Geocaching with gps vs c:geo

[domromer]

since i started geocaching ive been using the c:geo app. i like the fact that i can search for caches around me. view a live map and store caches for later. the main problem is battery life. c:geo will burn up my battery in two hours. Ive been thinking of an all day motorcycle/geocashing trip and two hours of battery wont cut it. which has me thinking maybe i should get a gps. ive heard the battery life is much better. so im hoping someone can explain the differnces between geocaching with an app vs geo caching with a gps. This question seems especially timley since c:geo announced that they are shutting down.

[+StarBrand]

Dedicated GPS won't have 'live' access to the data.

 

Dedicated units can hold up to around 5000 caches or as little as 250.

 

Paperless units can hold all of the cache page data - simpler units just the basics.

 

Dedicated units tend to be far more accurate more consistently than smart phones.

 

Dedicated units have better anntenas and perform better under tree canopy - generally.

 

Dedicated units are not dependent on a cell signal.

 

Dedicated units have 10 to 30 hours of battery life.

[+EdrickV]

since i started geocaching ive been using the c:geo app. i like the fact that i can search for caches around me. view a live map and store caches for later. the main problem is battery life. c:geo will burn up my battery in two hours. Ive been thinking of an all day motorcycle/geocashing trip and two hours of battery wont cut it. which has me thinking maybe i should get a gps. ive heard the battery life is much better. so im hoping someone can explain the differnces between geocaching with an app vs geo caching with a gps. This question seems especially timley since c:geo announced that they are shutting down.

 

I think most of the hiking/geocaching type GPSes use AA batteries so when the batteries runs down you can simply replace them. On the other hand, they are very expensive new and not all of them come with decent maps. (I think on at least some Garmin units you have to get maps separately.) Don't know for sure, but if c:geo downloads maps on the fly through a data connection, then that might be part of your battery issue. My WM6.1 Tilt using a free GPS program (not geocaching specific, but with a moving map) had the GPS going for an hour and 43 minutes and I was still over 70% battery life IIRC. The phone was not using a data connection, and also wasn't using the backlight all the time.

 

A car type GPS (say a Garmin Nuvi type) would have similar battery issues, though I think the battery on the Nuvi I've used is supposed to last for 4 hours. When in the car I used a car power adapter, and am doing the same with my phone when using it for geocaching.

 

If your motorcycle has a cigarette jack, then get a car power adapter for your phone and you won't have battery issues unless you are away from the motorcycle for quite a while. You could also try using an app that does not require a data connection. And take a look at your backlight settings, the backlight can be a big power drain for many devices.

 

I recently bought CoPilot Live V8 for my Tilt since I do not have a data plan. I know they make a newer Android version, but I'm not sure it would work right for Geocaching since I've heard of issues importing custom POIs. The V8 one for Android (if still available) ought to be able to import TomTom .ov2 files easily, and the free GPSBabel can convert almost any POI file format (including .loc and .gpx) to just about any other format. Not sure the maps are all that up to date though.

 

Also keep in mind that the Geocaching website's "send to GPS" system only supports Garmin, Magellan, and Delorne GPSes. For my Tilt I use GPSBabel to convert multiple .loc files into one .ov2 file, a single .gpx file, and a single .loc file for use in different programs. CoPilot gets the .ov2, EasyGPS uses the .loc file, and NavComputer (which I may not keep much longer now that I've got CoPilot) gets the .gpx file.

[+briansnat]

Dedicated GPS won't have 'live' access to the data.

 

Dedicated units can hold up to around 5000 caches or as little as 250.

 

Paperless units can hold all of the cache page data - simpler units just the basics.

 

Dedicated units tend to be far more accurate more consistently than smart phones.

 

Dedicated units have better anntenas and perform better under tree canopy - generally.

 

Dedicated units are not dependent on a cell signal.

 

Dedicated units have 10 to 30 hours of battery life.

