+flosser Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I am looking to upgrade my cell phone and wondered which android phone I could use for geocaching as well. I do have a hand held GPS but figured since I was getting a new phone I would get one I can use for geocaching too. I am not literate in this area and need to know what to look for. Do all phones have a GPS built in that can be used or do I need to look for a specific type, etc. Thanks Quote Link to comment
+Keith Watson Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I am partial to the Blackberry, but then I am also biased because I work for Research In Motion. A phone app is helpful when you are outside the range of what is loaded on your GPS and you want to find a few quick caches. It is also nice for getting up to the minute information about a cache. Make sure to not only check that the models you are looking at have a GPS built in, but also what restrictions the carrier may place on it. I have heard that some carriers may restrict the use of the GPS and or charge a fee to use it. Quote Link to comment
+Flintstone5611 Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 KW is absolutely right. Not all the phones that offer GPS are allowed to use it (at least for free). The iphone app from Groundspeak is quite well thought out (I have probably made a few hundred finds with it), but it doesn't refresh as quickly as a GPS (it uses cell phone signal to triangulate location). Also if you are not in an area with a signal, it will be difficult to refresh maps and info but i guess that is true for all phones that would be running data. I still use my iphone as a portable library while out caching. I wouldn't give up having all that remote info by my side. Quote Link to comment
KevBru Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I got a Blackberry Curve 8330 and the GPS on it isn't much and is very slow but has Geocaching software available. My girlfriend has the new Blackberry Bold. It's super fast and has great GPS capabilities however there is no Geocaching apps for it at this time. I guess it would all have to do with preference. Good luck! Quote Link to comment
+hurleyanne Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S, but have not yet had it out geocaching. I know there used to be issues with the GPS in these phones, but a bit of poking around indicates it was likely fixed in September. I'm looking forward to trying it out, and just got everything set up today to do so. There are some good free apps for geocaching out there - be sure to do a google search! Quote Link to comment
+mrcanoehead224 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I'm surprised Andronicus hasn't posted a reply yet. He's a local cacher and I believe uses his android phone exclusively, no handheld GPSr required. His profile is here if you wanted to contact him. Or on his forum signature, he mentions this link for How to use a SmartPhone as a Back Country GPSr (yes, it can be done!).. Quote Link to comment
7rxc Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I am partial to the Blackberry, but then I am also biased because I work for Research In Motion. A phone app is helpful when you are outside the range of what is loaded on your GPS and you want to find a few quick caches. It is also nice for getting up to the minute information about a cache. Make sure to not only check that the models you are looking at have a GPS built in, but also what restrictions the carrier may place on it. I have heard that some carriers may restrict the use of the GPS and or charge a fee to use it. I don't even have a cell phone at all... but I was wondering... Is the difference between those that have a 'real' GPSr built in, which should work even without coverage, and those that simply process cell site signals for location in a similar manner... Had a hard time figuring out how they could control a true GPSr, but understand how they could limit 'in house' signals... Doug 7rxc (VE7RXC) 73 Quote Link to comment
KevBru Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 I have an LG Shine plus which I am currently setting up for caching. GPSr is a bit out of my price range at this time and it seems as android may be a suitable tool at this time. Quote Link to comment
+northernpenguin Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 KW is absolutely right. Not all the phones that offer GPS are allowed to use it (at least for free). The iphone app from Groundspeak is quite well thought out (I have probably made a few hundred finds with it), but it doesn't refresh as quickly as a GPS (it uses cell phone signal to triangulate location). Also if you are not in an area with a signal, it will be difficult to refresh maps and info but i guess that is true for all phones that would be running data. I still use my iphone as a portable library while out caching. I wouldn't give up having all that remote info by my side. Not 100% correct. The iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4 have discreet GPS hardware, and will work without having a cellular signal. When 3G data is available, the devices will "cheat" and grab a faster initial lock using the aGPS provided. Cell tower triangulation is a last resort option, not the primary method of obtaining a location fix. Background apps like to use that method as it's more battery friendly. The iPhone 4 has noticably better GPS hardware than the 3GS (outperforms my Garmin Colorado, actually). The Groundspeak app itself has issues with refreshing GPS position (to test, switch to Google Maps or another GPS program and you'll see the position updating frequently). For using the iPhone when cellular data is not available, the GPS hardware will continue to function, and the Groundspeak app caches map tiles (just make sure you "look at" the map around the cache before heading out so those map tiles are cached by the app). I also use Navigon for street routing, which runs from the device memory and does not require a cellular signal at all - there are plans in the future for the Groundspeak Geocaching App to integrate (send waypoints to) Navigon too (according to a thread on UserVoice). Quote Link to comment
+Treknschmidt Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 My girlfriend has the new Blackberry Bold. It's super fast and has great GPS capabilities however there is no Geocaching apps for it at this time. There are a few apps available for the bold. I don't want to railroad the topic away from its original question so if you would like more info on this please feel free to contact me. Mrs T. Quote Link to comment
