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Paperless - which phone


the pooks

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I have been quite content with my dinosour of a Nokia 5210, prepaid airtime and a Palm Z22 with cachemate for the paperless part - but now the Palm has died. The touchscreen does not respond. I also have GSAK. To complete the list I do of course have a GPSr (Magellan), but that is not as obvious as it seems as we have one local cacher with 40+ finds under his belt and he has NO GPSr!

 

Now I thought maybe it is time I get a phone that can do what the PDA could. I've been to some local shops to look at packages but am completely overwhelmed and intimidated with the selection. The shop assistants aren't much help, and I don't even know exactly what I am looking for. So I thought who better to ask than the tech savvy geocaching community.

 

A farmer colleague and friend has recommended to move away from slide phones - they are not made for farming conditions. They don't like sand or dust and in his case the flex cable (the electrical connection between the sliding and moving part) is faulty. Another friend thought he would help a sticky slide phone with a dab of Q20 and now his screen has some weird blotches on it.

 

My main requirement would be to replace the Palm, so the phone should be able to store the pocket queries somehow. An added benefit would be to be able to access the internet on the odd occasion when one is caching on the fly and you don't have the necessary PQ loaded. At this stage I am most comfortable with a Nokia - partly because I am a creature of habit and resistant to change. The farmer friend is looking at the Nokia 5800, but it has some ExpressMusic feature, which does not sound like something that I need (what is that). The shop assistants mentioned the 5320 and 6303 as cheaper options. The 5800 has a big screen, which sounds good for readability and is touchscreen (now that makes me nervous as it is the touchscreen of the Palm that conked in).

 

How does one know from reading the specifications whether the phone will be able to store pocket queries or access the internet. Does 3G indicate that is good for internet. Will the internet look similar to what one is used to on computer (ie html)? What geoching software would work on the Nokia.

 

Excuse all the questions, but this is all very confusing and I don't understand much of it. Advice would be appreciated.

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Does 3G indicate that is good for internet. Will the internet look similar to what one is used to on computer (ie html)? What geoching software would work on the Nokia.

 

Excuse all the questions, but this is all very confusing and I don't understand much of it. Advice would be appreciated.

Yes, 3G (or even GPRS) means that the phone can access the internet and should be able to receive PQs. But there is more to it than that - you will have to make sure that the particular phone model is compatible with whatever software package you want to use (e.g. Cachemate).

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Oh WOW Pooks - we are in exactly the same position i.e. we are also considering getting a new phone which can do Internet as well as handle the info. to aid in paperless caching.

 

Rolf wrote his own little software program which loads all the cache listings in a file format which you can zoom in on the phone and read. The problem with that is that only the 4 logs as they appear on the listing are saved. It doesn't make it very easy to read the details (especially when the listing is long) on this tiny phone screen.

 

We are used to and like the Samsung phones, but long time ago we also used Nokia. We steered away from Nokia in the last 5 or so years as we found they were prone to loads of "viruses" being sent over the cellphone networks (believe it or not).

 

Our one friend has the Samsung Omnia cellphone which has a GPS built in and it can surf the Internet. He struggled to load the GSAK software, but got it right in the end. It actually was quite accurate on the GPS side, but he had trouble with loading the Google Maps??

 

Rolf's best advice is to get a PDA that also has a built in GPS. In that way, he reckons you can get to see the caches just in a specific area instead of scrolling through a long list of caches or needing to know the cache listing code beforehand.

 

From my side, the touch screen technology has come a long way and should last a little longer than your older Palm (well I hope it is that way). Perhaps you should consider a product with a decent warranty or guarantee, so that if it does break you can get a replacement or fixed at no extra cost.

 

We also plan to pay a visit to Vodaworld (all the cellphone brands under one roof) and see what is out there.

