches, cache maps , etc.)

[+elmuyloco5]

We tried out the mapping program and I do have a few problems with it.

 

First: you have to cut all of your maps, it's not like a straight load it on to the PSP and you have mapping for the US. Which is timely, and could also cause issues if you travel alot. What if you don't have the map for an area that you need to go to unexpectedly?

 

Second: I could be wrong as I haven't messed around that long on the mapping program, but I don't see anything to really allow for itinerary planning. The mapping software, and the way it works on the PSP is more like a program you would find on a driving GPS unit, not a handheld GPS. Itinerary planning is one of the most basic desires one would have for a program focusing on navigation while driving. Again, I could be missing it, but I don't see it.

 

It would be wonderful if you could use the TYRE program that a guy wrote to use to plan routes for the TomTom units. It utilizes both Google Maps and Earth and does a real nice job of both. (it doesn't transfer completely to the TomTom----my gripe there---but that's a TomTom software issue, not the program's). But the planning is quick, customizable and since it utilizes Google, you can use it for both coordinates and addresses.

 

Third: While it has a few neat points (and personally I think the screen views are nicer than our TomTom), it's not really any cheaper than getting an entry level TomTom. The GPS add on is about $60 on Ebay (maybe less if you bid and don't use "buy it now"). Then you'll need a designated memory card for the maps to hold enough so you can still save games, etc. You can get a TomTom, with the whole US and Canada loaded on it for $100 after a rebate.

 

We really wanted this to work, but it seems like more of pain than it's worth. The software is not easy to use at first and it's time consuming to make all of your maps. If you intend to use it out on the trail, while you can easily protect it in a good case, it is cumbersome and larger than a typical handheld to pack. We had hoped this would be a good option for us as we're not completely satisfied with our TomTom and we would have loved to save the $400 we were planning on spending on a new handheld. In the end, we may stick with our TomTom and buy the Delorme Pn-20.

[+TrailGators]

Third: While it has a few neat points (and personally I think the screen views are nicer than our TomTom), it's not really any cheaper than getting an entry level TomTom. The GPS add on is about $60 on Ebay (maybe less if you bid and don't use "buy it now"). Then you'll need a designated memory card for the maps to hold enough so you can still save games, etc. You can get a TomTom, with the whole US and Canada loaded on it for $100 after a rebate.

A Tom-Tom doesn't let you play games, watch movies, listen to music or surf the web on wi-fi. The reason you'd get a PSP is because it's a lot more than just a GPS. That is why I was interested.

[+minnesotabrad]

I was out caching yesterday and dropped and had my GPS in the snow while digging for cache and would not what to do that to a PSP. But like you said for urban, nice weather caching it might be cool. Nice for travel too. Play games, watch movies on plane and cache when you get to destination.

[+TrailGators]

I was out caching yesterday and dropped and had my GPS in the snow while digging for cache and would not what to do that to a PSP. But like you said for urban, nice weather caching it might be cool. Nice for travel too. Play games, watch movies on plane and cache when you get to destination.

I agree. I've dropped my GPS a few times over the years. I have two other GPSs that I can use for hiking caches. I'd use the PSP more for travel.

[+elmuyloco5]

Third: While it has a few neat points (and personally I think the screen views are nicer than our TomTom), it's not really any cheaper than getting an entry level TomTom. The GPS add on is about $60 on Ebay (maybe less if you bid and don't use "buy it now"). Then you'll need a designated memory card for the maps to hold enough so you can still save games, etc. You can get a TomTom, with the whole US and Canada loaded on it for $100 after a rebate.

A Tom-Tom doesn't let you play games, watch movies, listen to music or surf the web on wi-fi. The reason you'd get a PSP is because it's a lot more than just a GPS. That is why I was interested.

