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Best Phone for Geocaching


Sytar

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I know that there are a mix of programs for different phones, and since I am thinking of upgrading my phone soon, I thought it would be worth it to look into doing some geocaching with it too..

 

iPhone - Great geocaching program, but the cost is a bit high for phone, data, application, etc.

Blackberry - nice system, but then I have to deal with Exchange compatability, and Geocaching programs are all paid per month.

Andriod based phone - Great idea of system, many different programs, but limited carriers.

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The Palm Pre is brand new both the hardware and O/S. Not a lot of apps available for it just now but I suspect there's going to be a FLOOD of new apps for it in no time, and it's going to be a top dog in Geocaching.

 

I know that the Palm is a decent system, but with them being out of the game for a bit, they are going to take a while to get 'good' apps out. While other systems like Blackberry, iPhone and even Windows Mobile have been around for a while and should be a lot faster with new stuff that is worth getting.

 

Windows Mobile is going towards more touch screen devices, as most of them are, and they have a long history of programming already.

 

Andriod has apparently made it very easy to write apps for their phone, as another thread in here has talked about, and it makes me wonder about that phone too..

Edited by Sytar
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I have both an iPhone 3Gs and Blackberry 8330 Curve. I've put geocaching apps on both of them. I really like them as a back-up to my GPS when I'm out geocaching. I use the Trimble program on the Blackberry with works very well, very configurable and fairly accurate. In some terrain, like woods, it works better than my Oregon 550t. It runs $40/year subscription but it is a nice back up. The iPhone uses a Groundspeak app that works well, very configurable (lets you download pocket queries you have set up directly to the phone), but the GPS accuraccy isn't all that great. I know of one cacher in my area that is all he uses for his searches. This app cost $9.95. The nice thing about having geocaching phones is that you always have a way look for caches when you're bored. As for having two phones, one is for business, one is for home.

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How does the Blackberry GPS accuracy compare to the iPhone?

 

That's what I've been hearing about the iPhones.. a GREAT all-in-one Geocaching tool, if only the GPS precision was better..

 

That's why I'm waiting out the Palm Pre :D I hope it pans out! Also yes the Android platform looks interesting too. Windows Mobile is archaic, M$ needs to toss the whole O/S and rebuild it from scratch

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I know that there are a mix of programs for different phones, and since I am thinking of upgrading my phone soon, I thought it would be worth it to look into doing some geocaching with it too..

 

Blackberry - nice system, but then I have to deal with Exchange compatability, and Geocaching programs are all paid per month.

 

 

Not so .

Cacheberry has a one off fee of $14.95 and as a premium member you can send the PQ's straight to your phone , where you can then download the files and import them and go caching .

You can -

1- download caches straight to your phone for retreival when out of signal range.

2- use the compass to navigate to the cache .

3- log the caches in order that you find them .

4- export all notes to your desktop and then upload to GC.com meaning less time at the computer logging finds.

5- add waypoints when doing multistage caches.

The above is only some of the benifits and features of Cacheberry .

The developer is working hard on the program and Radar view and other ideas are coming soon, also any questions about the program are quickly answered and sorted out on the fourm -CacheBerry Forum

GPS accuracy is as good as a basic handheld unit .

 

One note of caution - check with your operator wether or not the GPS works in any phone that takes your fancy. Some operators (Verision?) in the USA disable the GPS for 3rd party applications .

Edited by Beefy4605
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Not so .

Cacheberry has a one off fee of $14.95 and as a premium member you can send the PQ's straight to your phone , where you can then download the files and import them and go caching .

You can -

1- download caches straight to your phone for retreival when out of signal range.

2- use the compass to navigate to the cache .

3- log the caches in order that you find them .

4- export all notes to your desktop and then upload to GC.com meaning less time at the computer logging finds.

5- add waypoints when doing multistage caches.

The above is only some of the benifits and features of Cacheberry .

The developer is working hard on the program and Radar view and other ideas are coming soon, also any questions about the program are quickly answered and sorted out on the fourm -CacheBerry Forum

GPS accuracy is as good as a basic handheld unit .

 

One note of caution - check with your operator wether or not the GPS works in any phone that takes your fancy. Some operators (Verision?) in the USA disable the GPS for 3rd party applications .

