From mobile app to hand held GPS

[+Likes2FindThings]

Hello,

 

Since I have finally found 100 caches, after using the Geocaching mobile app to find all 100 of my finds, I decided it's time to go pro and get a real hand held GPS for more accuracy! I am still quite the noob, and have a few questions I could not easily find on Google/forums about hand held GPS and how they work.

 

I really like the convenience of the mobile app for spontaneous caching and cache information, can the hand help GPS do all that to? Just sounds like more work to use a hand held GPS, since you must load the caches onto the GPS, but is worth it because it is allot more accurate.

 

I have done my research and come to the conclusion to buy the Garmin Oregon 600. I understand you can read full descriptions, hints and logs, View cache photos, Filter caches by size, terrain, difficulty and type. I also like that geocching.com will load 450 caches onto the GPS for you, based on your shipping address!

 

I also understand you need to load caches onto the GPS in order to view and find them before you go out. Are you able to load a whole whack load of a certain area onto the GPS with out having to select one cache by one to download and put onto the GPS?

 

When you are out and about and you decide hey, lets randomly see if their are any caches near us, and whip out your GPS it will do as the mobile app will? Also, this "cherp" for the Garmin GPS, is that something that is placed in caches or you bring with you?

 

Thank you for your time and help. ^^

Edited July 27, 2014 by Likes2FindThings

[+Panther&Pine]

The 600 can be used for almost spontaneous caching, but it does require more work on your part. With a PM, GSAK and project-GC I was able to do a multi state trip with the gps set up for the top 10,000 caches in each state, all webcam, virts and earth caches in the nation.

In theory it can also do Bluetooth downloads and uploads but I haven't tried yet.

Again steep learning curve, but worth it.

 

You can set it to chirp when you get near GZ but it only seems to work if the gps is awake.

It also doesn't allow you to log in the field, but you can do field notes then upload them.

[+Panther&Pine]

Oh you mean The Garmin chirp, it can find those.

The 600 can hold 4 million caches wither the correct file type, that is more that the current active cache number. But remember you have to keep the data up to date.

[+T.D.M.22]

When you get the GPS delete all the caches on it. That info is old within a week, let alone the months it's

Been sitting there. Those caches may not even be there anymore.

 

You can use pocket queries to put loads of caches on it- more than you'll need.

No GPS can just magically pull up the nearest caches like the app can- you could use a PQ to load all the caches in the city, or there is a GPS that has android, but again you have to update the caches because the info gets old fast, and the android only works when there's wifi.

[+Chief301]

I really like the convenience of the mobile app for spontaneous caching and cache information, can the hand help GPS do all that to? Just sounds like more work to use a hand held GPS, since you must load the caches onto the GPS, but is worth it because it is allot more accurate.

 

 

Well, I wouldn't necessarily say a LOT more accurate....you may get better reception in some areas, but nowadays most smartphone GPS sets are very nearly as accurate as a handheld....close enough that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, anyway. But you've found 100 caches, so your phone must be up to the task, eh?

 

I have done my research and come to the conclusion to buy the Garmin Oregon 600. I understand you can read full descriptions, hints and logs, View cache photos, Filter caches by size, terrain, difficulty and type. I also like that geocching.com will load 450 caches onto the GPS for you, based on your shipping address!

 

Where are you getting that information from? I've never heard of that before. I believe that GARMIN, the manufacturer of the Oregon, has started pre-loading Geocaches on some of their paperless units, but they would be caches listed on THEIR (Garmin's) Opencaching site, not listed on Geocaching.com.

 

I also understand you need to load caches onto the GPS in order to view and find them before you go out. Are you able to load a whole whack load of a certain area onto the GPS with out having to select one cache by one to download and put onto the GPS?

 

 

Yes, you do have to preload the caches on the GPS first before you go out. A handheld GPS does not have a data plan like your phone so you can't look up caches on the go, like with the app. A couple of the higher end models do have Wi-Fi capabilities so I suppose you could access info in a Wi-Fi area, but I'm not sure how that works.

 

Fortunately, as you are a Premium member, you can use Pocket Queries to dowload up to 1,000 caches at a time to your device, without the tedium of selecting individual caches one at a time. Most Premium members agree that Pocket Queries are THE biggest advantage of Premium membership.