 

I totally understand that. I already have my PSP for games, etc. That's exactly why I wanted this to work as it would be a cheaper alternative to the TomTom plus another handheld GPS. What I was saying, is that to make the PSP work as a GPS, it's not much cheaper than just buying a TomTom (or other similar unit) and the TomTom or other unit would have the entire US mapping system (or other country if that applies) already loaded to it. You see, you have set the price of the PSP aside. Say you already have one, the GPS connector would cost about $60, plus money for a large enough memory card to use solely for the mapping portion. Even if you already have a case, it's not much cheaper than the TomTom which is about $100 right now. Yes, the TomTom isn't much of a handheld unit, but neither is the PSP. The program is more for driving navigation than off-road usage. The issue isn't that the GPS won't work, or that you can't get it for a decent price, the issue is the software you have to use.

 

The mapping program for the PSP requires that you "cut" the map out to use. You can't have the entire US at all once in one fell swoop. You might be able to contain all of the map info on a large enough card, but I don't know that for certain. But I will say, most people won't have the patience to sit down to make the maps of the whole US, even if you could. I hope that makes sense. The gentleman talking about his PSP above, said that it took him 12 hours to make his first map when I emailed him asking about it. There is a serious learning curve on this software, and it's a bit tedious.

 

You know, you can download the program for free and try it out on your computer prior to purchasing the PSP, they have it at Mikehacks.com and he also has video and screen shots of it. Or go to YouTube and type in PSP GPS. There's tons of video on it working. It's a neat idea, but definitely has it's shortcomings.

 

I'm definitely not suggesting not to buy a PSP. I love mine....well except how the games are containered and the slot to insert them, but I do understand why it was built the way it was. It's definitely a much nicer product than my children's DS. You can get a nice case for it at Gamestop complete with a car chager, game cases, etc. for $20. It's a wonderful gaming system, the web-surfing is a bit more difficult than using a PDA to surf the web, but I would recommend the system to anyone. I'm just not sure I would recommend the GPS portion of it. Maybe if they came out with some better software, I would.

Edited January 13, 2008 by elmuyloco5

[gratefulHIKE]

if it gets people outdoors on the trails that's cool, however you get there is up to you

 

just be respectful to the surroundings......

 

whats the +/- lock on it? my old magellan can get a 10 satellite lock but only be +/- 40ft at best

Edited January 13, 2008 by gratefulHIKE

[TheSmartypants]

Well, maybe I should have pointed out that the PSP option is good for your people who like something that you can mess around with.

 

If you're willing to do a little extra work initially you can make any kind of map you want as detailed as you want, including sat maps. You can plan itineraries, but it is a little more work than your typical gps, and you can do a little more tinkering and set it up for voice cues, even one that tells you when you're speeding.

 

I know some of the GPS systems out there are probably more durable, but I usually stick my PSP somewhere safe before I start digging or walking a steep incline. I don't know about you guys, but when I'm hiking a trail I don't hold a gps in front of me the whole time... I usually just look at the trail and get the gps out if I want to get my bearings.

 

The map that took me 12 hours to make was my first map, and I figured out how to cut the time down, but I usually let my PC make my maps while I sleep at night, but again, that's just the way I like to do things.

 

The PSP is optimal for Roadside Caches, maybe a little more work for your trail caches that require a little hiking, but it's not enough to really bother me. Sure the Tom Tom is a great product, but if you're reading this thread from Mozilla Firefox on a Linux OS and you like to be "hands on" with your electronics, you might be the type of person that would get the most use and entertainment out of the PSP alternative to geocaching. Not to mention you can go ahead and watch an episode of Lost or play a game or play some MP3's and bust a move while you're takin' a break from caching. I'd probably eventually be taking a TomTom apart and trying to see what else I could make it do anyhow.

Edited January 13, 2008 by TheSmartypants

[+TrailGators]

I was going to say that it is the early adopters that are always the ones that enjoy messing around with stuff to make it work in a new way. I know Sony pretty well and I'm sure that there is a lot more in store for the PSP with the GPS then what is available with the 1st gen product. To me it's just interesting to hear what people are already doing with it.

[+elmuyloco5]

Well, maybe I should have pointed out that the PSP option is good for your people who like something that you can mess around with.