KevBru Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 My girlfriend has the new Blackberry Bold. It's super fast and has great GPS capabilities however there is no Geocaching apps for it at this time. There are a few apps available for the bold. I don't want to railroad the topic away from its original question so if you would like more info on this please feel free to contact me. Mrs T. That's fine she is using OS6 so that might be the problem as to why she is not finding any as of yet. However as I said I am now using an Android device and find the selection on it is great. Quote Link to comment
+Tequila Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I have always been a strong proponent of having a separate GPS. However, I have to agree with northernpenguin that the iPhone 4 is a great GPS; at least in most settings. I have not tried it in a heavy canopy. The Groundspeak app works much better with the iPhone 4. And there are several free geocaching apps that also enhance the experience. If you are not going to get a dedicated GPS, and if you don't absolutely need android, then I doubt you can beat the iPhone 4. Of course, if you wait a few months, you can get the iPhone 5 which is apparently going to offer dual processors. Quote Link to comment
+hurleyanne Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S, but have not yet had it out geocaching. I know there used to be issues with the GPS in these phones, but a bit of poking around indicates it was likely fixed in September. I'm looking forward to trying it out, and just got everything set up today to do so. There are some good free apps for geocaching out there - be sure to do a google search! Yesterday I tested out my phone on the highway and out geocaching. While driving, the unit sometimes lost GPS contact - once notably over a 20 km distance at highway speeds. I used c:geo to geocache - finding a cache I had previously spotted from my vehicle but couldn't retrieve due to muggles. c:geo indicated that the cache was still 4.5m away when at ground zero, so I'd say that's pretty much in line with most GPSrs. It did seem more prone to drift than my Oregon, though. Quote Link to comment
+Tequila Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Not sure where but in one of the forums, someone mentioned that Groundspeak had banned c:geo because it screen scrapes. I will try and find the reference. Quote Link to comment
+Tequila Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Here is the link: See post 25. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=265819&st=0&p=4573335&hl=c:geo&fromsearch=1entry4573335 Quote Link to comment
KevBru Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Based on the reviews I've seen on the Geocaching android app priced at 9.99$ for android users. It seems as they no longer support the app? I don't know if any of you use the app or not but I don't want to spend 10$ on an app that may crash or no longer have support. Currently I am using GeoBeagle and I haven't lost any signal as of yet. I haven't done any caches as of yet however I can say that this app looks promising. Quote Link to comment
+northernpenguin Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Well, the iPhone 4 earned it's backcountry stripes according to the CBC: http://mobilesyrup.com/2011/01/01/iphone-4-compass-credited-to-saving-snowboarders-lives/ Quote Link to comment
+GeoTrailGuy Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I'm also using a Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant) on Bell. Although I typically use my dedicated GPS, I've used the phone on a few occasions without any issue. As Northern Penguin noted, apps are either caching map tiles or are migrating in that direction so not having a data connection is becoming less important (so long as you remember to d/l the cache data Are you looking for an Android phone on a specific network? Quote Link to comment
+Gorak Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) I own, and have used, a few different Nokia devices for caching. I currently have an N8 (Symbian) but have also used an N900 (Maemo Linux), N97 (Symbian) and N800 (Maemo) in the past. Nokia smartphones have built in GPS and FREE maps from Navtech. You can access the maps live via cellular data (can be expensive if you don't have a decent data plan) or download the maps to the device and use the GPS in "offline" mode. I am currently using Geocaching Live (also free) for my geocaching app. The 12MP camera is also capable of geotagging photos. It also has a touch screen, HD quality movie camera (with HDMI output), externally accessible MicroSD that is hot-swappable and all of the other features you would expect on a high-end smartphone. Edited January 5, 2011 by Gorak Quote Link to comment
+hurleyanne Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Not sure where but in one of the forums, someone mentioned that Groundspeak had banned c:geo because it screen scrapes. I will try and find the reference. Seriously? Crap! Guess I'll solely be using my Oregon for caching then. Thanks for the heads up! Quote Link to comment
Red_Bandit Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 I own, and have used, a few different Nokia devices for caching. I currently have an N8 (Symbian) but have also used an N900 (Maemo Linux), N97 (Symbian) and N800 (Maemo) in the past. Nokia smartphones have built in GPS and FREE maps from Navtech. You can access the maps live via cellular data (can be expensive if you don't have a decent data plan) or download the maps to the device and use the GPS in "offline" mode. I am currently using Geocaching Live (also free) for my geocaching app. The 12MP camera is also capable of geotagging photos. It also has a touch screen, HD quality movie camera (with HDMI output), externally accessible MicroSD that is hot-swappable and all of the other features you would expect on a high-end smartphone. Hi Gorak, I am new to geocaching but I also have a Nokia N8 phone... can you please point me to the website where I can download "Geocaching Live" thanks Quote Link to comment
+Gorak Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 Hi Gorak, I am new to geocaching but I also have a Nokia N8 phone... can you please point me to the website where I can download "Geocaching Live" thanks http://live.geocaching.com/ Quote Link to comment
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