iPhone "near cache" announcement and "found" missing

[marvw]

I just began Geocaching and love it. I downloaded the free iPhone App and tried it out. When I came close to a cache it would send an alert letting me know that. Also, when I got close it posted the word FOUND on the screen so once I found it I could tap it and let it know I found it, signed the log, and replaced it. I just bought the full App but when I approach a cache it does not send an alert and even when I stood right next to it the word FOUND never popped up. So how do I get the alert and how do I indicate I've found a cache, signed the log and replaced it? Thanks for any help you can give.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

How does it know that you found it?

If you are at the coords, but the cache is NOT THERE (as in missing, muggled, flooded, confiscated by police), would you want it still to say "found"? Whatever happened to DNF, not to mention other types of logs?

 

Others may disagree, but personally, I think you (we -- all of us) should still be allowed to make our own entries, rather than to have some programmer from wherever "pre-make" that decision for us.

 

Maybe that is why it was a free app -- OR -- you might have menu options that you missed.

[+Shawver83]

How does it know that you found it?

If you are at the coords, but the cache is NOT THERE (as in missing, muggled, flooded, confiscated by police), would you want it still to say "found"? Whatever happened to DNF, not to mention other types of logs?

 

Others may disagree, but personally, I think you (we -- all of us) should still be allowed to make our own entries, rather than to have some programmer from wherever "pre-make" that decision for us.

 

Maybe that is why it was a free app -- OR -- you might have menu options that you missed.

[+Shawver83]

I think that only the free app has the audible alert and the 'found' announcement on the screen. I started out with the free version and got the alert also, but when I upgraded to the paid app it doesn't do that any more.

[marvw]

Actually, Gitchee, the free app had the alert and the "Found" button. I'm less interested in the alert button, though I liked the idea it told me I was at least in the right direction, but I really want the found button on the paid app. That costs about 10 dollars and there's no reason it should not have something they supplied free. It makes it easy to instantly record your find and gives you a feeling that you've accomplished something. You can still write your log saying anything you want; the Found button just recorded on your own iPhone that you found it, signed the log and put it back in place.

 

If there is a button I am missing on the paid App that allows you to do that I'd love to know. On the free App it just appears when you're within a few feet of the cache.

-marvw

 

How does it know that you found it?

If you are at the coords, but the cache is NOT THERE (as in missing, muggled, flooded, confiscated by police), would you want it still to say "found"? Whatever happened to DNF, not to mention other types of logs?

 

Others may disagree, but personally, I think you (we -- all of us) should still be allowed to make our own entries, rather than to have some programmer from wherever "pre-make" that decision for us.

 

Maybe that is why it was a free app -- OR -- you might have menu options that you missed.

[+geodarts]

Duplicate removed

Edited March 27, 2011 by mulvaney

[+geodarts]

The free version of the app records a find but does not post that to your account on this site. The full version allows you to do that.

 

The "navigate" section lets you know you are gettong close. The Post a Log/Field Note records a find - or did not find, among other options - and allows you to post it to your geocaching account.

 

It has options to Log, post a message (don't forget to do this or your online log will be blank, which irritates some CO's), add a photo, and the like.

Edited March 27, 2011 by mulvaney

[+mpilchfamily]

There is no found button that will pop up to mark the cache found in the device. However you can hit the back button taking you back to the cache listing and scroll down. There you will find a Post a Log/Field Notes. This will allow you to go ahead and log in all the information you want to share about your find and then upload it to GC.com then or wait till later.

[+dfx]

Actually, Gitchee, the free app had the alert and the "Found" button. I'm less interested in the alert button, though I liked the idea it told me I was at least in the right direction, but I really want the found button on the paid app. That costs about 10 dollars and there's no reason it should not have something they supplied free. It makes it easy to instantly record your find and gives you a feeling that you've accomplished something. You can still write your log saying anything you want; the Found button just recorded on your own iPhone that you found it, signed the log and put it back in place.

 

I think you didn't quite get the gist of GG's post. Aside from the fact that the free app seems to provide functionality that the paid app doesn't, the point is this: The assumption that your phone, or any kind of GPS receiver for that matter, is able to tell when you're close to the cache is wrong. In the best case, it's only able to tell when you're close to the coordinates, but those don't necessarily have to coincide with the actual cache location (speaking of all caches types here, even traditionals). In a much more common case, it's only able to tell if you're close to some location that's somewhere around the posted coordinates, which again don't necessarily have to be the actual cache location. In other words: whatever GPS receiver you're using (i.e. your phone), it may think that you're now close to the cache when the cache is actually quite a bit of distance away, or alternatively it may think that you're not really close to the cache when you're actually standing right next to it. This has nothing to do with the application you're using, it's how every GPS receiver works.