 

If you're willing to do a little extra work initially you can make any kind of map you want as detailed as you want, including sat maps. You can plan itineraries, but it is a little more work than your typical gps, and you can do a little more tinkering and set it up for voice cues, even one that tells you when you're speeding.

 

I know some of the GPS systems out there are probably more durable, but I usually stick my PSP somewhere safe before I start digging or walking a steep incline. I don't know about you guys, but when I'm hiking a trail I don't hold a gps in front of me the whole time... I usually just look at the trail and get the gps out if I want to get my bearings.

 

The map that took me 12 hours to make was my first map, and I figured out how to cut the time down, but I usually let my PC make my maps while I sleep at night, but again, that's just the way I like to do things.

 

The PSP is optimal for Roadside Caches, maybe a little more work for your trail caches that require a little hiking, but it's not enough to really bother me. Sure the Tom Tom is a great product, but if you're reading this thread from Mozilla Firefox on a Linux OS and you like to be "hands on" with your electronics, you might be the type of person that would get the most use and entertainment out of the PSP alternative to geocaching. Not to mention you can go ahead and watch an episode of Lost or play a game or play some MP3's and bust a move while you're takin' a break from caching. I'd probably eventually be taking a TomTom apart and trying to see what else I could make it do anyhow.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not pushing the TomTom. It's ok, but the base unit (the One) is a limited unit. Again, we're still looking for alternatives as I said, we're not completely satisfied with it. I only mentioned it to compare prices and the fact that it has a complete map installed as apposed to having to cut all of the ones you want for the PSP.

 

I know you meant the first one was 12 hours, I think I stated that it was your first. I was just trying to point out that the software isn't very intuitive. Maybe you could explain how you have your computer do the mapping at night. And how large of an area are you able to store on a 1GB card? I know you said to me that you hadn't tried using the topo portion of it, do you know anyone who has?

 

I'm not against the idea of the PSP, and we really did want it to work. The display is, IMHO, wayyyyyy better than alot of the navigation units out there for street mapping. That software is a real PTA though.

 

My hubby couldn't figure out how to do itineraries. I haven't had the chance to mess around with that part of it. We were both working on the mapping part and weren't too thrilled by the level of work to put into getting one map. I hate to ask you to explain it all, is there a better tutorial online about using it?

 

Also, for you itineraries, are you able to rename your waypoints? I know it uses the Google Maps interface, but Google trips doesn't allow you to rename waypoints. I use it now all the time when we go on large trips and I can put in the coordinates, but Google automatically changes the coords. to different setting than the one I input (so the text reading of it is off and requires me to handprint the name of the waypoint of each). I've tried to rename them, but it won't let me with the coords. Also, Google only allows for 25 waypoints per route. Does this program have the same issue? I am forced to make several separate routes when we travel a long distance to cache.

 

The TYRE program for the TomTom really improved the Google interface and allows for all that stuff, and it was really nice. I'd love if that guy would write the program to use with other units' software as the TomTom software alters it a bit. The TYRE program does a much better job at plotting your course. He says you can use it for PDAs and such, but you have to have the TomTom software for your PDA. Since the software already alters it a bit on the TomTom units, I imagine it would do the same on you PDA too. Plus, the TomTom software isnt' cheap and doesn't do offroad.

[+elmuyloco5]

Ah, found the manual for it

 

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Map_This%21

 

It says that it take hundreds of MB for maps depending on the detail. What have you been able to download into what amount of space?

[gratefulHIKE]

be nice if ssd's/flash was cheap around 8gb, then seperate the partitions so you didnt have to go back and load each mapset individually by unchecking/checking.....instead just selecting the mapsets without too much effort

[TheSmartypants]

No offense taken elmuyloco5. The first map I made is about 500 megs, it's very detailed and covers the entire southern half of West Virginia, and a good chunk of southwestern Virginia. That map goes from zoom 10 all of the way to 0 in the best detail and is great for treasure hunting. The file size is stated as 444MB but 987MB on disk. I'm not sure why it does this as I'm new to map making myself, but I would say this has something to do with the map storage setup deals with folders within folders within folders for every tile in the map on every zoom level. In short each map is an enormous file tree.

