Apps and GPS

[smalltownwitch]

So I just started geocaching and I downloaded the Geocaching app on my phone. I've noticed a lot of people have purchased actual geocache GPS items and I've seen some talk on other apps. I only have the Geocaching Intro app, just to see how it was. I thought about purchasing the full version, but I saw on another forum that someone said the full version isn't worth it and doesn't get updated. I've also seen something about API but I'm not really sure what that is.

So I'm asking for some tips and tricks for a newbie, as this is something I'd like to do pretty often. What apps are the best to get? And would it be more beneficial to buy an actual GPS or is it ok to just use your cellphone?

[+Viajero Perdido]

Hi, and welcome to the game.

 

First off, what kind of phone do you have? Does it run iOS, Android, or something else? And would you prefer keep-it-simple, or geeky-but-does-everything?

 

API is just the technology whereby apps - from Groundspeak or others - connect to the master database. Here on the forums, discussion of non-Groundspeak apps (second class citizens!) is shunted off to the rarely-seen API forum.

 

I've got a favourite app, not from Groundspeak, but it's at the geeky end of the scale. I've given up caching with a GPS unit. Everybody's opinion on this is different though. Stick around enough, you'll hear them all.

[+Mineral2]

you've got a lot of questions, but the first answer to all of them is - it depends what you want to do.

 

Let's start with the free vs. premium membership. Most of the apps and GPS benefits come from premium member benefits - ability to view and download all cache types, make pocket queries, and increased API access. For now, you'll likely find that buying another app or even using a GPS is just as limiting, if not more limiting, than the intro app. So start by going out and geocaching with what you have and if you think this is an activity you're likely to engage in regularly (for some of us it's an obsession), then you'll want to look at these other options. But they do work to their full potential with a premium membership.

 

Phone vs GPS

 

If you just cache in town or along roads and are generally within data service, then the phone is all you'll need. Those of us with an actual GPS have one because we like to hike and travel out of cell service where the GPS has its advantage - slightly. With a GPS, you have to plan ahead and load your maps and geocaches whereas your phone can load everything on demand. Of course, the other apps do have the option to save geocaches and maps for offline use, so that line is getting blurred. Actual GPSs are generally more resiliant than phones. If you drop one, it doesn't break quite as easily. They're waterproof, so you can drop it in a stream without worry. And best of all, they run off of AA batteries, so when power runs low, you just pop in a new pair and continue on. Again, most of us with GPSs do other activities and use them for data collection, trip logging, and general navigation & orienteering in addition to geocaching.

 

Inro App vs. Other Apps

 

The intro app is free and it's getting better. Other apps, including 3rd party apps that connect via the API, aren't free, but are otherwise cheap enough. Each app is a little different in terms of features and user interface, so I'm not sure if there's a "Best" app, though some are less buggy than others. Someone else can step in and talk about the 3rd party apps. I've found that the intro app with a premium membership is adequate and gets the job done. But then, I mostly use my GPS to navigate to caches.

[+T.D.M.22]

I personally use the paid app most of the time. I'm also a random cacher, so I don't have to keep a gps updated. For now I will stick with it because it does what I need it to do. I also have a GPS that's used for dedicated geocaching trips.

 

App benefits; you don't have to download stuff before hand(also up to date info). You can download caches over wifi/data so no cables or software, and then cache offline like a GPS. You can log in the field. You have one less device to carry. You can look things up, for example on a puzzle cache. You will be accuracy be to see cache descriptions and hints on the app, and while you can see that stuff on some GPS units, it requires a premium membership on the website(so the is only a pro if you don't have a PM.)

 

Benifits of GPS. No data plan or wifi required. Longer battery life, with replaceable batteries. Generally more durable. Upgradeable maps (basic road maps, Ariel imagery, too maps, you name it. The apps use Google Earth type maps. Good for urban, but can be very deceiving) can be had for under $100 for budget friendly or over $500 for an Android OS based system.

 

As for accuracy, well mobile devices now have GPS chips just as good as some GPS devices. My tablet even has GLONASS.

[+HEADLANDERS]

The main advantage of dedicated GPS devices is that most have a reflective screen making them much easier to read in bright sunlight than 'phones'.

[+on4bam]

The intro app is free and it's getting better. Other apps, including 3rd party apps that connect via the API, aren't free,

 

Some are. I use GDAK (free) on my Android tablet as a backup. For caching I use an Oregon 600.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Phones vary. I'd rather be looking at my phone's ultra high-res display with its snappy update speed, and I can read it just fine in bright sunlight if I simply turn away from the sun, putting it in the shade of my head. And for most outdoor usage, rarely do I even have to do that.

 

And some apps have great functionality NOW.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Viajero Perdido