 

We would like to be notified of new listing publications if we are out and about, as well as be able to access the internet (provided there is 3G or wireless in the area) to check on things, view the pics and input our logs, etc. We would like to be able to do caching whenever we feel like it or wherever we are, by having something to access the website. Otherwise, currently we spend a lot of time planning which caches we'll do and then it doesn't always work out as planned.

 

If we find out more about suitable phone models, or PDAs to go for, we'll share it with you. On the other hand, if other cachers have some advice please, do let us know!

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Hi Pooks

 

Try looking at this http://live.geocaching.com/ Groundspeak's moibile offering which i maybe why the clamp down on GCZII which of coure will only run on windos mobile based devices.

 

You also want a rugged phone combined with a smartphone - not sure one exists - sounds like a less likely solution. Check out this http://www.sonimxp3.com/ for rugged phone but I don't think its a smart phone but if it has java the geocaching live might work

 

Do you want a gps with your phone or not? Want to be able to play Wherigo? There is a windows mobile emulator.

 

Basicall any windows mobile device with a gps will work nicely as there is much software availabe, free and for purchase. Nokias I think run Symbian and so the software will need to be specifically for that.

 

What ever you do take your time and buy the right device !

 

Oh and touch screen or not get an Invisible Shield to prtect the screen from scratches.

 

Good luck

 

Trev

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Well just found that HTC TYTN II is wonderful running some software that we are not allowed to name. But I still prefer to use my Garmin Etrex Vista when it comes to Geocaching. There is one great thing about been able to use a GPS in the rain or through a river without having to worry if you going to have an accidental dip in the drink that an 8 grand phone is going to come out worse for the wear.

 

There is a lot of options to paperless caching other than an expensive PDA... I picked up my Nuvi 200 for a bargin price and with a bit of guidence from BJB have learned how to upload every cache in the country, with logs from GSAK. It might be over kill but I am currently running round with 4 GPSr in some form or another.

 

The Garmin, Nuvi gets me to the caches via it's routing... all cache descriptions displayed on the screen, plus last 5 logs....

Garmin eTrex Vista for when I really am just a little bit off track when the Nuvi is not cutting it or I am on a long hike.

HTC TYTN II loaded with unmentioned software, but also looking on the site for new caches should my PQ be a little outdated. Also used for taking pictures.

Nokia 2110 Navigator for running Trimble... although I don't use it as much anymore... the GPS on the Nokia is just too slow at finding satelites, I find caches faster than it finds satelites.

 

And with all of those I still like to carry around a few printed pages of caches I might be going to...

 

Also a notebook with which I record cache by cache as I visit them.

 

So despite trying to go paperless I still find I am using paper....

 

If I could I would invest in a Netbook too and use that with GSAK and Mapsource as it is nice small and portable.

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It's quite easy to generate the HTML index and content in GSAK and to load that into a Windows Mobile phone and browse it with IE and/or Opera which are the browsers loaded with the latest windows mobile version. WM=plenty software apps available. Nokia = Symbian and software generally more limited.

 

Try this site to browse through the latest offerings. You'll get more useful info from there than most mobile shops which either don't have the model available or have no clue of it's functions. Their only focus is to try and sell you something with a fancy camera, mega MP3 capability, a samsung omnia or an iPhone.

 

I hate Nokia's but must admit that the 5800 Xpressmusic I picked up for my wife is a great phone, don't think it will be suitable for your purposes though.

 

For a phone with the PDA type capability with business savvy look at the HTC's or Palm.

 

If you get WM phone with a GPS you can run the Wherigo Player as mentioned by trevor. The GPS is good enough for this, but not as accurate as a proper GPSr.

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And just to confuse you even more, I use a BlackBerry with CacheBerry software!

 

My BlackBerry has a built-in GPSr (which seems to be more accurate than my eTrex Vista HCx) so, with the CacheBerry application, I can review any number of caches, including their logs, hints and trackables, as well as use its compass and radar feature to navigate to the cache.

 

I can switch to a Google Earth view at a press of the trackball and log my finds directly to the GC website in real-time!

