what mobile is best for geocaching

[SteepleDUB]

i would like as many people as possible to comment on this what u think is the best mobile to use for geocaching hope it brings help to alot of people...

[+sword fern]

Personally, I don't think geocaching with a smartphone is very good. It just doesn't give the full caching experience. In the few months that I have been caching with a smartphone, it turned out pretty bad. I lost my garmin 60csx in a high muggle area so i am reduced to using a droid. It was okay at first, then it started showing me about 400 feet from where it was last. I was like what? and a few weeks later, its just not showing up.

 

Now I am looking at some GPS options.

[+LukeTrocity]

Best is c: geo hands down. However it violates tos on the website.

 

Edit: You mean phone not app? Hmmm great question. Droid incredible has been very reliable

Edited May 1, 2011 by LukeTrocity

[+luvvinbird]

I actually saw a guy geocaching with an ipad. I read about this on an earlier post and never thought I would see it. Yes, he really did look like Moses.

[+sword fern]

Best is c: geo hands down. However it violates tos on the website.

 

I used to use c:geo. Itbwas an exceptionally okay app, but it broke down. It takes forever to load caches and the live map. And now the live map is not working.

[+LukeTrocity]

Best is c: geo hands down. However it violates tos on the website.

 

I used to use c:geo. Itbwas an exceptionally okay app, but it broke down. It takes forever to load caches and the live map. And now the live map is not working.

Because gc.com is broken. C geo is working fine, its the website thats broken

[+Har_D]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found caches show up. Very frustrating!

[+CacheFreakTim]

I have been using the iPhone 4 for the last year. It is very accurate, way more than the 3GS. I am almost always within 14 ft on ground zero.

[+LukeTrocity]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found cares show up. Very frustrating!

 

Fyi

Again a gc.com issue.

[+StarBrand]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found cares show up. Very frustrating!

 

Fyi

Again a gc.com issue.

In your opinion. I think I could successfully argue that users of that App and its wasteful screen scraping have added such an impact to the site that I can blame the App for the site issues.

[+Har_D]

From the reviews that I read concerning the gc.com mobile app it appears to have a lot of problems. C:geo at least works & is free. If gc.com would actually be worth the $ I would gladly pay it. Right now it is just a waste of money.

[+niraD]

I've been happy geocaching with my G1 and with my Nexus One. Like other smartphones, they are fragile and have poor battery life when compared to a dedicated handheld device. I've found their GPS reception to be comparable to that of my old yellow eTrex. All of them lose reception in difficult situations (e.g., under heavy tree cover in redwood forests), but are fine for geocaching in situations with a good view of the satellites. In areas with poor reception, you'll need the high-sensitivity receiver in a modern handheld unit.

 

I started out using GeoBeagle. It respects Groundspeak's TOU, and you can use it both for spur-of-the-moment geocaching (if you have a data connection) or for geocaching with PQ data (whether or not you have a data connection). It works well, and it's free (both like speech and like beer). And it doesn't break every time Groundspeak pushes an update to the geocaching.com site.

 

But I haven't really used GeoBeagle much since I started beta-testing Groundspeak's Geocaching app for Android. Some of the beta builds have been rather... quirky, but that's to be expected. The release versions have worked fine for me though.

 

But keep in mind the limitations of the phone. You aren't going to want to hold carry it in your hand while scrambling over rough terrain, and the battery won't last more than a few hours if you keep the GPS antenna on. I switch to my eTrex if the terrain is rough, or if I'm concerned about the battery life. Once I get to the cache location using the eTrex, I use the phone for paperless record-keeping and then put it away again.

[+LukeTrocity]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found cares show up. Very frustrating!

 

Fyi

Again a gc.com issue.

In your opinion. I think I could successfully argue that users of that App and its wasteful screen scraping have added such an impact to the site that I can blame the App for the site issues.

Yup, thats true. Except the app has been around for a long time and issues are recent.