 

I didn't have this problem with my newest map though. It is all of the southern half of the state and only takes up 53MB's of space. I unchecked tiles that I knew I would never travel in and told it not to render the lowest (most detailed) two levels of zoom, so the same map was massively smaller and it only took a couple of hours to render instead of 12 hours. I've found that the third level of zoom is great for travel as it shows where you are and for me so far it has listed all street names. For treasure hunting I would make smaller location specific maps with only the two closest levels of view selected. This shouldn't take much time at all. I'll let you know once I've done this. You can also run Photoshop in batch photo mode to save the images for web and include all subfolders, this will reduce map size too. Again you're looking at more work and computer time.

 

I've looked at all of the tutorials and none are extremely detailed, so I've been learning by trial and error for the most part myself.

 

You are right, there is a lot of work in making a map... well, a lot of time, it takes about 2 minutes for me to tell it how to make the map, and then around 2 hours for the computer to complete it. It's not hard on system resources though, so it's easy to do while you are surfing or doing other things with the computer.

 

Renaming POI's is easy, they are listed in a text file called _MY_POIS located at J:\PSP\GAME\mapViewer\maps\_MapName. You just open that up with any basic text editor find the name you don't like and change it. You can also add coordinates like this once you get the hang of the layout. Of course this is extra work and you have to do this with your computer.

 

As far as the price goes I love to find a deal, so I rarely "buy now" on Ebay. You can get the GPS receiver cheaper that way, but it just takes a little more patience. (and luck)

 

Overall, it does seem like a whole lot of work, but once you make your maps you are set. The first one I made has done great at leading me to caches and put me right on top of a cache that was in the middle of the woods. (no trail either) Then again, I was the kid that took toys apart and made other toys out of them. (like the kid they so wrongly vilified in Toy Story)

 

So in short, if you are looking for a way to save money, it really just depends on how cheap you are, how much work you are willing to do to satisfy your cheapness, and if you already have a PSP. Absolutely positively do no buy a PSP just to use as a GPS, but if you like tinkering with stuff, it's not a bad option.

[TheSmartypants]

Now if I could just find a program to shrink down my forum posts....

[+TrailGators]

Now if I could just find a program to shrink down my forum posts....

It looks like you succeeded! Anyhow, thanks for the info!

[+elmuyloco5]

 

Overall, it does seem like a whole lot of work, but once you make your maps you are set. The first one I made has done great at leading me to caches and put me right on top of a cache that was in the middle of the woods. (no trail either) Then again, I was the kid that took toys apart and made other toys out of them. (like the kid they so wrongly vilified in Toy Story)

 

So in short, if you are looking for a way to save money, it really just depends on how cheap you are, how much work you are willing to do to satisfy your cheapness, and if you already have a PSP. Absolutely positively do no buy a PSP just to use as a GPS, but if you like tinkering with stuff, it's not a bad option.

 

I can see it being fun. I enjoy seeing all the cool things that the techie people out there create off the gaming platforms and other various units.

 

I just personally, don't have that kind of time or patience, truthfully. I'm a homeschooling mommy of three and am lucky if I manage to get the laundry and dishes done by the time I have to slip into bed. I love my computer time (generally my only outreach to the adult world until the Hubby gets home), but I only get snippets here and there.....definately not long enough to devote to learning this software.

 

I would be there in a snap though if Sony ever got some designated software working for it. I love my PSP and it suits me much better than our PS3, but they each have their strong points.

 

Anyhoo, guess I'm not cheap enough

[+TrailGators]

 

Overall, it does seem like a whole lot of work, but once you make your maps you are set. The first one I made has done great at leading me to caches and put me right on top of a cache that was in the middle of the woods. (no trail either) Then again, I was the kid that took toys apart and made other toys out of them. (like the kid they so wrongly vilified in Toy Story)

 

So in short, if you are looking for a way to save money, it really just depends on how cheap you are, how much work you are willing to do to satisfy your cheapness, and if you already have a PSP. Absolutely positively do no buy a PSP just to use as a GPS, but if you like tinkering with stuff, it's not a bad option.

