iCaching vs Geocache Manager

[+user13371]

These two are listed on the App Store, but reviews are sparse. Anyone here tried them?

Edited July 31, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+Colonial Cats]

I have the same question. I use a delorme PN-40 GPSr. Icaching states that delorme is supported. I don't know about Geocache Manager.

[+user13371]

Well... Geocache Manager DOES offer a free 30-day trial, so I installed it. After 10 minutes I uninstalled it. Won't be buying it.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+user13371]

And now I've tried iCaching. It's better than Geocache Manager. It could even be useful... but within the first hour of playing with it I came across a lot that could be done better. I sent some suggestions to the program authors, interested to see if they come back with anything.

[+Colonial Cats]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably go with Icaching.

[+user13371]

Do you also have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Geosphere is be the most useful cache database/filtering/searching tool -- it's better than iCaching, at least so far. I've been using Geospehere on my phone to compile my database of caches, then filter/search on the phone and EXPORT its results back to my computer to load into other programs.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+ruralslicker]

I tried Geocache Manager, but cache descriptions were truncated or unviewable so it was unusable. I uninstalled it. Can't use iCaching cause I'm still on Leopard. Don't have an iPhone.

 

The result is I still use MacCaching (and GeoJournal to a lesser extent). Neither is perfect, and they are no longer in development or supported. But IMHO they're still far superior to any other Mac geocache apps I have tried.

[+user13371]

... I sent some suggestions to the program authors, interested to see if they come back with anything.

And this morning, twelve hours after my email, I have a reply from "Marius" at iCaching, saying that version 2.5 is already in AppStore review process and has some of the very things I was interested in; and some of mu other suggestions likely to be implemented in a future release. Ongoing support from the developer makes this more attractive to me than orphan-ware.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Portland Cyclist

[+northernpenguin]

... I sent some suggestions to the program authors, interested to see if they come back with anything.

And this morning, twelve hours after my email, I have a reply from "Marius" at iCaching, saying that version 2.5 is already in AppStore review process and has some of the very things I was interested in; and some of mu other suggestions likely to be implemented in a future release. Ongoing support from the developer makes this more attractive to me than orphan-ware.

 

Interesting, very interesting. I'm going to put iCaching "on my watch list". My current solution is GSAK in a Parallels VM, that runs on boot up in that VM.

 

My requirements for a Mac replacement are simple:

 

• Imports my existing GSAK db, with all child waypoints, notes
  
• Exports child waypoints as POIs on my Colorado
  
• Lets me keep notes, corrected coords, on a per cache basis
  
• Macro language would be nice, but not on my required list
  

[+user13371]

iCaching won't do all of those things yet. Don't know if it ever will.

 

But as a GSAK surrogate, I've found (somewhat absurdly) the Geosphere on the iPhone does everything I need -- keep thousands of caches and child waypoints in a database, lets me search/filter them to a subset, and then export them BACK to my computer so I can load the subset to my "real" GPS for the day.

[+northernpenguin]

iCaching won't do all of those things yet. Don't know if it ever will.

 

But as a GSAK surrogate, I've found (somewhat absurdly) the Geosphere on the iPhone does everything I need -- keep thousands of caches and child waypoints in a database, lets me search/filter them to a subset, and then export them BACK to my computer so I can load the subset to my "real" GPS for the day.

 

Yup, I'm using Geosphere (have been for a while). Still like to keep the "full" database over on my Macbook. Particularly as Geosphere can't load my Colorado directly yet.

[+northernpenguin]

iCaching won't do all of those things yet. Don't know if it ever will.

 

But as a GSAK surrogate, I've found (somewhat absurdly) the Geosphere on the iPhone does everything I need -- keep thousands of caches and child waypoints in a database, lets me search/filter them to a subset, and then export them BACK to my computer so I can load the subset to my "real" GPS for the day.

 

For importing my GSAK database, that could be handled easily with a GPX export from GSAK/GPX import to iCaching.

Exporting child waypoints as POI is the only thing in my list that's really tricky. If there's no custom child waypoints, corrected co-ords then, well there would be no point even using an offline database type program for me.

[+LasVegasBones]

Will icaching download info to Garmin Montana?

[K und D]

Will icaching download info to Garmin Montana?

Yes, works like a charm; although you will have to export to file and then select the appropriate directory (GPX) on the montana to export to.

 

My biggest caveat with iCaching so far is that smart folders only work globally, not per pocket query.

I'd love to see the possibility to have smart folders for single folders.

[+teamGiants]

 

My biggest caveat with iCaching so far is that smart folders only work globally, not per pocket query.

I'd love to see the possibility to have smart folders for single folders.

 

That's something I figured out now, will be added in version 4 (change in database needed). No ETA, but stay tuned...

 

Marius (developer of iCaching)

[+sduck]

ICaching looks nice - hadn't heard about it until now. I'll give it a spin later. Glad to see an involved developer!

 

This probably won't be of much use to most people, but I've been using gsak on my mac using winebottler for a long time - runs like a native app, works well, and fast! Takes a bit of work to get it working right, and upgrading versions is an iffy process.