 

With BlackBerry push-email technology, I get instant notifications of any caches on my watch-list or new publications.

 

I love technology!

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I have the HTC P3600, with built in GPS. I bougth the GPS Tuner software for it. This software can download its own maps from a OpenStreetMaps server, or you can load the various maps from your PC to the phone, or you can load any digitised map, and calibrate it.

 

As I have broken a cell phone screen before having it in my pocket (with keys), I have bought a protection case, which clips to any strap.

I now have a Garmin which I use mostly to get me to the cache.

 

I do export the HTML files, of the caches, we plan to do, from GSAK to my phone/PDA, with all the previous logs.

 

I also have a small notebook in my camera bag, where I keep track which caches we completed, and where I can calculate any puzzles etc which may need to be done.

 

But for the most part, the HTML export from GSAK, is the best way to get to the paperless caching. I have exported to HTC, iMate, Nokia, and Samsung phones. If the phone has an internet browser, it can view the info.

To see what it looks like visit this link:

http://www.mgd.co.za/gc/index.htm

 

Resize your browser until it is the size of your cell phone, and see how simple it is to navigate.

 

I have heard great reviews of the Blackberry, with the cacheberry software. I think that will be the next device I will be seriously considering. (Rumour has it, that alien technology was used in its development)

Edited by DamhuisClan
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Thank you to everyone who has replied so far. This is definitely helping to develop a bigger picture of all the options.

 

<snip>

To see what it looks like visit this link:

http://www.mgd.co.za/gc/index.htm

 

<snip>

 

Damhuis, I like that link. It is very similar to what I'm used to on my Palm - well better as you can sort your database in different ways ie name, gc code and nearest caches amongst others. That is all I really need.

 

Now 2 questions:

1. Does the GSAK export look and work the same on the Nokias (Symbian o/s) as Samsung/HTC (windows mobile o/s). As far as I see it GSAK exports in html format which hopefully is o/s independant. Do I understand that part correctly.

 

2. I am nervous about the ruggedness of touchscreen phones for farming. How does one navigate and select on a phone without touchscreen. Is there a cursor that you move around with arrow keys - in a way like the pad on a laptop?

 

3. (OK that's three questions). Is it important to get a phone with a largish screen - I can imagine reading cache listings on a small screen must be inconvenient.

 

One inexpensive option I was looking at was a Nokia 5320 or 6303 - non touchscreen. I might have to change my bias about HTC and Samsung as it seems to be the favoured phone in this discussion.

 

To add extra confusion I have bought a Palm M500 on fleabay - $25 including postage to my neice somewhere in the States. Trouble is it might not reach my neice before she leaves for home. Then I am pretty stuffed! I think I will persue the phone option as well - I've been thinking about it long enough, so I might as well spoil myself.

Edited by the pooks
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1. Does the GSAK export look and work the same on the Nokias (Symbian o/s) as Samsung/HTC (windows mobile o/s). As far as I see it GSAK exports in html format which hopefully is o/s independant. Do I understand that part correctly.

 

2. I am nervous about the ruggedness of touchscreen phones for farming. How does one navigate and select on a phone without touchscreen. Is there a cursor that you move around with arrow keys - in a way like the pad on a laptop?

 

3. (OK that's three questions). Is it important to get a phone with a largish screen - I can imagine reading cache listings on a small screen must be inconvenient.

Answer 1: It is exactly the same on the phone. If the phone does not have touch screen, then you can simply navigate by pressing the rocker or joystick from letter to letter, remarkable simple. Try and access that URL from your phone, and try it out if you have a data plan. If you "export" from GSAK to your phone, there is no internet charges.

 

Answer 2: I have the same issue, and that is why I bought a case protector for my HTC. I just can not find a link to what it look like. The phone fits into it, and there is a little "door:" which open up when I want to use the touch screen, all the other buttons are accessible through holes. I liked it wile I used the HTC to find caches. Now I just use my Garmin eTrex, and get part of the hint from the notes section. If I need more help from the HTML pages, then I pull out my HTC from a buttoned up pocket, and navigate to the relevant HTML page, as per the above link.

