Moto G4 Plus and geocaching with no compass.

[martout]

So I am thinking of ugrading from my moto g3 (which is my main geocaching machine along with a mini gps tracker for when I am up mountains etc). However the G4 Plus, for some reason, does not have a magnetic compass in it. How badly will this affect GPS tracking?

 

Love to hear from anyone who has used a phone with no compass to Geocache.

[+ecanderson]

Won't impact GPS tracking at all. What it will do is require you to keep moving in order to know where you're going with respect to the cache. Once you stop, a unit without a mag compass won't know your orientation. It uses GPS data to track your movement to determine your direction. Many purpose built GPS receivers don't have a mag compass. You can definitely work without one, but many of us really like this feature in certain circumstances.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Some apps (like Locus) show the sun on the compass rose along with the arrow pointing to the cache. On sunny days I find this very handy: "the cache is just left of the sun", look up, aim that way but a little left.

 

I cached for years with a Garmin without a compass, and quickly learned the keep-moving thing mentioned above, Later I cached with a Garmin that did have a compass, but mostly kept it turned off.

 

You can also be aware of North etc., and take note of which direction the cache is relative to the compass points. This part works better in the city, of course, assuming the streets are simple N/S or E/W.

 

TLDR: compass not essential.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Viajero Perdido

[+on4bam]

Having a compass on my Oregon 600 and Colorado 300 before that I've never used the compass to cache. Topo map at the right zoomlevel is all I ever use.

[ohgood]

So I am thinking of ugrading from my moto g3 (which is my main geocaching machine along with a mini gps tracker for when I am up mountains etc). However the G4 Plus, for some reason, does not have a magnetic compass in it. How badly will this affect GPS tracking?

 

Love to hear from anyone who has used a phone with no compass to Geocache.

 

tried both ways, and there wasn't much difference unless kids were the pilot. with kids, they tend to stop and rotate tool set which way to go, adults usually take bearings off landmarks while they are moving.

 

it will work fine either way.

[martout]

Some apps (like Locus) show the sun on the compass rose along with the arrow pointing to the cache. On sunny days I find this very handy: "the cache is just left of the sun", look up, aim that way but a little left.

 

TLDR: compass not essential.

 

Defo will check that app out, thanks.

 

 

And thanks for the replies everyone, I'll order the phone tonight then!

[+ArtieD]

I have the Moto G4 and I have been caching with it just fine.