geocaching smartphones

[marksar]

Ok, I have a new smart phone (the droid) and am using the geocaching app geobeagle. Ran it side by side with my Gramin 60Csx, and must say the reception was just about spot on. Both lead me to the same spot, Garmin +/- 4 feet, geobeagle +/-2 yards. The app is not the smothest (brings up geocaching.com's list of closest chaches that have not been found, then goes arrow with distance. Works great, except clicking on the cache link with my big fat fingers.

I have a fried who has an iPhone, and the app seems to be super cool, however he says the GPSr's accuracy on the iPhone is not that good.

So if any of you out there are using your phones for geocaching, what phones, apps and results do you have?

[mountainborn]

Very cool phone ! I am ever so jealous !

[arkfiremedic]

The iPhone app for Geocaching is great. The accuracy for the iPhone app for geocaching stinks. Unless it is a neon colored ammo box that has a lighted sign pointing to it in an empty Wal-Mart parking lot it is not worth powering up. I say it is a wasted $9.99 for the app. I hope this answer your questions. I am wishing that a future update may help the accuracy, but I am not too hopeful that will ever happen.

[cfd29]

I am glad to hear that there is an app for the new droid,, how much does the app cost you,, is it just a one time thing, I have been thinking about going to the droid but no geo app was keeping me back, would really like to have that so when I am out of town can get up to date info on a cache, I have looked and looked for caches before only to learn when I return to log my dnf that the thing was either moved or temp disabled since I ran a PQ..

[marksar]

geobeagle is free, but the way I use it, you have to have a data plan. There is a way to use it where you don't have an data signal, but I have been to Blackrock, portia, Old Davidson, and even stranger's home outside Alecia and still had a signal.

Mind you I have a degree in computer science, so I might not be the best to judge ease of use of the program, but for the most part it is done thought the geocaching website, so it is very familiar.

Default units are in meters, but you can switch to yards.

[cfd29]

Thanks for the info, sounds good.. :D

[Ashallond]

Honestly, I disagree with the iphone app being worthless. The info you can get out of the app about nearby caches is golden, especially if you are in some other town and half hour to kill, boom, you have a list of nearby apps. Paperless caching here we come! Now t has some features that are missing right now that would make it awesome, but I'm screaming in the GS forums as frequently as I can.

Now, I would DEFINITELY recommend that if you are not in a 3G covered area, that having a companion GPS to help you zone in, especially in wooded areas would be a good idea. The problem is that for some reason, the app tries to use cell phone tower triangulation before GPS satellites to find itself. Yeah, altitude changes completely messes things up.

I've noticed when I'm in a 3G covered area, I get good reception. When I take it into slightly less rural areas, it starts to wander a bit.

[arkfiremedic]

I'm not sure where you are from, but in Lower Arkansas there is no such thing as 3G. Shreveport (some one and a half hours away) is the closest 3G I have found and I use paperless caching already so yes for me it was a wasted $9.99. I am glad though you have found use with it. Maybe some day with updates I can feel like I have gotten my moneys worth, but until then sorry, I'm not a big fan.

[OldRiverRunner]

This has been an interesting discussion! I've been thinking about getting an iPhone, so there's been some good information here, pro and con. However, i never intended for the iPhone to replace my good old eTrex Vista C for geocaching. I am more interested in using it for online information about any nearby caches as well as the other features and applications.

[HikerRon]

I'm with arkfiremedic. i think the best accuracy ive ever had on my iphone
was 56 ft. Fine if you are looking for skirtlifters, but useless on those micros in the woods. and it doesnt update very quickly. 3g or no 3g.
however, the geocaching app is great! i've learned to 'save for offline use'
so i can access cache info even without cell signal. It's very handy, and my Palm has been in a drawer ever since i got the app.

[Spice]

I recently bought a Blackberry Curve and use Cacheberry app on it for paperless caching. I don't have the GPS use on my phone, but who needs it when you have a Garmin 60Csx!

[marksar]

Ashallond, I don't think the the app on the iPhone is worthless. It is the BEST interface to geocaching.com I have seen, but with +/- 56 feet accuracy (which is what my friend gets on the iPhone in the best of times) it is good for paperless, but you still need another GPS and transfer coords. It is not a GPS replacement.

Also, let me note I have the Motorola Droid, not the HTC Droid.

I went out caching this weekend again with my Droid. I went though Smithville, Lynn, and Stawberry. I lost internet/service when going through the area, and had to drive to where I could pick up a signal (need to learn how to download caches into geobeagle) and it worked as good as my 60Csx. (both brought me to roughly the same place, and roughly similar accuracy), plus the Droid handles navigation to the cache, and allows for satellite views.

Battery life was good Did 2-3 hours of geocaching with GPS and Internet access and still had about 30% battery life left. Just hooked up to the charger while in the car, and back up to 70% when I got to the next cache down the road.

Once I learn how to download caches to geobeagle I think I will leave my 60Csx at home.

I have used the iPhone MANY times to find caches when I had a few minutes to kill and wasn't prepared to cache. It will, eventually, get you to a cache. The accuracy is not a close as my 60csx, but if you have the patience and remember that the iPhone has to be in motion for the GPS to be accurate, you can find a cache.

Me and BSA534 went out to a new cache tonight. The cache is hidden in the woods just off a trail. When I found the cache, I looked at my phone and the distance to the cache said 4 feet. Pretty close if you ask me, but after I sat still for a minute signing the log, the accuracy went down and it went kind of haywire. I love having the information features when out at a cache.

The phone is great as an additional tool, but I wouldn't replace my 60 csx on those big cache runs.

[nathan72454]

Hey Guys. I'm new to geocaching and I have not picked up a stand alone gps unit yet. I am usning my Samsung Epix smartphone with GCzII and google earth. It seems to work great. It brought me within 10 feet of my last find.

[marksar]

OK, have played a bit more with the droid, and I love it.

I have downloaded a gpx files for the 500 from a pocket query, Went right to my email. The google mail app lacks download of attachments, but I went to website and downloaded the file (not geobeagle's fault for the extra step) Then I told geobeagle to pull them up.

From running pocket query to having a list (paperless, listed by closest first) took less than 5 minutes, even with the alternative download.

Add to this the fact I can can load the point into the google maps program (options, google maps) and get turn by turn directions to the cache)

The more I use geobegal, the more I like it!

How to set it up
http://www.cacheopedia.com/wiki/GeoBeagle

If you want to see it in action: (bit of language, pg)
http://androidsocialmedia.com/apps/geob ... roid-style (http://androidsocialmedia.com/apps/geobeagle-geocaching-android-style)