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Geocaching with in-car SatNav.


Gill & Tony

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I've just bought a 2020 Toyota RAV4 which has a built-in SatNav.  I'm almost certain I can't add geocaches to the maps used by the car SatNav. (Please prove me wrong)

 

However, the car does have Android Auto and when the phone is connected, it shows Google maps.  So, is there some way to upload geocaches to Google maps on the phone and then navigate to them through Android Auto?

 

I know that Google earth has a display geocaches option.  Is there something similar for Google maps/

 

Thanks

 

Tony

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Since geocaches generally aren't on the road, when I import my coordinates into Google Maps I check to make sure where Google Maps wants to take me actually makes sense.

 

I don't do mass imports like the previous post, and I don't have in-car navigation.  What I do is:

1) Open a cache listing in Cachly on my iPhone

2) Copy the coordinates into my clipboard

3) Paste these coordinates into Google maps

4) Compare where the cache is located to where Google Maps wants to take me

5) Adjust Google Maps pin as necessary

 

I've also learned the hard way that a cache listing may have parking coordinates and that I should look for that waypoint in Cachly before I copy the posted coordinates. 

 

Edited by GeoElmo6000
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When reading this thread, I feel really old-fashioned ;) .

 

I also have a navigation system in the car. When I want to drive to the next cache, I look on the map of my GPSr for a (hopefully) suitable parking spot, then zoom/pan the map on my car nav system to the general area, and tap the spot on the map to start navigation.

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I have a 2019 RAV4, and I bought it because of being impressed with the technology.  I have an iPhone, so I use Apple CarPlay rather than Android Auto, but everything I've read suggests that the functionality is similar.  I can confirm that the built-in maps don't allow for displaying a file of geocache waypoints.

 

I've been very happy with my purchase, and I hope that Gill & Tony enjoy geocaching in the RAV4 as much as I have.  So far, I've gotten by with hooking up the iPhone via Apple CarPlay, and using either the official App or Cachly to select the next cache.  Then, it's simple to click on the driving directions icon (after checking for parking coords vs. going to posted coords).  The cache or parking waypoint then displays on the RAV4's giant screen, and I get turn-by-turn directions with voice prompts.  Meanwhile, I'm also using the phone connection to enjoy a favorite geocaching roadtrip playlist on Spotify, having my text messages read out to me and replying to them with voice dictation, and all other magical things that the RAV4 lets me do. 

 

I shall have to try the Google "MyMaps" option that HHL described.  Thanks for that!

Edited by The Leprechauns
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1 hour ago, HHL said:

On your car's NavSat:

1. Open Google Maps

Step 1 will hang up most people.  Opening Google Maps on a phone and using Android Auto or Car Play might work, except even then, the mobile version (at least for Android) of Google Maps does not seem to support pulling in the MyMaps for display through Android Auto.  They show up fine on the phone, but not the vehicle version of the map.

 

I find it much easier just to export the day's run to my TomTom from GSAK.

 

 

Edited by ecanderson
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Thanks to all who have contributed.

 

It seems I will just have to stick with the trusty Nuvi 2597LMT, but it seems silly having to stick a second satnav on the windscreen.

 

So far we have done 1500 Km in the week and a half since we bought the car and I'm very happy with it.  It will definitely get us to places the Priuds wouldn't touch.

 

Thanks again for the advice

 

Tony

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Does your car link to any navigation apps on your phone at all?

 

When I first started using the geocaching app on my phone, it would by default open up Google maps. Thanks to @kunarion's help in this thread, I was able to disassociate navigation links, so now my phone always asks what app I want to use.

 

I don't know whether this could be applied to your car's system, but there's the info if it helps.

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On 11/30/2020 at 7:33 AM, HHL said:

On your Desktop:

1. Export a CSV file from GSAK

2. Open Google "MyMaps" and import that file

 

e7d8ac7f521e77239fedec1c1ef123b7.png

 

On your car's NavSat:

1. Open Google Maps

1a. Import the CSV file

2. Navigate. ;)

 

Hans

Does this still work for you?  I have maps that appear in the my maps website and the maps portion of the app. They are not appearing in the car mounted display. I may be doing something wrong or something changed.

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3 hours ago, sloth96 said:

Does this still work for you?  I have maps that appear in the my maps website and the maps portion of the app. They are not appearing in the car mounted display. I may be doing something wrong or something changed.

 

Google and Apple are very restrictive on what can show on the car's display. Reducing driver distraction is paramount. For instance, Google only allows up to 6 points of interest (POI) to show on a map... so there is NO way to show the above map. Geooh GO for Android is the only geocaching app that has an approved car app running on the car display. 

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