GPS

[+mom21]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

[+NicknPapa]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

 

False. Smart phones use a combination of a few satellites and cell towers and work pretty well where there is good cell signal but if you get in a low reception area they don't work nearly as well. A hand held GPS uses all available satellites so it doesn't matter were the cell towers are.

Battery life is another factor, when using the smart phone in GPS mode they eat batteries.

If you ever decide to hide a cache you will definitely need to use a GPS, in fact if I understand the guidelines it is required.

[+Chief301]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

 

More like personal opinion...or more specifically, your personal caching style. I have been caching for several months with an iPhone 4 and I find it is plenty enough accurate for Geocaching (although I understand that the 4 is noticeably more accurate than the previous models). I just recently acquired a handheld Garmin and I used it for the first time this weekend, but I think there is a place for both depending the type of caching you do.

 

If you're into long hikes out in the boonies, then the handheld would be a better choice just for battery life and general ruggedness. If you do a lot of driving from cache to cache and have the opportunity to put it on a vehicle charger every once in awhile, the phone works fine. A protective case like the OtterBox Defender is pretty much a necessity if you want to take your phone out caching, though.

 

The main advantage of the iPhone app is it's generally less hassle to use than the GPS...more user friendly and intuitive, less of a learning curve if you're a newbie...the app makes it pretty simple. You can do spur-of-the-moment caching, whereas with the handheld device you have to do more planning ahead, i.e., downloading caches to the device before you go out. This isn't really difficult with Pocket Queries, but still rules out spontaneous caching. With the iPhone app, you also get the advantage of having hints, pictures, full descriptions, and recent logs available out in the field, which of course can be of great assistance. You can also log from the field if you are so inclined.

 

If you decide to go with the app, definitely up the $10 for the paid version, it's well worth the price.

Edited February 26, 2011 by Chief301

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Think about this: Just what would a FB user use a GPSr for? What would a FB user use a (I presume) iPhone for?

 

Then think about this: If they were geocachers, wouldn't they be geocaching instead of FB-ing?

 

iPhones will work, they work fairly well. A dedicated GPSr is... well, a dedicated GPSr, and they do such w/o worrying about texting, ringtones, or other apps, etc., etc.

 

Based on those questions and statements, I think you can easily formulate an answer to your question.

 

Truth: A goodly number of people use BOTH. It seems a phone is OK, but when push comes to shove, they apparently trust the GPSr more.

 

iPhone Pros:

in the field (current) internet connection (most of the time)

in field logging of finds

in field alerts and updates of cache placements

 

GPSr Pros:

much longer battery life -- carry cheap spares too!

(far) more durable device

(most all) totally waterproof

never is out of cell-phone reception area (it doesn't use it, right?)

many now hook w/computer to upload/download all necessary info

usually more accurate (argumentative)

[+LukeTrocity]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

 

False. Smart phones use a combination of a few satellites and cell towers and work pretty well where there is good cell signal but if you get in a low reception area they don't work nearly as well. A hand held GPS uses all available satellites so it doesn't matter were the cell towers are.

Battery life is another factor, when using the smart phone in GPS mode they eat batteries.

If you ever decide to hide a cache you will definitely need to use a GPS, in fact if I understand the guidelines it is required.

 

Most of your statement is totally false.

[+StarBrand]

If you cache like I do, your smartphopne will be trashed quick. They just aren't built to take bangs, drops and water that are a part of Geocaching and nature. A dedicated GPS unit tends to be more reliable in many circumstances and more precise.

 

The smartphone units are generally designed to get you close to an address in town - not a piece of tupperware deep in the woods.

[+TXHooligans]

if you already have the phone, get the app and get your own opinion. many here HATE cellphones like democrats and republicans..

 

we found lots of our earlier caches with a nuvi 500... another taboo thing, caching with a car gps.. but it does do paperless built in, ruggidized and you can get it wet. now we use a droid x and a droid 2. we only take the nuvi as a backup. we very seldom and i mean very seldom go where there is no cell service.. the droids are great...