 

I think that about covers it. The big difference is that with a smart phone wherever you are, as long as you have cell reception, you have live cache data for your area. With the GPS you need to download it ahead of time and if you travel out of the area that you downloaded you have nothing, unless you have a laptop along to download more.

 

Then why would anyone want a dedicated handheld GPS? For many of the reasons Starbrand listed. Also durability and water resistance.

 

Note some of the newer units hold 10-12,000 caches

Edited July 11, 2011 by briansnat

[+taylor999]

If your only issue is battery life, then it is probably cheaper to look for spare batteries for your phone. For example, for my HTC Desire S, I have found a set of 3 spare batteries plus charger on eBay for around £10 (admittedly they are non-official batteries but they seem to be fine). The charger they come with allows recharging of the battery without it needing to be in the phone, so I can take a set of 4 full batteries out with me and they will last all day easily.

 

But if you want some of the benefits StarBrand sets out, such as increased accuracy especially in trees, it might be worth forking out.

 

FInally, as EdrickV says, you could try to manage your phone's battery life. The two main ways I do this are by downloading all the cache info before I head off (saving data connection battery) and by turning the screen brightness down (on my phone, the screen accounts for 80% of battery usage).

 

Hope that helps!

[+Ike 13]

I have a friend who has c:geo on his phone but only uses it to get live data of what caches he's around. If he wants to hunt usually he'll punch the coords in the phone. The phone seems to be decently accurate but varies on location. I think having a dedicated handheld and a smart phone is ideal. The dedicated GPS is more rugged and accurate and the phone will have live data and allow caching on the fly.

[+Aptly.Matched]

I have a friend who has c:geo on his phone but only uses it to get live data of what caches he's around. If he wants to hunt usually he'll punch the coords in the phone. The phone seems to be decently accurate but varies on location. I think having a dedicated handheld and a smart phone is ideal. The dedicated GPS is more rugged and accurate and the phone will have live data and allow caching on the fly.

 

While the combination is obviously more expensive, if you are already using an app on a smart phone and want to get a GPS, I would suggest using both. I do the above, I use my phone to find caches wherever I am, and then input the coords into my GPS unit. It's not as easy as having the caches preloaded into the GPS, but I can also travel wherever I like without having to preload the area. If need be, I also have access to the description, hint and logs.

 

Best of both worlds for me anyway.

[+Markwell]

Aside from the fact that the "Live Data" app you mention violates the terms of use?

[+PlumNuts]

I think that about covers it. The big difference is that with a smart phone wherever you are, as long as you have cell reception, you have live cache data for your area. With the GPS you need to download it ahead of time and if you travel out of the area that you downloaded you have nothing, unless you have a laptop along to download more.

 

Then why would anyone want a dedicated handheld GPS? For many of the reasons Starbrand listed. Also durability and water resistance.

 

Note some of the newer units hold 10-12,000 caches

 

Another option to a dedicated GPS unit is downloading custom POI's. I have loaded up to 20,000 caches so that if I do travel out of the area, I have access to more caches and don't have to bring a laptop.

[+JL_HSTRE]

If you run Pocket Queries then download them to your phone and use an app like GeoHunter (which is free) you can save battery life (I can usually get 6+ hours straight charging on my Motorola Droid) while still having all the data (size, D/T, description, hints, recent logs) in your device.

[+Desertphreak]

I am a c:geo user and love the app! It's what got me into Geocaching! It does, however, chew through my cell battery. My wife bought me a Brunton Restore Portable Power Device for my Birthday and it has been great! I haven't really used the solar panel functionality but a fully charged device adds several hours to my Geocaching adventures.

 

http://www.rei.com/product/800499/brunton-restore-portable-power-device

 

I still find the biggest, and most obvious, drawback to Geocaching with c:geo is when you are out on the hunt and leave cell phone range. You have to know your terrain and be prepared with a GPSr for backup. Even so, I wouldn't leave home without my c:geo!

[+akkatracker]

Depends where you are.