 

Answer 3: A smaller phone just takes longer to scroll to the relevant info you might want, but on the ones I have used, the time it takes is not noticeable longer.

 

Does your current phone have a browser? If yes, then Paperless caching is almost there, give GSAK a try, and export to your current phone. If you need help, just PM me, I will try to help where I can.

 

Regards

Anton

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Here are some screenshots of CacheBerry, on my BlackBerry Curve:

 

This is the initial CacheBerry view once the database has been opened:

 

QL_098471231.jpg

 

If I click on one of the listings, this is what I see (scrollable up and down):

 

QL_098471523.jpg

 

Here is the drop-down menu available from a specific cache listing:

 

QL_098471541.jpg

 

A typical view of some of the logs:

 

QL_098471604.jpg

 

Using the built-in GPSr, I can log onto the GC website to see which are the nearest caches from my current location (this is real-time, online information). The following screenshot is the top of the page:

 

QL_098472013.jpg

 

And here is the same page, a little further down:

 

QL_098472034.jpg

 

From any cache listing in CacheBerry, I can log onto the listing on GC - here are a few screenshots of how the online listing looks on my BlackBerry. This is where I do my real-time logging of caches.

 

QL_098472159.jpg

 

QL_098472222.jpg

 

QL_098472247.jpg

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Anyone got any experience with the iPhone app?

 

Yep - I use it with my iTouch. It works fantastically - developed by GC.com and I think it costs $4-99 on iStore. With my last trip to SA I downloaded [and saved] about 50 caches. I don't use the facility it has for "field notes" as I prefer to write my log once I am sitting comfortably at my computer. The only difference for me with the iTouch vs iPhone is that my information is not live. I will update the info before leaving for the caching spree. On the iPhone you can do the same as you could find yourself in an area without any reception. For the iTouch reception will mean a WiFi connection as opposed to cell reception.

 

All in all I am extremely happy with my combination of iTouch and eTrex Vista HCx. I originally was looking at purchasing the Oregon and getting rid of the Vista in order to go paperless. The iTouch option was half the price and gives so many more options - such as the iPod functionality with the music, pictures, etc.

 

Hope that helps.

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Just tried it here on the main screen, and it looks fine.

The bigger group boxes are on the left, and the two arrows are on the right of the screen.

As I am in a huge building, did not start up the GPS.

 

It does indeed. I picked up a c6625 yesterday, installed the app a short while ago and it seems to work just fine. Will play with it more over the weekend.

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I used the "Unmentionable app" for awhile. It works well, until you are up at Cape Vidal looking for a Cache and realize there is no network coverage there.... :blink:

 

I have since bought CacheMate, and I am planning to try it out this weekend. (Oh, I am using a TytnII)

 

That is where you need to download all the caches in the area while you still have coverage. Then it becomes an offline page.

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Then it becomes an offline page.

And there is no need for Cachemate....

Also you can load pocket queries (no need for Cachemate....)

How would solved puzzles' corrected co-ords be handled in this app?

I know corrected co-ords can be edited/uploaded in Cachemate.

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I find that I work out the answer to the puzzle in the "Notes" part of the app. I would then end up with a set of coords in the notes. (Quite useful, because you may gather a few clues, but run out of time. This keeps a record associated with the cache for when you return to finish off.) This can then be copied (on the clipboard) and the you can make a new waypoint, from the coords on the clipboard. You simply use a menu option which states "create waypoint from clipboard". The new waypoint can the be tracked either on a static map (offline) or on google maps (online) or with a compass.

