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Can I geocache without internet? Visiting Isle Of Man.


AtomicPuppy

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Hi, sorry for the newbie question but I am visiting the Isle Of Man in a while and they aren't part of the UK and although some provider's do have an agreement with them, EE doesn't :(. So, I was wondering, is there a way to geocache without internet switched on (I don't want a massive bill when I get home - and I'm actually not sure if my phone will hook up to ManxCom at all).

 

Thanks in advance.

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Since we have no idea what kind of gear you're taking with you, it's impossible to say. It sounds like you're a 'cell phone cacher'. If so, you need to find an app that will allow you to pre-load maps and caches and that doesn't require an 'online' connection to work. They're out there, but would also help to know if you are iOS or Android!

Edited by ecanderson
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If you are using a dedicated GPS, you could pre-load the caches into it and print out some cache pages.

 

If you are only using your smartphone, your geocaching app will have an "offline" mode. Simply view the cache page on the app, then find the option to save it to your offline list. You can then view these cache pages (and navigate to them via GPS) if you have no service (or have the service turned off).

 

Here is a link to the support page with detailed instructions on an iPhone (using the official Geocaching app from Groundspeak).

 

Here is one for Android.

Edited by Pork King
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Hi, sorry for the newbie question but I am visiting the Isle Of Man in a while and they aren't part of the UK and although some provider's do have an agreement with them, EE doesn't :(. So, I was wondering, is there a way to geocache without internet switched on (I don't want a massive bill when I get home - and I'm actually not sure if my phone will hook up to ManxCom at all).

 

Thanks in advance.

 

How long are you going to be there ? The best option if you have an unlocked phone is get a MANX Sim Card

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I've used my Android phones in a number of areas where I haven't had cell/data reception. I've put them in airplane mode (which turns off the cell and data antennas), just to keep the phone from wasting power trying to connect to distant towers. I've had no problem geocaching that way using the GPS antenna, as long as I had downloaded cache data in advance (either using a PQ, or just having my app download it).

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I've never used PQ before. How do I do it?

And how do I get the app to download the data in advance?

The main thing about PQs is that there are 3 steps to using them:
  • Create the PQ - which defines the search criteria
  • Run the PQ - which saves cache data on the server, using the search criteria
  • Download the PQ - which copies the saved data from the server to your device

There is more info about using PQs in Markwell's FAQ:

http://www.markwell.us/pq.htm

 

Most of the apps I've used have had a built-in command to download PQ data via the API. A few have required me to download the PQ data as a ZIP file, extract the contents of the ZIP file, copy the GPX file inside to my device, and then use a built-in command of the app to import data from the GPX file. But the details vary from app to app.

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Thanks for the info. But another newbie question.........I've never used PQ before. How do I do it?

And how do I get the app to download the data in advance?

(sorry)

If you're using the "official" app you can simply save caches to the phone - generate a search and then get the list up and click the three dots in the top right. These will save - and then you can turn the phone data off entirely and it'll work fine. You may or may not get decent maps, but the compass will work fine.

 

You will also probably find decent wifi at various points. You can connect to this without incurring any data charges (probably - I certainly can). I find that helps if I need to download something on the fly.

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