[+Lieblweb]

My husband and I started with our iphone 4's a week ago and have found 58 caches so far. We've been learning the pros/cons. We've been hearing/reading how smartphones aren't all that great to use.

 

Just yesterday, our Explorist came in and had it out last night. My husband had the Explorist and I had my iphone. Honestly? We're not impressed with the Explorist. And perhaps its because the Explorist doesn't have the 3axis compass. The iphone does this VERY well. So already, we're looking for a better GPS unit with a 3axis compass in it.

 

So, the fact that we started with the iphones - we've concluded that its a lot better than people lead it to be. If you haven't used one, you can't say how bad it is.

 

The cons in using ihpone/smartphone: Battery life & lack of cell signal does prevent proper usage of the device. We've tried disabling all the extra goodies and even cell service but that only makes the thing slow & unresponsive.

 

Recommendations:

A smart phone for those basic caches & for immediate documentation online (when cell service is good)

A dedicated GPS for rugged areas or lack of cell service & longer caching outtings.

And - a GPS for your car to drive you to the general locations of your caches (we have a Nuvi 660).

Edited May 1, 2011 by Lieblweb

[+RobandtheGirls]

We weren't sure we'd like geocaching, so we paid the ten bucks for the app for my husbands iPhone 4. We have been having fun, but will be ordering a GPS unit soon. It works pretty well, but I think it is cheating a bit. We have Verizon, so our service is pretty consistent. I am not sure how well this would work if we were looking for less urban caches.

[szapf]

I wish to place some Geocaches ... how accurate is the iphone's coordinates for this? I fear my new goecache is going to be rejected due to inaccurate coordinates of my iphone. Should I get a more accurate device for this purpose, or is iphone sufficient? If a GPS, please advise on specific models. Thanks for helping this newbie! We are having such great fun!

[+RobandtheGirls]

Our very first cache was right on, since then it has been a few feet off. I wouldn't place with an iPhone 4G, just because I read that you shouldn't in the reviews.

[+LukeTrocity]

I wish to place some Geocaches ... how accurate is the iphone's coordinates for this? I fear my new goecache is going to be rejected due to inaccurate coordinates of my iphone. Should I get a more accurate device for this purpose, or is iphone sufficient? If a GPS, please advise on specific models. Thanks for helping this newbie! We are having such great fun!

If you are asking these questions I commend you. I would also encourage you to become a bit more familiar with your device and its accuracy before placing a geocache with it.

[+Lieblweb]

We weren't sure we'd like geocaching, so we paid the ten bucks for the app for my husbands iPhone 4. We have been having fun, but will be ordering a GPS unit soon. It works pretty well, but I think it is cheating a bit. We have Verizon, so our service is pretty consistent. I am not sure how well this would work if we were looking for less urban caches.

 

We were attempting some caches out in the sticks and while only having 1 bar signal, the iphones are virtually useless without signal. You might be able to turn off the cell signal (and other stuff) but your communications to Groundspeak is gone and even if you have pocket queries, the phone is slow as molasses. It DOES NOT work well without cell signal. If you enjoy the hobby, get yourself a dedicated GPS for both battery life & rural areas where cell signal is low.

 

Crap....How do I delete this post~???

Edited May 2, 2011 by Lieblweb

[+Lieblweb]

We weren't sure we'd like geocaching, so we paid the ten bucks for the app for my husbands iPhone 4. We have been having fun, but will be ordering a GPS unit soon. It works pretty well, but I think it is cheating a bit. We have Verizon, so our service is pretty consistent. I am not sure how well this would work if we were looking for less urban caches.

 

We were attempting some caches out in the sticks and while only having 1 bar signal, the iphones are virtually useless without signal. You might be able to turn off the cell signal (and other stuff) but your communications to Groundspeak is gone and even if you have pocket queries, the phone is slow as molasses. It DOES NOT work well without cell signal. If you enjoy the hobby, get yourself a dedicated GPS for both battery life & rural areas where cell signal is low. I would highly recommend getting a GPS with a 3axis compass. The iphone does this well. Having a GPS without that will be disappointing.