 

I can see it being fun. I enjoy seeing all the cool things that the techie people out there create off the gaming platforms and other various units.

 

I just personally, don't have that kind of time or patience, truthfully. I'm a homeschooling mommy of three and am lucky if I manage to get the laundry and dishes done by the time I have to slip into bed. I love my computer time (generally my only outreach to the adult world until the Hubby gets home), but I only get snippets here and there.....definately not long enough to devote to learning this software.

 

I would be there in a snap though if Sony ever got some designated software working for it. I love my PSP and it suits me much better than our PS3, but they each have their strong points.

 

Anyhoo, guess I'm not cheap enough

I'm sure Sony will come out with some cool stuff for it in the future. Sounds like you have some cool toys! By the way are you "very crazy?"

[+Minex]

This doesn't make any sense. Being waterproof and durable have nothing to do with being able to find geocaches. Especially if hunting urban geocaches. But even if you're on the trail, all you have to do is be careful.

 

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

 

It doesn't matter how careful I am. Something always goes wrong. I remember my third geocache, I accidently dropped my Etrex Legend in a small stream near the cache I was trying to find. The Etrex Legend is quite durable, so there was no damage to the unit, thankfully.

[TheSmartypants]

That wouldn't have happened if you had a wrist strap.

 

 

The PSP has an area where you can attach a wrist strap, or you could wear it around your neck or even clip it to your belt. I'd advise clipping it somewhere that it wouldn't get banged around though.

 

 

Even so my PSP gets used for everything since I drive for a living. It's my MP3 player, movie player, game center, gps, web browser (when I find hotspots), picture viewer, and anything else I can think of to do with it. It's taken a few bounces, I doubt it would do well falling in a stream, but most electronics don't handle water too well.

[+T F T C]

This doesn't make any sense. Being waterproof and durable have nothing to do with being able to find geocaches. Especially if hunting urban geocaches. But even if you're on the trail, all you have to do is be careful.

 

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

 

It doesn't matter how careful I am. Something always goes wrong. I remember my third geocache, I accidently dropped my Etrex Legend in a small stream near the cache I was trying to find. The Etrex Legend is quite durable, so there was no damage to the unit, thankfully.

 

You just proved my point. The key word is accidentally. Fasten it to your body, put it in a ziplock bag, etc. Be careful - dropping can be prevented in almost all cases. I've yet to drop my GPS in just over 300 finds. But just because a gadget COULDN'T survive a fall doesn't mean you should discount it altogether.

 

Unless, I suppose, you choose to not be careful. Then yes, you probably shouldn't be geocaching with it.

[+TrailGators]

This doesn't make any sense. Being waterproof and durable have nothing to do with being able to find geocaches. Especially if hunting urban geocaches. But even if you're on the trail, all you have to do is be careful.

 

If it works, using a PSP to geocache would be sweet.

 

It doesn't matter how careful I am. Something always goes wrong. I remember my third geocache, I accidently dropped my Etrex Legend in a small stream near the cache I was trying to find. The Etrex Legend is quite durable, so there was no damage to the unit, thankfully.

 

You just proved my point. The key word is accidentally. Fasten it to your body, put it in a ziplock bag, etc. Be careful - dropping can be prevented in almost all cases. I've yet to drop my GPS in just over 300 finds. But just because a gadget COULDN'T survive a fall doesn't mean you should discount it altogether.

 

Unless, I suppose, you choose to not be careful. Then yes, you probably shouldn't be geocaching with it.

The funny part is that when you get close to a cache your GPS should be in your pocket. A lot of people drop them because they are following the arrow and not looking where they are going. Anyhow, I agree that if you are careful and use a lanyard then there shouldn't be an issue.

