Have I been spoiled by my phone app?

[katyblue04]

I only use my smartphone and the c:geo app, but I'm wondering if there are any handheld gps units that are similar? Is there one that out of the box you turn it on and can locate nearby caches on a live map? Or do they all need to have downloaded caches? Have I been spoiled by the app? My mom just bought a Garmin Venture, but it doesn't show streets on the map, or even caches nearby. She has to download specific caches and write down any details before she heads out. When she finds one, it isn't synched up to this website, it logs her find at some other(lame!) website?!?! I can just use my phone anywhere I go, and I have all the info I need. Is the app really "better" than the gps unit that is made for geocaching?? I think my mom might be envious of my phone...

[+Panther&Pine]

A PM, GSAK, a GPS that plugs into your computer and an SD chip is a great combo of things to work with.

 

Edit: not getting into the c:geo issue. Someone with a canned response can respond to that.

 

Edit2: I really doubt her GPS is logging on its own.

Edited July 27, 2011 by MooseJawSpruce

[+splashy]

Many smartphone Gps apps are lightyears ahead of dedicated Gps'es.

[+mrcanoehead224]

I only use my smartphone and the c:geo app, but I'm wondering if there are any handheld gps units that are similar? Is there one that out of the box you turn it on and can locate nearby caches on a live map? Or do they all need to have downloaded caches? Have I been spoiled by the app? My mom just bought a Garmin Venture, but it doesn't show streets on the map, or even caches nearby. She has to download specific caches and write down any details before she heads out. When she finds one, it isn't synched up to this website, it logs her find at some other(lame!) website?!?! I can just use my phone anywhere I go, and I have all the info I need. Is the app really "better" than the gps unit that is made for geocaching?? I think my mom might be envious of my phone...

 

A PM, GSAK, a GPS that plugs into your computer and an SD chip is a great combo of things to work with.

 

Edit: not getting into the c:geo issue. Someone with a canned response can respond to that.

 

Edit2: I really doubt her GPS is logging on its own.

GSAK! my favourite software ever.

 

I also won't wade into the c:geo issue, you can search the forums and get more than enough info that way.

 

As for the Garmin Venture, it might be uploading field notes to opencaching.com [Garmin's own attempt at a caching site - not to be confused with opencaching.org, an open source site].

 

Regarding the debate of what's better; phone with app or dedicated GPSr? Depends on your usage, I have a friend with an iPhone who uses it to look up close caches when he's in a new area. Convenient, yes. Myself, I spend a fair bit of time out of town. When I'm on the side of a mountain I want something a bit more rugged with trail and topo maps. Also something with batteries I can swap out if they die.

 

Additionally, the accuracy when placing caches using smart phones is not the best. You are likely to draw the ire of some cachers if you decide to hide a cache with just your phone.

 

Basically it come down to your preference. I like what I've got, you like what you've got. We're both having fun and that's what it's about for me.

[+geodarts]

It depends on what you want. I would be enormously frustrated if I did not have a mapping gps that worked fine 60 miles from nowhere; and a pocket query that let me see a thousand caches deep. But some of the smartphone apps I use come in handy. I suspect c:geo has gotten way too much attention for most of us to want to touch it.

[+t4e]

I only use my smartphone and the c:geo app, but I'm wondering if there are any handheld gps units that are similar? Is there one that out of the box you turn it on and can locate nearby caches on a live map? Or do they all need to have downloaded caches? Have I been spoiled by the app? My mom just bought a Garmin Venture, but it doesn't show streets on the map, or even caches nearby. She has to download specific caches and write down any details before she heads out. When she finds one, it isn't synched up to this website, it logs her find at some other(lame!) website?!?! I can just use my phone anywhere I go, and I have all the info I need. Is the app really "better" than the gps unit that is made for geocaching?? I think my mom might be envious of my phone...

 

not spoiled, i would say to the contrary

 

there isn't yet a GPS with internet connection to pull caches on demand but as mentioned by others a $30/year Premium Membership will give you Pocket Queries

 

now lets see $30/year Premium Membership vs $600/year (assuming an extremely low and unlikely $50/month) for your Data Plan

 

furthermore there are plenty of free maps out there or get the Birdseye or similar that will show you streets, very cheap

Edited July 28, 2011 by t4e

[+SeekerOfTheWay]

I have used c:geo and it's a great app. But a handheld GPS is much more durable and the batteries last miles longer. Just load your GPS up with 1000-2000 caches and you'll be all set.

