Android Geocaching App Problem

[+larryc43230]

I have a one-week-old smartphone (a Droid Bionic), and I've purchased and installed the "official" Geocaching app (Version 2.1) on it. I was under the impression that the app would display all geocaches in my area, but it isn't doing that, and I'm wondering whether I'm doing something wrong or there's some other problem.

 

I'm a premium member (have been for years), and I've entered my user name and password into the app. My user name and current number of finds show correctly at the top of the "home page" of the app.

 

When I press "Find Nearby Caches," it shows me a list of 20 caches close to my home location. The list includes caches on my Ignore List, but that didn't surprise me based on what I'd read. At the end of the list, if I press "More," I get 20 more caches, at increasing distance from my location. So far, so good.

 

What does surprise me is this: The most recently-published cache I can find in the list (after listing more than 100 caches) was published on September 12, about three weeks ago. There have been well over 30 caches published within that search radius in the past three weeks, and none are showing up in the list. Fourteen new caches were published overnight last night within about 6 miles of my location, and none are showing up.

 

Is this normal behavior? If so, I'm really disappointed. If not, am I doing something wrong? Is there some setting I've messed up, either in the app or on the Web site? And is anyone else seeing this behavior?

 

--Larry

 

P.S. Please don't simply suggest that I use one of the other, competing geocaching apps. I'm also evaluating other apps. I'm hoping to get some advice on this specific glitch.

 

Edited to add: Curiouser and curiouser; I played with Neongeo just now, and it shows me all the caches, including one published half an hour ago. Why isn't the Geocaching app showing me these new caches??

Edited October 3, 2011 by larryc43230

[+baloo&bd]

I hate this advice, but here goes. First, uninstall and reinstall the app. This seem to fix most problems, especially after they have done an update.

 

If that does not work, check the filters to see if there is an issue there, however my money is on the uninstall, reinstall.

 

Good luck.

[+michaelnel]

my money is on the uninstall, reinstall.

 

Mine is on uninstall, then install NeonGeo.

 

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.neongeo.app&feature=search_result.

Edited October 3, 2011 by michaelnel

[+larryc43230]

I hate this advice, but here goes. First, uninstall and reinstall the app. This seem to fix most problems, especially after they have done an update.

 

If that does not work, check the filters to see if there is an issue there, however my money is on the uninstall, reinstall.

 

Good luck.

This is a brand-new copy of the app, purchased and installed just two days ago, and never launched until this morning when I noticed the problem.

 

Regarding filters, I haven't even started to explore those yet, they're set at the defaults they came set with.

 

I'll uninstall and reinstall if necessary, but I can't see how anything could have been corrupted already, given that I'd never even launched it until now.

 

--Larry

Edited October 3, 2011 by larryc43230

[+larryc43230]

my money is on the uninstall, reinstall.

 

Mine is on uninstall, then install NeonGeo.

 

https://market.andro...e=search_result.

I asked specifically that no one simply push some other app. Thanks for ignoring my request.

 

--Larry

[+baloo&bd]

I know it SHOULDN'T work, but even the beta testers have to do this onnew installs on occassion. If it does not, post the issue on the feedback forum for Android.

[+goosefraba1]

I hate this advice, but here goes. First, uninstall and reinstall the app. This seem to fix most problems, especially after they have done an update.

 

If that does not work, check the filters to see if there is an issue there, however my money is on the uninstall, reinstall.

 

Good luck.

 

That's the only advice I could give you.

 

So is the app only giving you caches near your "home coordinates"? For instance, if you drove 10 miles down the road and then pressed the nearby caches, would it give you nearby caches from that location or the original home coordinates?

 

I had a problem like that occurring about 2 years ago when I first got the iPhone app.... I did the uninstall, reinstall option and it worked afterwards.

[+larryc43230]

I know it SHOULDN'T work, but even the beta testers have to do this on new installs on occasion. If it does not, post the issue on the feedback forum for Android.

I guess I don't understand how this app works.

 

I uninstalled, then reinstalled the app, as suggested. When I requested a list of geocaches centered on my current location, it still didn't show any caches hidden since September 12. I expanded the search area to about 10 miles from my location (kept pressing the "More" button"), and no caches published after that date ever showed up in the list.

 

I then did "View on Map" and moved the center of the map about 2 miles to the west of my location, to the center of an area where a lot of new caches were published overnight last night. I did "Search here," and at least most of the new caches appeared on the map (I didn't check to see if all 20+ new caches appeared).

 

OK... So why did those caches not appear when I searched from my current location, yet they do appear when I search from a different location? The locations are only about 2 miles apart.

 

--Larry

[+larryc43230]

So is the app only giving you caches near your "home coordinates"? For instance, if you drove 10 miles down the road and then pressed the nearby caches, would it give you nearby caches from that location or the original home coordinates?

I'm stuck at home today (besides, it's a miserable rainy day here). I did, however, try moving the map display to a different location (2 miles away), then doing "Search Here". That fetched at least most of the missing new caches. Those new caches still don't show up when I search from my current (home) location, even when I expand the search radius to well beyond the area with the new caches.

 

I had a problem like that occurring about 2 years ago when I first got the iPhone app.... I did the uninstall, reinstall option and it worked afterwards.

Uninstalling and reinstalling didn't change anything. See my previous post for details.

 

--Larry

[+baloo&bd]

Do you have your GPS on the device turned on? Which device is it?

[+larryc43230]

Do you have your GPS on the device turned on? Which device is it?

Yes, the GPS is turned on, and the app is aware of my current location (when I zoom in far enough, it even shows the part of the house I'm sitting in ).

 

The device is a Motorola Droid Bionic, purchased last Wednesday. In case it makes any difference, my service provider is Verizon.