[+Minex]

That wouldn't have happened if you had a wrist strap.

 

heh... I dropped it because I was trying to put the lanyard on. Go figure.

Edited January 15, 2008 by Minex

[+elmuyloco5]

By the way are you "very crazy?"

 

Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute

[+TrailGators]

By the way are you "very crazy?"

 

Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute

I have three kids too. Two are in college. Just wait until you get that bill. That'll drive you really crazy!

[+elmuyloco5]

By the way are you "very crazy?"

 

Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute

I have three kids too. Two are in college. Just wait until you get that bill. That'll drive you really crazy!

 

OOOOOOoooo...that IS a killer. I'm dreading that day....ours are each a year and a half apart so that bills gonna really bite when it comes along! Here's to hoping for scholarships!!!

[+TrailGators]

By the way are you "very crazy?"

Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute

I have three kids too. Two are in college. Just wait until you get that bill. That'll drive you really crazy!

OOOOOOoooo...that IS a killer. I'm dreading that day....ours are each a year and a half apart so that bills gonna really bite when it comes along! Here's to hoping for scholarships!!!

My kids are all two years apart. The earlier that you start saving the better. We started saving too late.

 

Anyhow, I look forward to trying out the PSP. It would be also perfect for Wherigo!

[TheSmartypants]

In the GPS recommendations they do strongly advise to purchase something that is waterproof, but I believe that if you really want to you can always be careful.

 

In this article a fellow uses a sturdy yet inexpensive ziplock bag to water proof and dust proof a camera that is worth more than most GPS units. I've also seen articles where people used ziplock bags or similar water resistant packaging for underwater photography, remote controls, and anything else you might wanna keep safe. I have yet to ziplock my PSP, but I might if a location seems to require it. When it warms up a tad I'll report on some more remote caches that require hiking at least a few miles. (I'm in West Virginia, so dry and flat really isn't a hiking option)

[+geowizerd]

You can be as careful as you can, but accidents will always happen... that's why they're called accidents. I have a PSP (okay, it's my sons), and an eXplorist GPSr. In only 18 caches attempted, I would have probably broken/drowned three PSP's. The GPSr are pretty much waterproof (submerged 30 minutes in 3' of water with no damage), and shock-resistant and rubber-armored. I can set the unit down in snow or wet leaves, have it drop out of a pocket while jumping a stream, bouncing off a rock or two and ending up in the water. I also slid down a 30' embankment with one in my jacket pocket. Used it in pouring rain. Left it in the car last night (went down to -2 F). Still working fine. I agree that it would be okay for an urban cacher in good weather. But if you're going to be caching in the mountains of WV, you are going to need something more rugged, IMO.

[TheSmartypants]

You can be as careful as you can, but accidents will always happen... that's why they're called accidents. I have a PSP (okay, it's my sons), and an eXplorist GPSr. In only 18 caches attempted, I would have probably broken/drowned three PSP's. The GPSr are pretty much waterproof (submerged 30 minutes in 3' of water with no damage), and shock-resistant and rubber-armored. I can set the unit down in snow or wet leaves, have it drop out of a pocket while jumping a stream, bouncing off a rock or two and ending up in the water. I also slid down a 30' embankment with one in my jacket pocket. Used it in pouring rain. Left it in the car last night (went down to -2 F). Still working fine. I agree that it would be okay for an urban cacher in good weather. But if you're going to be caching in the mountains of WV, you are going to need something more rugged, IMO.

 

OK, what you guys aren't getting is I already am caching in the mountains of WV as that I live there. I grew up further in the woods than most people have ever hiked. I have set my psp in snow and wet leaves, used it in freezing snow and pouring rain. I wear my lanyard before I even go near a steep slope or water mass. I keep a ziplock bag just for wet situation. The PSP stays in my car since that's where it usually gets charged at, we only got down to +4 F this past weekend so maybe that additional 6 degrees may cause it to implode, I don't know, but so far so good.

