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Best Android geocaching app?


Patuxent

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The iPhone Geocaching app was intuitive, fast, and looked great. Every geocaching app I've tried on Android looks so amateurish. But it seems that's a problem with Android, because almost every Android app I've used has had a terrible interface. I'm just spoiled by the iPhone apps looking and working so great I guess.

The iPhone Geocaching interface is relatively simple and looks nice--there is an advantage to designing an app for a single type of hardware using an OS that has been around for several years. Plus, it doesn't have to do very much. The app is limited to real-time searches of what is around you because of "network limitations" (a bogus reason but that's the official line). A real-time search works for spur-of-the-moment hunts where you are doing one cache at a time, but it is not for planning trips or for power caching (you can, of course, use additional apps that can import GPX files).

 

The Android geocaching apps have different needs. They must run on several phones and do not not have direct access to Groundspeak's data. These apps rely heavily on Pocket Queries to populate the database, although live search is available via the browser. Fortunately, pocket queries can be created and imported wirelessly, which provides a rich data set with many more options than a real-time search. The slow part is not the wireless connection but rather the limited processing power of the phone to convert the GPX files.

 

There are several Android apps for geocaching. GeoBeagle is the free, open source app and indeed looks amateurish although it works. The paid apps I'm familiar with--CacheMate, Geocacher and Geodroid--take somewhat different approaches to the interface but seem reasonably attractive to my eye. For comparison, the compass screens are shown below. Of the bunch, I find Geocaching's the hardest to read. In general, I like Geodroid's tabbed interface the best. Geocacher can show graphics in the cache description. CacheMate has the most features. Take your pick.

 

4-compass-screens.jpg

Edited by bigeddy
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I'm in the process of switching from WM to an Android-based phone, and so far I have seen nothing that matches the functionality of GCz II. You have to love real-time access to GC.com and downloading the nearest caches based on your current location.

 

I'm someone who caches on the spur-of-the-moment and really don't plan ahead by creating and downloading pq's. Sure wish we could get a port of GCz II to Android. The other way to go would be a port of the iPhone app.

What Android geocaching apps have you tried? I believe all of them (CacheMate, GeGeo, GeoBeagle, Geocacher, Geodroid) can do live searches based on your location. Of course, these are all web-based searches. Groudspeak will eventually release an Android app with direct database access. There are other apps in the works as well. CacheMate has by far the most functionality of any existing smartphone geocaching app.

 

I've used CacheMate on WM devices since almost forever. I haven't tried any of the Android apps yet as I'm still waiting for the new device to arrive. However, I'm not sure you get my point. For any of the apps you mentioned to work properly, I still have to create and download a pq based on my current location. What GCz II does for me is allow me to simply tell it to get me nearby caches and it does. No planning, no filling out pq forms, no importing gpx files from emails, etc. It allows me to post logs directly from the app as well. I'm not sure if there's anything that easy to use for the Droid OS...

 

---edit---

 

My understanding is that the author of GCz II is looking at the possibility of porting to the Android. I'll certainly post here if that happens.

Edited by HoggerJeff & the Piglets
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However, I'm not sure you get my point. For any of the apps you mentioned to work properly, I still have to create and download a pq based on my current location.

As I said, the Android apps can do geocaching searches based on your current location via the web browser, no pq involved. The browser brings up the search results, you select a cache, and you import the coords by simply clicking on Google Maps on the cache page of interest. Of course, you can do only one cache at a time this way and the detailed info is not imported like with a GPX file. As I understand it, you can't download a GPX file directly from the cache page because of a bug in the Android browser.

 

What Android device did you order? There seem to be a lot of them coming out this fall. Let us know how it works for geocaching when you get a chance.

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Just got this email back!!!

So did I: "Yes, we do have plans to develop a geocaching application for the Android application for the Android platform. It may be a while before it is released, however, since we are also focused on a number of other projects. So until then give your browser a try. If its a good as the one on the Iphone it will work fine to access the database."

 

I'm hoping a decent browser like opera is released for the Tattoo soon.

