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Kidcobalt


kidcobalt

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If you're offline only (for example, hunting caches beyond mobile phone service areas), a Garmin handheld hiking GPS is suitable, depending on the model.  Very old ones may be tough to load from the site.  For a couple of caches, typing the coords manually, some of the earliest handhelds are perfectly fine.

If you've got a pretty much constant data connection and a decent smartphone, try out the Official App.  My brand new HTC U11 has comparably terrible precision, so I guess you never know if the precision of any given phone is acceptable to you now til you try it.  I don't want to mess with a waterproof/shockproof case for it, and I want it as a "phone".  So I still load Pocket Queries to my Garmin as I have for nine years, and have the phone pre-loaded and available for anything I need to do live online.

Beyond that, I refer you to the many, many threads about phone vs. GPS.

 

Edited by kunarion
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Hi.  There are many threads on the phone-vs-GPS debate, and if you scroll down a bit (or check the GPS forum here), you should be able to find loads of opinion on the subject.

My advice: there are multiple "apps for that", and some work perfectly well offline, almost seem to prefer it that way.  Locus Map, for example.  You have a Garmin, you have an Android.  Try both.

I've been lucky.  The two Android phones I've used for caching have both been very accurate, being equivalent (as best as I can tell) to my old Garmin in side-by-side tests while out caching.

Edited by Viajero Perdido
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Much of the decision between using a GPSr vs Smartphone app is based on personal preference and monetary cost.  In regards to personal preferences, some things to consider are:

  • Screen visibility - For some, a GPSr screen is easier to look at than a smartphone. For me, I have to turn up the phone's brightness in order to read what's on the screen. The high brightness uses more battery. I don't see a glare problem with my GPSr's screen.
  • Buttons vs Touchscreen - Touchscreens, on phones or GPSr's, can get 'jumpy' if there are water droplets (rain) on them. That problem doesn't happen with GPSr's that use buttons. This is a big factor for me, as I often cache in the rain.
  • Screen size - Most smartphones have a larger screen than most GPSr's. There are times when I wish my GPSr screen was larger.
  • Durability - Some cachers have rugged smartphones and/or cases, so they don't worry about dropping them or laying them in the dirt or getting them wet. GPSr's are usually more durable 'out of the box' than most smartphones.
  • General fit - Some cachers find smartphones to be too big for one-handed operation. Personally, I find it easier to navigate the GPSr with one hand, whereas I usually need two hands for my phone (one to hold, the other to swipe).
  • Battery life - Some cachers can cache for an entire day with their smartphones and still have plenty of power left, while others have a dead battery before they've finished caching. Most GPSr's will last more than a day on a pair of AA's. There are external battery packs to charge a smartphone on the go, so that is an option. Personally, I find it easier to carry extra rechargeable AA's that I can quickly swap into my GPSr. Carrying a smartphone that's attached to an external charging pack is just cumbersome to me.
  • Logging - Using a GPSr does not allow for instant logging of caches, unless you have one of the few units that connects to geocaching.com (eg, Garmin Oregon 700 series). Using a smartphone in an area with cell/wifi service allows cachers to log their caches right away. Whether this is a benefit or not depends on the cacher. Some cachers prefer to write their logs later, perhaps at the end of the caching day. Either device should allow for creating Drafts (aka 'field notes').

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There have been several GPSr vs Smartphone threads debating the benefits, or not, of using one type of device over another:

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21 hours ago, kidcobalt said:

Question. which is preferred: android app or Garmin GPS. Getting involved again after 9 yrs.Originally used my Garmin, now I see "theres's an app for that"

 

I've been using the Official App as my street routing App to a cache.  I have my Garmin GPS loaded with the same lists/PQs so I can hunt caches when I arrive.  For now, that plan works great for nearby towns.  For cachers going to foreign lands or wandering the entire US, the plan gets more complicated.

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I bought my first Garmin years ago and still use one, now it's an Oregon 700. I tried caching with my phone, found it was less accurate than my Garmin and just too big. I also had to take a powerbank with me instead of two AA-batteries, so phone-caching never was an option for me.

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14 minutes ago, Henne1312 said:

I bought my first Garmin years ago and still use one, now it's an Oregon 700. I tried caching with my phone, found it was less accurate than my Garmin and just too big. I also had to take a powerbank with me instead of two AA-batteries, so phone-caching never was an option for me.

Haven't tried phone caching. Certain areas out here where signal is spotty at best. There are days when I can look out a window and tell which neighbors are on the phone because they are standing out in the open away from any tall trees and buildings. Strangely enough the towers are only about a mile south.

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My preference is a Garmin GPS. I sometimes cache with a person who uses a smartphone.  My GPS always gets me to GZ while her phone is still taking her around in circles.  Then there's the battery issue.  My Garmin lasts all day while she has to use two power banks to get the same usage.  

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On 3/22/2018 at 7:36 AM, kidcobalt said:

Question. which is preferred: android app or Garmin GPS. Getting involved again after 9 yrs.Originally used my Garmin, now I see "theres's an app for that"

There will be as many "preferences" as there are geocachers.  We just entered the game a year ago, and have used the Android app on our Google Pixel phones pretty much exclusively.  It works, over 600 finds in varied terrain across the US.

Our son and his wife have been at this for years longer, and use GPS devices (Oregon, Montana, several over the years).  They also use the Android app.  

For us, we can't justify the extra expense of a GPS device when our phone's GPS seems sufficient.  We have battery packs, and have not had an issue with signal (we've downloaded lists for offline use if we anticipate being in a weak signal area).  If we already had a GPS device, and knew how to use it, it may be a different story.  We are perfectly happy with the phone app and the caching we've been able to do with the phone.  YMMV

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14 hours ago, Jpn8 said:

Depends on what Android device you are using as well. Really not much need carrying around an extra device. A GPS in my opinion is outdated and quite useless compared to a phone here in Japan.

 

When I geocached in Japan I only used my handheld GPS.  Prior to the trip I loaded a bunch of caches near Narita,  all the caches in Singapore, and a cache in an area in Malaysia that I was visiting (I also loaded maps for each area).  As I see it, one of the primary advantages of using a phone is that one can get cache data (and maps) in real time but that's not an option if you're traveling without a data plan.  

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