IPHONE

[+JABIE28]

How can i extened the battery life on my Iphone? When i am out caching it seems to die fairly quickly.

[+crunchewy]

How can i extened the battery life on my Iphone? When i am out caching it seems to die fairly quickly.

 

One option is to get an extended battery pack module that plugs into the dock connector, or one of those cases that are also an extended battery. There are lots of choices out there for these things. You didn't say which iPhone you have. I have a small battery module that worked great on my 3GS, nearly doubling run time, but then when I got an iPhone 4, while it works fine, it doesn't add nearly as much run time. Still it's better than nothing.

[+Chief301]

I don't know what sort of caching you do....if you're into long backcountry hikes then one of the external battery packs may be the solution. Or you could invest in a dedicated GPSr which has much longer run times, is more rugged and made for knocking around in the boonies.

 

Now, if you are driving from cache to cache, you could just make it a habit to plug in with a car charger periodically between caches. That's what I do. I also have a Garmin Oregon so really the iPhone stays plugged in most of the time and I use the Oregon once I get out on foot.

[+niraD]

In addition to the options already mentioned (extended battery packs, using a dedicated handheld GPSr, recharging in your car), another option is to use a Bluetooth GPSr. The Bluetooth antenna uses much less power than the GPS antenna, so the phone's battery will last much longer. Plus, the Bluetooth GPSr probably has better signal reception.

[+Mr. Wilson & a Mt. Goat]

If you really want to stick with the IPhone, Groundspeak sells this: http://shop.geocaching.com/default/gps-units/gps-accessories/mophie-juice-pack-plus-outdoor-edition.html

Edited June 27, 2012 by Mr. Wilson & a Mt. Goat

[Blue Square Thing]

I find turning the phone off, or on standby anyway, between caches is fine. I can usually get to within a few hundred metres using one of those map thingummies. But I guess that depends on how many caches and exactly how long you're out in the woods for.

[+Kissyfurs]

How can i extened the battery life on my Iphone? When i am out caching it seems to die fairly quickly.

 

I found this site while having the same issue. Without purchsing anything, there's a few settings that you can change on your phone to help with the battery life.

 

http://ipod.about.com/od/iphone3g/tp/iphone-battery-life.htm

 

Also, I bought the battery doctor Pro for $.99 from the store and I'd swear by it. It really helps to get a full charge and I see it lasting anywhere from an hour to two hours longer.

[+thebruce0]

Extending from all the above feedback, you could get a proprietary battery which requires a plug to recharge once it's dead (so really useful for one charge if you're out for a long time), or you can pick up a AA battery pack for iPhones and just take a handful of batteries wherever you go (which could be shared as emergency power backup with a handheld gpsr, flashlight, and any number of other devices) -- I picked up this little guy a while back for $20 and it has been spectacular, giving my iPhone 4S a full charge on 4 AA's. And using rechargeables is by far the cheapest route. Just make sure you use the heavier AA's, the ones intended for cameras and electronics and whatnot (not the lighter ones intended for remotes, controllers, etc)

 

Above and beyond that, I reiterate the points above about needlessly using battery power - if you're not needing the GPS, turn it off between caches (the official Geocaching app doesn't have that option at the moment, afaik, but Geosphere does); and if you're traveling between caches by car then plug it in and get whatever juice you can get

[yuesir]

that troubles me a lot ! you can turn the phone off !!

Edited June 28, 2012 by yuesir

[+TL&MinBHIL]

The tips in the link posted by CachingStaneks are exactly what I was going to suggest, so instead of repeating them, I recommend checking them out. All those little settings adjustment can add up to big power savers. In addition, stop all the apps that are running in the background (if you're using an iOS version that allows is). Double tap the Home button, touch an hold one of the apps shown in the tray, and click to X to stop them. Apps running in the background can use more battery, especially if you have a lot of them.

 

We've cached all day with my iPhone 4. With a little effort, it's possible. If I know we'll be out for an extended period of time, I always make sure to plug it in while driving between caches. We also use it only when necessary. Usually we arrive to a cache site, get an initial reading on the compass to point us in the right direction, lock the phone and start walking/looking. Not only does this make it more challenging (and fun) for us, it keeps us from constantly looking at the phone & using up more battery than needed. If we have a little trouble finding the cache, I get out the fun, get another reading, and repeat the process until it's found. Good luck!

[Blue Square Thing]

Fwiw I'm not entirely sure that apps tend to run in the background as such. Although that's technically possible it appears to be very rare indeed - instead they're just pre-loaded so as to open more quickly if they're in the background usually. Apparently. Unless I'm wrong, which is entirely possible.

[+thebruce0]

No, you're right, apps by default don't 'run' in the background, they're simply in a paused state, not active at all, not using any extra battery juice.

 

The exception is that some apps may make use of an iOS feature that's been granted the ability to run in the background, like the GPS or music player. Those will use extra battery as long as they're active. But there are ways to tell if that's happening.

The GPS, afaik, is the biggest drain if running in the background (for example, some GPS apps allow you to save a tracklog while using other apps) - in those cases you should see the little arrow in the upper right all the time, whether in your home screens or in an app that you know doesn't use GPS. If that's there, you know there's an app that's still using it.

 

In short, closing all the app icons that show up in the app slider won't save battery, unless there are apps that are actively using one of the few backgroundable iOS features.

 

As a final note, the Geocaching app if minimized won't continue to use the GPS until you bring back to the forefront. So that's one way of saving battery life if you use that app. When you don't need GPS, hit the home button.

Edited June 29, 2012 by thebruce0

[Blue Square Thing]

Thanks for that Bruce - I thought I'd read that somewhere or other recently.