 

As I said, the Android apps can do geocaching searches based on your current location via the web browser, no pq involved.

Which app can do that?

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Just got this email back!!!

So did I: "Yes, we do have plans to develop a geocaching application for the Android application for the Android platform. It may be a while before it is released, however, since we are also focused on a number of other projects. So until then give your browser a try. If its a good as the one on the Iphone it will work fine to access the database."

 

I'm hoping a decent browser like opera is released for the Tattoo soon.

 

As I said, the Android apps can do geocaching searches based on your current location via the web browser, no pq involved.

Which app can do that?

 

The ones I have tried, GeoBeagle and GeoDroid both do it and from what I have read, so does CacheMate.

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I'm in the process of switching from WM to an Android-based phone, and so far I have seen nothing that matches the functionality of GCz II. You have to love real-time access to GC.com and downloading the nearest caches based on your current location.

 

I'm someone who caches on the spur-of-the-moment and really don't plan ahead by creating and downloading pq's. Sure wish we could get a port of GCz II to Android. The other way to go would be a port of the iPhone app.

What Android geocaching apps have you tried? I believe all of them (CacheMate, GeGeo, GeoBeagle, Geocacher, Geodroid) can do live searches based on your location. Of course, these are all web-based searches. Groudspeak will eventually release an Android app with direct database access. There are other apps in the works as well. CacheMate has by far the most functionality of any existing smartphone geocaching app.

 

None of the examples above are "best". I have tried them all and the best is: GeOrg. Look here: GeOrg by Ranitos

 

They even have a solution to get data without going through the web interface. They call it "connectors", but since they haven't got any answer yet from Groundspeak whether this is legal or not, they haven't implemented it directly in the app. You have to do some programming on your own and I’m not qualified or haven't done enough research concerning this matter.

 

Another promising geocache app that could be very nice is "GcDroid"! Download it from the Market. :-)

Edited by krl69
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Any news? New to the Android phone and looking for a caching app

Enjoy your Android phone! What did you get? For nearly a year there was only the T-Mobile G1 phone available but now they are popping up all over with interesting variations in the OS.

 

I've tested a half dozen geocaching apps and they all have their strengths although I like CacheMate best. However, I can't keep up with all the recent new apps. Here's a list I have as of today:

 

Cache 'n' Go (Beta)

CacheKing ($0.99, no longer available)

CacheMate ($10)

Cachepoint (Free)

Fly-With-Me (Free)

GCDroid (Beta)

GeoBeagle (Beta, successor to GeoBrowse)

Geocacher ($14.99)

Geodroid ($9.99)

GeoFun ($6.99)

GeOrg (€4.99)

LocA (Free)

OpenGPX (Beta)

Simple GPS ($1.99)

 

Many choices, some of which are frequently updated. One nice thing about the Android Market is that you can take a paid app for a test drive and return it within 24 hours if you don't like it. I bet many people are going with one of the free apps until Groundspeak comes out with their own app for Android. My experience is that the paid apps have an advantage over the free apps in more or better designed features.

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If someone wanted their fifteen minutes of fame on the internet, start with the list above, include screenshots and link to the home page for each project. (Sites like androlib and androidzoom pagerank very well but are amazingly content-free. It can be surprisingly difficult to find authoritative info a lot of the programs above.) Build a comparison table of features. Include information like whether they get power management right. (Do they turn off the GPS when they're off-screen? Are they likely to be banned for page-scraping or copyrighted artwork liberation? How many pages do you have to flip through to pick a cache, find it (read the description, potentially reading hints, definitely using arrows and compass action), and mark it found) For bonus points, test and review each.

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Okay, I thought I'd add my two cents here. I'm finally back into the hobby because of my anDroid phone. I have a myTouch 3G from T-Mobile and I'm very, very happy with it. It did however take me a while to get it to where I wanted and needed it to be to replace my dead GPSMAP 76S.

 

In terms of sensitivity and accuracy, the MyTouch is actually MUCH better than the GPSMAP 76s. While that wouldn't get a GPS fix inside my apartment, the MyTouch does so easily. If I put the GPSMAP 76s in the window, it could "see" two or three birds to get a reading. The MyTouch, sees a sky full and locks in quickly and easily. To me this speaks of superior hardware.