 

Do the same if you travel and it is like having the app. The only thing I use my phone for is turn by turn to cache location, logging and, if I need help, reading past logs.

 

You can get a good inexpensive handheld GPS and rechargeable batteries.

 

Especially if you like hiking, Kayaking and high terrain caches you will want a real GPS. Just the back track feature on a Garmin is worth it!

 

I went on a kayak cache and lost cell signal into the paddle, and not far. Also, I want to have a fully charged phone in case I need rescue.

Edited July 28, 2011 by SeekerOfTheWay

[katyblue04]

This has all been very helpful, thank you all!! I will be forwarding this to my mom. But, as I'm the more technology minded person, she'll just read it and say "Ok, so what does it means and how do I do that?" lol. I am happy with using my phone because with only 36 finds under my belt, I'm clearly not (yet!) an avid cacher!! I wouldn't want to plan ahead, it's easier for me to turn on the app and scan to see if there is anything nearby when I'm trying to kill time somewhere. (I will go read about the c:geo issues!)

 

But my mom is turning into quite the "pro." I use the term lightly because although she has over 150 finds and has even hid her first cache, she is enthusiastic but still learning the ropes. Can someone help me walk through how to make her Garmin Venture more awesome? I don't know what PM or GSAK are. Does her handheld unit take a SD chip like in my phone, to hold more memory?

 

She is a premium member, so what exactly are the pocket queries? How do I help her get a map with more street detail? Where do I find free maps? We live in the SF Bay Area, not too much rural/hiking/rugged caching going on!

 

And yes, it's going to Garmin's site- opencaching.com, which my mom says she hates. Is there a way to change that and have this website be the default? Am I correct that she will still need to write/type out any details of the caches she hopes to find? (Please let me know if I should move this over to a newbie board that would be more appropriate!)

[+t4e]

This has all been very helpful, thank you all!! I will be forwarding this to my mom. But, as I'm the more technology minded person, she'll just read it and say "Ok, so what does it means and how do I do that?" lol. I am happy with using my phone because with only 36 finds under my belt, I'm clearly not (yet!) an avid cacher!! I wouldn't want to plan ahead, it's easier for me to turn on the app and scan to see if there is anything nearby when I'm trying to kill time somewhere. (I will go read about the c:geo issues!)

 

But my mom is turning into quite the "pro." I use the term lightly because although she has over 150 finds and has even hid her first cache, she is enthusiastic but still learning the ropes. Can someone help me walk through how to make her Garmin Venture more awesome? I don't know what PM or GSAK are. Does her handheld unit take a SD chip like in my phone, to hold more memory?

 

She is a premium member, so what exactly are the pocket queries? How do I help her get a map with more street detail? Where do I find free maps? We live in the SF Bay Area, not too much rural/hiking/rugged caching going on!

 

And yes, it's going to Garmin's site- opencaching.com, which my mom says she hates. Is there a way to change that and have this website be the default? Am I correct that she will still need to write/type out any details of the caches she hopes to find? (Please let me know if I should move this over to a newbie board that would be more appropriate!)

 

first of all the Venture is a very basic, entry level, model GPS, doesn't have as many features as other more advanced handhelds

also when you say "Venture" that is a very broad term, there are 7 different models with various capabilities

 

here's a comparison list, scroll down to Venture and see for yourself the differences

 

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mdVgMEjub5QJ:www.gpscentral.ca/products/handheldgpscomparison.htm+gps+comparison&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.ca

 

so the answer to the rest of your questions depends largely on the specific model she has

if it supports paperless she will not have to write up any details the Pocket Queries will provide that

 

some Venture models have an expansion slot for micro SD card

 

as a side note, pretty much anything you need to know is in the Knowledge Books

[+user13371]

... lets see $30/year Premium Membership vs $600/year (assuming an extremely low and unlikely $50/month) for your Data Plan

Wow, really? You're implying someone would be paying their entire smartphone bill just for geocaching?

 

That's amazingly bad logic, as folks with smartphones typically use them for more than geocaching. When you figure out your own expenses for Geocaching, do you also roll in your entire electric bill, internet service bill, insurance/fuel/maintenance on your car, etc?

 

To answer the OP directly -- yes, it's easy to be spoiled by the convenience of a smartphone, but there are some things a dedicated GPS do better. Most of those (better accuracy, better battery life, more rugged/weatherproof) matter more to a serious cacher/outdoorsy type. And sometimes also to the poseur who usually only goes for urban caches but would like to seem the more rugged sort.