 

Thanks for the info.. I looked at one program for the Blackberry that said it was a $4.99 monthly charge.. don't know if that was just that specific app, or the way they all worked. I have only maintained BB, never owned one.

 

Good note about the carriers, I would have to take the phone back if I found that this was the case after buying it.

 

Adding Waypoints is one thing that I always wondered about. I know that a normal GPS is kinda based around the ability to dynamicly add waypoints, but I didn't kow if many apps would give that ability.

 

Windows Mobile is a bit old, I can't argue with that. I hope that Windows Mobile 7 (based off of the Windows 7 system) will be a large update to the system. I have a Win Mobile app right now for my old Blackjack, and it really is a text app that allows me to track info and download a list of caches.

 

I have always liked Google, and hearing the Andriod is being accepted so quickly really is a good sign. There are a few apps already for Geocaching on the Andriod phones that look pretty good.

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the only GPS i've used so far for caching is the one in my curve 8330 (on US cellular). i started with blackstar, got the trials for geocache navigator and cacheberry, and ended up buying cacheberry. i love it, it gives you a lot of options/ features. blackstar also works very well and it's free (donations accepted, www.blackstarnavigation.com). i've got an etrex vista hcx on the way (it's supposed to arrive today! woo!) so i'm gonna be doing some direct comparisons once i get it. the 'berry works great though, it gets a bit jumpy under heavy tree cover but other than that i've got no complaints. i keep mine in a body glove hard case which has a slab of plastic covering the screen and i've dropped it a few times and it's emerged unscathed so far.

 

edit: there's a fix/ hack to get GPS working on blackberrys that have it blocked- it can also help those with unblocked GPS gain a bit more accuracy/ faster lock-on- i tried it on my curve, which was unblocked already, and it seemed to help a bit- i get more satellites now and it doesn't seem to jump as much.

here's a link to it how to do it- use at your own risk!

http://forums.crackberry.com/f41/real-fix-...-v1-0-a-192999/

Edited by suhplar
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I know that there are a mix of programs for different phones, and since I am thinking of upgrading my phone soon, I thought it would be worth it to look into doing some geocaching with it too..

 

Blackberry - nice system, but then I have to deal with Exchange compatability, and Geocaching programs are all paid per month.

 

 

Not so .

Cacheberry has a one off fee of $14.95 and as a premium member you can send the PQ's straight to your phone , where you can then download the files and import them and go caching .

You can -

1- download caches straight to your phone for retreival when out of signal range.

2- use the compass to navigate to the cache .

3- log the caches in order that you find them .

4- export all notes to your desktop and then upload to GC.com meaning less time at the computer logging finds.

5- add waypoints when doing multistage caches.

The above is only some of the benifits and features of Cacheberry .

The developer is working hard on the program and Radar view and other ideas are coming soon, also any questions about the program are quickly answered and sorted out on the fourm -CacheBerry Forum

GPS accuracy is as good as a basic handheld unit .

 

One note of caution - check with your operator wether or not the GPS works in any phone that takes your fancy. Some operators (Verision?) in the USA disable the GPS for 3rd party applications .

 

X2 on Cacheberry. My buddy and I both use CacheBerry on our 8330’s from Sprint and its fantastic. I have over 1100 caches on my phone with full cache data plus logs. I use it with my Triton 500 for paperless but I have used it on its own and it works fine. At $15 one time fee it’s the best deal around.

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I use a Blackberry Curve 8310 and at first thought it was the bees knees, an all-in-one tool that gave me everything I need for personal, business and geocaching uses all in my shirt pocket. In fact after using it for a few dozen caches I sold my GPSmap60 CSx because the Blackberry appeared to do everything I needed.

 

I even posted in these forums what a cool tool it was. And is, sometimes. The problem is with the word "sometimes"... I can't rely on the Blackberry the way I could my 60 CSx.

 

After using it in and around Birmingham for maybe 10 outings and 30 or so finds I went to a meeting in Montgomery AL, about 100 miles from home. Montgomery is my state's capital, it's sorta hard to miss, but the Blackberry maps managed to do it! I set a route to the address I wanted and it couldn't find it. I looked at the map, no Montgomery at all! Downloaded new maps, no joy. It wasn't a GPS-lock issue, as the map showed me motoring down the interstate right where I was supposed to be. In hindsight losing our capitol and its current crop of politicos wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I would like to find the caches first.

