Geocaching with a Mobile Phone

[J+J+JJ+J]

I'm a recent convert to Geocaching. My introduction was from a friend with an iphone and it worked great, so I'm happy that it can be done with a mobile.

 

But, my wife and I have GPS enabled Sony Ericsson C905 and W995 and can't get them to work. I can find no threads on the subject and very little 'advice' on using the Geocaching Live software (it isn't at all inuitive).

 

I hope someone can help me (and anyone else in this situation) with some advice (although please, don't advise me to get a GPS unit, that's not the purpose of this question).

 

I should also point out that my phone is new, it has the latest firmware/software and all the GPS functions work perectly with the pre-installed 'Location Services' i.e. Google Maps, Tracker etc and the Status Info shows satellites locked on, logged in a rearing to go. The LIVE software is installed, doesn't crash, logs in fine, I can download caches - but it has no idea where I am because it can't seem to talk with the internal GPS.

 

There are several SonyEricsson phones listed as compatible, including the one I have. But it's not clear whether the software uses the phones internal GPS or whether I'm supposed to have an external GPS unit on bluetooth...which would be a bit of a waste of time...but several of the listed 'compatible phones' don't have built in GPS so some confusion there.

 

Is the Geocaching LIVE service the app to be using? Does anyone have other Geocaching software successfully running on their Sony Ericsson phone using the integrated GPS? Does is take advantage of the 'assisted start' of aGPS that uses the cell location to give you a rough location while it locks onto the satellites?

 

My phones uses Java. I'm going on holiday to Sweden this weekend where a friend has an Xperia X1 - we'll give that a try too and see if we have more luck with Windows Mobile and the built in GPS.

 

I'm sure I had more questions when I started typing this - I'll post them when they come to me :-)

 

Jon

Edited July 30, 2009 by J+J+JJ+J

[GerritS]

I'm a recent convert to Geocaching. My introduction was from a friend with an iphone and it worked great, so I'm happy that it can be done with a mobile.

 

But, my wife and I have GPS enabled Sony Ericsson C905 and W995 and can't get them to work. I can find no threads on the subject and very little 'advice' on using the Geocaching Live software (it isn't at all inuitive).

 

I hope someone can help me (and anyone else in this situation) with some advice (although please, don't advise me to get a GPS unit, that's not the purpose of this question).

 

I should also point out that my phone is new, it has the latest firmware/software and all the GPS functions work perectly with the pre-installed 'Location Services' i.e. Google Maps, Tracker etc and the Status Info shows satellites locked on, logged in a rearing to go. The LIVE software is installed, doesn't crash, logs in fine, I can download caches - but it has no idea where I am because it can't seem to talk with the internal GPS.

 

There are several SonyEricsson phones listed as compatible, including the one I have. But it's not clear whether the software uses the phones internal GPS or whether I'm supposed to have an external GPS unit on bluetooth...which would be a bit of a waste of time...but several of the listed 'compatible phones' don't have built in GPS so some confusion there.

 

Is the Geocaching LIVE service the app to be using? Does anyone have other Geocaching software successfully running on their Sony Ericsson phone using the integrated GPS? Does is take advantage of the 'assisted start' of aGPS that uses the cell location to give you a rough location while it locks onto the satellites?

 

My phones uses Java. I'm going on holiday to Sweden this weekend where a friend has an Xperia X1 - we'll give that a try too and see if we have more luck with Windows Mobile and the built in GPS.

 

I'm sure I had more questions when I started typing this - I'll post them when they come to me :-)

 

Jon

 

I think I will be joining you on this quest, my N95 has died I am due upgrade and the W995 seems the best bet... So any help apprechiated for me to!

 

It mightbe worth rasing this on UK forums as they are foten more responsive overthere!

 

Gerrit

Edited August 7, 2009 by GerritS

[Alzamina & Jake]

I use Locify on my w995 and that seems to work.

[PeterT999]

I use Locify on my w995 and that seems to work.

Thanks for hint about Locify.. Very newbie here and just downloaded it to my SE K850 (with a bluetooth GPSr). Looks like it's going to work well.

[+saturn639]

I don't know if this will work on your phone, but Google maps allows for the input of coordinates in the search box. So just copy the coords, e.g. N 36° 02.107 W 115° 00.280, and paste into Google maps. This should drop a pin on the location. You can use the text only website http://wap.geocaching.com to search by ZIP code and easily get these coords. Good luck!

[Andronicus]

I don't know if this will work on your phone, but Google maps allows for the input of coordinates in the search box. So just copy the coords, e.g. N 36° 02.107 W 115° 00.280, and paste into Google maps. This should drop a pin on the location. You can use the text only website http://wap.geocaching.com to search by ZIP code and easily get these coords. Good luck!

I find that if I do that, google maps mobile will give me the nearest address. I always at loc: before the coordinates. eg:

 

loc: N51 57.3254 W114 23.213

 

Google maps will use almost any format of NAD82 or WGS84.