Geocaching without cell phone coverage

[+acachebox]

I have heard several mention that there is a way to use the I Phone for cache hunting in areas with weak or no cellphone coverage. Caching without using data time on the I Phone. If this is possible can someone give me some details as to how to do it?

Edited December 18, 2015 by acachebox

[+SageTracey]

I run a pocket query and then download the PQ to my iphone while on wifi. Then make sure you open the saved PQ when you are hunting for the caches.

[+Tee4Par]

With the geocache app for iPhone, do a search for the geocaches in the area you want to visit. Once they are on your phone, save them to an off line list. You can open this list without having to use cellular data, or wifi.

[+acachebox]

With the geocache app for iPhone, do a search for the geocaches in the area you want to visit. Once they are on your phone, save them to an off line list. You can open this list without having to use cellular data, or wifi.

 

If I can ask you to go into greater detail. How and where do I define the area I want to copy? And what is saving to an off line list.

[+noncentric]

If I can ask you to go into greater detail. How and where do I define the area I want to copy? And what is saving to an off line list.

Defining the area - means that you get search results in the app and see the map view with the caches depicted by dots.

 

Saving an offline list - means that you store the cache info from the search onto your phone's memory, so that you can see that info on your phone without a signal, and therefore without using cellular data.

 

You may want to read this article from the Help center: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=430

[+acachebox]

You may want to read this article from the Help center: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=430

 

Now that is great and Thanks.

 

How do I shut the cell service off while using this? Just go to airplane mode?

Can I assume that while in the field I can log my finds and comments that will be saved as pending till I get back to cell coverage?

Edited December 19, 2015 by acachebox

[+Bear and Ragged]

You may want to read this article from the Help center: http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=430

 

Now that is great and Thanks.

 

How do I shut the cell service off while using this? Just go to airplane mode?

Can I assume that while in the field I can log my finds and comments that will be saved as pending till I get back to cell coverage?

 

Depends on which app, but you should have the option to save a Field Note, which can be sent later, and then logged on site.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/my/fieldnotes.aspx

[+acachebox]

 

Depends on which app, but you should have the option to save a Field Note, which can be sent later, and then logged on site.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/my/fieldnotes.aspx

 

Garmin 450?

[+Bear and Ragged]

 

Depends on which app, but you should have the option to save a Field Note, which can be sent later, and then logged on site.

 

https://www.geocaching.com/my/fieldnotes.aspx

 

Garmin 450?

 

Follow the link, at the bottom there is Upload my Field Notes and select the Garmin tab and follow the instructions.

[+dw]

But if you put your phone into airplane mode, the gps won't work. You have to let it keep searching for service, even if there is none, and this eats up your battery life quickly. I always bring an external battery because of this!

[+MtnMutt-ProDuckShins]

Why not just carry a real GPSR with the PQ loaded for the area you plan to visit?

 

To each his/her own way, good luck on your Quest to that special Cache out there.

[+acachebox]

But if you put your phone into airplane mode, the gps won't work. You have to let it keep searching for service, even if there is none, and this eats up your battery life quickly. I always bring an external battery because of this!

 

So if understand it what one gains by loading a PQ into the phone is just better response time for a given search while searching for the information of a cache while in a dead cell phone area.

 

That may be worth it.

[+dw]

The gain for preloading a PQ into the phone is that it's possible to cache with no coverage. I hate when I forget to load a pq and I know there are caches around but have no service and haven't loaded a pq.

 

And yes, having a gps preloaded with the pq is the best of all. But you need a computer to do that. If I find myself in an unexpected location, I can run a pq from my phone, download it to the phone, and then be ready to cache. I just need to do it before I venture off the beaten path out of cell phone coverage!

[+acachebox]

The gain for preloading a PQ into the phone is that it's possible to cache with no coverage. I hate when I forget to load a pq and I know there are caches around but have no service and haven't loaded a pq.

 

And yes, having a gps preloaded with the pq is the best of all. But you need a computer to do that. If I find myself in an unexpected location, I can run a pq from my phone, download it to the phone, and then be ready to cache. I just need to do it before I venture off the beaten path out of cell phone coverage!

 

One more question.

If you load a PQ how does the I phone distinguishes between and display only the PQ caches and not the caches in general that are in the area you are in.

[+dw]

I have the regular paid app, not the intro app. In the regular app, there are tabs at the bottom for SEARCH and SAVED. If you are in saved, you'll only see your saved caches. While you are in cell coverage, you download your pq into your phone, and then they are saved caches.

 

The app is buggy, though, and Groundspeak hasn't updated it or fixed the bugs. You are supposed to be able to download maps and save those as well, but for the past couple of years that hasn't worked. So you can navigate to the caches, but can't see a map behind them!

 

The gain for preloading a PQ into the phone is that it's possible to cache with no coverage. I hate when I forget to load a pq and I know there are caches around but have no service and haven't loaded a pq.

 

And yes, having a gps preloaded with the pq is the best of all. But you need a computer to do that. If I find myself in an unexpected location, I can run a pq from my phone, download it to the phone, and then be ready to cache. I just need to do it before I venture off the beaten path out of cell phone coverage!

 

One more question.

If you load a PQ how does the I phone distinguishes between and display only the PQ caches and not the caches in general that are in the area you are in.