If you could design the perfect GPS for geocaching...

[Source_GPS]

I am working on a project for a book and I am playing around with an insert on the "perfect geocache gps". I thought this would be a nice collaboration effort from our experienced and not-so-experienced cachers. If you could design a GPS that's main priority is for geocaching, what features, charactersitics and ergonmic qualities would you want?

 

Who knows, maybe one of the major manufacturers will see our ideas and come up with something

 

Steve

Edited March 4, 2008 by Source_GPS

[+T F T C]

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...amp;hl=internet

[+RRLover]

I am working on a project for a book and I am playing around with an insert on the "perfect geocache gps". I thought this would be a nice collaboration effort from our experienced and not-so-experienced cachers. If you could design a GPS that's main priority is for geocaching, what features, charactersitics and ergonmic qualities would you want?

Who knows, maybe one of the major manufacturers will see our ideas and come up with something

Steve

In a nutshell :

Not necessarily in priority order-

Everything that's good about the Garmin 60/76 CSX, combined w/ everything that the Colorado will have,

using the file structure of the eXplorist, a 3 axis compass, full support for the bicycling crowd, and oh yeah

Macintosh compatibility! It would be nice to have the ability to Geotag photos, either wirelessly, or

hardwire. A high density OLED display. Included routable software for the computer, and reasonably priced

maps, or the ability to "roll your own" like the DeLorme. FULL graphics support (no choking on different

formats).

No stupid flashlights, no punk cameras!

 

Norm

Edited March 4, 2008 by RRLover

[Source_GPS]

Norm,

 

You raise a good point with geotagging integration. We haven't seen a whole lot of this yet, although Garmin's new nuviphone (if it keeps that name after the lawsuit) will have this feature tied to the onboard camera.

 

I have to agree that the unit should have the capability to connect to a camera and not have a camera itself.

 

Steve

[Source_GPS]

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...amp;hl=internet

 

That's a good starting point

[+Thrak]

A better compass.

Increased waypoint storage without having to go through the custom POI hassle - 1,000 is really lame

Vastly increased space for viewing cache info such as hints, etc. The current character limit is mind boggling

[+Renegade Knight]

I wake up and think to myself "I'd like to go caching". Then I fire up my GPS and tell it to download the nearest caches matching my PQ criteria. It does so and out the door I go. Using filters I get rid of Micro's, Multi's, and all caches by boblog. Since the GPX is on the GPS I don't need to use my PDA to read cache logs. I mark them as found and log them later, or I can hook up my keyboard and log them in the field and that will be updated to the website next time I'm near a wifi accesss point.

 

If I'm in a new town it can generate a PQ based on my current coordinates. It also knows how to let me say "yes I accept your stupid terms of use" for hotel wifi so I can get the PQ.

 

One stop shopping.

[+Mebbe]

If my DeLorme PN-20 had a metal decetor to go with the new filmware update to help with finding ammo cans I would be all set.

[+majicman]

I wake up and think to myself "I'd like to go caching". Then I fire up my GPS and tell it to download the nearest caches matching my PQ criteria. It does so and out the door I go. Using filters I get rid of Micro's, Multi's, and all caches by boblog. Since the GPX is on the GPS I don't need to use my PDA to read cache logs. I mark them as found and log them later, or I can hook up my keyboard and log them in the field and that will be updated to the website next time I'm near a wifi accesss point.

 

If I'm in a new town it can generate a PQ based on my current coordinates. It also knows how to let me say "yes I accept your stupid terms of use" for hotel wifi so I can get the PQ.

 

One stop shopping.

 

I miss boblog, Mitsuko, maicman, tresokies, and the OLD gang...

 

(*SIGH...)

[+Puppy Dawg]

I am working on a project for a book and I am playing around with an insert on the "perfect geocache gps". I thought this would be a nice collaboration effort from our experienced and not-so-experienced cachers. If you could design a GPS that's main priority is for geocaching, what features, charactersitics and ergonmic qualities would you want?

 

Who knows, maybe one of the major manufacturers will see our ideas and come up with something

 

Steve

 

I've been thinking about that a lot these days, as I discover the downsides of our GPS. Here goes:

 

A small size with a large screen.

High-detailed topo maps showing all trails, even unofficial ones.