 

If you and/or your Mum are mainly out for urban caches and the occasional city park, a smartphone is a fine tool for geocaching and a lot of other activities. When you find yourself going further afield, you might find a solid dedicated GPS is helpful -- and you can still carry your smartphone loaded with cache data.

[+michaelnel]

I have an HTC Inspire 4G (Android) phone with the Geocaching.com app, an Otterbox Defender Series case, and an external 4800mAh battery pack. In the Otterbox it's as rugged as a handheld GPSR (if not more so), the external battery pack gives me more runtime than most GPSRs, and the gc app works better than the firmware in any GPSR I have seen.

 

My only criticism really is that the screen is hard to read in bright sunlight, but I can still read it if I shade it with my hand. In shade or overcast the display is gorgeous (4.3" and 480x800 pixels, vs the Garmin Montana's 4" 272x480 pixels). The Montana's display wins by a mile for bright sunlight readability, but falls short in every other respect.

 

I can download cache info at 4G data speeds or preload gpx files from pocket queries at home. If I've had the foresight to load the PQs at home it doesn't matter if I don't have cell coverage onsite when caching, but since I am mostly an urban cacher I almost always have cell coverage.

 

Accuracy seems on a par with the Montana (OK, but not outstanding). Neither is as accurate as my GPSMap 60csx or 62S GPSRs.

 

On-road GPS capabilities using Google's "Navigation" app are FAR, FAR superior to using Garmin's City Navigator on a Montana. You don't have to buy maps for the phone either.

 

All this, plus an 8MP camera that has a flash and can do 720P HD movies, a terrific fast phone that has superb internet capabilities, in a package way smaller and lighter than a Montana.

 

The more I use this phone, the less I miss my Garmin Montana which is now headed back to me via the slowest and cheapest method Garmin could find. I think the days of dedicated GPSRs are numbered. If I were at Garmin I don't think I'd be buying any green bananas.

[+CacheFreakTim]

I am spoiled when it comes to my iPhone. Every time I have to fire up GSAK to load caches to my handheld it is such a pain. The convince factor of the iPhone is a huge plus. I personally believe that smartphones will overtake handheld GPS units within 5 years or so.

[+user13371]

...Every time I have to fire up GSAK to load caches to my handheld it is such a pain...

I actually use GoeSphere on my iPhone in lieu of GSAK. I have a handful of queries that let me load a few thousand caches to the phone -- then filter that down to 400-500 or so that I want loaded on the Garmin for any given day. Geosphere lets me export the filtered list as a GPX file back to my computer to load on the GPS. Works for me but might not work for someone who is using some more advanced GSAK macros.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+t4e]

Every time I have to fire up GSAK to load caches to my handheld it is such a pain.

 

why do you need GSAK?..i've been caching paperless for 3 years now and never used GSAK, cumbersome little sucker of a program that is

 

I personally believe that smartphones will overtake handheld GPS units within 5 years or so.

 

meh, no way

 

and if by any dumb luck it does happen we are pretty much doomed lol

 

i can't help laughing at peeps with smartphones getting out of the car and darting in the totally wrong direction

Edited July 29, 2011 by t4e

[+ngrrfan]

I am spoiled when it comes to my iPhone. Every time I have to fire up GSAK to load caches to my handheld it is such a pain. The convince factor of the iPhone is a huge plus. I personally believe that smartphones will overtake handheld GPS units within 5 years or so.

Tell ya what.... bring your smartphone out here and let me take you out to some caches areas and I bet you can't find the cache but I can with my trusty GPSr. And one location is right in town.

[+MrCJDL]

I'm in the smartphone/app camp. I have an iPhone 4, I've found the GPSr chip in it to be more than adequate at finding caches. It's usually accurate to either 32/16 feet. Where it's not so accurate (heavy tree coverage, etc) I suspect that a dedicated GPSr would be the same.

 

The way the phone works is that the aGPS (i.e. assisted GPS, using cell triangulation) allows a quick fix, then the GPSr takes over and gets a more accurate fix. I first figure out roughly where i'm going, then once I get fairly close to GZ, I fire up the app, give it a few seconds to get a fix (or up to 30 seconds with no cell coverage), then 'follow the arrow' to GZ.