 

Now, in the field.

 

I wanted to be able to see on screen what I was looking for in terms of my position in respect to the cache. I wanted to be able to take GPX files off the server, load them into the software, and have it show me things similar to the way I'm used to with the Garmin.

 

Geobeagle with GPS Status (GPS Toolbox) are both available from the Marketplace and work together perfectly. I'd stared using Radar, but GPS Status is much, much better. I easily imported all the GPX files into Geobeagle, and set about looking for caches. Geobeagle will display complete information from the cache web page including logs, show your position and the caches on a map, and if you tap the arrow will bring up the GPS Status radar screen that shows the target coordinates, and your current coordinates with a compass read out/radar screen in one showing the cache as you move toward it.

 

The data readout on screen with the Radar/Compass shows bearing, distance to target, target coordinates, and your current coordinates in a simple, clean, easy to use fashion that makes this a pleasure to use. As you move closer, the dot gets closer and it shows you where the cache is in the radar screen inside concentric circles. Does a wonderful job, and GPS Status is a much more informative radar app than the basic radar app you can find in the market.

 

With these two tools, finding the cache is easy peasy. From there, you can either log the find with the touch of one buttone in Geobeagle via SMS, OR hit the webpage button and Geobeagle opens your default browser to the cache page and allows you to log the find while in the field. This is just an awesome way to fly! Best of all, both Geobeagle and GPS Status are free from the marketplace. So you just load them up and go.

 

If you want to take GPX files right off the site and save them to your phone, get Download Crutch which will allow you to save GPX files right to your phone. Then point Geobeagle at the GPX and off you go! Simple.

 

Soon as I figure out how to do screen shots, I'll post some. In the meantime, this is the way to fly as far as I'm concerned. Enjoy!

 

Oh, and just a quick shout out to Jacob (Knight007) who did the great video a while back showing the G1 in use for caching. Jacob rocks!

 

Sam :)

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mention of unauthorized software deleted by moderator

 

I'm in the process of switching from WM to an Android-based phone, and so far I have seen nothing that matches the functionality of xxxxxx. You have to love real-time access to GC.com and downloading the nearest caches based on your current location.

 

I'm someone who caches on the spur-of-the-moment and really don't plan ahead by creating and downloading pq's. Sure wish we could get a port of xxxxxx to Android. The other way to go would be a port of the iPhone app.

 

Anyone with the skills out there who can do this? (with appropriate permissions, of course!!!)

 

I just switched from WinMobile also and agree xxxxxx is a great app, though the compass needed improvement. I hope to find a similar Droid app.

Edited by Brad_W
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mention of unauthorized software deleted by moderator

 

Geobeagle with GPS Status WILL allow you to be out wandering around somewhere, pull a cache up in the broswer, feed that information into Geobeagle and let you go caching on the spur of the moment whereever you are. Easy peasy.

 

I don't know what xxxxxx is since i'm not really all that good with obscure acronyms, but from what it sounds like you want to do, Geobaagle will do that for you.

 

Sam

Edited by Brad_W
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Any news? New to the Android phone and looking for a caching app

Enjoy your Android phone! What did you get? For nearly a year there was only the T-Mobile G1 phone available but now they are popping up all over with interesting variations in the OS.

 

I've tested a half dozen geocaching apps and they all have their strengths although I like CacheMate best. However, I can't keep up with all the recent new apps. Here's a list I have as of today:

 

Cache 'n' Go (Beta)

CacheKing ($0.99, no longer available)

CacheMate ($10)

Cachepoint (Free)

Fly-With-Me (Free)

GCDroid (Beta)

GeoBeagle (Beta, successor to GeoBrowse)

Geocacher ($14.99)

Geodroid ($9.99)

GeoFun ($6.99)

GeOrg (€4.99)

LocA (Free)

OpenGPX (Beta)

Simple GPS ($1.99)

 

Many choices, some of which are frequently updated. One nice thing about the Android Market is that you can take a paid app for a test drive and return it within 24 hours if you don't like it. I bet many people are going with one of the free apps until Groundspeak comes out with their own app for Android. My experience is that the paid apps have an advantage over the free apps in more or better designed features.

