How do i get maps onto my smartphone?

[reo4ua]

I'm terribly new to this and need a little help. I have a blackjack II running windows 6.1 with internal gps. I've downloaded cachemate and have been able to import cache hunts/files.

 

Question is this: How do i import local maps and have the cache info displayed on them? Where do I get the maps? As it stands right now, all the software really tells me is the waypoint and heading. No reference points to utilize.

 

Thanks....

[+owl01_de]

I'm terribly new to this and need a little help. I have a blackjack II running windows 6.1 with internal gps. I've downloaded cachemate and have been able to import cache hunts/files.

 

Question is this: How do i import local maps and have the cache info displayed on them? Where do I get the maps? As it stands right now, all the software really tells me is the waypoint and heading. No reference points to utilize.

 

Thanks....

 

There are several ways and programs to do this. Examples are Fugawi or Cachewolf (which can actually do a lot more). I have a PDA and a smartphone, but do not use it for geocaching. So I tried the program mentioned below, just because I found it interesting.

 

As a start, you could try TrekBuddy, which is free.

The utility programs you can find in the forum there allow you to create the maps (that you want or need) yourself. For the maps, data from the www are used, so they are free, too.

The created maps are no vector maps, so you can not just zoom in and out, but you can bypass this issue by just creating several maps of the same area in different scales and switch between them.

As TrekBuddy is a java program, it will run on most devices, like PDA, smartphones or normal phones.

 

Unless you do need topographic maps, why not just install a navigation software like Route66, IGo or Navigon? It will get you to the cache, and for the last steps you need no map...

[+The Trekbuddies]

Get Trekbuddy and an app called Googleak

 

More info on trekbuddy's site www.trekbuddy.net

 

plus trekbuddy is open source for you programmers out there

 

I use it as my main app now for caching, with sat images up to 21 zoom levels with windows live maps or google maps 19x zoom and custom CMS, and you can import .gpx files of the geocaches and hit go!

 

and with googleak its very simple now and i use this all on my Nokia N95 with a 4GB SDHC micro sd card

 

I am happy now dont think i would go back to any other app

Edited February 19, 2009 by starman316

[+julianh]

I have a Samsung i617t (which is the Australian model name for the Blackjack II). I have the following GPS software installed:

 

CacheMate (as you say - no maps)

Google Maps - gives real-time download of satellite and / or street maps as long as you are in phone coverage area, and have a suitable data plan

TGPS - supports navigation to user-defined waypoints, and allows you to create and calibrate your own raster maps (e.g. scanned paper maps, screen captures, etc), so you can navigate on a map even when out of phone range, or if you don't want to pay for real-time map downloads in Google Maps

 

Having said all that - my phone is MUCH slower to get a fix, and far less accurate, than my Summit HC or my car sat-nav, so in practice I only use the phone GPS as a last resort if I happen to not have either of my GPSrs with me.