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T-Mobile G1 anyone?


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I've been searching the forums and Googling for quite a while now but can't find anything to tell me if anyone is using the T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream aka the Google phone) for geocaching.

 

I currently own an 'ancient' Nokia 9500 and use this combined with a GPS Keychain for geocaching, which works very nicely. But outside of geocaching the 9500 is very slow for internet and just a little outdated everywhere else, so I'm thinking very hard of getting a G1, but am wondering how I'll be able to use it for geocaching. I'll have a data subscription so I'll be able to access the website but I was hoping, especially considering it runs an open source OS, to find some geocaching application to load GPX files and such (like smartGPX which I use on the 9500)

 

Anyone?

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These might help.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=199936

 

http://www.cachedroid.com/

 

I think your G1 is the first andriod phone to hit the market. Others should follow soon. Supposedly one of the Nuvifones will be android based (not the M20 or G60) and maybe released the end of this year. I'm waiting to see what comes out. My dream GPS phone would not only be running android applications, but have the street and topo maps contained within for using the GPS in remote areas. That's where Garmin/ASUS might be headed.

Edited by Low Bat
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Well my G1 is in and I've been playing around with it a while now, really like the phone. I also found an app on android market (Location Log) that plans to do GPX files in the future, it shows your current position and the location you're heading on a radar.

 

I'll fiddle around with it more to see what geocaching stuff I can do on it and keep this post updated (assuming some people might be interested!)

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I have had my G1 for a couple of months and downloaded GeoBeagle. Pulls up the local map and loads caches just like on the regular site. I haven't determined how to navigate with it yet. I run the GPS Tracker and Orienteer and haven't figured out if it will all communicate together somehow. The GPS Tracker is very accurate here in Orlando, it would be awesome if we could get it to navigate to coords.

Anyone had any success with GeoBeagle?

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I have had my G1 for a couple of months and downloaded GeoBeagle. Pulls up the local map and loads caches just like on the regular site. I haven't determined how to navigate with it yet. I run the GPS Tracker and Orienteer and haven't figured out if it will all communicate together somehow. The GPS Tracker is very accurate here in Orlando, it would be awesome if we could get it to navigate to coords.

Anyone had any success with GeoBeagle?

 

Geobeagle worked well for me for doing multis, because you can enter coordinates by hand to get to the next point. I used the radar mostly to follow it to the points. I've used geodroid demo but I'm not impressed, trouble importing gpx files larger then 600k, no search ability in the list, nearby geocaches is very slow (shows a "force close" window because of not responding before showing results), and the map only shows the selected cache. I'm anxious to try geocacher but being in europe I don't have access to paid apps atm :lol:

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I've been searching the forums and Googling for quite a while now but can't find anything to tell me if anyone is using the T-Mobile G1 (aka HTC Dream aka the Google phone) for geocaching.

The G1 works reasonably well given the limitations of the phone's GPS hardware and battery, and T-Mobile's smallish network. Many apps use GPS and the integration with Google Maps is wonderful. There are several geocaching apps already and although none is first class yet their developers are working hard. I've used the G1 and Geodroid to find 2 caches but, frankly, it will remain a backup to my handheld GPS receiver until both the hardware and software improve.

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does anyone know how precise the gps in the g1 is?

 

my bluetooth gps is point precise... would be great if the g1 is the same...

 

It's pretty good, I was expecting it to be worse. I have a garmin HC device to try from a friend and I'm going to do a side by side test but so far it's been good to get to caches. I think the bluetooth GPS I have (keychain 2000) might be a little better but unfortunately Android doesn't support bluetooth GPS's at the moment.

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I use the G! for GPS. Go to marketplace on phone and I use these two apps. I use geobeagle for following reasons. 1) it connects to geocaching.com. 2) you hit menu and can enter caching location, click save, then click map and it will show your location and cache location (it is right on mark all time for me). I also use GPS status (from G1 app.). It is a great and easy app to use. It shows you your location, speed and even elevation (it also shows geo satelite locations). Also has a nice compass. Great free apps that you can always use or just use till you get handheld GPS.

