Jump to content

Handheld GPS


_Mooch_

Recommended Posts

Hey'all.  I'm new to this game, and am finding the app to kill my phone battery pretty quick.  I've heard that a hand held GPS could be more energy efficient? 

I have just a few little Q's:

How much would this set me back.

Is there a second hand market so i could pick up a cheaper one? 

Any recommendations?

 

cheers !!

 

Link to comment

the first thing I'd ask myself is if geocaching is something I see myself doing a year from now?   If your not sure than I'd continue using my phone for a while.  If you think it's something you'll stick with than I'd invest in a hand held gps.  

I purchased a Garmin Oregon 450 about 4 years ago for under $200.00.  It's served me quite well.  I've had no desire to "upgrade" to a newer model as the unit has everything I need to cache.

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment

Phone vs GPS unit is controversial, and It's not a given that a GPS unit is more economical on battery power than a phone + app.  I'm a dedicated cacher who's gone in the other direction, from Garmin to phone, and couldn't be happier.

The author of the caching app I use (Locus) is proud of the low battery usage he's managed to achieve.  I've been able to cache all day with that app on my older tiny-battery phone, or two+ days with my newer tank of a phone with its huge battery.

Sometimes other apps deserve the blame for draining phones.  Facebook, I've heard, is a real battery-sucker.

You could also cache in airplane mode to save battery; just pre-load map and caches beforehand.  Some apps support this.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...