 

When you are out and about and you decide hey, lets randomly see if their are any caches near us, and whip out your GPS it will do as the mobile app will?

 

If you have pre-loaded the geocache info prior to going out, then yes, it works very similar. It will give you a list of nearby Geocaches in order of proximity to your location (closest first). You can also look them up on the map if you prefer to do it that way.

 

Oh, about maps....some handhelds come with topographical maps installed from the factory, but many do not. If you select a model with "T" in the model name, it will have the topo maps for your region of the world pre-installed (this applies to Garmin, I don't know what the other brands come with). If you don't have topo maps installed, you will only have the rudimentary base map, which only shows major highways and waterways, but not topographical features and minor streets and roads. Some folks get by fine without the detailed maps but I would consider it a major handicap to try to cache without them. You can also download free maps from gpsfiledepot.com.

 

There is a bit of a learning curve involved with the GPS....it won't be nearly as lead-you-by-the-hand simple as any of the apps, at least not at first. Once you get it set up like you want it, with proper maps and using Pocket Queries, it works great.

[+geodarts]

 

I have done my research and come to the conclusion to buy the Garmin Oregon 600. I understand you can read full descriptions, hints and logs, View cache photos, Filter caches by size, terrain, difficulty and type. I also like that geocching.com will load 450 caches onto the GPS for you, based on your shipping address!

 

Where are you getting that information from? I've never heard of that before. I believe that GARMIN, the manufacturer of the Oregon, has started pre-loading Geocaches on some of their paperless units, but they would be caches listed on THEIR (Garmin's) Opencaching site, not listed on Geocaching.com.

 

My 600 did not come with that, but if you buy your unit from Groundspeak, they will do that for you, although I am not sure if that means 450 caches unfound by the user. Garmin loads 250,000 geocaching.com caches (not opencaching.com!) onto the 64s, so perhaps that puts it into perspective. But in either event, it is nothing more than a starter.

 

When you are out and about and you decide hey, lets randomly see if their are any caches near us, and whip out your GPS it will do as the mobile app will?

 

If you have pre-loaded the geocache info prior to going out, then yes, it works very similar. It will give you a list of nearby Geocaches in order of proximity to your location (closest first). You can also look them up on the map if you prefer to do it that way.

 

Oh, about maps....some handhelds come with topographical maps installed from the factory, but many do not. If you select a model with "T" in the model name, it will have the topo maps for your region of the world pre-installed (this applies to Garmin, I don't know what the other brands come with). If you don't have topo maps installed, you will only have the rudimentary base map, which only shows major highways and waterways, but not topographical features and minor streets and roads. Some folks get by fine without the detailed maps but I would consider it a major handicap to try to cache without them. You can also download free maps from

gpsfiledepot.com

 

The 600 is "paperless" but it is not equivalent to the kind of display that I get on my phone (iphone/geosphere), so I tend to use the mobile device if the description or page graphics are important -- I would not want to rely on the 600 for many earthcaches or some letterboxes or picture-based puzzles. But the 600 will display the caches you want to find along with the hint, recent logs, and a description that will be good enough for most.

 

I use the free open source maps from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ for street routing. It also has some trail information. There are free topo aps from gpsfiledepot and other sources that also very good. In general, the 600's mapping is the best I have used with a handheld, even supporting the familiar pinch motions to zoom in and out. The unit is very responsive and easy to use.

 

Although the 600 has bluetooth support, you would need mobile basecamp (iOS) to take advantage of it. The app only allows transfer of the basic cache coordinates (as waypoints, and even that is one at a time). When I am traveling or on the go and want to use the 600, I load pocket queries or geosphere's search results directly to the unit from my phone or tablet. With the iphone/ipad, you would need a small portable wifi router (I use Kingston Mobile Lite), but I understand that the Androids will support connection through an RTG cable. For me, the process takes just a minute or two so I generally feel I am as mobile as I would be if I were relying just on my phone for spontaneous caching.

Edited July 27, 2014 by geodarts

[+Likes2FindThings]

When you get the GPS delete all the caches on it. That info is old within a week, let alone the months it's

Been sitting there. Those caches may not even be there anymore.