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I used the "Unmentionable app" for awhile. It works well, until you are up at Cape Vidal looking for a Cache and realize there is no network coverage there.... :unsure:

 

I have since bought CacheMate, and I am planning to try it out this weekend. (Oh, I am using a TytnII)

 

That is where you need to download all the caches in the area while you still have coverage. Then it becomes an offline page.

 

Hey, that's cool! Thanks!

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"But for the most part, the HTML export from GSAK, is the best way to get to the paperless caching. I have exported to HTC, iMate, Nokia, and Samsung phones. If the phone has an internet browser, it can view the info."

 

I have used HTML exports from GSAK on a bog standard Sony Ericsson Z610i. DL updates before you leave and you can browse even if you dont have cell signal. New phone is a 5800 express music, I read on the web that guys are using it for caching but I have yet to load it.

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"But for the most part, the HTML export from GSAK, is the best way to get to the paperless caching. I have exported to HTC, iMate, Nokia, and Samsung phones. If the phone has an internet browser, it can view the info."

 

I have used HTML exports from GSAK on a bog standard Sony Ericsson Z610i. DL updates before you leave and you can browse even if you dont have cell signal. New phone is a 5800 express music, I read on the web that guys are using it for caching but I have yet to load it.

 

I have been looking seriously at the Nokia 5800. A friend and fellow cacher has also recently got one. I would love to hear feedback on how it performs for caching. From the bit that I saw it seemed to be quite readable in bright sunlight. A drawback of a regular shaped (narrow) phone is that the text is long and narrow which makes reading text a bit more awkward. The smartphones are wider. My ancient Palm M500 PDA (just PDA, no phone/GPS/3G capability) has good screen width for reading text, but with phones being so versatile these days, few people would go the Palm PDA route.

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Some feedback: I took the jump and signed up for the Nokia 5800. Some considerations were:

 

*You get features (GPS & 3G amongst others) that are only available on more expensive phones. Remember I have never bought a cellphone or been on contract before, so am previously disadvantaged when it comes to cellphones.

*It is not a slide phone - slide phones were not recommended for farming: my farmer colleague had a slide phone and the connector packed up.

*There is a school of thought that says Windows Mobile is more prone to instability than Symbian because it is a more open platform - similar to the Mac/Microsoft story where folks say the Mac is more stable and less prone to viruses. Mac users also tend to be passionate fans of Mac (think Mrs Pooks) - something about going against the current and being in the minority ignites a passion in what you believe in. Not entirely applicable in this case as the operating system might be against the current, but the phone is a market dominator.

*Nice big screen - I was thinking that internet and reading cache listings would be more awkward on a smaller screen.

*A belief that Nokia has a bit of a reputation for reliability (not sure whether this is justified)

*There is always a toss-up between the bulkiness of a "smartphone" and the small size of an "essentials only" phone. This phone is not too bulky.

 

Some disadvantages I can think of:

*Touch screen - might not be up to African conditions

*Too much stuff packed into the phone which would probably render it highly strung

*It's called Expressmusic, so the music is an important selling point. Well that goes over my head. I looked through some of the pre-loaded songs, and I must admit I am from a different era/planet - I mean what is Hip-hop, Jungle and Trip-hop? (giving away my ignorance here...)

*Not as much software available on Symbian as Windows Mobile; a lot of the software is proprietary Nokia stuff; software is not free

*Phone does not look super funky and cool (C'mon - tell me that that does not count). Makes me think of the description for the (older) Volvos - "fridge on wheels". So a little bit blockish for the 21st century.

 

Well - it's a few days later and it's been quite a mission getting everything up and running - but I have got the hang of most of it. Here are some first impressions:

*I quite like the touchscreen - the full screen QWERTY keyboard is really nice for entering text. I thought I would miss a keyboard, but I'm getting used to the touchscreen quite nicely.

*There is a FREE application called SmartGPX that does everything I would want for paperless caching. You copy the GPX files obtiained via pocket query (or from GSAK, but that would be duplication as you have to load the PQs into GSAK as well) to a folder on the phone and then load it into SmartGPX. SmartGPX also keeps the history from previous PQs similar to GSAK. You can sort by Name, distance from home/position/current cache and others.

