Cheap cellphones with GPS

[+gpsblake]

Saw a cellphone for 59 bucks at Walmart, has GPS including GLONASS and all the other goodies. Works with a Straight Talk phone network.

 

My question is, can one just go in and buy the phone but never activate it and still use it for geocaching?

 

I figure since the GPS would work, I could simply download a program like C:**** and manually load gpx files into the unit that way. I would have then a fully functional GPS unit that has an unlimited gpx file limit. I could also download maps and use them in the field.

 

Along with having a camera, music, android apps, and wifi.... The only thing it couldn't do is make phonecalls unless I bought a straight talk calling card.

 

Seems like a cheap way to get a super GPS unit for geocaching for just 59 bucks....

 

Is there any downside to this idea?????

[+Chrysalides]

It may take a long time to get GPS lock since the A-GPS is not getting assistance. I'm intrigued as well.

[+T.D.M.22]

A few issues here. One is that without a cell connection, you lose the advantage of an app- that is mainly up to the minute info, and no downloads infield. You'd need to use wifi, so in non urban areas, the added cost of a GPS is worth it. Second, cell phones have had GPS chips for a while. Think back to when the Motorola razor was high tech. Doesn't mean it's suitable for geocaching- in fact I can buy a GPS chip for $10. A cell phone company probably gets 100 of them for $10. The point is GPS does not equal usability, just a cheap add on to sell more. Third- is it actually a smartphone, as in you can download apps? I haven't seen these phones, but there's $30 phones at like 7-11. They are cheap, do they have wifi? Without wifi or a data connection, you are better off buying the sub $100 etrex. Same basic functionity, but with the etrex you get a more rugged device with better battery life.

 

Not saying it is not work, just saying potential problems. And again they are cheap devices. Assuming it would work, what happens if you drop it? Do they make cases for it? How long does the battery last per charge? How long will it last for a lifetime? I own batteries that cost more than that phone.

[+splashy]

Real life with a cellphone and geocaching is not that good, mainly because of batterylife.

With this phone the battery will be even worse, also you need to know if the gps glonass part really works, because it might have so called assisted gps, and if so you need a network.

 

Anyway don't expect miracles from a phone this price.

[+Twentse Mug]

A cell phone company probably gets 100 of them for $10. The point is GPS does not equal usability, just a cheap add on to sell more.

 

Interesting. Do you have some test results for this, or a website with test results?

[+T.D.M.22]

A cell phone company probably gets 100 of them for $10. The point is GPS does not equal usability, just a cheap add on to sell more.

 

Interesting. Do you have some test results for this, or a website with test results?

 

Test results? There is no test needed. The proof is this: One as we all know a manufacturer buying/making thousands of items will pay less per item than a normal person-me or you- will pay for one. Two again one part does not equal usability. You need other stuff- bigger antennas, a screen, software to read the GPX file and change it to something I can see. The GPS chip is just that- takes a reading from a GPS satellite, it's what the other stuff does with that info that makes the difference between a $150 Magellan explorist GC, and a $500(or however much they are) Garmin Monterra.

[+T.D.M.22]

Adding some links. First one is a basic GPS module, for RC/unmanned applications. Think drones. $18 for this particular one. Cheap one. and second is another one, but it does more, and is better. It would be used on a drone filming for a TV show. Cost is $1200. Expensive one One will set you back a weeks worth of coffee, the other is an iPhone, and an iPad. Neither will get you to a cache(although the second one might be able to navigate a unmanned vehicle to the co-ords)

 

And there's my proof, with examples that a GPS chip alone does not equal caching functionality at any level of the cost/quality spectrum.

Edited November 9, 2014 by T.D.M.22

[+Twentse Mug]

A cell phone company probably gets 100 of them for $10. The point is GPS does not equal usability, just a cheap add on to sell more.

 

Interesting. Do you have some test results for this, or a website with test results?

 

Test results? There is no test needed. The proof is this: One as we all know ...

 

Thank you.

[+luvvinbird]

Saw a cellphone for 59 bucks at Walmart, has GPS including GLONASS and all the other goodies. Works with a Straight Talk phone network.

 

My question is, can one just go in and buy the phone but never activate it and still use it for geocaching?

 

I figure since the GPS would work, I could simply download a program like C:**** and manually load gpx files into the unit that way. I would have then a fully functional GPS unit that has an unlimited gpx file limit. I could also download maps and use them in the field.

 

Along with having a camera, music, android apps, and wifi.... The only thing it couldn't do is make phonecalls unless I bought a straight talk calling card.

 

Seems like a cheap way to get a super GPS unit for geocaching for just 59 bucks....

