New to Geocaching

[ksc27]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. Is the navigation on this phone accurate enough? How do I plug in the coordinates?

Also, what does the Premium Membership offer that would be worth me spending $60.00 (my husband will be going with me)

TIA for your opinions, I'm very excited to get started in this new hobby! I love the outdoors!!!

[+Ben0w]

Welcome!

 

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. Is the navigation on this phone accurate enough?

Accuracy of most smartphones including the S5 is good enough for geocaching. More or less the basic GPS chip and firmware drivers are essentially the same as with dedicated GPS devices. But don't expect both to lead you directly to the point, don't forget that both inaccuracies will add up - that of your device and that of the geocache hider's. So the last 15 meters stick your device away and search with your eyes.

 

How do I plug in the coordinates?

That entirely depends on the App that you're using for geocaching on this device. A general GPS app will let you put in coordinates in several formats - be sure to understand that coordinates can have different writings (see the transform to other formats link below the coordinates given on the geocaching listing).

 

A decent geocaching app will provide downloading listed coordinates and additional information by GC-code (the unique code every geocache has, starting with GC for geocaching.com caches, see upper right corner on the listing page). There may be limitations in search for geocaches this way: the access interface of apps to the geocaching.com site (called API for "application programming interface") is limited to reduce load on the servers. As a guest or basic member you will be limited to only a few caches per day and can't access all cache types, as far as I recall only traditionals. See below for what you can get wirh premium membership.

 

Other way to download geocache information to your device is by loading gpx files to it. GPX is a file format most GPS capable devices/apps understand and contains information for one or more geocaches. How that works depends on your setup.

 

Also, what does the Premium Membership offer that would be worth me spending $60.00 (my husband will be going with me)

First: you don't have to spend the money for each one of you as long as it's good enough for you to manage searching in the geocaching database by just one paid account. The PM can do all the searching in the database and give coordinates to a family member. Your husband is allowed to log even "premium member only" caches* - if he signed the logbook he may log online.

 

There are some advantages of beeing a premium member (PM):

• no restrictions to number of caches and cache types loading on your devices

• advanced search options

• pocket queries (an easy way to get filtered data for your device, such as "caches along a route")

• notifications (about new caches, changing in nearby caches, ...)

• unlimited watchlist entries

• and maybe something else I just forgot

 

If you don't need those, you don't need a premium membership. Geocaching itself is possible without paying the fee.

 

Have fun!

 

* please note: "premium member only" caches are not necessarily better than other caches, it's just a feature to restrict access - not logging - for some reasons, some of them heavily discussed.

[Pup Patrol]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. Is the navigation on this phone accurate enough? How do I plug in the coordinates?

 

As has been mentioned, it depends on the app you are using.

 

If you are using one of Groundspeak's apps, the Help Center has a section that will help:

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=12

 

For entering coordinates on your app, you are interested in the articles that discuss creating an additional waypoint. I'm not sure if the Free Intro App versions allow you to do that.

 

Also, what does the Premium Membership offer that would be worth me spending $60.00 (my husband will be going with me)

TIA for your opinions, I'm very excited to get started in this new hobby! I love the outdoors!!!

 

Buying PM's for both of you may not be necessary. Do you each have your own account?

 

Even if you do have separate accounts, and decide that you will be caching enough to have PM be advantageous, it still doesn't necessarily mean that having both be PM is necessary.

 

Help Center - Premium Membership

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=5

 

 

B.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Pup Patrol

[+NanCycle]

 

Also, what does the Premium Membership offer that would be worth me spending $60.00 (my husband will be going with me)

TIA for your opinions, I'm very excited to get started in this new hobby! I love the outdoors!!!

 

I'd suggest waiting a while on the premium membership, until you really know that you want it. Even then, many families have just one PM and find it works very well for them.

[+K13]

I have used the Galaxy S5 and S4 while geocaching. They are more than adequate for the game. Depending upon which Geocaching app you use, you shouldn't need to enter coordinates. The app will do that after you select the cache for your search.

 

Have you and hubby considered one Team account? If you will always be caching together, that may be something to consider.

[+coman123]

One reason for the premium membership that most forget to mention is your supporting Groundspeak, who make this game possible.

Same reason why I paid for the Geocaching App and I do not use the free ones out there.

[Andronicus]

I just got an S5 too, and so far I love it. And I love that is it Waterproof! I have a protective case for drop protection for when I am out and about. I bought the wireless charging setup for it too, so I don't have to keep opening the USB cover. It is easily visible in direct sunlight, has a replaceble battery. It realy meets all my needs.

 

PS, I rooted it with ClockWorkMod, and flashed the CyanogenMod 12.0 ROM. I'm Lovin it!

 

As for a Primuim Membership, If you are planning to find more than 1 or 2 a day, it sure help. The various approved apps will only let you load details for 3 per day with a Basic Membership. Right now, I have not been doing much caching at all, so a Basic Membership is working just fine for me. I will go back to PM next time I'm doing more caching.

[+Spenny!]

I used a basic account for a month, finding as many as i wanted every time i used it. I was never limited on cache views. I am a premium member now and run multiple Pocket Queries a day depending on what i want to find. The biggest advantage of a premium membership for me is using the Google map on geocaching.com instead of the open source maps. I would recommend using your basic app for a month or so to make sure you are into it. I use a combination of the Official app and another app the combo usually works well as sometimes the maps are off a little depending on the loaded tiles.

[+doc73]

KSC27, welcome. I agree, try it out and make sure it is for you. Then if so consider one premium membership. Supports GC.com but does not kill you. Wife and I share an account to and our daughter is a basic member. We can still log all her finds, even PMO.

 

Never knew they restricted the basic user. Cunningham!, were you using the GS app or another?

[+Spenny!]

 

Never knew they restricted the basic user. Cunningham!, were you using the GS app or another?

The gs app. I was never restricted but alot of people claimed to have been. i still combo all day, especially since only one of the apps adds recently viewed caches.

[+doc73]

Wonder if the other apps that use the api are the ones restricted not the GS app. Doing that to their own app would probably shoot them in the foot and chase folks. Thanks.