*I'm getting the hang of the GPS facility, but as expected it is really heavy on the battery. I can't see it as being a replacement for a dedicated GPSr when it comes to caching. The maps are free but the routing part is only free for the 1st six months. I intend playing with the routing while it lasts and then will probably let it go, unless I am really hooked/impressed. Users who like generating and sharing custom maps will have to go Garmin for that, just because there is so much more available on that front.

 

To summarize: All a bit frivolous (caching is more about getting outdoors and finding out new things than playing with your gadgets) but a lot of fun so far. I think I can get used to this.

 

PS: What I still need to test is: If I am away from my computer - can I generate a PQ, download it, load into SmartGPX - all without a computer

Edited by the pooks
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PS: What I still need to test is: If I am away from my computer - can I generate a PQ, download it, load into SmartGPX - all without a computer

 

I've had the 5800 for about six months now and have been very impressed with it. Until I saw your post I hadn't tried it for geocaching (my Oregon handles the paperless caching for me beautifully), but your last comment sparked my interest. Loaded SmartGPX and set about getting a PQ to the phone via e-mail - no problem. But then discovered I had no unzip app. installed, so I'm working on that now. But once that's installed it SHOULD be possible. Will report back soon.

 

BTW, I found a nifty little app that turns the 5800 into a handy torch by switching on the flash LEDs. Very useful for searching for caches in dark corners. Let me know if you would like the link.

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PS: What I still need to test is: If I am away from my computer - can I generate a PQ, download it, load into SmartGPX - all without a computer

 

I've had the 5800 for about six months now and have been very impressed with it. Until I saw your post I hadn't tried it for geocaching (my Oregon handles the paperless caching for me beautifully), but your last comment sparked my interest. Loaded SmartGPX and set about getting a PQ to the phone via e-mail - no problem. But then discovered I had no unzip app. installed, so I'm working on that now. But once that's installed it SHOULD be possible. Will report back soon.

 

BTW, I found a nifty little app that turns the 5800 into a handy torch by switching on the flash LEDs. Very useful for searching for caches in dark corners. Let me know if you would like the link.

 

Would love to have the Handy torch link - would that not mess up the flash though - surely they aren't designed to run constantly?

 

The unzipping is a problem on its own - I haven't figured a solution for that yet. But I sent the PQ in unzipped form - when you click on the attachment is seems to download the attachment but I can't seem to find where it gets downloaded to. I need to move the gpx file to the SmartGPX folder.

 

PM sent.

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Update on Nokia 5800 - probably applicable to other Symbian phones as well:

 

I'm slowly getting the hang of this beast:

 

Google Phonetorch for a handy application to turn the phone's video/flash LED's into a torch. Nice and bright and should be good for Discombob's cave exploring caches.

 

SmartGPX does everything Cachemate does and better! One can export as HTML from GSAK, but the export takes a while. You can load gpx files straight onto your phone and from there import to SmartGPX. SmartGPX can also accummulate history similar to GSAK. It has a really nifty Nearest caches to current location/selected geocache function. Also export caches (selected or all of them) to LandmarksDB so that you can view them in Maps. In Maps turn postioning off for true offline browsing. The GPS is really heavy on the battery, so best to turn it off if you do not need it - that way the battery should last a lot longer.

 

Next best for paperless even without a PC: Download a Zip Manager for the phone. There are free versions available. Email me if need be. Go onto the web and pull a PQ. Important: You need to set up email similar to Outlook Express - if you access your email via webmail (your browser) you cannot unzip and save to a folder - it took me a while to find that out. Unzip to the SmartGPX folder and load into SmartGPX. And off you go.

 

If anyone else has any good suggestions to add, please do.

