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Phone Caching


Wazat

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Ah it has come to past that I am due for a phone upgrade on my contract and my very much unused (Hey Rhino?) Nokia 6111 will be replaced with a Nokia 6110. I was wondering what they are like with the integrated GPS and what they are like for caching. From my understanding I will be downloading maps from the internet each time I use the thing, or are the service provider staff where I am getting it from just incompetent. Surely the maps must be preloaded?

 

What else can I use on the phone in regards to geocaching with it. Look it is not to replace my current GPS but rather to compliment it as a secondary unit. Maybe for paperless caching, Wherigo, etc... Not that I don't do that already as I am using a HTC TYTN for that. But hey it is coming I might as well make the most of it.

 

So any tips recommendations etc.... Post ahead people, i am eager to know what it can do... :):)

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The Nokia 6110 comes with Route 66 installed plus SA maps on it, so it does not need to connect each time to download maps. Assuming you buy the product with in SA. Route 66 works with Nokia landmark, both only use UTM co-ordinates. But one can get around having to convert all the co-ordinates by setting up all your caches you want to do in your landmarks. Running a Macro within GSAK can output a file in the Nokia Landmarks format. There is also a routing compass installed on the 6110, but only really gets you to within 10 meters of a point. That equates to a large search area when looking for Tupperware. Since starting to geocache I have only ever used a cellphone to find caches. Started with a Nokia N70 and external Bluetooth receiver using Nav4all.com free software. Now use Nokia E65 and the same external Bluetooth receiver with Geocache Navigator software. <http://www.geocachenavigator.com/NokiaEdition/tabid/225/Default.aspx>, also free of charge. The Geocache Navigator is the best piece of software I have found as it communicates directly with the geocaching site for live updates. It is so really time, that during a search of a cache I was being directed to a cache about 500 meters away, when my phone froze on my. After I had rebooted the phone and then relooked for the cache it had disappeared off the geocaching site. i.e. Temporally disabled. To complete my paperless caching I use SmartGPX as a backup which enables you to view GPX files on your cellphone. As for the GPS signal received by the 6110, it does battle to get a good signal under tree cover or near cliff faces, but for your average cache it works fine. I have found that my External Bluetooth receive gets a very good signal under tree cover and near cliff faces compared to a lot of other expensive products on the market. As for Wherigo caches, the 6110 does not run off Windows Mobile so I am sure it will not be able to work. But don't quote me on that, as I have not played around with it yet.

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Hi Wazat,

 

Lindy's got the Nokia 6110 Navigator and she's added the fancy software for geocaching which connects to gc.com realtime. It's brilliant!! Switch it on, and it fetches all cache listings within 5kms from gc.com within a few seconds - no offline stuff, or having to load it with GPX files, etc. It could easily be your only unit in a cache-dense environment, but probably not in SA. It's too fancy for me, so I don't know much about it, but I'll PM you Lindy's cell number. Feel free to give her a call. :)

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Thanks Andy, I will have a look at what I have and what I can do I should have the phone next week sometime... Newcastle is a bit slow on getting stuff. So I end up on a waiting list....

 

Edit: Hi Andy would you mind PM'ing me the number again. I don't know what went wrong, the mail was there and when I hit the back button it was gone.

Edited by Wazat
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I have an iMate SP5 smartphone running windows mobile. I use some software call GPS Tuner. It does use offline PCX, and LOC files. It shows me the compass view to caches,. There are no maps on the smartphone version.

The PPC (Pocket PC) version does allow maps, and even own scanned maps.

I hope to upgrade to a HTC 3400 or something similar and use the better PPC version of GPS Tuner.

 

Link to GPS Tuner: http://www.gpstuner.com/

 

I loaded GeoCacheNavigator on my The Gold Digger 6110, and it looks pretty impressive. If you use it in online mode it will list the 10 (or so) nearest caches, over an internet connection. However if you state it is not allowed to access the network, you can still manually load the a point and navigate to it with the compass view. It also has an interesting radar view.

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General impressions as yet are still a bit varied... It works pretty well but I am still to test it on a new unfound cache. I am trying to compare it to my Vista HCX which is probably the wrong way to do it... I still favour the Vista over this though. My maps onthe Vista at least keep me on the roads...

 

Geocache Navigator however is a brilliant little application. I can be anywhere and do a search via the application and it picks up all the closest caches in a matter of seconds. Hit navigate and it routes you to them. You can check the logs and even log your find to be updated later once you get on the computer at home. Hands down this has to be the best paperless caching I have done.

 

I think DiePienaars are also using this as I saw him using the phone when I was down in Durban not too long ago. Other than them anyone else using this... What are your opinions on Geocache Navigator.

 

On a side note I was given the message to urgently come see my brother yesterday. Got there to find out he was out to brag about his new phone.... Sibling rivalry it would seem.... He has the Nokia N95 with GPS. Nice phone I must say and I am now jealous. I am very impressed with the phone, it has a nice big screen, weighs next to nothing, 8GB memory on board, however the mapping software used is not quite the same as the 6110, not sure if it is any better or worse. First thing I did was beam Geocache navigator across to him. So hopefully, I can get him interested. He has not got all that much time on his hands as he works many hours but if he has a day or two off, maybe he can attempt a cache or two. Then it would be interesting to see how he manages with the N95.