 

You can use pocket queries to put loads of caches on it- more than you'll need.

No GPS can just magically pull up the nearest caches like the app can- you could use a PQ to load all the caches in the city, or there is a GPS that has android, but again you have to update the caches because the info gets old fast, and the android only works when there's wifi.

 

The caches that geocaching.com will upload to the gps depending on your location will all be old info? So, cache info on the GPS can not update like the cache info on the app?

[+Likes2FindThings]

I really like the convenience of the mobile app for spontaneous caching and cache information, can the hand help GPS do all that to? Just sounds like more work to use a hand held GPS, since you must load the caches onto the GPS, but is worth it because it is allot more accurate.

 

 

Well, I wouldn't necessarily say a LOT more accurate....you may get better reception in some areas, but nowadays most smartphone GPS sets are very nearly as accurate as a handheld....close enough that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, anyway. But you've found 100 caches, so your phone must be up to the task, eh?

 

I have done my research and come to the conclusion to buy the Garmin Oregon 600. I understand you can read full descriptions, hints and logs, View cache photos, Filter caches by size, terrain, difficulty and type. I also like that geocching.com will load 450 caches onto the GPS for you, based on your shipping address!

 

Where are you getting that information from? I've never heard of that before. I believe that GARMIN, the manufacturer of the Oregon, has started pre-loading Geocaches on some of their paperless units, but they would be caches listed on THEIR (Garmin's) Opencaching site, not listed on Geocaching.com.

 

I also understand you need to load caches onto the GPS in order to view and find them before you go out. Are you able to load a whole whack load of a certain area onto the GPS with out having to select one cache by one to download and put onto the GPS?

 

 

Yes, you do have to preload the caches on the GPS first before you go out. A handheld GPS does not have a data plan like your phone so you can't look up caches on the go, like with the app. A couple of the higher end models do have Wi-Fi capabilities so I suppose you could access info in a Wi-Fi area, but I'm not sure how that works.

 

Fortunately, as you are a Premium member, you can use Pocket Queries to dowload up to 1,000 caches at a time to your device, without the tedium of selecting individual caches one at a time. Most Premium members agree that Pocket Queries are THE biggest advantage of Premium membership.

 

When you are out and about and you decide hey, lets randomly see if their are any caches near us, and whip out your GPS it will do as the mobile app will?

 

If you have pre-loaded the geocache info prior to going out, then yes, it works very similar. It will give you a list of nearby Geocaches in order of proximity to your location (closest first). You can also look them up on the map if you prefer to do it that way.

 

Oh, about maps....some handhelds come with topographical maps installed from the factory, but many do not. If you select a model with "T" in the model name, it will have the topo maps for your region of the world pre-installed (this applies to Garmin, I don't know what the other brands come with). If you don't have topo maps installed, you will only have the rudimentary base map, which only shows major highways and waterways, but not topographical features and minor streets and roads. Some folks get by fine without the detailed maps but I would consider it a major handicap to try to cache without them. You can also download free maps from gpsfiledepot.com.

 

There is a bit of a learning curve involved with the GPS....it won't be nearly as lead-you-by-the-hand simple as any of the apps, at least not at first. Once you get it set up like you want it, with proper maps and using Pocket Queries, it works great.

 

Oh wow, ok, thank you!

 

Here, where geocaching.com shop states they will load 450 caches on the gps depending on your shipping address. http://shop.geocaching.com/default/garmin-oregon-600.html

[+Likes2FindThings]

 

I have done my research and come to the conclusion to buy the Garmin Oregon 600. I understand you can read full descriptions, hints and logs, View cache photos, Filter caches by size, terrain, difficulty and type. I also like that geocching.com will load 450 caches onto the GPS for you, based on your shipping address!

 

Where are you getting that information from? I've never heard of that before. I believe that GARMIN, the manufacturer of the Oregon, has started pre-loading Geocaches on some of their paperless units, but they would be caches listed on THEIR (Garmin's) Opencaching site, not listed on Geocaching.com.

 

My 600 did not come with that, but if you buy your unit from Groundspeak, they will do that for you, although I am not sure if that means 450 caches unfound by the user. Garmin loads 250,000 geocaching.com caches (not opencaching.com!) onto the 64s, so perhaps that puts it into perspective. But in either event, it is nothing more than a starter.

