Wireless Internet

[Guest jaw2925]

ften as possible. Getting access to the internet is the problem. The only solutions I've arrived at are to use public libraries along the way or outfit myself with some kind of wireless arrangement. In older threads I've seen mention of 'Kyocera Smart Phones, 'Palm VII's with DP Web Browser's', and 'Handspring Visor's with Omnisky Minstrel wireless modems'. I'd like to ask all of you using the above or any other devices if they've been reliable and are what you would consider to be cost effective. Could you take them on the road for a month and log all your finds with them? I'm hoping for a solution under $400.00 if possible. Any ideas?

[Guest madphatboy2]

See if you can use peoples computers along the way. I don't have much experience with public libraries computers, but it seems to me that they do limit internet use/downloading etc. (I may be wrong on that) I for one wouldn't mind letting you use my computer/internet.

 

MPB2

[Guest madphatboy2]

See if you can use peoples computers along the way. I don't have much experience with public libraries computers, but it seems to me that they do limit internet use/downloading etc. (I may be wrong on that) I for one wouldn't mind letting you use my computer/internet.

 

MPB2

[Guest jaw2925]

Thanks for the generous offer madphat. I don't know that I'll be getting to your neighborhood though. Visiting Utah and the Grand Staircase Nat.Mon. was at the top of my list but I've since discovered that Nat. Mon.'s and Nat. Park's aren't very dog friendly and my dog Stella will be with me. It's beginning to look more and more that the Great Basin area is the place for us(Nevada, SE. Oregon). Open room to roam but not so many dog hazards or restrictions. Joe

[Guest JamieZ]

I don't know much about little electronic gadgets , but I do know a thing or two about using computers at public libraries.

 

I was on a multi-month expedition where virtually my only internet access was at public libraries. Here's what I can tell you.

 

Every library I visited had internet access, from big cities (St. Louis) to little towns (Aitkin, MN). Occasionally, I had to speak with the librarian for several minutes before they'd let me use a computer. (Let them know you are from out-of-town. You'll have to produce an ID) Sometimes the librarian was rather suspicious of what I was doing, but then they warmed up to me after I'd tell them where I was from and what I was doing.

 

Sometimes I had to "sign up" for computer use, but I never had to wait. Some libraries have a time limit, but I found it to be generous... a couple hours or something. It was a point that never came up.

 

The library in Cairo, IL had computers, but the internet server was temporarily down. It was the only library I stopped at where I wasn't able to gain access to the internet. Never was I turned away simply because I wasn't a resident.

 

One solitary library, in all my travels, actually charged for out-of-town visitor use. Vicksburg, Mississippi. Which was ironic, since I was a Mississippi citizen at the time. The cost was $3 for two hours of internet use over two days.

 

Good luck.

 

Jamie

[Guest JamieZ]

I don't know much about little electronic gadgets , but I do know a thing or two about using computers at public libraries.

 

I was on a multi-month expedition where virtually my only internet access was at public libraries. Here's what I can tell you.

 

Every library I visited had internet access, from big cities (St. Louis) to little towns (Aitkin, MN). Occasionally, I had to speak with the librarian for several minutes before they'd let me use a computer. (Let them know you are from out-of-town. You'll have to produce an ID) Sometimes the librarian was rather suspicious of what I was doing, but then they warmed up to me after I'd tell them where I was from and what I was doing.

 

Sometimes I had to "sign up" for computer use, but I never had to wait. Some libraries have a time limit, but I found it to be generous... a couple hours or something. It was a point that never came up.

 

The library in Cairo, IL had computers, but the internet server was temporarily down. It was the only library I stopped at where I wasn't able to gain access to the internet. Never was I turned away simply because I wasn't a resident.

 

One solitary library, in all my travels, actually charged for out-of-town visitor use. Vicksburg, Mississippi. Which was ironic, since I was a Mississippi citizen at the time. The cost was $3 for two hours of internet use over two days.

 

Good luck.

 

Jamie

[Guest Gliderguy]

I have the Kyocera smartphone. In areas of digital phone coverage the browser that came with mine (eudora) works just fine. I dont think you would have consistent success out at the cache site if it is very rural. The Kyocera smartphone has recently took a steep cut in price since Samsung has released a color palm / phone.

 

I have seen the Kyocera advertised for $178. plus whatever wireless airtime plan you buy with them, of course.

 

The smartphone alone is a workable solution, but if you wanted to bulk download waypoints to your GPSR then you would need a cable and notebook computer... in which case the smartphone is just used as a 14.4k wireless modem....

 

If you already have a notebook computer, get something like AOL and use their 1 - 800 access number. This should work anywhere...

 

 

[This message has been edited by Gliderguy (edited 03 February 2002).]

[Guest makaio]

Joe - another option is to use a PDA app such as Avantgo or Plucker to retrieve web data and upload it to your PDA for 'offline' viewing while in the field. Obviously, this could mean stale data (which may or may not affect your hunts) and you may not be aware of newly posted caches since you uploaded the info, but would also NOT require online access while you're away.