 

Got back to Birmingham, maps and routes work fine. Puts me right on top of geocaches.

 

OK, so that was a glitch, big deal.

 

Then I went to Geowoodstock VII and could get zero signal or satellites! I tried everything, no joy. That really frosted me... I'm at a huge event and can't find a single cache! I ended up following a friend who had a real GPS.

 

I like my Blackberry, for the things it's good for. When it works it works great. I've found maybe 200 caches with it now, almost all in urban areas where high-speed service is available.

 

Caching in the rural areas and routing when away from a large city, not so much.

 

Yet Saturday I hosted a CITO event at a remote lake followed by a cache run for 4wd caches; eleven rural caches accessible only by rough hilly power line and muddy forest service road in heavy tree cover -- the Blackberry was spot on for every one of them, the maps even showing unmaintained 'pig trail' roads I'd never seen on any map. Go figure!

 

So now I am buying another 60CSx. Thousands of caches found in 28 states and it never let me down.

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I use a tmobile Dash 3G running Windows Mobile. There is a free app called MyTracking. You can store wayPoints, it has an easy to see compass and a sperate arrow pointing to the wayPoint with distance info. Seems very accurate. The main function of the app is to send your tracks to a map server. You can turn this off, but it's nice to see your trip on Google Earth. You can upload photos too.

 

link is mytrackingonline.com

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Blackberry with the Blackstar application is awsome and is totally free. You only need a premium membership to geocaching.com to use the application.

 

I have it on my Storm and rarely use my handheld GPSr anymore.

You do not need a premium membership to use BlackStar. It can accept LOC files which Basic (free) members can create.

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Well i will give my 2 cents worth...I use an old Samsung Blackjack and GCz II I can do complete paperless caching and best of all its free. It will work with other win mobile phones as well, if you do a google search you are sure to find the software. Of course all this assumes you have internet service on your phone.

Although the program has GPS capabilities built in, that work quite accurately I still prefer the slightly larger screen of my etrex legend.

 

So in summary that is my 2 cents.

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I love my Driod Eris. It is really awesome when it comes to Geocaching. There are a whole load of different Geocaching apps available for it. It's pretty accurate too. On par with some of the "sensitive" chipsets. Even the compass is fairly accurate. Google Maps will even aid in guiding you to the cache by displaying your realtime location in relation to the cache.

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Well i will give my 2 cents worth...I use an old Samsung Blackjack and GCz II I can do complete paperless caching and best of all its free. It will work with other win mobile phones as well, if you do a google search you are sure to find the software. Of course all this assumes you have internet service on your phone.

Although the program has GPS capabilities built in, that work quite accurately I still prefer the slightly larger screen of my etrex legend.

 

So in summary that is my 2 cents.

second that but with a HTC pure .. GCZII blows any other app out of the water when you try it .

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I would have to say Blackberry is the best! I use Black Star an application that is free. No converting, just plug in your L&L and your set. Always puts me down to at least 3 feet most times it's right on. Does flip out when around a lot of concert or metal but not any worst then a normal GPSr. If you need any help learning how to use it, just hit me up I can help.

 

LOVE MY BB

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I've got an android and my wife has the iphone. We both are using the official Groundspeak app. I love the android for a lot of reasons and would recommend without reservation. Having said that the iphone version of the offical app is bit more polished. Both phones seem about the same regarding accuracy

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I purchased and used Trimble on my BB Bold for some time it works really well,

I updated to a new BB Bold phone and lost the pass word to sign in to geocaching

after several Emails to Trimble i am still waiting to hear from them. Their support

for after sales is not very supportive

 

 

I have both an iPhone 3Gs and Blackberry 8330 Curve. I've put geocaching apps on both of them. I really like them as a back-up to my GPS when I'm out geocaching. I use the Trimble program on the Blackberry with works very well, very configurable and fairly accurate. In some terrain, like woods, it works better than my Oregon 550t. It runs $40/year subscription but it is a nice back up. The iPhone uses a Groundspeak app that works well, very configurable (lets you download pocket queries you have set up directly to the phone), but the GPS accuraccy isn't all that great. I know of one cacher in my area that is all he uses for his searches. This app cost $9.95. The nice thing about having geocaching phones is that you always have a way look for caches when you're bored. As for having two phones, one is for business, one is for home.

