Geocacing app for iPhone with Orange Gadgets GPS module

[houzemeista]

There is an external GPS module for the first generation iPhones from http://www.orangegadgets.com/ called iGPS360, which i recently bought.

 

Does anybody know if the Geocaching Application for iPhone would support such hardware, or does it work only with the original iPhone 3G? (by "work" i mean the full support with the compass etc)

I consider buying the app, but don't want to waste my money just for a simplified web browser without GPS ;-)

 

I think for Groundspeak, it would be a good investment to support other GPS devices, this software here http://xgps.xwaves.net/ seems to support multiple types, but seems to concentrate on car navigation and is NOT suitable for geocaching, so this is a real market niche.

Edited January 24, 2009 by houzemeista

[+MissJenn]

I'll move this to the GPS and Technology section where you might get more responses.

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I've been debating buying one of these for the last two weeks. I'll get one if I know there is a way for me to use the GPS on my Touch outside of a car navigation application.

[+user13371]

If you don't mind me giving an opinion without actually having used the product...

 

If you already have a jail-broken, early iPhone, and really can't find a used etrex or Explorist for under $100 or don't want to carry one around ... this might be a way to get GPS functionality.

 

But newer iPhones already have a pretty good GPS built in and don't need to be jailbroken. And if you have an older phone and don't mind carrying around an extra device, there are a lot of used GPSs on eBay for $75-$100 that I think would be more reliable than this add-on.

 

Even if someone gave me one for free I don't think I would bother to jailbreak my iPhone to use it.

 

Now, f the company that makes it wants to loan me one (and a jailbroekn iPhone or iPod Touch), I could give a fair review. But for now it looks like a bad deal.

Edited January 28, 2009 by lee_rimar

[Jake - Team A.I.]

I have a touch... which doesn't have a GPS. Also, I've been to some places on a regular basis where the iPhone's "so called" GPS doesn't work. And these are places where you definitely don't want to get lost.

[houzemeista]

@lee_rimar That's a personal opinion, true

but my question was not "would you recommend it" (i already have it)

but "would the official geocaching app work with it too?"

somehow i thought that some of the developers / product managers would read theses threads...

HELLO, DEVELOPERS?!

 

and talking about jailbreak:

i would never use an iphone WITHOUT jailbreak! the jailbreak does not DESTROY things, it ADDs possibilities for free software (free from Big Brother Apple 's AppStore), but that's personal taste too, i'm just a hacker and like control over my technical gadgets ;-)

[+user13371]

...my question was not "would you recommend it" (i already have it) but "would the official geocaching app work with it too?"

You're right. I did misread your original note and didn' realize you already had the orange gadget.

 

I'd be really surprised if Groundspeak's application worked. It's a safe bet that GC's app (like almost anything else in the iTunes App store) only uses the published APIs. By definition a dongle attached to the dock connector of a jailbroken iPod/iPhone doesn't.

 

But I could be wrong. Do any of the other "regular" location-aware apps work with the dongle? For example, when you launch the Camera app, does it ask for permission to use your location, and geotag your pictures correctly? Does Google Maps or Google Earth use the dongles reported location? If yes to any/all of those questions, then the GC app might work.

 

What kind of app came with the device? Have you inquired of support@orangegadgets.com about GPS enabled apps?

 

...i'm just a hacker and like control over my technical gadgets ;-)

To each his (or her) own. But apart from the fun of tinkering, I wouldn't expect an add-on GPS dongle at $75 to be worthwhile. A lot of used Garmin or Magellan models would be more cost effective.

 

I know some people build their own radio gear from scratch, too. It's just not my cup of chai.

Edited January 30, 2009 by lee_rimar