 

Is there any downside to this idea?????

If you think you might like the idea of running back and forth to McDonald's for a Wi-Fi signal to load up your next A-GPS assisted geocache, then this phone's for you. Otherwise, a smartphone with a data plan would be a better idea.

[+luvvinbird]

What makes you say this, just curious?

 

AFAIK you don't need A-GPS for a smart phone to locate itself, it'll just take a while longer to get an initial lock.

Without a Wi-Fi signal you can't use the Groundspeak geocaching app. A pop-up appears saying "unable to communicate with geocaching.com". I actually had to do what I wrote. I'd pop into McD's, log into the app, find a geocache in the area and navigate toward it using the phone's A-GPS ability. Once navigating, Wi-Fi was no longer required for that cache...until I found it. But now what? Back to square one. Yes, the phone will eventually lock onto satellites without Wi-Fi but to me it was a drag when all that was required was a data plan. With a data plan I could then go on to the next cache and enter logs, etc. Far less of a drag, for sure. I experimented using the phone with and without data to satisfy my curiosity. For a number of different reasons I much prefer using one of my Garmin receivers for geocaching.

[+gpsblake]

The two arguments against this idea is that I wouldn't be able to load real time geocaching data in the field. Which of course you can't do even on most handheld GPS units like the Garmin Montana, Explorist 710, Oregon 550, Etrex or any of my current handhelds etc...

 

However, the battery life argument is a very valid one along with one I just thought of that the screen display on cheap cellphones suck in the sunlight.

 

What I really need most is a new mp3 player, and the 59 phone that takes sd cards would fill the bill, so just based on that I am going to get this cheap phone and just play with it geocaching to see how it works and compare satellite reception vs the handhelds I own.

[+Chrysalides]

However, the battery life argument is a very valid one along with one I just thought of that the screen display on cheap cellphones suck in the sunlight.

A USB battery pack is fairly inexpensive. $30 for 10,000 mAh is not uncommon these days if you look out for deals. As for sunlight, have no fear :

 

[+T.D.M.22]

The two arguments against this idea is that I wouldn't be able to load real time geocaching data in the field. Which of course you can't do even on most handheld GPS units like the Garmin Montana, Explorist 710, Oregon 550, Etrex or any of my current handhelds etc...

 

However, the battery life argument is a very valid one along with one I just thought of that the screen display on cheap cellphones suck in the sunlight.

 

What I really need most is a new mp3 player, and the 59 phone that takes sd cards would fill the bill, so just based on that I am going to get this cheap phone and just play with it geocaching to see how it works and compare satellite reception vs the handhelds I own.

 

Iphone?

[+luvvinbird]

The two arguments against this idea is that I wouldn't be able to load real time geocaching data in the field. Which of course you can't do even on most handheld GPS units like the Garmin Montana, Explorist 710, Oregon 550, Etrex or any of my current handhelds etc...

 

However, the battery life argument is a very valid one along with one I just thought of that the screen display on cheap cellphones suck in the sunlight.

 

What I really need most is a new mp3 player, and the 59 phone that takes sd cards would fill the bill, so just based on that I am going to get this cheap phone and just play with it geocaching to see how it works and compare satellite reception vs the handhelds I own.

Cool! Keep us posted with the outcome.

[+JohnCNA]

If you think you might like the idea of running back and forth to McDonald's for a Wi-Fi signal to load up your next A-GPS assisted geocache, then this phone's for you. Otherwise, a smartphone with a data plan would be a better idea.

 

To save battery in the field, I place my phone in Airplane Mode. No Cell radio, so no AGPS. Gets a good lock just as fast as with cell radios on. Of course, like many of the newer phones, it has GPS and GLONASS support, so sat locks are almost as quick as the Garmin. If you're quoting phone technology or experiences that are more than 6 months old, there's a good chance that your data is no longer valid. LOL.

 

And yes, without having a data plan, they would be missing one of the most compelling reasons to add a smartphone with an app to their toolset - real time, in the field searching, logging, cache updates and satellite views. I use a Garmin for navigation, and the phone for everything else. Having both tools out in the field is a powerful combination.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Without a Wi-Fi signal you can't use the Groundspeak geocaching app. A pop-up appears saying "unable to communicate with geocaching.com"

That's a problem with the app design then. There are other geo-apps that work perfectly well offline - like a Garmin on steroids and weight-loss pills.

 

I used my new smartphone for a week caching before I even put in a SIM card, meaning it was forcibly offline the whole time. I wanted to figure out the offline procedure for maps and caches, and - with my choice of app at least (Locus) - it worked quite well.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Viajero Perdido