 

I wish to place some Geocaches ... how accurate is the iphone's coordinates for this? I fear my new goecache is going to be rejected due to inaccurate coordinates of my iphone. Should I get a more accurate device for this purpose, or is iphone sufficient? If a GPS, please advise on specific models. Thanks for helping this newbie! We are having such great fun!

 

Personally, in some attempts at hiding a couple caches - I would try to get coordinates from a GPS and not the phone. The iphone can be jumpy and if you use it, give it plenty of time to 'settle' before taking coordinates. Also - a good idea is to run some test hides and have your friends (with GPS's) find the test hides first before publishing.

 

I have a Garmin Nuvi 660 (which is a travel GPS - not a geocacher) that I've used to take more stable coordinates.

Edited May 2, 2011 by Lieblweb

[+RobandtheGirls]

Both my droid and my husbands iPhone were pretty jumpy this weekend. We had luck, but both had dead phones after fives caches. Will be ordering a gps soon.

[+Sol seaker]

I wish to place some Geocaches ... how accurate is the iphone's coordinates for this? I fear my new goecache is going to be rejected due to inaccurate coordinates of my iphone. Should I get a more accurate device for this purpose, or is iphone sufficient? If a GPS, please advise on specific models. Thanks for helping this newbie! We are having such great fun!

 

I had a friend who placed some caches with her I-phone. After trying to find a couple of them, we both drove around to all her caches and got new coordinates for them with my Garmin GPS.

One of her caches was over 100 feet off.

She now has a bottom-of-the-line Garmin like mine. Works great.

[+Mark+Karen]

i would like as many people as possible to comment on this what u think is the best mobile to use for geocaching hope it brings help to alot of people...

 

I'd say any with the official Groundspeak app, which is Android or iPhone. I don't know about the various Android offerings but only the iPhone 4 has the required GPS accuracy for a good geocaching experience.

[+Mark+Karen]

I wish to place some Geocaches ... how accurate is the iphone's coordinates for this? I fear my new goecache is going to be rejected due to inaccurate coordinates of my iphone. Should I get a more accurate device for this purpose, or is iphone sufficient? If a GPS, please advise on specific models. Thanks for helping this newbie! We are having such great fun!

 

Simple, if iPhone 4 then yes, it's fine, I've placed all my caches using this and not had any trouble.

iPhone 3G/3GS - no, not accurate enough.

 

But the reviewer won't be able to tell if your coordinates are accurate or not, that'll only happen when people try to find your cache.

 

Unfortunately there's still a view on this site that iPhone coordinates are poor - based on the 3G/3GS which were poor, that all changed with the iPhone 4, but most posters don't clarify which iPhone they have so it's still assumed that iPhone = inaccurate.

 

*I've no doubt that a 'proper' GPS will be more accurate than an iPhone 4 however in most situations the iPhone is perfectly adequate for finding and placing caches.

[+darknight*]

We used an iphone 4 anfd the gc app at first and found it to be very good and accurate, despite what others say, but we also bought a 62s and comparing the 2 you can see its way more acurate than the phone, but we always got to about 6 foot with the phone, but it would deviate while you were looking around, and if you look it has an acuracy reading of anything from 3 to 30 metres!!

We now only use the 62s for caches, but will upload and search for new caches while out in the field with the phone, which is a bonus, and of course only hide caches with a gps.

All in all i will still use the phone, for random cacheswhen your out and about, and i love its interface, so really both are very usefull in there own rights, i think you can happily find caches on a phone, but should leave placing to a real gps for accuracy

[+Fianccetto]

I use an Android (htc wildfire - husband has one too, but sure what he uses) and it's great. It has taken a bit of time to get used to compared to a GPS, but it has a number of advantages compared to the GPS we have (a Garmin Oregon 400).

