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Looking at a Smartphone GPS to supplement my Oregon 450. Some questions:

  • Will it geotagg photos?
  • With it record tracks?
  • Will it record waypoints?
  • Best sunlight viewing technology (LED, LCD, OLED, other)?

 

Never owned a smartphone, open to any an all comments.

 

Thanks

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Modern smartphones have screens that can be seen outdoors in sunlight (maybe with some adjustment). The Oregon screen becomes easier to read, the brighter the sunlight is shining on it. So that's a difference. There are many other considerations, such as the phone heating up, battery drain, water resistance, shock resistance, in many threads around here to read.

 

The other features you ask for are in specialized Apps. For example, on Android, "Locus Maps Pro" and other map Apps can record tracks and waypoints. Many camera Apps photo-tag the location.

Edited by kunarion
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The answer to your questions: Yes.

 

Geotagging of photos is very much possible (I'm assuming you mean photos taken with the smartphone).

 

Yes, there are apps for logging tracks, though if you have a GPS, why do you need a phone to do this?

 

Yes, there are apps for recording waypoints, but again, if you have a GPS, why the need to duplicate.

 

Smartphones are amazing devices. They've got more computing power and ability than the desktop I built for myself 15 years ago, and it was top of the line back then. Ok, that might be a bit of a stretch, but they're pretty powerful mini computers. To only buy one for geocaching and navigation would be underselling their usefulness.

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Looking at a Smartphone GPS to supplement my Oregon 450. Some questions:

  • Will it geotagg photos?
  • With it record tracks?
  • Will it record waypoints?
  • Best sunlight viewing technology (LED, LCD, OLED, other)?

 

Never owned a smartphone, open to any an all comments.

 

Thanks

 

In my opinion (and experience), the only thing you listed that the Smart Phone will do better is when taking photos. The remaining items are far better served by the GPSr you already have. Perhaps a newer upgraded GPSr is in your future? I very much like the advanced tracking capabilities of the Oregon 6x0/7x0 series. The 7x0 will even share your voyage LIVE (via bluetooth enabled smart phone, lol) so others can track your progress or whereabouts, if you so decide. Modern Garmin GPSr screens are far more easy to read in direct sunlight than any smart phone I have used. They require zero back lighting and look marvelous!

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I use a cheap-like-borscht phone, and even that is readable in bright sunlight if I simply turn so the phone is in my own shadow.

 

Geo-tagging of phone snaps is routine nowadays, though photo quality will never be great with such a tiny lens.

 

As for apps, some can do everything Garmin firmware does, and more. The one I use (Locus) records tracks, lets me edit them in-phone (slice and dice, remove geo-breaks), even upload them to OSM, EveryTrail, etc. Waypoints? Yeah, we've got waypoints...

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Yes, there are apps for logging tracks, though if you have a GPS, why do you need a phone to do this?
I wouldn't always use the SP with the OR, frequently go for hikes with a high end camera with a 30X zoom and GPS. I own two, both dead. I took both apart, swapped modules, got one working, now it has failed after two weeks . . . color me frustrated and looking at alternatives.

 

To only buy one for geocaching and navigation would be underselling their usefulness.
I'm well aware that SP's are powerful computers, just never needed a mobile computer. So my primary use would be a large photo database that I could search and view in the field. The OR allows me to see the exact single photo associated with my position but ... the contrast and detail are dreadful at best. The SP could have high resolution, zooming etc. all trivial for a mobile computer. The GPS and photo functionality is just icing and backup.

 

So rather than upgrade my OR 450 for a slightly better OR 600 or 700, for the same or less money I could have a vastly superior mobile computer. Of course I'd keep/use the OR 450 for the things it excels at.

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There are many other considerations, such as the phone heating up, battery drain, water resistance, shock resistance, in many threads around here to read.
Did a search before posting. Not a single instance of Smartphone in a title, 900+ in the text. Kind of hard to separate wheat from chaff.

 

"Locus Maps Pro" and other map Apps can record tracks and waypoints. Many camera Apps photo-tag the location.

Added Locus Pro to my bookmarks, thanks.
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There are many other considerations, such as the phone heating up, battery drain, water resistance, shock resistance, in many threads around here to read.
Did a search before posting. Not a single instance of Smartphone in a title, 900+ in the text. Kind of hard to separate wheat from chaff.

 

"Locus Maps Pro" and other map Apps can record tracks and waypoints. Many camera Apps photo-tag the location.

Added Locus Pro to my bookmarks, thanks.

 

It sounds like you're looking to augment your GPS with a smartphone to get the best of both worlds. I do the same myself.

Regarding recording/displaying tracks... There are standalone apps that will record tracks, but the only geocaching app that I'm aware of that will record and display tracks is Locus Pro. It makes an excellent companion to a GPS unit. If you purchase an Android phone, you can transfer GPX files (geocaches, waypoints, tracks and routes) to and from your phone and the GPS by buying a cheap OTG cable.

 

Locus has the most extensive options for maps that I have seen in a geocaching app, both for offline maps and online maps. It takes a couple of downloads to get it all; the Locus Pro main program, Locus for Geocaching, a Field Notes app, and the Map Tweak app are what I use. They all fit together as a single integrated app. Very powerful.

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Anyone who spends alot of time in the woods year round etc...will find a dedicated GPS the rule of law. Our new Oregon 700 with glonass,wifi,live tracking is so awesome..also the Montana 680 I have with Glonass.. amazing accuracy and tracking. I've got tracks back to 1998 from the first Garmin 48 I owned.. and I've owned many since.. Only recently have I had the tracks so clean etc because of glonass..with WAAS on. Things have change alot for GPSR'S since alot of articles were written about the accuracy,etc.

I can't wait until Garmin comes out with a Montana type (larger) like the Oregon 700 material,etc. have.

Edited by capt caper
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Thanks to all for your comments. This is what I did.

Because of my desire for sunlight visibility I settled on the Samsung Galaxy's for their excellent OLED displays and went to eBay looking for a Galaxy S5. Then feature creep set in and I progressed to the Galaxy S7 Edge which arrived yesterday. BTW, geotagging is native to all Galaxy phones, no App needed.

Now I get to learn how it works. Like all computers it is just a matter of finding the nested menu(s) to make adjustments. Google is a big help if I can't figure out the steps.

Wish me luck. :)

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2 hours ago, MtnHermit said:

Because of my desire for sunlight visibility I settled on the Samsung Galaxy's for their excellent OLED displays and went to eBay looking for a Galaxy S5. Then feature creep set in and I progressed to the Galaxy S7 Edge which arrived yesterday. BTW, geotagging is native to all Galaxy phones, no App needed.

Just wanted to mention that if you have geotagged photos of the final locations of mystery and/or multi caches, then posting those geotagged photos to the cache page could be considered as spoilers.

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21 hours ago, noncentric said:

Just wanted to mention that if you have geotagged photos of the final locations of mystery and/or multi caches, then posting those geotagged photos to the cache page could be considered as spoilers.

When you add Project-GC's web browser extension to your browser, then all logs with geotagged photos will display the coords in the log.

Found it Found it

10/18/2015

Found the Fake Monida Cache this morning on our way home to BC! :)

Photo Wheel Horse'n @ Monida EXIF Location: N44 33.724 W112 18.849

Found it Found it

10/03/2015

Auf unserer Tour konnten wir diese Dose auch finden. Hier sagen sich ja Hase und Fuchs gute Nacht. TFTC

Photo GC13H7T Fake Monida Cache Montana EXIF Location: N44 33.726 W112 18.852

 

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