A search function showing all hotels, diners, hills, whatever it is set to.

Specific icons for all types of geocaches.

The ability to search for all near geocaches, or just a specific type.

A DNF link next to the Found link that copies the waypoint into the calendar with a sort of symbol

Ability to store 10,000 waypoints. (Running out of storage on my Venture HC is a big problem)

"Muggle-alert" beeper!

Store all info about caches in waypoint page.

Turn-by-turn driving distances to caches (not as the crow flies)

Turn-by-turn directions to caches

Know what roads are private or closed.

MicroSD card slot to add even MORE memory

Contours on maps able to turn on/off.

Batteries recharge if connected to external power (if detected rechargable)

Easy-to-use controls

Create own POIs with selected icons

WAAS/ENGOS capability

High-sensitivity reciever

Ability to browse the web using wi-fi

Notifier when cache is published within ten miles of wherever you are.

Not have the feature shown above for any of them purchased by locals.

Pretty much everything good about Garmin GPSrs

[+xshooter]

Start with the Colorado 400t.

1. Fix the accuracy problems.

2. Have the ability to add additional waypoints and save them when doing a multi while still being able to view the cache description.

3. Make the screen brighter like the 60 series.

4. Be able to recharge batteries by pluging into your vehicle.

5. Be able to input TB numbers into your found it notes.

6. The 2000 limit on caches is nice but by using the SD card you shoould be able to bump that to 10,000.

 

xshooter

[+Woodstramp]

Everything my Explorist does. I'd add only two things:

 

A perpetual battery and one of those Men In Black "neuralizer" flash thingies to use on muggle-kind.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Micro SD card slot and MP3 player so I can put songs and maps on the same card.

[+casadelrut]

In a nutshell :

Not necessarily in priority order-

Everything that's good about the Garmin 60/76 CSX, combined w/ everything that the Colorado will have,

using the file structure of the eXplorist, a 3 axis compass, full support for the bicycling crowd, and oh yeah

Macintosh compatibility! It would be nice to have the ability to Geotag photos, either wirelessly, or

hardwire. A high density OLED display. Included routable software for the computer, and reasonably priced

maps, or the ability to "roll your own" like the DeLorme. FULL graphics support (no choking on different

formats).

No stupid flashlights, no punk cameras!

 

Norm

 

I agree almost completely. I love the way the explorist does the file system and has the info for the geocaches built right in (though I'd really like to have container size on there), the speed and zoomability of the Garmin 60CSX, a good 3 axis compass, turn by turn directions with reasonably priced maps. The delorme maps are cool. It seems GPS units are going backwards, though. Maps cost more and more, units are becoming more propriatary (look at what Magellan is doing with computer connectivity), and the new units just suck at being a GPS.

[+Cache Alchemy]

I too have been thinking about what I would want from a handheld GPS.

I'll detail out what has been in my head...

Start with a DeLorme PN-40, but give it a Colorado style screen. I call this the PDN-40 (D being for Display). Preferably it would be using an OLED screen. I also thought a PDN-40t would be cool, which adds Touchscreen to it, though the touchscreen can be turned off and just use the buttons.

A better way of adjusting sensitivity for the high sensitivity chips to account for reflection. Not sure how much detail is put into the topo maps, but if it could give a basic idea of tree cover, buildings and the like, it would be nice if it could try to automatically adjust if you don't feel like manually adjusting it (you can always override the automatic settings). In my mind I see the ability to see a field with no trees and a slider bar to the far left, as you slide it right it adds more trees until you get to heavy cover. There is another screen to adjust for buildings, from none, to a normal suburb to tall sky scrapers. Using both data parts together, and setting it to either hiking/biking or automotive/motorcycle modes (so it has an idea how fast you will be moving) the software tries to keep the accuracy good, even when standing still in an area of high reflection.

The screen can be made to function in the portrait mode, the default for when walking, or landscape mode, the default for driving.