 

- We can be anywhere and decide to see what caches are nearby. OK so it can take a few minutes to get to the map for the first time, or the 'Nearby' list on c:geo, so we do that in the car, or pub, or cafe before setting off. Sometimes I might have a look on the PC before setting off to get a general idea which does help, but there is no need to download anything at home, and if our plans change we can be flexible about what we hunt for.

- The battery in the phone lasts at least as long as the GPS if the wireless networking is off and I'm careful to conserve power.

- we use the satellite Google map as opposed to the basic (and clunky) Garmin maps. People have complained about c:geo/phones being slow, but we've found it faster than the GPS.

- I've not experienced interference from tree coverage with the phone the way I have with the GPS.

- I carry the phone anyway, and it does a lot of other things, like take photos & film clips, as well as the caching. The Oregon is a lot bigger and won't easily fit into a pocket the same way, so can be awkward, and it's an extra thing to have to deal with. We can also log when we find a cache straight away, which is great on holiday, saves trying to do it all a week late. Can't figure out how to log trackables on the phone though, so sometimes we do that by adding a note (from home) or sometimes we leave it all until we get home.

- The gps is in the geobag as a backup in case we lose power or connection & get lost. If we were to go somewhere remote, we'd be using it no doubt, and have the phones charged for phoning and backup. We've not had call to use the gps as backup yet.

 

We do have a GPS in the car as well, so that gets us to parking in the general area we can walk from.

[+briansnat]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found caches show up. Very frustrating!

 

As Luke Trocity alluded to, the C:Geo app violates the terms of use of this website. Using it could potentially result in your account being banned.

[+Fianccetto]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found caches show up. Very frustrating!

 

As Luke Trocity alluded to, the C:Geo app violates the terms of use of this website. Using it could potentially result in your account being banned.

 

Oh!

 

Why is that?

[+Mr Fireman]

I use my HTC EVO with c:geo. It seems to work pretty well for me. Sometimes the coords are dead on & other times I'm way off. I don't have the spare change to spend on a gpsr right now do this will have to do for now. C:geo does the job but it links with the old maps so all my found caches show up. Very frustrating!

 

As Luke Trocity alluded to, the C:Geo app violates the terms of use of this website. Using it could potentially result in your account being banned.

 

Why does C-Geo violate the terms of use for this website and what can be done to correct this so that we may use this app, because it is an awesome app since geocaching.com does not currently have a mobile version to use that I have found.? Does it violate the TOU because your not buying geocaching.com App and there loosing money? I think the app from geocaching.com should be free to premium members since we already pay a "premium member" fee!!!

Edited May 3, 2011 by Mr Fireman

[+nittanycopa]

I use an iPhone 4 and love its "grab and go" functionality. I also have an eTrex but don't use it very often and usually use it as a backup to the phone.

 

Sure, a $400 GPS would be nice, but I can think of about $1000 worth of sporting gear that would be incredibly more useful in finding caches. And the phone has been accurate and sturdy through 400+ finds and a couple hides, so I have no complaints.

 

Some people seem to have a hobby of scoffing at smartphone users. Scoff away. I like mine.

[+Bearsden Boxers]

I've been using an HTC HD2 for the past 2 years and it has been great. I use a Power Monkey for extra battery and download all the caches onto Memory Map, before setting out. I do not use a geocaching program in case it breaches the GC TOU, but if I did I would use GeoScout from Woodpecker software. Apparently it is brilliant and is a true all-in-one application.

 

The only problem I have found with using a smartphone is the issue of static navigation. The HD2 suffers from this, as did my Nokia N95. Having said that, using the hint usually gets you to the right spot so it is not a major issue.

[+niraD]

Why does C-Geo violate the terms of use for this website

According to section 5 of Groundspeak's terms of use, "You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission."

