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BettyMartin

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We live in CA, but my husband is in Guam for work. He took a couple of trackables for me, that I picked up from caches before he left. He has the trackables, he's in Guam, he has coordinates, and a new smartphone. He cannot get the gps navigation to work outside of his hotel. He's tried a couple of different ones...googlemaps and maveric that I know of, I've talked to our cell phone provider, he has an international data plan. What do we do? I feel terrible about taking these trackables expecting to get them all the way to Guam if he's just going to have to bring them back to CA.

Thank you for ANY suggestions!

Betty Martin

 

PS...he does not have a GPS like garmin or magellan, he only has his phone. He has looked to buy a gps in Guam, but can't find one anywhere.

Edited by BettyMartin
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...And just how does he geocache at home?

 

I know, you sent him on his way and expect him to place trackables, but you didn't give him the GPSr, right?

 

He can use his phone, but he must download an app that provides access to geocaching.com. Doing it otherwise I think, would be like putting the horse behind the horse-drawn cart. Google Maps themselves will not get it done for him -- unless he is really, really good at it.

I am at a loss with 'maveric'. I Googled same to see everything other than a geocaching application.

 

There are lots of easy access caches on Guam. Perhaps you could 'guide' him via phone?

Just type in Guam in the search window of the opening page of geocaching.com, them click on "Map this Location", you can see them all.

 

It's a fine thought to move the trackables... but without the equipment to git 'er done...

 

Good luck.

Edited by Gitchee-Gummee
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Hi, actually, he doesn't geocache at home, I do.

I don't know what you mean by "GPSr". I'm new at geocaching.

I didn't know that you can't use your phone to geocache unless it has an app that connects it to geocaching.com. I use my phone all the time, I just type in the coordinates and use Google Navigation. Leads me straight to it.

The Maverick he downloaded does have a link to this website.

He does have the equipment to "git 'er done", we just need suggestions, from people that actually geocache in foreign (to us) areas, to get that equipment to work in a foreign (to the equipment) area, or local equipment (to the area) that he can use instead.

Thanks!

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He cannot get the gps navigation to work outside of his hotel.

Do you know which part isn't working?

Is it that he can see maps on his phone, but it can't find his location? If so, maybe the GPS is disabled on the phone (without knowing what he has, we can't help any more with this).

Or is it that he can't even see the maps? In that case, it's some kind of cellular data problem. My iPhone has a function to disable data roaming, so maybe something like that is preventing the phone from downloading data.

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He cannot get the gps navigation to work outside of his hotel.

Do you know which part isn't working?

Is it that he can see maps on his phone, but it can't find his location? If so, maybe the GPS is disabled on the phone (without knowing what he has, we can't help any more with this).

Or is it that he can't even see the maps? In that case, it's some kind of cellular data problem. My iPhone has a function to disable data roaming, so maybe something like that is preventing the phone from downloading data.

We don't know what isn't working. He can see the maps, GPS is enabled, it seems that the gps is unable to function outside of the hotel (which I'm assuming has wifi)but he has an international data plan on his phone, and it's a new phone, so there shouldn't be a problem. But, of course there is. I've contacted the carrier 3 times now, and still no solution. As far as I can tell, the gps is working inside the hotel but not outside, if that helps at all.

Thanks!

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We don't know what isn't working. He can see the maps, GPS is enabled, it seems that the gps is unable to function outside of the hotel (which I'm assuming has wifi)but he has an international data plan on his phone, and it's a new phone, so there shouldn't be a problem. But, of course there is. I've contacted the carrier 3 times now, and still no solution. As far as I can tell, the gps is working inside the hotel but not outside, if that helps at all.

Thanks!

What type of phone is it? I've heard Android phones have the option to base their location solely off of wifi signals, so maybe that setting isn't set to use the actual GPS chip?

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With the correct spelling, I find Maverick by Codesetter. :)

 

Perhaps he is using wifi only? As soon as he leaves a wifi hotspot, he will have no connection.

 

The Maverick site states that "It automatically caches all your maps for offline use so that you can access them even without an Internet connection." So, using it properly, it should work with or without a connection. I do not use it so I cannot address it further.