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I've had a great experience with my Motorola Droid (1). There are free options as well and the GPS is not disabled.

 

I guess the first question is are you considering a specific carrier or is that also open? That limits a lot. If I were set on AT&T I'd likely get an iphone although lately Steve Jobs has irritated me with his antics.

 

Verizon-One of the Android phones either Droid X or Droid 2

 

Sprint- Evo

 

I've had WinMo, Palm etc and nothing has been as fun as the Droid. I have not had a BB.

 

CC

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Like many others it is my phone (Nokia N97) that got me into geocaching. A visitor showed me his Garmin and told us about GCing. He led us off and we did a little nano down the road. I then did a bit of net searching and learned a bit. I paid and got the Trimble app for my N97. Best $32 I ever spent. I have taken it into the Australian outback and overseas to Vanuatu to do GCing. I like a challenge and yeah maybe it at times is a challenge and not all it could be. But hey, my wife and son now have the same phone and we all go out and hunt. Sure there are times when I wonder if it might be better with a proprietry GPS and maybe one day I will get one. Sure when it rains I have my phone in a press seal plastic bag and I may not have done thousands but I only started about three months ago and as a real part time thigns I am happy with the eighty odd I have found and not that diappointed by the half dozen or so I haven't.

My Nokia may not be as tough as many of the GPS units but I just take sensible care (Probably less than many would) and it gives me good service and as far as I can tell pretty good accuracy. Persaonally, I am hoping to pack my Nokia N97, my car charger and solar charger and keep going for a long time.

And I will continue to get ohters intersted in GCing by showing them how much fun you can have with just what you already have in your pocket. My daughter just wishes her i-phone was half as accurate as mine.

 

Nokia N97 I love it.

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Besides having my 450, My wife and I both have a BB and we also use CacheSense. BUT BUT BUT, I don't understand where some of the above got their prices.. its $9.99 for lifetime.. All updates are included..

 

I use my BB / Cachesense now mainly for FTF.. So while I am out and about and get the email stating one was published, I load it up on my BB and Cachesense leads me to be FTF...

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BlackBerry. The app is a one time fee, not per month. It's usually $19.99 one time. It's on sale for $9.99 right now. Geocache Navigator.

 

There's plenty of free caching apps, such as BlackStar.

 

My BlackBerry Tour GPS is very accurate!

 

Geocache Navigator WAS a monthly charge at one time. The $9.99 for life is a relatively recent change. When I got my Blackberry Tour (work phone) I used the 7 day trial then discontinued use of the program. I may go back and add it to my Tour now that it's a one time fee.

 

Critical complaint for it was that (at the time) you could not at text to your field notes. Another complaint I have about my Blackberry is the time it takes to get / hold a GPS fix - but I suspect that's a Telus thing more than a Blackberry thing .... Telus is one of those carriers that likes to hobble GPS for programs other than Telus Navigator in the hopes people will pay $10/month for GPS use. They're getting better but still pull stuff like that from time to time.

 

My iPhone 4 is now my primary "geocaching" phone, after using Windows Mobile 5-6.5.3, and my Blackberry Tour first.

 

I will say this, my Tour and my iPhone both give excellent position reports for Geocaching. I still use my Blackberry from time to time with Blackstar/bcaching.

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You can select Found or Did Not Find cache from the app. This creates a Field Note on your geocaching.com account. You can then sign into geocaching.com and turn that Field Note into a log. I do this all from my BlackBerry. I use the Bolt browser to access the full GC.com site. I can upload pics this way too! Very handy and I love logging and uploading pics from the field!

 

Getting instant new cache alerts is also a plus when using a smartphone to cache.

 

Check BlackBerry App World for the app.

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You can select Found or Did Not Find cache from the app. This creates a Field Note on your geocaching.com account. You can then sign into geocaching.com and turn that Field Note into a log. I do this all from my BlackBerry. I use the Bolt browser to access the full GC.com site. I can upload pics this way too! Very handy and I love logging and uploading pics from the field!

 

Getting instant new cache alerts is also a plus when using a smartphone to cache.

 

Check BlackBerry App World for the app.

 

Yup. If you've ever tried to use a Blackberry browser (Bolt/Opera/Native) in a spot with crappy CDMA coverage, you'll see why I carried a paper notebook with me when caching. Pretty shameful that the one smartphone brand that's near guaranteed to have a hardware keyboard doesn't let you enter in field note text without a reasonably intensive data connection. The GC.com website is pretty data intensive.