 

Previously, I could 'save' the cache listing to the device, so I'd have the description, logs, hint, pics etc... and I'd also download the maps using the (free) MotionX GPS app for those areas where I knew or suspected I'd have no cell coverage - but of course the GPSr chip doesn't NEED data service to work.

 

Now, with the new version of the app it allows me to download the maps for 'offline' use, save lists, PQs, etc. I'm yet to see a convincing argument as to why I might / should need to spend a further £100-£150 ($150-200 ish) on a dedicated GPSr ??

 

At this point, I should point out that I live in Scotland, not quite in the middle of nowhere, but a lot of the caches I go for are rural, rather than urban, and are in areas with low or no cell/data coverage - yet the app/GPS part of the phone, still works perfectly - In fact, i'd say that most of the DNFs have been urban caches, where cell coverage is excellent !

 

So, ngrrfan, I'd take you up on that challenge... if I weren't ~4500miles away

Edited July 29, 2011 by cjdl

[+user13371]

bring your smartphone out here and let me take you out to some caches areas and I bet you can't find the cache but I can with my trusty GPSr. And one location is right in town.

interesting idea. Do you need a specific brand or model of GPS to find some of those?

 

Chirp capable or a Wherigo player? Neither of those are exclusively the province of Garmin units anymore, but I'm wondering if you had something else in mind.

Edited July 30, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+ARHogFanz]

I'm an ex c:geo user. I've got the Droid2 & the official GS app. I also have a Garmin Rhino at my disposal. I've gotten several caches out in a national forest where there's no cell service using my Droid. The trick is to save all of the caches you want to go after in an offline list in the app before you go; then you just pull them up. I've put the Droid & Rhino side by side & can't tell a measurable diference. The only bad side is that it sucks my battery down so I keep a car charger with me.

[tradertodd]

I'm an ex c:geo user. I've got the Droid2 & the official GS app. I also have a Garmin Rhino at my disposal. I've gotten several caches out in a national forest where there's no cell service using my Droid. The trick is to save all of the caches you want to go after in an offline list in the app before you go; then you just pull them up. I've put the Droid & Rhino side by side & can't tell a measurable diference. The only bad side is that it sucks my battery down so I keep a car charger with me.

 

I am in the same boat as you. I just purchased the official GC phone app for my Droid 2. I am also an ex c:geo user. I'm just wondering if my change will help with the ability of the GPS in our phones to be more accurate. As far as you have seen so far, is there a difference between c:geo and the official GC app when using our Droid 2's? Please explain, thanks.

[+michaelnel]

GPS position accuracy isn't really a matter of what software uses the information. The GPS chip in your phone reports the same position to the phone regardless of what software you use to make use of that data. If you want to drastically improve the performance of your smartphone's gps capabilities, add an external bluetooth GPSR such as the Qstarz BT-Q818XT. That's what I'm using with my HTC Android phone and the performance, accuracy and sensitivity are better with both C:GEO and the official GC app than any of the 15 Garmin, Magellan and DeLorme dedicated GPSRs I have owned.

 

Your phone's internal GPS is also a battery hog. If you turn it off and use the Qstars instead, you save on the internal battery usage plus the battery in the Qstarz unit lasts up to 42 hours on a single charge.

[+user13371]

]the Qstarz unit lasts up to 42 hours on a single charge.

I'm rarely out for 42 hours at a go, but that does sound attractive -- in your real usage, how often do you find yourself having to charge this?

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I've used my iPhone for caching and if thats all there was I think I'd quit caching.....I've been SPOILED by accurate GPS units, namely Magellan Platinums and Garmin 60 CSx ( one or both is always with me ). I'll admit the Oregons ( I use a 450 )and from what I read about the Montanas, have a lot to be desired also. Garmin has taken a step backwards in accuracy ( they just needed to make the 60 CSx paperless )

I've tried about all combinations and, if asked, I'd tell a new cacher to buy a Nuvi 500 or 550 ( gives you ALL paperless functions and car / auto routing as well but is waterproff and can be taken on the trail) and get a 60 CSx to walk to the cache with. Both would cost less than than one of the newer units.

[+michaelnel]

I'm rarely out for 42 hours at a go, but that does sound attractive -- in your real usage, how often do you find yourself having to charge this?

 

I was out all day yesterday with it and put it on charge when I got home (it charges through the USB mini port). It only took about 1/2 hour to charge to where the green charging light went off, indicating full charge. I have not run it longer than a day without charging it so I really don't know how accurate that value is. But the folks on gpspassion.com seem to have been getting numbers like the published rating for years on these things.

