+cqdx Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Just got my new Blackberry Curve 8900. I was not convinced you could geocache very well with a phone but it has worked great! I have found three geocaches with it so far. Yes it may take a little longer to acquire the sats and update your location but it works. I use Trimble's GeocacheNavigator software and it works wonderful. I was going to buy a Garmin Oregon but I think I am going to stick with the Blackberry for awhile as I can download cache locations on the fly right from the phone Quote Link to comment
+Maingray Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Cool! Good to know. I keep eyeing up GN but my blackberry (Verizon) is not supported. Also have a peek at the superb http://www.cacheberry.com for an offline solution for blackberry. Quote Link to comment
+af_juicy Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I used Cache Berry on my Blackberry Pearl it worked great you were able log on the fly then I got a BlackBerry curve and was blown out of the water by Geocache Navigator by Trimble. Unitl Garmin makes a GPS with the abiltity to do what Geocache Navigator does I am not switching. Quote Link to comment
+Wooden Cyclist Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I am also a fan of the Blackberry / Cacheberry combination. I don't see any need to purchase a stand aloone GPS unit. Quote Link to comment
MtnHermit Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 How is the phone's battery life impacted using the GPS feature? Quote Link to comment
+cqdx Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share Posted February 27, 2009 Well I killed my battery in one day yesterday but it is a new phone so I was "playing with it" all day. I had wifi on and was surfing, I had geocache navigator on at lunch and found two caches, I had load up a BBGPSGolf software and went 9 holes and it showed my distance to the green perfectly. As a result of this blackberry overdose day my battery was near dead when I got home. So to answer your question, I think the battery will last 2 to 3 days with normal infrequent operation. I am also not too happy that the Curve 8900 does not take the normal small usb charger so I have to buy new car adapters and wall adapters as well as make sure I do not lost this special usb cable! Come on, the best phone I have ever used and you could not use a standard adapter! I will check out cacheberry today. Quote Link to comment
MtnHermit Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I am also not too happy that the Curve 8900 does not take the normal small usb charger so I have to buy new car adapters and wall adapters as well as make sure I do not lost this special usb cable! Come on, the best phone I have ever used and you could not use a standard adapter! Good news on this front, but it'll have to wait for the next generation. The European Union has been pushing for a universal charger solution. At the MWC in Madrid, the industry agreed on the micro-USB connector. All Garmin's and most cameras use mini-USB. So in 2-3 years all this charging nonsense will be history. Quote Link to comment
+Wooden Cyclist Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 [i am also not too happy that the Curve 8900 does not take the normal small usb charger so I have to buy new car adapters and wall adapters as well as make sure I do not lost this special usb cable! Come on, the best phone I have ever used and you could not use a standard adapter! I will check out cacheberry today. The Curve 8330 uses micro USB so my chargers all work. Quote Link to comment
+Maya Bee Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I have a Garmin 60CSx which I use for hiking and geocaching and I used my Blackberry 8800 with Geocache Navigator for urban caching. I love paperless caching with my BB. A note of caution regarding using your BB: you are screwed if there is no cell phone coverage. And don't drop it in the snow. I did. Now I have a Blackberry Bold and it's terrible, battery only lasts one day WITHOUT caching! Quote Link to comment
+Wooden Cyclist Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 If you are using your Blackberry to Geocache or any other activity that puts your 'Berry at risk, I stronly recomment the Otterbox defender. I have dropped mine in the snow while ice fishing, dropped it on concrete and generally banged it around all without any damage to the phone. Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I am using a Blackberry Bold with the Blackstar Geocaching program from http://www.blackstarnavigation.com It is an entirely paperless/computerless solution for Blackberry users and is free, so it doesn't have that assanine monthly/annual subscription charge that Trimble's Geocache Navigator does. I have been out three times with it and found caches each time to far. I even logged each cache online as I walked toward the next cache. I have been waiting a long time to go paperless, and having the ability to go computerless as well is a very pleasant bonus. I am very excited about this software. Give it a shot. ps. remember to have a spare gps if you're going to en extended trip, just in case the battery goes in your phone. (6 hours or more) A note of caution regarding using your BB: you are screwed if there is no cell phone coverage As long as you don't need Blackberry Maps, I thinks Blackstar can work without cell coverage using the compass. I will test on my lunch and report back. Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'm waiting for Palm's new Pre smartphone to come out this summer! Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I'm waiting for Palm's new Pre smartphone to come out this summer! Just to be safe, you may want to verify the Pre will work with Palm OS software. The Pre uses a new OS called Web OS. I would expect it to be backward compatible with Palm OS, but I would be very unhappy if I got the Pre and found it will not work with the already established Geocaching software. Besides, Blackberry is usually more reliable than Palm, but too each their own. Happy researching! Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Well, it's hard to say how reliable a device is that hasn't even been released yet but I have high hopes all the positive hype is accurate. Yep the WebOS will support legacy Palm software so, right away the thing should run stuff like CacheMate no problem, and with the built-in GPS & the web-enabled nature it should be fully Geocaching paperless/"computerless" too And unlike the iPhone, Palm is releasing the SDK to any developer who wants it They're gonna also have their version of a iphone "app store", AND also allow you to grab software directly from outside vendors without any need for jailbreaking Not sure how the Pre compares to Blackberry, but according to "unofficial rumors" Palm took the best of iPhone & best of Blackberry & combined them. I guess we'll all find out this summer Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Well, it's hard to say how reliable a device is that hasn't even been released yet but I have high hopes all the positive hype is accurate. Yep the WebOS will support legacy Palm software so, right away the thing should run stuff like CacheMate no problem, and with the built-in GPS & the web-enabled nature it should be fully Geocaching paperless/"computerless" too And unlike the iPhone, Palm is releasing the SDK to any developer who wants it They're gonna also have their version of a iphone "app store", AND also allow you to grab software directly from outside vendors without any need for jailbreaking Not sure how the Pre compares to Blackberry, but according to "unofficial rumors" Palm took the best of iPhone & best of Blackberry & combined them. I guess we'll all find out this summer It is great to hear WebOS will be backward compatible. I am very excited to see Palm staging a comeback in the smartphone community. Palm and Blackberry are equals for the most part and it really boils down to what suits you better. I have beaten up my blackberry 7130 and my 8700 fairly bad and they both withstood massive punishment. I'm a little more careful with my Bold, but it is strong as well. The durability of the devices is why I choose Blackberry, that and it was my first smartphone. If I had a Palm first and provided the previous OS didn't piss me off, I would probably have gone with them as they have just as much software out there, if not more, and a massive community for support. Screw the iPhone though, I don't feel I should have to break the warranty to get the dadgum thing to work the way I want it. Happy Caching, please let us know how the Pre turns out. Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 (edited) site effed up. please delete this post Edited April 15, 2009 by Psycada Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 (edited) site f***ed up. please delete this post Edited April 15, 2009 by Psycada Quote Link to comment
+CosmicMiami Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 <snip> I use Trimble's GeocacheNavigator software and it works wonderful. <snip> At $6/month, Geocache Navigator is pretty steep. The iPhone app from Groundspeak is a great interface. Sadly though, iPhone is the only platform for which it is developed. $6/month versus a one-time $10? You be the judge. Quote Link to comment
+Psycada Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 <snip> I use Trimble's GeocacheNavigator software and it works wonderful. <snip> At $6/month, Geocache Navigator is pretty steep. The iPhone app from Groundspeak is a great interface. Sadly though, iPhone is the only platform for which it is developed. $6/month versus a one-time $10? You be the judge. Meh, free is still better, and the attitude of B*'s developers towards Geocaching is much more noble than Geocaching.com or Trimble. Trimble seems in it for money, and Geocaching seems to be run by trendy ex-hippies with money who believe everyone else should put out the same amount of money and use the iPhone, the trendy user's trendy device. No where in anyplace does geocaching make mention of creating their software for devices other than the iPhone. If they at least hinted towards a desire to support Blackberry, Palm, Android, or Windows Mobile, I may not be so harsh in my assessment of the geocaching management. We should not be locked into one offering from the site who hosts the sport. I expect at least mention of future product support from the hosts. Quote Link to comment
+CosmicMiami Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 <snip> I use Trimble's GeocacheNavigator software and it works wonderful. <snip> At $6/month, Geocache Navigator is pretty steep. The iPhone app from Groundspeak is a great interface. Sadly though, iPhone is the only platform for which it is developed. $6/month versus a one-time $10? You be the judge. Meh, free is still better, and the attitude of B*'s developers towards Geocaching is much more noble than Geocaching.com or Trimble. Trimble seems in it for money, and Geocaching seems to be run by trendy ex-hippies with money who believe everyone else should put out the same amount of money and use the iPhone, the trendy user's trendy device. No where in anyplace does geocaching make mention of creating their software for devices other than the iPhone. If they at least hinted towards a desire to support Blackberry, Palm, Android, or Windows Mobile, I may not be so harsh in my assessment of the geocaching management. We should not be locked into one offering from the site who hosts the sport. I expect at least mention of future product support from the hosts. References to "trendy" ROFLMAO. That about sums it up. I sent an email to Groundspeak (not that it would make any bit of difference) about the iPhone app. I think I used the word "discrimination" in the message somewhere. The reply I got was some canned, generic crap about how the developers were busy and didn't have the time to "consider" other platforms. I fired back to them that I didn't like being patronized with a cut-and-paste response. In essence, I asked exactly what you said. Do you have any plans to develop something for other platforms. The reply was that when they got around to it they would think about if they had the time to develop other apps. Thanks for nothing! Quote Link to comment
+CosmicMiami Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 <snip> I guess the developers are too busy working on Wherigo!! ROFLMAO Quote Link to comment
+DENelson83 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 You know, you really don't have to keep up with the Joneses. Use whatever geocaching solution works for you. Quote Link to comment
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