 

When you are out and about and you decide hey, lets randomly see if their are any caches near us, and whip out your GPS it will do as the mobile app will?

 

If you have pre-loaded the geocache info prior to going out, then yes, it works very similar. It will give you a list of nearby Geocaches in order of proximity to your location (closest first). You can also look them up on the map if you prefer to do it that way.

 

Oh, about maps....some handhelds come with topographical maps installed from the factory, but many do not. If you select a model with "T" in the model name, it will have the topo maps for your region of the world pre-installed (this applies to Garmin, I don't know what the other brands come with). If you don't have topo maps installed, you will only have the rudimentary base map, which only shows major highways and waterways, but not topographical features and minor streets and roads. Some folks get by fine without the detailed maps but I would consider it a major handicap to try to cache without them. You can also download free maps from

gpsfiledepot.com

 

The 600 is "paperless" but it is not equivalent to the kind of display that I get on my phone (iphone/geosphere), so I tend to use the mobile device if the description or page graphics are important -- I would not want to rely on the 600 for many earthcaches or some letterboxes or picture-based puzzles. But the 600 will display the caches you want to find along with the hint, recent logs, and a description that will be good enough for most.

 

I use the free open source maps from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ for street routing. It also has some trail information. There are free topo aps from gpsfiledepot and other sources that also very good. In general, the 600's mapping is the best I have used with a handheld, even supporting the familiar pinch motions to zoom in and out. The unit is very responsive and easy to use.

 

Although the 600 has bluetooth support, you would need mobile basecamp (iOS) to take advantage of it. The app only allows transfer of the basic cache coordinates (as waypoints, and even that is one at a time). When I am traveling or on the go and want to use the 600, I load pocket queries or geosphere's search results directly to the unit from my phone or tablet. With the iphone/ipad, you would need a small portable wifi router (I use Kingston Mobile Lite), but I understand that the Androids will support connection through an RTG cable. For me, the process takes just a minute or two so I generally feel I am as mobile as I would be if I were relying just on my phone for spontaneous caching.

 

Here is where I read that geocaching.com shop will load 450 caches depending on your shipping address. http://shop.geocaching.com/default/garmin-oregon-600.html

[+T.D.M.22]

When you get the GPS delete all the caches on it. That info is old within a week, let alone the months it's

Been sitting there. Those caches may not even be there anymore.

 

You can use pocket queries to put loads of caches on it- more than you'll need.

No GPS can just magically pull up the nearest caches like the app can- you could use a PQ to load all the caches in the city, or there is a GPS that has android, but again you have to update the caches because the info gets old fast, and the android only works when there's wifi.

 

The caches that geocaching.com will upload to the gps depending on your location will all be old info? So, cache info on the GPS can not update like the cache info on the app?

 

Yes it will be old info- unless you walk to geocaching HQ and watch the do it. Even in a week caches can get more logs, add hints, be archived...

 

Same with pocket queries- or any cache you have on the GPS. And now it doesn't update like the app does. It's not connected to the internet, so it has no way of doing so.

 

Another thing is that the info may be basic member caches. That means if you download, or try to update and your a premium member, there may be issues with caches already on there.

 

Good new? Run a weekly pocket query. You could use that to put a thousand caches or more onto your GPS. But if you do it every week, it's still up to date. You need to use a computer though, it won't pull the info magically.

[+Chief301]

Here, where geocaching.com shop states they will load 450 caches on the gps depending on your shipping address. http://shop.geocachi...oregon-600.html

 

 

Well, I'll be a monkeys uncle....Did not know that. I didn't buy either of my devices from Groundspeak so I did't know they did that. Neat.

[+FAFireFighter]

I just recieved a Garmin Monterra that has wifi. With it I can connect to my iphone wifi hotspot to get live cache information. It is a bit costly, but worth it if you do alot of caching imho.

[+Likes2FindThings]

I just recieved a Garmin Monterra that has wifi. With it I can connect to my iphone wifi hotspot to get live cache information. It is a bit costly, but worth it if you do alot of caching imho.

Oh wow! That's awesome! Well, I guess, I'll just have to figure things out then! Thank you everyone for your help!