 

PS: I still need to simulate the following situation: You are sitting in a coffee shop in London's West End / Provence / Mykonos playing with your phone - OK I know I have lost the plot already, but this is a hypothetical situation... You want to do a search for what caches are around and see if there is something that grabs your fancy without eating into your budget on phone charges. What is the best way to do this?

Edited by the pooks
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Sounds like a job for (Geocaching live) software. Depending on how long you going to stay in London, you either will make use of the roaming data ? or you can look into picking up a SMS card there with some data package available on it. I'm looking forward to hunting down my first geocacher using this software, unfortunately this software is not that popular with other caches around me. The closest I have come was yesterday at 270km away from me.

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I spotted on the web that Nokia have now released the 5800 Navigator version in Europe. Basically the same phone as the 5800 Express Music that is available in SA, but comes with a free lifetime voice guided navigation licence. It might be worth enquiring from Nokia SA if it will be coming here if anyone is considering this phone soon.

 

Something I have found irritating about the 5800 (and I assume other Nokia Navigators) is that the map does not orient itself to the road you are driving on. Sometimes the map travels across the screen, sometimes even backwards. What I'm looking for (but haven't found) is a setting like the the Garmin "Track-up" or "Automotive Mode". Does anyone have any input on this?

 

Having solved the unzip problem, I've also got smartGPX to work well with a PQ extracted from an e-mail. Something I've yet to try is to store the extracted gpx files in the phone's internal memory, replace the 5800's microSD card with the one from my Oregon, copy the gpx files from the 5800 to the Oregon's microSD and then put the card back into the Oregon.

 

I believe that the Oregon will find any gpx file anywhere in internal or card memory, so the latest cache data should then be available for paperless caching. This would enable PQ's to be created, received, extracted and transferred to the Oregon without a PC. A complete mobile solution! All that's worrying me is the possibility of corrupting the Oregon's card in the process. Any SD expert's comment on the safety of this idea would be appreciated.

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Geocaching live (GCL) is a pretty potent application for caching on the fly (I've only noticed afterwards it rhymes with Trackonfly). What's more it works on several smartphone platforms (Symbian and Windows Mobile for instance).

 

I got a little stuck on how to tweak some finer details which I sorted out between trial-and-error, the GCL forums and communications with gr8scot. To make life easier for you my fellow cacher, I have compiled the briefest of instructions to get you up and running : Load the app, get some caches on your screen, read listings and go and find a cache. Below are a few links and extra titbits of useful information.

 

Just google "geocaching live" to get a download link.

 

==========================

In this description: Centre of joystick = enter

 

1. Load geocaching live and open app (obvious)

2. Menu>cache>download - gets up to 50 caches in the area

3. Drag screen about (on touchscreen phones) or use joystick. A red

circle surrounds the active cache. Tap anywhere on joystick or up/down

arrow to see a list of caches with active cache highlighted. You can

scroll through the list (using up/down arrows) and the red circle will

move to the highlighted cache as you scroll. Up/down arrows works on

the list, joystick works on the map.

4. Tap ENTER to retrieve a listing of the highlighted cache

5. With listing showing you select MENU>WWW to go to the web listing

of the cache (if you need to see any pictures for instance)

6. With listing showing select MENU>SET TARGET to setup a "goto" to

the cache. Now the compass screen becomes useful as it gives you

bearing/distance to the cache.

 

That's it. Now go and find the cache!

 

Extras:

 

From gr8scot: (for 5800 and probably other touchscreen phones) To get rid of that mock-up pad and gain a full screen, change the settings for the app from the 5800's main menu as follows: Settings>Application mgr.>Installed apps.>GeocachingLive>Options>Suite settings>On-screen keyboard=Off

 

Some links:

 

GCL http://live.geocaching.com/maps.php

 

My topic on the forums: http://groups.google.com/group/gclive/brow...6d3332317b22e4#

 

Brand new wiki: http://gcl-wiki.palmtopia.de/

 

Checkers game (OK, I know - this has nothing to do with geocaching, but fun way to pass the time when you have time on your hands such as in a queue at the bank or in the small room, for instance) http://www.moubail.com/downloads/checkers-...a-5800-and-n97/

 

BTW: GCL's default maps are from Openstreetmap.org, but apparently you can load other maps (I haven't got it working though - have a look at the wiki)

 

PS: I'm having fun playing with my phone...