At the top of the screen is a small shielded speaker. This has a couple uses: to allow audio support for Wherigo and turn by turn directions. There is a stero headphone out port as well if you need to keep it quite. The voice software for the turn by turn directions would probably cost a little extra. There may be a tiny microphone under the screen but probably above the buttons. This would be for voice notes... and a few other things I'll cover in a bit. Since the unit will be able to play audio files for Wherigo, it should also should have a very basic MP3/WAV/Whatever else player, nothing fancy here, just a basic player. Depending on screen size/resolution, a basic video player as well since who knows if somebody may add a basic AVI or QT video to a Wherigo. The media player aspect of the unit is sort of a byproduct of the fact it can play audio in the first place, but not really a promoted feature of the unit since it is so basic. It can output in stereo however. Another add on piece of software could be voice recognition so you could speak to the unit to get directions (ala Tom Tom).

It has a USB 2 port for high speed transfer and communications. It must be able to send stuff to a laptop (or sub-notebook along the lines of an EEE PC or MSI Wind, etc.).

However, it is the bottom (not the back... well perhaps the back) where this unit really earns its keep. It has an expansion slot of sorts. More of a communicator card that allows stuff pluged into it to communicate with the GPS and it with them, and allows some features to be passed off the unit to expansion modules.

The first module would be Bluetooth. So if you have turn by turn directions going and a call comes in, you can answer it. Here is where the microphone real reason (beyond voice notes) comes into play.

Next module is an actual cell phone. It uses the display (one of the reasons a touchscreen version would be cool) for displaying the phone’s info and the like. I don’t know if the speaker on the unit would work quite enough for use here or not, or if the user would pretty much have to use a Bluetooth headset for communications (when not in speaker mode anyhow) either way it acts as a Bluetooth module like the one noted before when the phone itself is not in use. The phone basically adds to the back of the unit and includes a camera (basic camera phone quality here). The module is made to be compatible with the Open Handset Alliance (Google’s Android platform). The first one to test the market would be quad band GSM since while that limits one’s options to T-Mobile and AT&T in the US, it means the rest of the world is open. This uses its own power supply so you don’t drain the unit’s power to use it.

The next module(s) are for getting maps to and from the unit.

A SATA 3G (sometimes called SATA II) for high speed transfers.

Future ability to add USB 3.0 and SATA 6G. Both should be far enough along that the expansion slot could be made to be ready for them.

To go with the SATA 3G module is the ability to carry a SSD. The SSD (or even small HD) would have to be in its own portable unit with its own power supply. In my mind’s eye I see a powered case that holds a 2.5, or with included rails a 1.8 HD or SSD. This feature really isn’t marketed at GeoCachers, but more for GIS and related professionals.

A basic camera module could be made (again using the unit’s screen for the interface).

If the specs of the expansion slot were opened up, it could allow 3rd party modules to be made.

Enough hardware.

Software is where other improvements could be made, but I haven't really thought that area through yet, and not having experiance with any units to know what to do there, I'll leave that part alone for now.

Oh, and if somebody actually makes the above unit and wants/needs a beta tester...

[landcruising]

Am I missing something here? Some of the replies actually want the gps to do all the work, (turn by turn driving directions, time to cache, distance, hints, pictures etc. all in one unit. Why not a teleporter to the sight or better yet if you read the log or look at a picture of it on gc.com you get to log it. Joking aside, I still bought a new etrex vista hcx to replace my explorist 600 so I could have new street maps and topo for hiking. (Oh and easier geocaching.)

 

To me the fun of geocaching is still the trip there not the joy of logging as many finds as i can. The fun I have had is watching the kids excitment searching near by looking for the cache, the fun of going to a place I didn't know existed, trying to determine the best approach to a cache based on the physical location limitations(streams, roads, cliffs etc.) and the thrill of the hunt like looking for buried treasure.

 

If my garmin told me exactly within inches, drove me there etc. I don't know if it would be as much fun. If we want finding to be easy why not just put a large cluster together, say 10,000 of them 5 feet apart, and see who's gps is better within inches of the finds and find them the fastest. Then again I guess the old timers can then say I remember 100' accuracy and manually inputing the points, and the really old timers could say I remember using a paper map to find something, and the ancient could say, I remeber when we made a map to where we were, etc you get the point.

 

A bit off topic but worth consideration when considering the big picture for the use of a gps for geocaching. Why do you do it, to find more than anyone else as fast as you can or for the thrill of the journey? It is nice though not searching for hours with no luck. my 2 cents or 1 cent from someone elses point of view.