 

There is another new geocahing app for Android... Geooh.

 

Check it out at http://www.geooh.com

Edited by spiritguide
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I don't know who that 5.99 a month is going to. It's not GeoBeagle or Groundspeak. Yeah, if you're want to use SMS logging, you have to have to have some kind of text service. Even if you have a cell plan that doesn't include text, Google Voice is an option.

 

I use (and helped develop) GeoBeagle and SMS logging and have no idea what 5.99 you're talking about.

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I don't know who that 5.99 a month is going to. It's not GeoBeagle or Groundspeak. Yeah, if you're want to use SMS logging, you have to have to have some kind of text service. Even if you have a cell plan that doesn't include text, Google Voice is an option.

 

I use (and helped develop) GeoBeagle and SMS logging and have no idea what 5.99 you're talking about.

 

OK, here is what led me to believe in the $5.99 per month charge.

 

I tried to log my find from geobeagle and it said I had to set up SMS to do it by sending a SMS "GEOC" to 41411. No problem, I did that.

Then it said I needed to take the code I got for my phone (BTW< it's a Tmobile mytouch) and insert it, and the passcode, into the page that displays from the field notes "trimble" setup http://www.geocaching.com/my/linktodevice.aspx . I did that, and got a message that says "No account was found with the information provided" and directs me to go to the Geocache Navigator Website http://www.geocachenavigator.com/ where I click "get started" and it eventually takes me to the page to pick a phone that I have http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/supportedphones/ and offers me links on the phone. But, if you notice on the phones page it will state "Priced from $5.99/month" which is where I got the impression you needed to pay for the SMS logging service.

 

Now, perhaps I did something wrong but I believe I have followed the directions as provided.

 

Please let me know which step I messed up, if I did.

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I see the process that got you there. The root of the problem is that field notes were originally done for GeocacheNavigator product and while a number of other devices support that now, the doc and pages have never really been updated. You definitely do not need GN for SMS logging in GeoBeagle and the instructions given by Groundspeak are misleading.

 

http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/b...c8a4b3d4f8246c6

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I see the process that got you there. The root of the problem is that field notes were originally done for GeocacheNavigator product and while a number of other devices support that now, the doc and pages have never really been updated. You definitely do not need GN for SMS logging in GeoBeagle and the instructions given by Groundspeak are misleading.

 

http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/b...c8a4b3d4f8246c6

 

That page gave me the info I needed.

 

The problem was that the phone only highlighted the number but left the prefix in black. So my number needed to be TM#000000 (not actual number) but the phone was indicating TM#000000

 

Once I put in all 9 digits, the device worked fine.

 

Thanks

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I just switched to the Motorola droid from the blackberry tour and I was running trimbles geocache navigator, and it was hands down the best app for caching on the go( radar,compass,live search,field notes,past logs,hints,street maps,topo maps,ariel photos) also the most expensive 5 dollars a month. I contacted them and there response was that it is not supported on the andriod platform and they don't know if it will be, but they would like it to be. I don't know what that means. It appears to be out of their control. I was on a trip recently and stopped in many different states and tried all the apps in the market and found none that could be accessed when you pulled in a rest stop and wanted to grab a quick cache and only had a few minutes to do so. The ability to hit fina a cache and see one 0.04 nw and switch to the compass and walk 254 feet and click on the hint, make the find and log it to the field notes on the geocache.com web site for final logging later, made it so I didn't have time to find a single cache on this whole trip ;) I hope Groundspeak will be willing to help those of us that have this obbsesion to run out in the middle of dinner for a FTF or try to grab a few while traveling with out the ability to preplan our trips.

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Groundspeak and their licensees (of which only Trimble/Geocache Navigator comes to mind) have access for doing this well, but many apps can do it even without PQs as long as you're in data service. As I can reach my Droid from here, the steps are

GeoBeagle->geocaching.com

(it loads the list of caches nearest to your current GPS position)

Pick the one that looks interesting or close.