 

The c:geo app scrapes the geocaching.com site.

 

and what can be done to correct this so that we may use this app, because it is an awesome app

According to info posted on the feedback site, Groundspeak is working on a public API. Once a public API is released, if the author of c:geo stops scraping the geocaching.com site and switches to the public API, then you can use c:geo without violating the TOU.

 

since geocaching.com does not currently have a mobile version to use that I have found.?

The app is called "Geocaching" and I can find it pretty easily on the Android market.

 

Does it violate the TOU because your not buying geocaching.com App and there loosing money?

No. There are other third-party apps that respect the TOU. Before I switched to the Groundspeak app, I used GeoBeagle, which works both for spur-of-the-moment geocaching (with a data connection) or for geocaching with PQ data (with or without a data connection). GeoBeagle respects Groundspeak's TOU, and is free (both like beer and like speech).

[+Fianccetto]

Why does C-Geo violate the terms of use for this website

According to section 5 of Groundspeak's terms of use, "You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission."

 

The c:geo app scrapes the geocaching.com site.

 

 

Thanks. Hadn't realised Groundspeak hadn't given permission.

 

*sigh*

[+LukeTrocity]

Why does C-Geo violate the terms of use for this website

According to section 5 of Groundspeak's terms of use, "You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission."

 

The c:geo app scrapes the geocaching.com site.

 

 

Thanks. Hadn't realised Groundspeak hadn't given permission.

 

*sigh*

Hopefully this will be fixed after the api is ready. Competition is a good thing...keeps everyone sharp.

[+dfx]

Hopefully this will be fixed after the api is ready. Competition is a good thing...keeps everyone sharp.

 

I don't think Groundspeak has any interest in that sort of competition though

[+Mr Fireman]

Why does C-Geo violate the terms of use for this website

According to section 5 of Groundspeak's terms of use, "You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission."

 

The c:geo app scrapes the geocaching.com site.

 

and what can be done to correct this so that we may use this app, because it is an awesome app

According to info posted on the feedback site, Groundspeak is working on a public API. Once a public API is released, if the author of c:geo stops scraping the geocaching.com site and switches to the public API, then you can use c:geo without violating the TOU.

 

since geocaching.com does not currently have a mobile version to use that I have found.?

The app is called "Geocaching" and I can find it pretty easily on the Android market.

 

Does it violate the TOU because your not buying geocaching.com App and there loosing money?

No. There are other third-party apps that respect the TOU. Before I switched to the Groundspeak app, I used GeoBeagle, which works both for spur-of-the-moment geocaching (with a data connection) or for geocaching with PQ data (with or without a data connection). GeoBeagle respects Groundspeak's TOU, and is free (both like beer and like speech).

 

Im sorry, I mistated what I meant to say, when I said that geocaching does not have a mobile version of the site....what I meant was there is not a FREE app to use, it cost 9.99 and C-Geo is FREE

[NordicMan]

Im sorry, I mistated what I meant to say, when I said that geocaching does not have a mobile version of the site....what I meant was there is not a FREE app to use, it cost 9.99 and C-Geo is FREE

Kinda like how a stolen candy bar is tastier than a paid for one?

[+Mark+Karen]

I don't see why it should be free. Groundspeak put a lot of money into running all the servers for us, servers don't run on goodwill alone, they need cash, and lots of it. Plus the people working on the website and looking after the servers need to pay their mortgage etc etc.

 

So £20 a year for a premium membership and a one off £5.99 for an app seem excellent value to me considering how much time I spend on the hobby.

[+Mark+Karen]

I use an iPhone 4 and love its "grab and go" functionality. I also have an eTrex but don't use it very often and usually use it as a backup to the phone.

 

Yep, I always have my phone with me, so I can always go caching. As long as I have a signal, which can be rather problematic at times. Of course if I know where I'm going in advance I can download a pocket query to use offline.