Edited by the pooks
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Exciting updates on the Nokia 5800

 

1. New S60 V40 firmware upgrade (up from V30). Kinetic scrolling and much faster GPS lock on. Bit tricky at this stage as not available on all phones/countries yet, so you have to change the product code on your phone to get the upgrade and then you can change the product code back again.

http://nokia5800.net/nokia-5800-help-guide...-product-code-w

 

2. New version of Nokia/Ovi maps with free navigation (for ever) The free navigation version is called Ovi maps 3.3 (I think)

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=212803

 

Thanks to tom&sons for passing on the info and gr8scot for encouraging me to post this here.

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Hi The Pooks

 

My 2 cents worth, only one option. Get yourself an Apple iPhone 3Gs. It is so different, so easy, so flexible. If you are not an apple user go to http://www.apple.com/iphone/ and have a look at the phone. There are literary 100 000 applications for the phone as well as the tools to develop applications should you wish to do so. These apps range from recipes to audio books to wifi locators to anything you could think off (Thousands of these applications are free while others range from 99 cents to a couple of $). I came across geocaching while searching for applications for my iPhone. I first downloaded a Geocaching tool ($0.00) tool which used google maps on th iPhone to guide you to the cache. This was not good for finding caches as it was not accurate at all. I have since downloaded the official Geocaching app (By Groundspeak). This allows you to search for nearby caches, read posts, look at photos, do posts etc, etc, etc. Most new phones have some new features which were first created by iPhone, why are all the manufacturers copying them? Other nice things about the phone include the nice big screen, you can use in portrait or landscape mode by turning the phone, you can magnify things by simply dragging with 2 fingers, etc, etc,

 

I can honestly say that it has changed my outlook on phones, gave me a new hobby and I am hooked. I am not interested in any other phone.

 

Let me also be the first to tell you that the phone is not perfect. The battery life sucks especially if you are using wifi, GPS etc. The other thing is that everything must be done via I-Tunes. This can be a bit off a pain in the behind at times but is not major issue in my life. The pro’s outweigh the cons by 1000 to 1. By the way, I forgot to mention that the iPhone is also an iPod, the original MP3 player which everyone is still trying to copy.

 

I am happy with my phone and will not change it. There is a post on the main Geocaching forum for iPhone users which I would suggest you read. Some posts are positive and others negative. These are my impressions but I would urge you to at least investigate the iPhone thoroughly before deciding.

 

Just a word of warning. People who own iPhones are not well liked by the rest of society. They were also voted as the worst people to date (I cannot remember where I saw this but I did see it on a poll somewhere) . The reason for this? Quite simple, they are forever busy with their iPhones and do not pay enough attention to the people around them. This should tell you how good the phone is.

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Did you see what Nokia's announcement of the free for life maps and navigation did to Garmin (-4.5%) and Tom Tom's (-11%) share price? Ouch, I'd think that there must be some urgent meetings going on to determine future strategy. :(

 

I tried the Nokia 5800 upgrade yesterday. Mine would only upgrade to Vsn 3.1 but a colleague's upgraded straight to vsn 4. Satellite acquisition time seems greatly improved in vsn 4.

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Have been playing with Geocaching Live but dont find it as user friendly as Voldercaching ("the software that shall not be named") doesnt want to connect right now and I cant figure out why... I just get a "cache not found" error message.

 

Geocaching Live is a lot faster to react to motion that Voldercaching which makes it easier to cache with but I miss the logging facility and easy searching ability the Voldercaching gives you.

Edited by Cape Geckos
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