 

yes.. there is a mode where they use cell phone towers to help get a lock, but you can turn it off and i reccomend you do.. then you have a gps chip with an antenna.. may not be exactly like a dedicated gps, but all the pieces are there very similar to a dedicated handheld unit.. along with a direct internet connection to download all the logs.. not just 5 you get with a pocket query

 

smart phones for the most part do just fine.. but they are not all equal. get on here and see what people think about the particular phone you are looking at getting or own.. some are great and some suck.

 

if you have a smartphone.. get the app and give it a whirl.. if you want a dedicated handheld, there are still many to choose from. the smart phone will make you happy till you can get one.

 

btw.. my droid x has a lanyard connection.. i keep it around my neck so i don't drop it.. which i have a few times.. still kickin..

Edited February 26, 2011 by TXHooligans

[+GrateBear]

Fact of life--if you cache long enough, you are going to drop whatever you are using to find caches. Odds are, a GPS unit built for trail use is going to survive with little damage. That smartphone that cost anywhere from $0 to $300 with a two year plan may just end up as useful as a brick. If you don't have insurance on the phone, it could be pricey to replace.

[sdarken]

My 2 cents worth.... If you already have an iPhone it would be fine to start geocaching with that and see if you like the game. Your only investment would be $10 for the app. If you get addicted to geocaching, invest in a handheld GPSr. It will be worth the additional investment to have something rugged. (The iPhone 4 is apparently more or accurate than an iPhone 3 but either would be ok to start).

[Team_P]

New to Geocaching and have been doing it with no GPS at all. Not a bad success rate but we downloaded a free app to my sons Ipod touch. All it does is search! We've not yet seen a compass or a cache. So we then upgraded to the £6 app and this comes up with the phrase "cannot connect to Geocaching.com". What are we doing wrong? Help - I've got 3 very disappointed kids and not the money to buy a GPS. Any advice appreciated.

[+BCandMsKitty]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

 

Way better than a hand held? False!

[+StarBrand]

New to Geocaching and have been doing it with no GPS at all. Not a bad success rate but we downloaded a free app to my sons Ipod touch. All it does is search! We've not yet seen a compass or a cache. So we then upgraded to the £6 app and this comes up with the phrase "cannot connect to Geocaching.com". What are we doing wrong? Help - I've got 3 very disappointed kids and not the money to buy a GPS. Any advice appreciated.

Were you within range of a wi-fi signal? The ipod touch can only coimmincate with the servers if you are. However, you can load up a Pocket Query and go wherever with it.

[+briansnat]

If you just cache around town and aren't far from a power source to recharge your phone, then a smart phone will perform nicely as long as you are careful with it.

 

If you want to experience all that geocaching has to offer, then a dedicated hand held GPS is a better choice.

 

I've yet to meet a serious geocacher who does not primarily use a dedicated hand held unit. I have met a lot who have smart phones as a backup, or for spur of the moment hunts, but when they're out for a day of caching they use the hand held.

 

This weekend I was at an event where there were over 100 geocachers and nearly every one was carrying Garmin Oregons, 60s and 62s and there were some eXplorists and DeLorme units. I didn't see more than a handful of cachers who were using smartphones.

[+Team BowMint]

Good Thread to read

 

Phones are fine for certain types of caching...

Edited February 28, 2011 by Team BowMint

[+Team BowMint]

I put a shout out on FB to see if anyone I knew geocached. Several people responded and one said "theres an app for that" and stated it was way better than a hand held. True, False or personal opinion? Just curious what the app would give us vs. the capabilities of the Magellan.

 

False. Smart phones use a combination of a few satellites and cell towers and work pretty well where there is good cell signal but if you get in a low reception area they don't work nearly as well. A hand held GPS uses all available satellites so it doesn't matter were the cell towers are.

Battery life is another factor, when using the smart phone in GPS mode they eat batteries.

If you ever decide to hide a cache you will definitely need to use a GPS, in fact if I understand the guidelines it is required.

Using my phone's GPS along with the APP GPS Status I usually get 10/10 sats and a GREAT signal... Battery life, however is a HUGE factor. I have an extended life battery for my Droid HTC and it will still run down. Fortunatley the type of caching we do now is car based so it stays plugged in en route... this helps.