 

--Larry

[+larryc43230]

The more I play with this app, the less I understand how it's fetching caches.

 

Can anyone explain to me in what order the caches are being displayed (before I do any kind of sort on the list)? I was assuming they would be listed in terms of increasing distance, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Then in what order are the next 20 fetched when I press "More"? Those next 20 do seem to be farther away than the first 20, but otherwise I see no order whatsoever.

 

--Larry

[+baloo&bd]

Do you have your GPS on the device turned on? Which device is it?

Yes, the GPS is turned on, and the app is aware of my current location (when I zoom in far enough, it even shows the part of the house I'm sitting in ).

 

The device is a Motorola Droid Bionic, purchased last Wednesday. In case it makes any difference, my service provider is Verizon.

 

--Larry

 

I can say there appears to be intermittent issues with the app and the Bionic from some of the posts I have seen in the feedback area.

 

I am assuming you are using live data, and just hitting the "Find Nearby Caches" icon rather than entering in coords, and not a PQ. If not, the PQ may be the issue.

 

Turn on all the location services, i.e. Google, Standalone and VZW, and see if that makes a difference. If not, post this on the feedback forum under the Android section.

[+larryc43230]

I am assuming you are using live data, and just hitting the "Find Nearby Caches" icon rather than entering in coords, and not a PQ. If not, the PQ may be the issue.

Yes, I was looking at the result of using "Find Nearby Caches." Before uninstalling the previous copy of the app, I had imported one pocket query to test that function. And I thought that might be somehow causing the problem. I uninstalled that copy and reinstalled it from the Android Market. Now, when I hit "Pocket Queries" from the "home" screen, it shows the pocket queries that are available for download, but I haven't downloaded any. And the list I'm seeing definitely does NOT come from any pocket query: I'm not seeing a lot of caches I should be seeing, but I AM seeing caches that are on my Ignore List (and which are omitted in the pocket query).

 

Turn on all the location services, i.e. Google, Standalone and VZW, and see if that makes a difference. If not, post this on the feedback forum under the Android section.

All location services on the phone, with the exception of VZW, are alive and well and activated on the phone. I've used all sorts of apps the past few days that rely on knowledge of my location (including Neongeo, by the way), and trust me: This gadget knows exactly where I am at all times.

 

I haven't subscribed to VZW simply because I don't see the need for it. If someone can tell me what it gives me that's worth an extra $10 or so a month, I might reconsider.

 

--Larry

[+baloo&bd]

I am assuming you are using live data, and just hitting the "Find Nearby Caches" icon rather than entering in coords, and not a PQ. If not, the PQ may be the issue.

Yes, I was looking at the result of using "Find Nearby Caches." Before uninstalling the previous copy of the app, I had imported one pocket query to test that function. And I thought that might be somehow causing the problem. I uninstalled that copy and reinstalled it from the Android Market. Now, when I hit "Pocket Queries" from the "home" screen, it shows the pocket queries that are available for download, but I haven't downloaded any. And the list I'm seeing definitely does NOT come from any pocket query: I'm not seeing a lot of caches I should be seeing, but I AM seeing caches that are on my Ignore List (and which are omitted in the pocket query).

 

Turn on all the location services, i.e. Google, Standalone and VZW, and see if that makes a difference. If not, post this on the feedback forum under the Android section.

All location services on the phone, with the exception of VZW, are alive and well and activated on the phone. I've used all sorts of apps the past few days that rely on knowledge of my location (including Neongeo, by the way), and trust me: This gadget knows exactly where I am at all times.

 

I haven't subscribed to VZW simply because I don't see the need for it. If someone can tell me what it gives me that's worth an extra $10 or so a month, I might reconsider.

 

--Larry

 

Activating the VZW location services is not the same as using VZ Navigator, so there is no charge. You might try it.

 

Aside from that, go to the feedback section. As I said before, there have been some issue with the Bionic and the app. I am also abiding by your earlier request about other recommendations.

[+larryc43230]

Activating the VZW location services is not the same as using VZ Navigator, so there is no charge. You might try it.

Can you tell I'm new at this smartphone stuff? I was confusing the two. Sort of like confusing Java and JavaScript. I just checked, and "VZW location services" is active, and has been since I got the phone.

 

Aside from that, go to the feedback section. As I said before, there have been some issue with the Bionic and the app.

On my way!

 

I am also abiding by your earlier request about other recommendations.

Thanks; one set of issues at a time! I have Neongeo (though if a certain other board member pushes it one more time, I may delete it...), plus GeoBeagle. As long as c:geo continues to violate the TOU by screen scraping (and no one has told me that's changed), I won't be installing it on my phone. But that's a (contentious) topic for a different thread.

 

--Larry

[+baloo&bd]

Activating the VZW location services is not the same as using VZ Navigator, so there is no charge. You might try it.

Can you tell I'm new at this smartphone stuff? I was confusing the two. Sort of like confusing Java and JavaScript. I just checked, and "VZW location services" is active, and has been since I got the phone.

 

Aside from that, go to the feedback section. As I said before, there have been some issue with the Bionic and the app.

On my way!

 

I am also abiding by your earlier request about other recommendations.

Thanks; one set of issues at a time! I have Neongeo (though if a certain other board member pushes it one more time, I may delete it...), plus GeoBeagle. As long as c:geo continues to violate the TOU by screen scraping (and no one has told me that's changed), I won't be installing it on my phone. But that's a (contentious) topic for a different thread.

 

--Larry

 

Just one point to correct: c;geo does not violate the ToU.

 

Aside from that, you should be able to work this out, unless it is a compatibility issue with the Bionic, over at Feedback.