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My G1 is my ONLY geocaching device! Love it, love it. Download the geobeagle app from the market for free. Read this article with video and screenshots to learn more abou the app: http://budurl.com/wc5u

 

While not free, Cachemate is a lot more useful than Geobeagle. The Geobeagle "arrow" is all over the place and regularly points in the wrong(often opposite) direction when first navigating to a cache. Cachemate has a steeper learning curve but is far easier to use once you know how. It also allows MAP navigation allowing you to see the roads you need to travel between you and the cache in real time. This improves your time to cache. Loading pocket queries operates in a similar manner in cachemate like it does in geobeagle. Doing a web search and then choosing google maps will allow you to open the cache in cachemate as well. The navigation is far better with cachemate but you pay for that functionality. I have used cachemate for the first time today and I was using geobeagle for a couple of weeks before hand. You can make some comparisons but cachemate simpy works better and has better working features. 10 dollars is a reasonable sum to turn the G1 into a unit that is easily the equal of my garmin eTrex Legend Hcx and better in that it allows me to log my finds in the field and look up new caches on the fly.

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does anyone know how precise the gps in the g1 is?

 

my bluetooth gps is point precise... would be great if the g1 is the same...

 

I have been using the G1 side by side with a Etrex Legend Hcx and the differences in direction and distance are minimal. I have been finding caches with the G1 for a couple of weeks now and with Geobeagle and Cachemate. I prefer Cachemate for live map navigation but geobeagle is free. There are other apps available as well so look around and see what works for you. If you have good Tmobile connectivity in your area the G1 will work for you!

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i have a question about G1 and that electronic compas it have does it work?

 

The compass seems to work well enough. GeoBeagle doesn't note if you have to calibrate it or not, at least not the currant version. GPSStatus does have you calibrate the compass once in a while. When it is off, it normally seems to be 180 degrees off, so rather than face E it says you are facing W. It seems accurate enough for all the caches I have done so far anyhow.

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Does anyone know of an Android app that will log finds back to your geocaching.com field notes? GeoBeagle has some sort of SMS logging, but I don't know where it goes to.

 

The Geobeagle logging feature logs to coord.info with Textmarks which finally puts your log into your field notes at Geocaching.com. For more info on how to get it all working, read this write-up here: http://coord.info/textmark.aspx

Once the field notes are there on the website and when you get back home to your PC, you can click post and the the finds or DNFs with get put with their associated caches.

 

It's been working well for me so far and the Geobeagle folks are very receptive to suggestions on how they can improve their app. They even implemented a suggestion that I made which allows you to still log finds when you don't have cell or data coverage.

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>>The Geobeagle logging feature logs to coord.info with Textmarks which finally puts your log into your field notes at Geocaching.com.

 

I tried unsuccessfully to link my GeoBeagle to Geocache fields notes.

I tried entering the codes that were returned to me when I sms'd GEOC to 41411.

On the geocaching page, Trimble's Geocache Linking.

 

It responded: No account was found with the information provided.

 

I tried to retrieve another set of codes but the SMS request returned the same codes which are still not working.

 

Any advice please?

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>>The Geobeagle logging feature logs to coord.info with Textmarks which finally puts your log into your field notes at Geocaching.com.

 

I tried unsuccessfully to link my GeoBeagle to Geocache fields notes.

I tried entering the codes that were returned to me when I sms'd GEOC to 41411.

On the geocaching page, Trimble's Geocache Linking.

 

It responded: No account was found with the information provided.

 

I tried to retrieve another set of codes but the SMS request returned the same codes which are still not working.

 

Any advice please?

 

I have the same problem, posted a couple times about it on the forums, and never heard a response. I don't think this feature is used much, since no one seems to be able to help.

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>>The Geobeagle logging feature logs to coord.info with Textmarks which finally puts your log into your field notes at Geocaching.com.

 

I tried unsuccessfully to link my GeoBeagle to Geocache fields notes.

I tried entering the codes that were returned to me when I sms'd GEOC to 41411.

On the geocaching page, Trimble's Geocache Linking.

 

It responded: No account was found with the information provided.

 

I tried to retrieve another set of codes but the SMS request returned the same codes which are still not working.

 

Any advice please?

 

I have the same problem, posted a couple times about it on the forums, and never heard a response. I don't think this feature is used much, since no one seems to be able to help.

 

I was having the same issue, but just figured it out! The phone identifier codes is the FULL code that 41411 sent to you...INCLUDING the "TM#"

 

For example...follow the instructions to text 41411. You'll get a reply that says, "Hello! Link your account with device identifier TM#1234567 and password a2Bc."

 

On the geocaching page, Trimble's Geocache Linking in the box asking for your phone identifier use the entire "TM#1234567" not just "1234567". Make sense? And the password is case sensitive. Been playing with this for weeks now and JUST got it to work. Hope this helps!

Edited by RoseTiger
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