Read the cache page

Under "For online maps..." choose "Google Maps"

complete action using geobeagle.

Follow arrow. Sign logbook. Log.

 

I totally agree it's less than optimal, but for recreational caching such as rest stops or that mall the family trapped you at or whatever, it's workable. I don't think GeoBeagle has an exclusive on that and wouldn't be surprised to see other Android apps also registering a handler on the map intent in that way.

 

So don't think that only Groundspeak can product a viable caching app.

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I even said that in my first sentence. Groundspeak has an edge in that aspect. Other apps have to jump through some hoops for the live data. (Also remember that even w/o live data, you can still use pocket queries.) Since there is no Groundspeak app for Android (yet), that's where we are. Even once there *is* a Groundspeak app, I'm confident that other apps will do some thing better for some people. The whole "until Groundspeak makes an app, my Android fone can't cache" stance is just misguided.

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robertlipe: I may have misunderstood you.

 

All I mean to say is that any decent app that can access the DB directly (i.e. Groundspeaks apps) beats any descent app that can't (unless the app interfaces with geocaching.com directly, which I suppose Groundspeak wouldn't approve of.)

 

PQ is a non-essential feature for me.

 

Groundspeaks web interface is terrible to use on a mobile phone. Then again... at least a web interface works. If I had to travel home after work just to search for and transfer nearby caches to my phone, I simply wouldn't geocache...

 

So the way Groundspeak restricts access to their DB, "my Android fone can't cache" properly.

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It really takes the convience out of it and your only allowed so many pq's. What are you going to do a pq when you pull into a rest area in kentucky and then when in tennessee and then and then. What seams so odd is that Trimble (who makes geocachenavigator) has apps for the droid and is trusted by Groundspeak and the phone is made with google who also works with Groundspeak but yet they have no access. If Trimble has acess for the blackberry then why not for the android?

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Both points ("how can I live without PQs") and "why is Trimble special" addressed above in post 82. Groundspeak just doesn't open that API to others. So there are three options:

 

1) Use Groundspeak's app that presumably will have access to the live database. (Oh, wait, it doesn't exist.)

2) Use a third party app (see lists above) that use PQs.

3) Use a third party app that uses the live site in approved ways and intercepts the intent.

 

For you guys that won't seem to budge from option 1, wait for an announcement. The rest of us are using programs that support options 2 and 3 today to find caches with our Android devices.

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Hi ... a friend of me and i just released a new geocaching application for android.

it costs 3€, integrates really nice with geocaching.com and opencaching, it supports you with tags while organizing your geocaches. it also supports live folders and quicksearches for imported geocaches.

it is named cacher and it has a crossover between a frog and a robot as icon.

 

you can always try it for one day and refund it, if you dont like it. but give me an email about improvements!

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Hi ... a friend of me and i just released a new geocaching application for android.

it costs 3€, integrates really nice with geocaching.com and opencaching, it supports you with tags while organizing your geocaches. it also supports live folders and quicksearches for imported geocaches.

it is named cacher and it has a crossover between a frog and a robot as icon.

 

you can always try it for one day and refund it, if you dont like it. but give me an email about improvements!

What map program do you use in Europe? I read Google Map was modified so it can not be used in Europe. I am thinking of buying an unlocked European GSM Motorola Droid/Milestone for use on AT&T.
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I've had my Moto Droid for all of 24 hours now. I've downloaded GeoBeagle (a survey of this and other forums indicates it's one of the best free apps). I figured out how to get caches one by one, navigate to them, and then log them.

 

Now that I've finally figured out how to mount my sd card, I'm trying to download a PQ to my droid. The wiki page (on www.cacheopedia.com) says to "navigate to the Download directory of your phone and copy the .LOC, .GPX or .ZIP files to that location." My sd card does not have a "download directory" by default. I have created a few different versions of a download folder and dropped a .gpx file into them without success. Where do I need to drop the files on the sd card?