Edited by Wazat
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Hi there. I upgraded to a Nokia 6110 with no view to geocaching but because I was going overseas on holiday (Paris in particular) and was worried about getting around. Before I left SA I plugged all the places I intended visiting; including my hotel in Paris. When I arrived at the train station in Paris I switched on the 6110 and followed the GPS straight to the hotel door without getting lost (a distance of about 6.5 Km) and I couldn't stop raving. Once I got back to SA a friend introduced me to Geocaching and all I have ever used is my 6110. Initially I used the built-in GPS but that only gets you to with-in 10m or so and then you have quite a lot of searching to do. I downloaded the Trimble software and have never looked back. The 6110 allows you to navigate via the roads using Route 66 software and then Trimble software right to the cache. Once there you have a digital camera, digital video; calculator for any conversions, can link to the internet, listen to your favourite classical music while walking in nature and guess what ... you even have a phone in case you have to get help. All of these can be put into your smallest pocket. I'm totally hooked.

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I got my 6110 today and want to use it for all those stuff said above. But I am still thinking about that battery life and durability. Are there owners out there who are using this phone for geocaching/navigation for a period of time now and can give us a report on the pos/neg of this device.

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I must just make a mention that the battery runs down very fast while using the GPS. So i have it running off a car charger most of the time. Auto routing i rather use my Garmin to get round. I find that the GPS on the phone can sometimes take a while to aquiree the satellites but once it has a lock, fire upo geocache Navigator and you are on your way. My experience with it has been a positive one so far. I found a cache that i didn't even know existed and i was standing right next to it. This would not have been possible on my Garmin unless i had it preloaded. I swap between the two units often, testing their abilities. Ith Garmin is still my preferred unit as there are just so much more things i can do with it, but with Geocache Navigator there is not much to beat the 6110 at getting them new caches when you are in foreign territory...

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I tried my 6110 today for the first time and was really impressed with it. The battery hold for about 4 hours of geocaching and then some more. Navigation is spot on every time and with Geocache Navigator you just can not go wrong. And you can even lock your finds on the go, take photo's or videos and phone your buddies to brag about a FTF.

I'm very impressed.

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I lost my N95, the only GPS at the time and the one I started geocaching with. It was a blessing in disguise as my N95 was slow and sometimes took ages to lock. With the insurance money (and a bit extra - just a 'little' you know, in case my wife reads this) I replaced it with a 6110 Nav and a Colorado 300. The Colorado (my first real GPS after the N95) is fantastic when it works and the DEM maps brilliant.

 

But it gave me endless problems, intermittently and was finally replaced this week. The point though, is that the 6110 is much better and faster than the N95 and I use it to supplement the Col (or in its place like these few days without the Garmin)

 

I use Trimble, but often find I run into trouble with a GPRS/3G signal and also use SmartGPX then - SmartGPX is also quick to reference. The nice thing about SmartGPX is that you can quickly export your cache as a landmark and use Route 66 to route there, switching back to Trimble when you get close.

 

Long and short, I just love my 6110 and even when I use the Colorado mostly I often double-check with the 6110. And then of course those sudden caches on the fly when you only have the Navigator...

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The nice thing about SmartGPX is that you can quickly export your cache as a landmark and use Route 66 to route there, switching back to Trimble when you get close.

 

I some times also use SmartGPX, but no were can I find an option to quickly export a cache to a landmark for use in route 66. Could you explain how you do this. The only way I know of gettting a landmark is to use the nokia macro within GSAK, it creates an output file that can be used with nokia landmarks.

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Have just finished reading 'The Long Way Down' by Ewan Mc Gregor and Charlie Boorman and was very surprised at the GPS they used for their trip down through Africa - the Nokia 6110 Navigator.

 

No way - serious? Through Africa with just a mobile phone GPS?!

 

Also I didn't know they made another trip?

I have read, seen the documentary, and enjoyed "The Long way round" and "The Road to Dakar".

 

Is the book out for sale?

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Yes, it has been available in South Africa for a few months.

I went to price it at Exclusive Books the other day - R204.00! My copy cost £3 on sale in London.

I see that Exclusive books have a winter sale starting next week. Maybe you can pick it up cheaply then.

At the TT Races on the Isle of Man they had the DVD on the Long way Down - was SO tempted to buy it!

You would be interested to know that 'The Long Way to Go' is being planned - no details of where they will be travelling though.

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I used my 6110 again today in the Sabie region, between the mountains and other difficult stuff. I took along a Nuvi 200, which is not so great for geocaching but achievable, for backup. My 6110 was still the best (after it eventually finds you) and I'm still impressed.

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The nice thing about SmartGPX is that you can quickly export your cache as a landmark and use Route 66 to route there, switching back to Trimble when you get close.

 

I some times also use SmartGPX, but no were can I find an option to quickly export a cache to a landmark for use in route 66. Could you explain how you do this. The only way I know of gettting a landmark is to use the nokia macro within GSAK, it creates an output file that can be used with nokia landmarks.

 

Check if you use the latest SmartGPX, mine is V0.10.8

 

When you see the list of caches (or from inside inside one) and select Options, go down to 'Landmarks' (between 'Delete' and 'GPS receiver') and from there the first option is 'Export to Landmark DB' and voila, when you go to landmarks, it will be there, easy to see.

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