[NordicMan]

I really think the "smartphone + a rugged outdoor GPSr" combination makes the absolute best sense for Geocaching as long as you don't mind having 2 devices. In combo usage, the outdoor GPSr only needs to be a very basic cheap model, no maps or anything, just a good sensitive receiver.

 

I just wish the makers would devise a method to wirelessly transfer coordinate data from the smartphone to the GPSr that'd be sweet! & I'm sure we'll see that ability sooner or later.

[+Mr Fireman]

I already pay $30 annually for a premium membership and dont think premium members should have to pay to use the app. for a website that we have already paid to use online....and how is anyone suppose to know if an APP "scrapes" a website or not.?. and who said anything about a stolen candy bar, where the crap did that come from, if there are 2 services that offer the same stuff and one is free and the other you have to pay for then dang right im going to choose the free one, what red blooded person wouldnt?

[+niraD]

if there are 2 services that offer the same stuff and one is free and the other you have to pay for then dang right im going to choose the free one, what red blooded person wouldnt?

Probably the same ones who refuse to by a Rolex for only $100 from a guy who "knows someone".

[+Lieblweb]

I just wish the makers would devise a method to wirelessly transfer coordinate data from the smartphone to the GPSr that'd be sweet! & I'm sure we'll see that ability sooner or later.

 

That's funny... I'd asked my husband something similar to this a while ago. I said, "They need to develope a 'jumper' cable that plugs into your GPS and into your phone so you can transfer data while out in the field"

 

I'm sure better advancements (like this) will come in the future.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Lieblweb

[+Mr Fireman]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

[+LukeTrocity]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

You could always use "geobeagle" if you're on android. It respects tos and is free.

Edited May 4, 2011 by LukeTrocity

[+niraD]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

If all you're doing is accessing the web site, then just open www.geocaching.com in the Android browser.

[+number11368]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

If all you're doing is accessing the web site, then just open www.geocaching.com in the Android browser.

 

Nice non-solution. That IS all you're doing with GC.com's official app, so as far as GC.com's concerned, logistically, there IS no difference between opening the website in a browser, and opening it in a mobile app.

 

edit THEIR mobile app. And of course, paying for something else.

Edited May 5, 2011 by number11368

[+niraD]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

If all you're doing is accessing the web site, then just open www.geocaching.com in the Android browser.

Nice non-solution. That IS all you're doing with GC.com's official app, so as far as GC.com's concerned, logistically, there IS no difference between opening the website in a browser, and opening it in a mobile app.

That hasn't been my experience with Groundspeak's app, or with GeoBeagle. Both are different from (and better than) simply opening the site in the Android browser.

[+Har_D]

It looks like the problem with C:geo isn't an issue anymore. Since gc.com's update c:geo force closes every time I try to open it. I'm trying to use geo beagle now & i have realized how spoiled I was with cgeo. It was sooo easy to use!

[+number11368]

Im sorry, i just cant see being charged twice to use the same website, thats basically all your doing with the App is accessing the website.

If all you're doing is accessing the web site, then just open www.geocaching.com in the Android browser.

Nice non-solution. That IS all you're doing with GC.com's official app, so as far as GC.com's concerned, logistically, there IS no difference between opening the website in a browser, and opening it in a mobile app.

That hasn't been my experience with Groundspeak's app, or with GeoBeagle. Both are different from (and better than) simply opening the site in the Android browser.

 

What? Are you reading what's posted before replying? Or are you just replying to yourself?

 

YES, I am sure that using GS's app is different than simply opening a browser and viewing GC.com. I am not arguing that.

You are missing the point.

As far as traffic's concerned, keeping the amount of traffic to/from GC.com in mind, there should be no difference between accessing the data on the site from an app that's pulling cache coordinate information, and accessing and viewing the data on GC.com from a web browser.

With that in mind, Yes, you are paying twice to access the same info.

 

Again, a non-answer from you niraD.