 

Thanks for the help so far getting me this far.

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mention of unauthorized software deleted by moderator

 

So don't think that only Groundspeak can product a viable caching app.

The reason why Groundspeaks apps is generally better is because they can access the cache DB directly, where as apps like GeoBeagle must go though the lousy web interface (lousy on a mobile phone.)

You mean parsing. If the developer isn't granted direct access to the data base the developers app will have to parse url for the required data. The xxxxxx program for winmo did an excellent job of doing this in the background showing only data that the user is looking for. This is a problem for Groundspeak as they have no control over the user interface, which means they cannot advertise or in any way influence the user experience. So as long as Groundspeak will not make a program for android this would be a great solution with only one problem. Small changes to the way geocaching.com creates it's dynamic websites can cause the urls to be different enough to make the developers program to well, not work. This means the developer needs to constantly monitor it's program and update it as Groundspeak updates it's websites.

 

My feelings are that Groundspeak's database is populated by entries that the geocache community created. The only input Groundspeak had was to provide a platform for the users to share they're coordinates and experiences. What do you think is easier to replace? The platform or the data?

Edited by Brad_W
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Both points ("how can I live without PQs") and "why is Trimble special" addressed above in post 82. Groundspeak just doesn't open that API to others. So there are three options:

 

Since I gather you seem to work on/help with GeoBeagle, do you have any idea when the NextVersionMockUps update will be released?

 

If you don't know what I'm referring to, it's these images posted on the Google page for GB:

 

GeoBeagleDetailPages.png

 

Seems like it was posted back in Sept. Looks pretty cool.

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I had a question about using an android phone and geobeagle or any of the other apps to geocache outside of cities. If I went up into the mountains outside of cell range can I still get a gps signal and if I have preloaded gpx files for that area can I search for them and find them without any cell service?

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I had a question about using an android phone and geobeagle or any of the other apps to geocache outside of cities. If I went up into the mountains outside of cell range can I still get a gps signal and if I have preloaded gpx files for that area can I search for them and find them without any cell service?

You can search, but the Google Map data used by Geobeagle comes from a data connection. Caching map data violates the Google terms of use agreement, I guess. I have the same issue with a Google Maps based golf program.
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I had a question about using an android phone and geobeagle or any of the other apps to geocache outside of cities. If I went up into the mountains outside of cell range can I still get a gps signal and if I have preloaded gpx files for that area can I search for them and find them without any cell service?

 

You can use the GPS functionality of Geobeagle and the gpx files just fine. As previously stated, google maps or getting to geocaching.com on the device wouldn't work.

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Steve

Im having trouble setting up my SMS text logging using the goebeagle app for android

I sent the text and got the numbers and password, but then got an error message.

any advice?

The latest version of GeoBeagle (on our website at http://code.google.com/p/geobeagle/downloads/list) does store the caches in a sql database and has preliminary support for gpx importing and viewing of all the cache details.

 

Also, GeoBeagle is not only free, it is open source (with the very liberal Apache License), so you can also help add features you think are needed :P.

 

--Steve

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Steve

Im having trouble setting up my SMS text logging using the goebeagle app for android

I sent the text and got the numbers and password, but then got an error message.

any advice?

I think the main gotcha is that you need the three characters TM# in front of the id number in the text message. I would say search for the thread, but you can not search for "sms" on this site.
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so the question i have, which is slightly off topic is, can i get rid of my colorado and use this app on my htc hero? at present planning on getting a htc hero... and would be great to loose my colorado 300

I couldn't.

Don't get me wrong. I have cached using GeoBeagle (forgot the Colorado @ home and realized that once I reached the parking area for a 5+ cache run 45 minutes away) and it works just fine - no issues.

The main issue with the Hero (or Droid, or G1) is the battery live when using the GPS + Display constantly... I was able to cache for 4 hours but the battery went down to 20%. So I would have no chance to do a typically summer cache/hike day which for me is 8+ hours out of the car without buying many spare batteries....

Also you won't have maps on the Android Phone unless you have reception which at least around here is very problematic even with the best carriers....

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