Geocaching Experience with the Motorola Droid

[+neisserj1]

I wanted to share my geocaching experience I did today using my Motorola Droid. I used the droid to locate 7 caches. The program I used was Geobeagle. The software was great for locating caches that were saved onto my SD card. I was also able to load individual caches from the geocaching web sight. The Droid was more accurate than my Garmin Venture HC. I was not sent turning in circles to try to get a GPS fix. One complaint with the Geobeagle is that the pointer did not always point in the correct direction. I was able to find 2 caches that I could not locate with the Garmin. The one thing I would like to see is the ability to see caches as an overlay on the google maps page and be able to use the navigation to get to them.

[sdriza]

That's awesome news. I just bought the phone.

[robertlipe]

The compass didn't make any sense to me, either. I'd been meaning to run some tests on the compass (couldn't find a way to calibrate it, unlike all my GPSes with compasses) to see if it was hardware or the OS before reporting it on the Geobeagle mailing list or tearing into it with a debugger.

[+kestrel76]

I also just bought a Droid and, based on comments on this and other forums, the first apps I downloaded were Radar and Geobeagle. Haven't had a chance to actually try caching with it yet. Has anyone found other useful apps for the Droid for caching or other GPS related uses? Thanks!

[+maggi101]

When I was having compass issues on my G1, I came across the following:

 

http://groups.google.com/group/android-dev...c99427b31?pli=1

 

and

 

 

Your mileage may vary.

[iiibdsiil]

The compass didn't make any sense to me, either. I'd been meaning to run some tests on the compass (couldn't find a way to calibrate it, unlike all my GPSes with compasses) to see if it was hardware or the OS before reporting it on the Geobeagle mailing list or tearing into it with a debugger.

 

I was trying to find one and it was weird for me. The first cache it located no problem, the next it kept changing directions even though I was 40 yards from it.

[+stingle]

I went geocaching for the first time with my droid last weekend with very accurate results as long as I wasn't in thick trees. I used the Geobeagle application with 1500 caches downloaded on it with no performance issues. Would show them well on the Google maps interface inside of Geobeagle. The compass was not very useful however and found myself watching the distance measurement more than the compass. Very happy with the results!

[+Nighthawk700]

How is on line logging with the Droid? (or Android in general?) I think that'll be one of the main things I want to do if and when I get one. (just a month and a half left on my current contract...)

[+YachtRocker]

I used the Geobeagle application with 1500 caches downloaded on it

 

Were you able to do a mass upload of 1500 caches to geobeagle? If so how?

 

Thanks.

[robertlipe]

1500 caches doesn't stress Geobeagle too badly, though the load times are long. Just copy either multiple GPX files or a single GPX file containing that number to the /download folder and tell it to import. If the files are newer than when it last scanned, it'll read them.

 

You can log "online" via text messages with the textmark facilitiy. It's integrated pretty well.

[+neisserj1]

How is on line logging with the Droid? (or Android in general?) I think that'll be one of the main things I want to do if and when I get one. (just a month and a half left on my current contract...)

I had 6 months left on my contract and verizon let me upgrade for 20.00.

[Hans57]

I wanted to share my geocaching experience I did today using my Motorola Droid. I used the droid to locate 7 caches. The program I used was Geobeagle. The software was great for locating caches that were saved onto my SD card. I was also able to load individual caches from the geocaching web sight. The Droid was more accurate than my Garmin Venture HC. I was not sent turning in circles to try to get a GPS fix. One complaint with the Geobeagle is that the pointer did not always point in the correct direction. I was able to find 2 caches that I could not locate with the Garmin. The one thing I would like to see is the ability to see caches as an overlay on the google maps page and be able to use the navigation to get to them.

Was it necessary to use the data package from your cell provider to use the phone for geochaching?

 

Glad to hear that the Droid worked so well for finding caches.

 

~Hans57

[+StaticTank]

I wanted to share my geocaching experience I did today using my Motorola Droid. I used the droid to locate 7 caches. The program I used was Geobeagle. The software was great for locating caches that were saved onto my SD card. I was also able to load individual caches from the geocaching web sight. The Droid was more accurate than my Garmin Venture HC. I was not sent turning in circles to try to get a GPS fix. One complaint with the Geobeagle is that the pointer did not always point in the correct direction. I was able to find 2 caches that I could not locate with the Garmin. The one thing I would like to see is the ability to see caches as an overlay on the google maps page and be able to use the navigation to get to them.

Was it necessary to use the data package from your cell provider to use the phone for geochaching?

 

Glad to hear that the Droid worked so well for finding caches.

 

~Hans57

 

It is necessary to get a data package to even get this phone...it is that way with all smart phones! It is worth it! Logging caches on the phone using the website is very easy.

 

Chuck

[+stp1972]

1500 caches doesn't stress Geobeagle too badly, though the load times are long. Just copy either multiple GPX files or a single GPX file containing that number to the /download folder and tell it to import. If the files are newer than when it last scanned, it'll read them.

 

You can log "online" via text messages with the textmark facilitiy. It's integrated pretty well.

 

I have been happy with GeoBeagle on my Moto Droid, too, although the instructions for setting up the SMS textmark facility fail me. Specifically, the userid and pass that 41411 gives me is rejected when I follow the reg instructions here:

 

Using TextMarks for the first time

Send an SMS message "GEOC" to 41411

The response should give you a device identifier and pin to link to your Geocaching.com account.

