The best used PDA for caching would be?

[+carolnbarney]

What's currently considered the best used PDA to pursue for caching use?

 

What features are the most important and what aren't all that important??

[+Miragee]

I don't know if there is a best PDA for caching, but I can recommend the Palm m500. I have had mine for more than six years and it is still working perfectly. It is monochrome, which makes it easy to see, even in bright sunlight, something that cannot be said for some of the more-expensive color models.

 

It is inexpensive. You should be able to get one on eBay for $30.00, and that should include the shipping.

 

It connects to a computer with USB, something to consider since many newer computers do not have a Serial port.

 

It has a slot for an SD card so you can put much more data and more programs on it, if you want to, although the 8MB of memory is more than enough to hold the information for thousands of caches.

 

You can pay much more for a PDA, but since caching can be rough on these fragile items, if you don't need more advanced features like WiFi, there is no reason to spend more.

[+carolnbarney]

I was looking on Ebay and they do have a "lot" of them listed. Will they work with XP Pro? I didn't see it listed as being an operating system they would work with? Would hate to buy one and find it wouldn't work with my 'puter......

[+Airmapper]

I was looking on Ebay and they do have a "lot" of them listed. Will they work with XP Pro? I didn't see it listed as being an operating system they would work with? Would hate to buy one and find it wouldn't work with my 'puter......

 

XP is great. I used mine with Windows 98, 2000 Pro, and XP, all worked very well. I even had it working with Vista, however there are a few issues with it I've yet to sort out.

 

Another good unit is the M125. Very similar to the M500 Mirage mentioned, only it uses AAA's instead of an internal rechargeable battery.

[tdx]

There is really no "best" PDA, what will work best for you boils down to your specific needs/wants. I personally went with a Dell Axim X30h PDA, because it works well for both geocaching and car navigation. It has a color touchscreen, much more internal memory than other units in its price range & a faster processor, and tons of aftermarket parts like extended batteries, metal cases, etc. that are very useful with geocaching. It also runs Windows Mobile 2003, which has tons of software available.

 

They're typically between $75-$100 for the unit & accessories, and then a decent bluetooth GPSr can be had for about $50.

Edited December 31, 2007 by tdx

[+apetro]

don't forget to check out the gps garage sale section on the forums. i bought mine there for a very good price and the seller has been very helpful in getting it set up.

[+Bad_CRC]

depends completely on what you are looking for.

 

I bought 4 PDAs once I discovered paperless caching (and PDAs)... there are 2 extremes.

 

 

1) CHEAP - I have a PALM IIIcx, it cost like 5 bucks. It's black and white, it takes regular aaa batteries, it plays some games, but doesn't do much other than: It can hold thousands of cache pages, descriptions, hints, etc. Very nice. I even downloaded some screenshots of google maps of the cache area so I could see them while I was caching.

 

Very nice. very cheap. My girlfriend dropped it broke it, and I thought it was a goner... but for so cheap, I really didn't care at all. (It ended up surviving the fall)

 

I take this cheap PDA when I'm out in the woods, or somewhere I may get wet, or fall down, or lose it. It cost almost nothing, so it's disposable.

 

2) GOOD - I have a Dell Axim X50, it cost like 200 bucks. It has color, it has a GPS. I can download full color cache pages, I use beeline GPS to show me any nearby caches and then the descriptions and hints for them to see if I want to search for them. It also lets me connect to the web and log my finds if there is wifi nearby. I run TOMTOM navigator software on it when driving. Very cool, but if I lose it or break it, I will be upset. I bring it when I travel and won't be caching anywhere "dangerous"

 

2 ends of the spectrum, very far apart. you can decide where you want to be on that scale, but buying a super cheap PDA to start with can't hurt, since you aren't out much money even if you don't like it.

[+ICHTHYS]

I'd recommend one that stores the info even if the batteries die. That way you don't lose info.

 

The Z21 is a good black and white, the z22 is a good color.

[+Browlie]

depends completely on what you are looking for.

 

I bought 4 PDAs once I discovered paperless caching (and PDAs)... there are 2 extremes.

 

 

forgive me if this is a n00b question... do you use your PDA with a GPS? If so, which GPS do you use?

[+theosus]

depends completely on what you are looking for.

 

I bought 4 PDAs once I discovered paperless caching (and PDAs)... there are 2 extremes.

 

 

forgive me if this is a n00b question... do you use your PDA with a GPS? If so, which GPS do you use?

 

I use a palm tungsten e2. They are sort of pricey JUST for geocaching, but I bought mine for other things, and geocaching was an added benefit once i decided to try paperless. I play mp3's on it, watch movies, and have a portable folding keyboard i can use for writing.

 

 

Yes it is fragile for caching. It usually stays in my coat pocket in its leather case unless I get stuck. I use a magellan sportTrak (yes - its like 4 years old but its still good, and I got the topo software FREE). I got a cable that lets me plug the magellan INTO the PDA. Earthcomber has a free moving map program and the PDA holds a LOT more maps than the SporTrak. Cachemate will check the gps signal and give me a closest cache list (yes the GPS will to - but not with as much detail).

 

Its all fun, and besides, I'm a gadget geek...so its cool walking around with wires hanging out everywhere. just a little more stuff and I'll feel like the Borg. Resistance is Futile...

Edited February 25, 2008 by theosus

[+sbell111]

Normally, my advice would be 'buy the cheapest palm pda you can find'. However, if you intend to go after Wherigo caches, you might want to switch over to a PPC, or do what I likely will do and own both. Information on which PPCs work with the Wherigo player can be found in the Wherigo hardware forum.

[+Team Black-Cat]

The "BEST" PPC for geocaching is the one you currently own.

My Toshibe e740 was pretty cheap. I had it before I started caching, and "re-purposed" it. A plug in GPS and Cachemate software is enough to be totally paperless, and still only have one gaget in the field. I just don't like the way it feels in my hand while walking through the woods.

If you are planning on buying a PPC, make sure it has, at least, Windows Moble 2003. A lot of programs need WM2003, and WM2002 won't talk to Vista.

[+thsalbert]

I have IPaq 6965, Dopod 818 pro and Palm Treo 680 run with Garmin 10x BT GPSr. Software I used were Garmin Mobile XT, cachemate and spoilerSync. The WM PPC was stable and reliable with Garmin Mobile XT(Routable Car Navigation), Cachemate and spoilerSync for paperless geocaching. CacheNav was a sub programme embeded with cachemate for searching the cache. Palm Treo 680 sometime hang the BT GPSr even I have to remove the battery both from Treo and the BT GPSr. Also can refer to a post yesterday here: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...p;#entry3349858

Edited March 4, 2008 by thsalbert