 

A direct answer to your question is this though: I have not yet had to charge it. It was almost fully charged when I received it and my usage so far has not ever gotten it down to the level where the red "low battery" LED comes on, which is when you HAVE to charge it.

Edited August 6, 2011 by michaelnel

[+Tahoe Skier5000]

Many smartphone Gps apps are lightyears ahead of dedicated Gps'es.

 

Perhaps, but there's nothing more fun, and more liberating than hiking/caching with a traditional GPSr.

 

Maybe it's because of how I got into the sport originally, in 2003, having to hand-type coordinates into my classic etrex legend and print out cache information on paper before i headed out. Struggling with satellite reception everywhere a tree existed due to the weak antenna on those things. Using a compass to augment the GPSr when it lost lock... It was crude, but those were the best days of geocaching in my opinion.

 

I've used the iphone app, and I found it to be very clunky. It's far too reliant on a data connection, it's slow, and just all-around miserable to use.

 

Traditional GPSr all the way for me!

Edited August 6, 2011 by Tahoe Skier5000

[+Tahoe Skier5000]

I personally believe that smartphones will overtake handheld GPS units within 5 years or so.

 

You are ignoring a huge demographic of geocachers out there who prefer and/or require stand-alone GPSr's. The convenience factor is certainly there for smartphones, but the capability doesn't come close to a dedicated GPSr. A large percentage of geocaches around the world could not be found using just a smartphone, plain and simple.

[+michaelnel]

the capability doesn't come close to a dedicated GPSr

 

That is completely, laughably untrue.

 

The "huge demographic of geocachers" is only huge in your mind. It is a miniscule number compared to smartphone owners, and in fact is a very small proportion of even GPS owners.

Edited August 6, 2011 by michaelnel

[jholly]

the capability doesn't come close to a dedicated GPSr

 

That is completely, laughably untrue.

 

The "huge demographic of geocachers" is only huge in your mind. It is a miniscule number compared to smartphone owners, and in fact is a very small proportion of even GPS owners.

Would you care to cite your source?

 

In my experience at a wide variety of events where geocaching is the main purpose, just about everyone has a hand held unit, not a smartphone. But then these are dedicated geocachers, not the once in a while when-I-have-nothing else to do geocachers.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

the capability doesn't come close to a dedicated GPSr

 

That is completely, laughably untrue.

 

The "huge demographic of geocachers" is only huge in your mind. It is a miniscule number compared to smartphone owners, and in fact is a very small proportion of even GPS owners.

Would you care to cite your source?

 

 

In my experience at a wide variety of events where geocaching is the main purpose, just about everyone has a hand held unit, not a smartphone. But then these are dedicated geocachers, not the once in a while when-I-have-nothing else to do geocachers.

 

I agree 100%.....and while just about everyone is using a hand held GPS most have a smartphone on their belt but from experience don't use them for caching. Actually they're not worth a dang as a phone either...they excel as a glorified PDA with an ( sometimes ) internet connection. I have an iphone because my company pays for it but I seldom take it caching. When I retire, so will it.

[+dfx]

Many smartphone Gps apps are lightyears ahead of dedicated Gps'es.

 

In terms of eye-candy, most likely. In terms of user-friendliness, maybe. In terms of integration with each other, very unlikely. In terms of raw functionality, definitely not.

[+user13371]

The "huge demographic of geocachers" is only huge in your mind. It is a miniscule number compared to smartphone owners, and in fact is a very small proportion of even GPS owners.

Visit Geocaching.com's own GPS review pages here http://www.geocaching.com/gps/default.aspx , hit the "Most Popular" tab -- then start tallying up the number of units for each model that interest you. It doesn't show real ownership and usage numbers overall, just the number own by geocachers who choose to provided the information. But a self-reported survey of geocachers is the best data you're likely to get.

 

Garmin is clearly the winner there, with over 200 different models. Arguably the most popular single dedicated GPS among geocachers is the Garmin 60csx. Introduced in 2006, 46507 units self-reported owned by geocachers.

 

But the iPhone marketshare is no slouch either. The first iPhone that even HAD a real GPS in it was the iPhone 3G, intro'd in 2008. Even though they've been around for a shorter time than the Garmin 60csx, the combined number reported for 3, 3GS, and 4 is 106251 units. The 3GS alone has 41324 units reported, pretty close to the 60csx even though available for a much shorter time

 

And that doesn't even start to count other smartphones. Though neither are precise terms, "huge" is probably a better description of this demographic than "miniscule."