 

You can also have something that is pretty darn tough but if you're not careful it can be destroyed. I couldn't be an urban cacher if I wanted to, south WV is a very rural locale. I grew up not being able to afford things and have learned to take care of what I got, now that I can afford more I still take care. Yes I agree that you can be careful, and accidents can happen, but also if you are careful, they will absolutely not always happen as you stated. I'm not preaching that everyone should go out an buy PSP's to go geocaching with, but I'm telling about my experience and sharing it with others. I don't rock climb or spelunk, I do about 10 mile hikes in state parks, and some mountain biking. When I break my PSP I will be the first to tell you, but so far it's working pretty good. Yeah accidents happen if you do things like fall off of mountains or decide to attach your lanyard once you are over top of the rolling rapids.

 

The software is free, they just released a commercial receiver attachment for the PSP. Sony has nothing to do with the software as they never even imagined that some people would grab their little game unit and make a GPS receiver out of it so they really aren't supporting it much and I don't know if they will ever have plans to do so. For all of the people out there that have your water proof shock resistant GPS, that's great have fun, but my PSP is working great for me. I've found 10 caches so far and it's been a blast.

[gratefulHIKE]

PSP's are nice, you can store a lot and they have great screens......my brother has one with an asus case, and it serves its purpose in comfort

 

I can see the PSP with a gps would be great for cars/bikes......but for caching I prefer a handheld because of the size, weight and orientation of the layout, and the fact that the psp gpsR is "plugged" into the unit through a port and not built in........

 

its a good job innovating a very unique system sony offers and if you have a psp you might as well mod it to do caches....but imo definitely not worth buying a PSP to mod it, instead of grabbing an actual GPS device

[+elmuyloco5]

I still think that the PSP would be a fabulous idea. I just wish someone would make some software with precut maps like Delorme has for their GPSr. My issue with the PSP is time. I just don't have enough that I want to sit there and mess with it. Some people do, and that's just fine. It's nice that they have this option.

 

I think the other thing the PSP really needs to work properly (for this purpose, anyway), is some caching software. And if that software can make it paperless, even better.

 

The PSP would be a perfect unit for Wherigo. The DS is limited in sound, like the Colorado, but the PSP has excellent sound capabilities and beautiful video. There's room for all these wants, you just have to find the person who is willing to write the programming for it.

 

As far as it being less rugged, well sure it is. But, that doesn't mean that it can't be a fantastic option for caching. Lots of people use PPCs and they are no more rugged. It depends on the cacher what unit would suit their needs. Since there is a variety of cachers with a variety of needs, there should be a variety of units to suit them.

[+boyzie2000uk]

I have found the psp to be fantastic out and about on the trails in the middle of nowhere.

 

I use ordanance and survey 1:25,000 maps through memorymap to export the area I want to go walking/geocaching as a jpeg. I also use memory map to create a waymarked route with the caches on the route and export this as a csv for use on the psp. As you can see OS maps have amazing detail and I believe some of the best in the world .

 

I then use mapcruncher to add the GPS details to the image and then use the above mentioned GMDl to convert it for use for the psp.

 

Takes about half an hour if that.

 

I now no longer have to carry my OS maps around with me I can now view them on the psp in hi de and, zoom in etc.

 

I wear it around my neck in a protective waterproof case.

 

Will add pics if people so wish

Edited February 11, 2008 by boyzie2000uk

[+TrailGators]

I have found the psp to be fantastic out and about on the trails in the middle of nowhere.

 

I use ordanance and survey 1:25,000 maps through memorymap to export the area I want to go walking/geocaching as a jpeg. I also use memory map to create a waymarked route with the caches on the route and export this as a csv for use on the psp. As you can see OS maps have amazing detail and I believe some of the best in the world .

 

I then use mapcruncher to add the GPS details to the image and then use the above mentioned GMDl to convert it for use for the psp.

 

Takes about half an hour if that.

 

I now no longer have to carry my OS maps around with me I can now view them on the psp in hi de and, zoom in etc.

 

I wear it around my neck in a protective waterproof case.