Visit Geocaching.com and create an account (if you don't have one)

Visit your "my account" page and click on the "Access My Field Notes" link (on the right-hand side of the page)

Click on "Link Trimble's Geocache Navigator to your account." This is a general purpose link that works with SMS.

Enter in the device identifier from the SMS message and the pin provided to you to link to your account.

That's it! Any future SMS messages will work with your Groundspeak account on Geocaching.com

 

Source: Textmarks instructions from Coord.info

 

Thanks for any help getting me through the rejection at the "Link Trimble's Geocache Navigator" point.

 

Harold

[robertlipe]

Groundspeak's inconsistent directions and Android's "smart" link recognition may be consipiring against you. See http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/m...bab025444?hl=en

[+stp1972]

Groundspeak's inconsistent directions and Android's "smart" link recognition may be consipiring against you. See http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/m...bab025444?hl=en

 

Bingo! Adding the TM# got me past the reg hurdle.

 

Thanks.

[sbankston]

Groundspeak's inconsistent directions and Android's "smart" link recognition may be consipiring against you. See http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/m...bab025444?hl=en

 

Bingo! Adding the TM# got me past the reg hurdle.

 

Thanks.

 

whats a TM#?

[+vorticity]

The iPhone Geocaching App has a very cool feature that shows you any caches in the area you happen to be in without having to upload them ahead of time. Does Geobeagle have any such option? Any idea if Groundspeak is going to port the iPhone App to the Droid?

[+-Scarecrow-]

thanks for letting me in on adding the TM# as part of the device identifier, now it is recognized.

 

Question:

Is there a way to remove cache entries from my list of caches (shown on my droid/geobeagle list) once they have been logged as found? I would like to only see the caches that I have stored on the phone that I still need to find.

[+stp1972]

Groundspeak's inconsistent directions and Android's "smart" link recognition may be consipiring against you. See http://groups.google.com/group/geobeagle/m...bab025444?hl=en

 

Bingo! Adding the TM# got me past the reg hurdle.

 

Thanks.

 

whats a TM#?

 

I guess it stands for TextMark. My problem had been trying to register by entering only the supplied account numerals without the TM# prefix.

[+neisserj1]

thanks for letting me in on adding the TM# as part of the device identifier, now it is recognized.

 

Question:

Is there a way to remove cache entries from my list of caches (shown on my droid/geobeagle list) once they have been logged as found? I would like to only see the caches that I have stored on the phone that I still need to find.

Yes, go to the log press and hold the cache you want to delete a menu will come up. Select delete to clear the cache.

[+-Scarecrow-]

Thank you, that certainly isn't obvious. Seems like you should be about to click on the "X"; or once logged it should go away; or have something in the menu about deleting all found caches.

[+-Scarecrow-]

Next question... When I log that I have found a cache, shouldn't that show up at geocaching.com in my field notes? I select "log find" send the text message, receive back the confirmation that it was received... and then that's it, nothing else happens.

[MaryofCrestline]

I hope this is not considered "thread jacking" but I have a similar question regarding Droid use, but with this site's data specifically.

 

I found an app in the Droid market called "LocA". It mentions Groundspeak and seems to suggest you could get caches from this site onto your droid for your next expedition. I tried it but see nothing. Which makes me wonder...

 

Are there any Android apps that might let one search for the nearest cache to themselves, grabbing the data from this site directly?

[+CacheCruzers]

For those using GeoBeagle, I highly recommend you go to the project download page (http://code.google.com/p/geobeagle/downloads/list) and get a more current version than the market. These devs are doing some amazing things, including some powerful list filtering, offline logging and "favorites", new graphics and a lot more. They're working hard on getting things together for a market release, but I've found the 1.4.1 version to be very stable, even with a huge GPX file imported.

[MaryofCrestline]

For those using GeoBeagle, I highly recommend you go to the project download page (http://code.google.com/p/geobeagle/downloads/list) and get a more current version than the market. These devs are doing some amazing things, including some powerful list filtering, offline logging and "favorites", new graphics and a lot more. They're working hard on getting things together for a market release, but I've found the 1.4.1 version to be very stable, even with a huge GPX file imported.

 

Yeah. I found Geobeagle about 20 mins ago. Sad part is, I still gotta access a browser, navigate through the google map on the website (and try not to confuse the droid between when I wish to scroll/zoom on the map and when I am trying to scroll/zoom on the page itself) to find caches. Its a big PITA to me. Hoping this new program that the Geocache.com site creators come up come up with a better UI

[Crude]

GPS status is kinda nice, it gives you a compass, but in addition is gives you all kinds of gps related info including altitude and speed

[+nocturnalaviator]

I use an app [references to unauthorized application removed by moderator.]

Edited April 4, 2010 by Keystone

[+JohnE5]

For those using GeoBeagle, I highly recommend you go to the project download page (http://code.google.com/p/geobeagle/downloads/list) and get a more current version than the market. These devs are doing some amazing things, including some powerful list filtering, offline logging and "favorites", new graphics and a lot more. They're working hard on getting things together for a market release, but I've found the 1.4.1 version to be very stable, even with a huge GPX file imported.

 

Yeah. I found Geobeagle about 20 mins ago. Sad part is, I still gotta access a browser, navigate through the google map on the website (and try not to confuse the droid between when I wish to scroll/zoom on the map and when I am trying to scroll/zoom on the page itself) to find caches. Its a big PITA to me. Hoping this new program that the Geocache.com site creators come up come up with a better UI

Try downloading a Pocket query instead. It's much faster and has more details. Someone else address it in another forum/thread. I can't wait for the Geocaching for Android forum so that we can have central location of all this information.