 

The touchscreen devices - Android, Windows Phone, iPhone all let you type and submit a log right there in the field. I don't have to fire up Safari and download the cache listing (you know, like those ones that link to a 42MB dancing llama gif in the description) Trimble *badly* needs to update that app.

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I have the answer I have just got a htc wildfire.

It is amazing the gps is accurate to 2m as good as my hand held gps, I have been out today the gps did not loose its lock it 6 hours of caching! I only stopped when the battery went flat!

the screen is very clear and ronning c:geo it gives loud voice comands when being used as a sat nav on the way to the next cache (turn by turn nav ) a feature thats missing from the Iphone app.

I am a very hard to please person but by god they seem to have done it!!!

Oh and it only cost £160 so it was cheaper than a gps!

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I have the answer I have just got a htc wildfire.

It is amazing the gps is accurate to 2m as good as my hand held gps, I have been out today the gps did not loose its lock it 6 hours of caching! I only stopped when the battery went flat!

the screen is very clear and ronning c:geo it gives loud voice comands when being used as a sat nav on the way to the next cache (turn by turn nav ) a feature thats missing from the Iphone app.

I am a very hard to please person but by god they seem to have done it!!!

Oh and it only cost £160 so it was cheaper than a gps!

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the screen is very clear and ronning c:geo it gives loud voice comands when being used as a sat nav on the way to the next cache (turn by turn nav ) a feature thats missing from the Iphone app.

 

That feature is also missing from the official Geocaching app for Android. I can run third party geocaching apps on my iPhone as well but I wouldn't trust c:geo to work the day after a site update.

 

On my iPhone, I use Mapquest 4 Mobile and Waze for free turn-by-turn directions to any place I want. There's threads on the feedback site about getting this functionality added to the iPhone app and I'll bet dollars to donuts that similar threads exist in the Android App feedback site too.

 

Now that Groundspeak is finished deploying the Windows Phone 7 app, here's hoping they come back around and add the ability to link to TomTom, Navigon, Mapquest, etc from the Official Geocaching applications ....

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I use a Blackberry Curve 8310 and at first thought it was the bees knees, an all-in-one tool that gave me everything I need for personal, business and geocaching uses all in my shirt pocket. In fact after using it for a few dozen caches I sold my GPSmap60 CSx because the Blackberry appeared to do everything I needed.

 

I even posted in these forums what a cool tool it was. And is, sometimes. The problem is with the word "sometimes"... I can't rely on the Blackberry the way I could my 60 CSx.

 

After using it in and around Birmingham for maybe 10 outings and 30 or so finds I went to a meeting in Montgomery AL, about 100 miles from home. Montgomery is my state's capital, it's sorta hard to miss, but the Blackberry maps managed to do it! I set a route to the address I wanted and it couldn't find it. I looked at the map, no Montgomery at all! Downloaded new maps, no joy. It wasn't a GPS-lock issue, as the map showed me motoring down the interstate right where I was supposed to be. In hindsight losing our capitol and its current crop of politicos wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I would like to find the caches first.

 

Got back to Birmingham, maps and routes work fine. Puts me right on top of geocaches.

 

OK, so that was a glitch, big deal.

 

Then I went to Geowoodstock VII and could get zero signal or satellites! I tried everything, no joy. That really frosted me... I'm at a huge event and can't find a single cache! I ended up following a friend who had a real GPS.

 

I like my Blackberry, for the things it's good for. When it works it works great. I've found maybe 200 caches with it now, almost all in urban areas where high-speed service is available.

 

Caching in the rural areas and routing when away from a large city, not so much.

 

Yet Saturday I hosted a CITO event at a remote lake followed by a cache run for 4wd caches; eleven rural caches accessible only by rough hilly power line and muddy forest service road in heavy tree cover -- the Blackberry was spot on for every one of them, the maps even showing unmaintained 'pig trail' roads I'd never seen on any map. Go figure!

 

So now I am buying another 60CSx. Thousands of caches found in 28 states and it never let me down.

I never could get cachesense (cacheberry) to work on my 8310, it kept telling me I had to put in the coords manually before it would search for a geo?? How did you get yours to work?? Thanks.

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