 

It may be as easy The A-Team suggests -- the GPS function may be disabled. He should enable it.

 

A GPSr is a GPS receiver, regardless if a smartphone or a dedicated device.

Use of such devices is the same, in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia -- foreign area has nothing to do with it.

Edited by Gitchee-Gummee
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What type of phone is it? I've heard Android phones have the option to base their location solely off of wifi signals, so maybe that setting isn't set to use the actual GPS chip?

He has a samsung galaxy stratoshpere 2, which I guess is an android. I have a much older android, and if I try to go to navigation with the gps off, it alerts me and takes me to settings so I can turn it on. I showed him how to turn the GPS on to use it and off to preserve the battery.

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With the correct spelling, I find Maverick by Codesetter. :)

 

Perhaps he is using wifi only? As soon as he leaves a wifi hotspot, he will have no connection.

 

The Maverick site states that "It automatically caches all your maps for offline use so that you can access them even without an Internet connection." So, using it properly, it should work with or without a connection. I do not use it so I cannot address it further.

 

It may be as easy The A-Team suggests -- the GPS function may be disabled. He should enable it.

 

A GPSr is a GPS receiver, regardless if a smartphone or a dedicated device.

Use of such devices is the same, in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia -- foreign area has nothing to do with it.

 

Sorry, I forgot the "K"! I'll have him look into using the map from Maverick off line and see if he can figure it out from there.

 

He knows how to turn the GPS setting on, which on my phone, makes it use gps satellites and not wifi. I'm assuming his does the same thing. Perhaps he needs to turn wifi off also? Again, on my phone I don't have to do that, I just turn "use GPS satellites" off or on as needed.

 

So, what is the difference between a GPS and a GPSr? If his phone has GPS, it should be receiving GPS signals, shouldn't it? Otherwise there wouldn't be much use...but I really don't understand that sort of thing. I can use it on my phone, but that's about it.

Thanks!

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So, what is the difference between a GPS and a GPSr?

Technically, GPS means Global Positioning System which means the satellites and control systems for the satellites. GPSr is a Global Positioning System receiver such as your phone or a dedicated unit. Most people use the two terms interchangeably.

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So, what is the difference between a GPS and a GPSr?

Technically, GPS means Global Positioning System which means the satellites and control systems for the satellites. GPSr is a Global Positioning System receiver such as your phone or a dedicated unit. Most people use the two terms interchangeably.

 

So basically, if your phone has GPS, it actually does have GPSr? I mean, having GPS wouldn't do much good if you couldn't receive from the satellites. What about something like a tomtom? Is that a GPS or a GPSr, or does it matter? I'm really sorry if I sound stupid, but I've never heard of GPSr before today.

 

Thanks!

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When traveling to a foreign country dedicated GPS receivers have to "learn" where they are when they are turned on. Do smart phone GPS receivers have to learn their location also?

This is true! Not being a phone user, I am guessing that a phone unit would also need time for new signal acquisition, also.

 

One cannot travel many miles with the unit turned off, only to turn it on and expect to "go". Depending on the GPS chip, one may well have to set it with a clear view of the sky and leave it turned on for a long time... some makes/models can require an hour or longer.

Certainly, a half-hour "warm-up" is not out of the question.

 

When the unit has no idea where it is, it needs time to search and acquire a completely new satellite constellation.

 

I suppose that this could be part of the problem in this situation.

 

EDIT to add: this is called a "cold start". A "warm start" is from turning on in the general vicinity where is was last turned off at. A "hot start" is turning it on again, within a short period of time since it was last operating.

Edited by Gitchee-Gummee
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One cannot travel many miles with the unit turned off, only to turn it on and expect to "go". Depending on the GPS chip, one may well have to set it with a clear view of the sky and leave it turned on for a long time... some makes/models can require an hour or longer.

Certainly, a half-hour "warm-up" is not out of the question.

 

When the unit has no idea where it is, it needs time to search and acquire a completely new satellite constellation.

 

I suppose that this could be part of the problem in this situation.

 

That makes sense. I have no idea how long he waited, but perhaps he just needs to give it more time to find new satellites to calculate the new position. I'll pass that on to him.

Thanks!

Edited by BettyMartin
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