Edited August 7, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+TL&MinBHIL]

... lets see $30/year Premium Membership vs $600/year (assuming an extremely low and unlikely $50/month) for your Data Plan

Wow, really? You're implying someone would be paying their entire smartphone bill just for geocaching?

 

That's amazingly bad logic, as folks with smartphones typically use them for more than geocaching. When you figure out your own expenses for Geocaching, do you also roll in your entire electric bill, internet service bill, insurance/fuel/maintenance on your car, etc?

 

To answer the OP directly -- yes, it's easy to be spoiled by the convenience of a smartphone, but there are some things a dedicated GPS do better. Most of those (better accuracy, better battery life, more rugged/weatherproof) matter more to a serious cacher/outdoorsy type. And sometimes also to the poseur who usually only goes for urban caches but would like to seem the more rugged sort.

 

If you and/or your Mum are mainly out for urban caches and the occasional city park, a smartphone is a fine tool for geocaching and a lot of other activities. When you find yourself going further afield, you might find a solid dedicated GPS is helpful -- and you can still carry your smartphone loaded with cache data.

Thank you, that's exactly the point I was going to make. To imply someone buys an expensive smartphone for the SOLE purpose of Geocaching is ridiculous. Clearly an agenda driven statement aimed at placing smartphones (as caching tools) in a negative light, although it's quite typical in this forum. I'd also like to add that his estimation of data plan costs is overinflated as well. During the time of unlimited data plans, both AT&T and Verizon offered theirs at $30/month, NOT $50. Now in the age of tiered data plans, you can get one for $15/mo., which is what I have through AT&T, and it's more than enough to cache with. But again, as we've pointed out, I didn't buy my iPhone 4 just to cache...and I'm not paying for a data plan just to cache.

 

I'll be honest, I do take offense to your "serious cacher/outdoorsy type" comment. Oftentimes in this forum those of us who cache with smartphones are accused of not being "serious cachers" and I couldn't disagree more. My family & I may not have thousands of finds, we haven't placed our own cache (yet), and we don't get out and cache as much as we used to, but I still consider us successful cachers & serious about the hobby. We started about a year ago and are dedicated to sticking with it. Although things like rising gas prices & this wicked heat wave have slowed us down, we're still serious about continuing to play. We hunt for and find more than just "urban caches and the occasional city park." We may not cache in mountains or canyons (not many of those here in IL) but we're also not caching city slickers either. So as far as I'm concerned, a smartphone is a capable tool for the serious, outdoorsy type. It's no secret using smartphones to cache and cachers who use them get a bad rap here. It's unfortunate, but I've grown to accept it as part of this forum. But that doesn't mean I'll go quietly into the night.

[+michaelnel]

"huge" is probably a better description of this demographic than "miniscule."

 

Actually, what I meant is that the number of geocachers is miniscule compared to the number of smartphone owners. Not geocachers who use smartphones, and not smartphones that are being used for geocaching, just geocachers vs smartphone owners.

[+user13371]

Actually, what I meant is that the number of geocachers is miniscule compared to the number of smartphone owners.

Ah, then I misunderstood. I thought the idea being thrown around was what portion of geocachers are using smartphones, and that you and others were trying to dismiss / diminish it.

 

Yes - the worldwide number of geocachers is minuscule compared to the total pf smartphone owners - or even GPS owners overall. Over a decade, a few million people have visited the geocaching website and only a couple hundred thousand pursue the hobby actively. There are probably more GPS chipsets than that (produced for other purposes) sold on a monthly basis -- used in smart phones, aviation units, car-nav units, cameras, tracking devices CIA-paid dentists hide in people's molars, the metal plate in my head, stuff like that.

 

But whether or not that's what you were personally going for, I still think the GPS Review page is a good way to gauge where the hardware trend is going in geocaching, the main subject of discussion here. And that's a spill-over from other personal navigation uses -- more people are getting into geocaching today because their smartphone makes it easy -- whereas ten years ago some of those same folks wouldn't have bothered because they had no interest in buying and learning how to use a dedicated GPS.

Edited August 7, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+michaelnel]

Yep, agreed.

[+YellowstoneBasecamp]

Interesting thread. Seems to me that with all the technology, the latest GPS should work hand-in-hand with a smartphone. If a GPS can send data to other GPS then a smartphone should be able to send data to a GPS thus combining the best of both worlds.