 

Assuming you want to hit a selective list of recommended caches in the areas you will be travelling, chances are the data you download for them today will still be good when you get there.

 

Food for thought. Have fun!

[Guest oregone]

before i learned about geocaching, i took a summer off to go to every city in oregon. about a week before my vacation was up, i learned about geocaching and the importance of public libraries. JamieZ is right--most librarians will let you use the internet without a card if you're just nice to them. you may have to wait for up to thirty minutes to an hour sometimes for other people to finish what they're doing, but it's worth it. i used the libraries in Lebanon, Seaside, and Grants Pass without even showing my ID. i'm surprised they even let me in there after how i must have smelled after camping for weeks at a time. also--Burns has a great cyber-cafe. save your $400 for some new gadgets.

[Guest oregone]

before i learned about geocaching, i took a summer off to go to every city in oregon. about a week before my vacation was up, i learned about geocaching and the importance of public libraries. JamieZ is right--most librarians will let you use the internet without a card if you're just nice to them. you may have to wait for up to thirty minutes to an hour sometimes for other people to finish what they're doing, but it's worth it. i used the libraries in Lebanon, Seaside, and Grants Pass without even showing my ID. i'm surprised they even let me in there after how i must have smelled after camping for weeks at a time. also--Burns has a great cyber-cafe. save your $400 for some new gadgets.

[Guest jaw2925]

Thanks everybody for the informative replies. I followed up on Gliderguys cell phone solutions and Makaio's(nice to hear from you)PDA idea at the local computer store. I finally decided I'd best save the money. As tempting as it is to buy new gadgets I remembered I would only need them temporarily and too much expenditure would probably shorten my trip. JamieZ and Oregone sold me on the feasability of using libraries. Although initially not very keen on the idea of visiting a library every so often, I figure I could also work in a shower and a big gulp and get some social time with the locals. Anyway, too much time alone tends to make a person hmmmmm, shall we say eccentric?.... Joe

[Guest crusso]

You could also post to the forums basically where, when u would be travelling. I'm sure many cachers would be more than happy to share some computer time with you.

Another way would be to hit local malls. Most have a store where they sell internet time or even have demo kiosks where you can get on for free (go during weekday am hours when less kids/people likely to use them) no printout capability but good for checking for caches in the area.

[Guest kablooey]

I haven't actually tried logging a cache using the WAPsite yet, but I often look up coordinates and cache info using my Sprint Neopoint 1000. It's kind of an old phone, so you can probably get one on eBay for about $50 (if not, I have a friend who moved to the boonies who wants to sell her NP1000 because she doesn't get Sprint coverage now). If you do get a phone, make sure to get one with a large screen (besides the Neopoints, the Kyocera smartphone and Timeport 3000 are good choices). If you get one of those small Nokia phones, you'll be scrolling for hours trying to get the information you need.

[Guest JamieZ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by crusso:

Another way would be to hit local malls. Most have a store where they sell internet time or even have demo kiosks where you can get on...

---

 

Yeah... that reminds me of a time during my trip that I checked (and replied to) a couple of emails at a Radio Shack in the mall. I just hopped onto one of their demo computers for a few minutes.

 

Regarding showers... I dunno what sort of trip you have planned, but showers are hard to come by in my opinion. I thought I'd throw out a couple of suggestions for them too. Actually, if other people had thoughts about showers, I'd like to hear them as well.

Campgrounds are good. Sometimes you can just go in and use their facilities without anyone even knowing... another option is to go into the campground office and ask if you may use the shower. You can usually get in for free or for a couple dollars. Same deal with mom-and-pop hotels. I've taken a couple showers at hotels when I never stayed in a room. Cost me a couple bucks, but a shower is worth a lot sometimes.

 

Public parks (state parks and the like) are just as good as private campgrounds, but usually more secure. A chit-chat with a ranger can usually result in shower-use for free or real cheap.

 

Jamie

[Guest Gliderguy]

Shower facilities are available at most larger truck-stops...

[Guest jeremy]

This may sound boring, but if you're staying in hotels I would suggest getting an Earthlink account and calling local access numbers as you travel. If you dial their 1800 number they'll give you local phone numbers. you can then dial up via the laptop and do it that way.

 

Second to that is getting a modem attachment for your cell phone and changing your plan to nationwide long distance while you're on the road. You usually get 14.4 modem speeds but wireless devices usually get the same bandwidth (OmniSky for instance) and cost you $600 to start if you do the annual plan, compared to $60/mo for nationwide long-distance.

 

One thought I've always had was to get a directpc satellite and try to travel with it, though you'd have to have a big enough vehicle (camper?) to make it worthwhile. But high speed internet would be cool that way.

 

Jeremy

[Guest jaw2925]

Crud. I do have an Earthlink account and I do plan on staying in hotels once or twice a week. Unfortunately, my laptop gave up the ghost last summer. Now I use a desktop. I'm going to have to check out more of the phone suggestions made in this thread. However, the key thing I'm wanting is to submit logs to cache pages. Those long dark evenings camping in the early part of the spring can be tedious without something to keep my brain busy. Reading is good, but writing up my daily caching adventures would even be better.