 

Will add pics if people so wish

Very cool! I would like to see some pics whenever you get the time (no rush)!

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

Does the PSP fit into a hard case with the GPS attached, or do you only attach it when it's out?

 

I looked up plenty of Caches with the pSP WiFi, but never knew about a GPS tool.

[+hogrod]

I use GSAK to export html folder of my caches and then I load it to my PSP memory stick. I can then have all cache info and logs loaded and viewable in the PSPs web browser.

 

I have never used the gps add on but it sounds pretty neat. hows the reception with the gps? is it any good in the woods?

[cowboyshootist]

I love the posts about waterproof GPSr and why the PSP is not a good GPS because it's not waterproof. It's ironic given recent postings about the drowned Colorado and Explorists with battery doors that don't fit right.

 

Drop any GPS, PSP, iPOD or Cell phone on concrete and they all stand a chance of breaking something (plastic case, screen, internal components). If you need to waterproof the PSP get an Otter box. They are waterproof, crushproof and they float. I wonder how many of those Etrexs would have been lost had they been dropped into 20 ft of water?

[izobelle]

the PSP's GPS picks up around 8-10 satellites pretty quickly as soon as i step out of my car, it seems to have a harder time grabbing them from within the car itself, but it's hardly perched on the dashboard... more often than not just laying in the passenger seat.

 

there seems to be a bit of a flamey feel to a few responses in this thread from people who think using a PSP as a GPS receiver is "faking it". honestly, i have enough gadgets as it is, being able to buy an addon for an existing product wins over buying a whole new one in my book any day.

 

while it may not be made to play rugby with, anyone who's careful need not worry, and there's plenty more that you can do with it when you aren't geocaching.

[+boyzie2000uk]

After bagging a few geocaches with the psp, I can now confidently say its fantastic.

 

In the Uk anyone who seriously goes treking uses an ordanence survey map.

 

I use memory map to export a jpeg of the desired area for geocaching from a 1:25,000 OS map. Add gps details to it using mapcruncher and the gmdl to upload it to mapthis on the psp. I also use GSAK to create a loadable waypoints for the geocaches.

 

I also use the webbrowser to read html files exported by GSAk, i.e i can have all the geocache webpages with me on the trail.

 

Okay it takes about half an hour to make the map but hey to have a flashing arrow on a highly detailed map guiding you to a geocache is fantastic and would cost you at least twice the cost to buy a unit that can do this and they don't play music, superb games, surf the net or play movies etc.

[Wyldfyr]

I just ordered the GPS attachment for my son's 19th birthday. He looked at the options and since he uses his PSP for everything ( PDA, websurfing,e-mail etc., games, video, etc.) it seemed like the perfect addition. He is planning on using it in his car ( I offered him a NUVI and he respectfully declined stating he wanted to be able to do some caching with it too. ) and his plan was to carry fewer devices around with him!

[TheSmartypants]

I've gotten a better grasp on the Global Map Download tool and make maps very quickly and easily. 10 to 15 minutes for any county or city, the southern half of the state may take a bit longer, but still not bad.

 

I'm up to 31 geocaches now and still having fun. Thanks to everyone who has posted their PSP GPS experiences I'll definitely check out the Memory Map and Mapcruncher methods of mapping too.

[RLeahey14]

I'm thinking about getting the GPS attachment for my PSP because I like the idea of having all of my media in one device. My question is that since it was never released in North America, what version of the PSP-290 did anyone have success with. I can get the Japanese version, and I know they have a European version as well. Do they both work the same? Also how much space do the maps take up? I have a 16gb memory card with a ton of free space so it shouldn't be a problem but it would be neat to have a full state map in case I get a geocache itch in the middle of the day I can just look on my psp and go.

 

I have the psp slim 2000 version if that makes any difference with devices, the picture I saw uploaded are all of the original version. Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[+HBA:)]

ok either i'm stupid or i missed something, but i want to use my psp for paperless, i have a gps but it is not paperless, can any one help me. i have downloaded the gsak program but that is afar as i got