 

And even if everything comes together and your GPS/phone thinks that it's at the right coordinates and the coordinates actually closely correspond to the cache location, the cache might actually just not be there at all. They tend to disappear, some more often than others. In that case, asking you to confirm that you've found it is quite silly, because there's nothing to be found.

Edited March 27, 2011 by dfx

[+Chief301]

The "Found" notification on the free app only lets you know that you've arrived at the location. That's only half the battle, you can't actually claim a find until you've located the container and signed the log. The intent of the game is to get the container in your hands, not to get the machine to say you're there.

 

Since you've gone ahead and purchased the paid app, do yourself a favor and just forget everything you know about the free app. I used it for only my first 3 or 4 finds before I quickly realized that the paid app is the way to go. The free app is not designed for serious Geocaching, it's really just a simple introduction to show absolute newbies what the game is about. Start playing around with the paid app, you'll quickly come to appreciate what a great tool it is for real caching. The ability to have cache description, hints, and recent logs available in the field, as well as attaching photos and logging from the field, make it the tool you'll want to use.

 

As far as actually using the app, when you want to log a find, just go back from the navigation page and scroll down near the bottom of the cache info page. Hit "Post a log/Field note". Enter your info and hit Save. If you want to upload it at that time to GC.com, hit Save & Send Log.

 

One thing you mentioned was not having the phone alert you when you're near the cache. Are you trying to navigate all the way to the cache with the map screen, by chance? Once you get in the vicinity of the cache it gets very difficult to pinpoint your location on the map. Better to tap the compass icon at the upper right of the navigation screen and bring up the compass screen. Follow the compass pointer to the cache location and watch the distance decreasing. That's how you'll know you've reached the spot, when the distance gets close to zero (don't expect it to read exactly zero most of the time, though, it may only get you as close as 5 or 10 feet). That's when you need to put the phone away and start looking.

 

Hope this has been helpful. Good luck!

[marvw]

You've all been an incredible help. My wife and I have been having a great time whether we can find the cache or not. It's only frustrating that the compass on my iPhone 3 is not that reliable. But I'll be upgrading to the 5 this summer. Still, it's already brought us to some places we never knew existed within blocks of where we are. So thanks everyone for your help.

-marvw

 

The "Found" notification on the free app only lets you know that you've arrived at the location. That's only half the battle, you can't actually claim a find until you've located the container and signed the log. The intent of the game is to get the container in your hands, not to get the machine to say you're there.

 

Since you've gone ahead and purchased the paid app, do yourself a favor and just forget everything you know about the free app. I used it for only my first 3 or 4 finds before I quickly realized that the paid app is the way to go. The free app is not designed for serious Geocaching, it's really just a simple introduction to show absolute newbies what the game is about. Start playing around with the paid app, you'll quickly come to appreciate what a great tool it is for real caching. The ability to have cache description, hints, and recent logs available in the field, as well as attaching photos and logging from the field, make it the tool you'll want to use.

 

As far as actually using the app, when you want to log a find, just go back from the navigation page and scroll down near the bottom of the cache info page. Hit "Post a log/Field note". Enter your info and hit Save. If you want to upload it at that time to GC.com, hit Save & Send Log.

 

One thing you mentioned was not having the phone alert you when you're near the cache. Are you trying to navigate all the way to the cache with the map screen, by chance? Once you get in the vicinity of the cache it gets very difficult to pinpoint your location on the map. Better to tap the compass icon at the upper right of the navigation screen and bring up the compass screen. Follow the compass pointer to the cache location and watch the distance decreasing. That's how you'll know you've reached the spot, when the distance gets close to zero (don't expect it to read exactly zero most of the time, though, it may only get you as close as 5 or 10 feet). That's when you need to put the phone away and start looking.

 

Hope this has been helpful. Good luck!

[+Student Camper]

Your phone app may tell you that you "found it" but until you sign the log, it hasn't happened.

The GPS is only going to get you 10/20 feet from GZ at best, from there, you're going to have to look for it, find it, and sign the log, then, and only then, has it happened.

[+geodarts]

It's only frustrating that the compass on my iPhone 3 is not that reliable

 

When I use my iphone 3gs, I pay a lot more attention to the map (including satellite imagery depending on the area). Read the description and the hints carefully since accuracy can vary a great deal. And to start, looking for easier hides with larger containers might be a good idea.

 

The iphone can be handy. But if you decide that this game is something you want to do on a regular basis then you might think about a handheld gpsr.

Edited March 28, 2011 by mulvaney