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iPhone Benchmark app


forbin_c

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Sorry if cross-posting isn't appropriate here, but I've created an iPhone app for finding U.S. bench marks. It's free and there are no ads. I'd be very interested in getting feedback from users with your level of sophistication.

 

From the App Store on your iPhone, search for "ngs". The app is called "FindMarkers".

 

All criticism, constructive or otherwise, is welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

Vince

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I downloaded the app to my iPhone 4s and have been learning about it. So far it seems to work very well. The coordinate formats are not the same as geocaching uses, but it has a link to the datasheet so one can get coordinates there. I can see how it can be very helpful. So far, so good.

 

David

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Hi! We used the iPhone benchmark app this weekend, and we have a couple of comments and a question:

 

(1) Where are you getting your benchmark database info, and how are you selecting it? We noticed that not all the NGS benchmarks are on the app.

 

For example: BZ0703 M 321 is not shown in West,TX, and we know it's there because we found it. Admittedly, it was recovered in poor condition. Are you leaving those BMs in poor condition out? They are still useable and worth searching for.

 

Another example: CS2255 E 195 and CS2256 F 195 nr Walnut Springs TX -- the app has CS2254 D 195 and CS2257 G 195, but not the two benchmarks in between. All 4 of these BMs are there, since they are on abandoned railroad bridges that are intact. When we could access the bridges, they were cool FTFs!! One (CS2254 D 195) was in use recently, since it was marked with surveyor's tape.

 

(2) It would be useful to be able to search for benchmarks by city and state, not just zip code. We had to exit the app, go to google, get the zip code, and go back to the app. Not a problem out in the sticks where one zip code covers many square miles, but how would I know which zip code I was in for Houston, which has a million zip codes? Without a GPS, I wouldn't have accurate coordinates to search from.

 

(3) We LOVED the datasheet info that was right at our fingertips, and the recovery info too. That was very helpful making pursuit decisions on the road quickly -- no jumping back with the computer between NGS, scaredycat, and geocaching. Using the computer can be a long slow slog out on the sticks where connectivity is low. (Have you looked at www.scaredycatfilms.com? It's where we start our BM hunting planning. They use the NGS database, and update it frequently.)

 

(4) We also liked very much that a lot of the extraneous info that we don't need is pared out of the app.

 

(5) The app loads quickly and didn't crash for us all day.

 

We'll keep using it - but so far we think it can be a useful tool.

 

Thanks for the app! Benchmark hunters are the bastard stepchildren of geocaching -- thanks for treating what we do with enough respect to create an app :) :) :)

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We went out benchmarking caching and Waymarking again yesterday and used some more features of the app. We really liked that you could search for BMs by your present location, but again not all nearby BMs were found.

 

We also think the search by GPS feature could be relabeled or explained the first time you use the app to make it clearer that this will use your phone's GPS to search for nearby BMs. The button just says "GPS" -- that might not be clear enough to everybody.

 

This app was great for quickly resolving long-term disagreements about whether a particular RR bridge probably had a BM on it while driving by -- and we have 2 more if my fave finds as a result :).

 

I always told Daddy Blaster that those RR bridges looked benchmarky to me - but he says I say that about ALL the RR bridges. :) ha!

 

Again - very useful app, just not with all the BMs on it. Thanks for creating it - we are using it every time we go out. :)

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Great app... I've been waiting for one of these for quite some time. A couple things I'd love to see:

 

- Integration with Geocaching API - log caches without exiting App, filter out benchmarks which have already been logged on Geocaching.com

- Filter benchmarks based on type (benchmark disk, structure (tower, steeple), control rod, etc)

- Ability to include a photo with log

 

Keep up the great work!

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Just saw this forum thread.

 

Just downloaded the app.

 

Thanks Vince!

 

--QuesterMark

 

Sorry if cross-posting isn't appropriate here, but I've created an iPhone app for finding U.S. bench marks. It's free and there are no ads. I'd be very interested in getting feedback from users with your level of sophistication.

 

From the App Store on your iPhone, search for "ngs". The app is called "FindMarkers".

 

All criticism, constructive or otherwise, is welcome.

 

Thanks,

 

Vince

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