Geocaching Australia

Just wondering if it's just my iphone or if everyone has battery life issues when using the geocaching ap?

I have a GPS but it's a Magellan that doesn't have usb connect-ability so when I got an iphone I thought great I won't have to add caches one at a time to the gps anymore. We don't have a car so use public transport and walk to caches.
First time out caching with the iphone and it dies completely half way through the day and of course I hadn't entered the caches into the gps as I had all the info in the iphone. I saved each cache "for offline use", but it also used up all my phone credit. Obviously I'm doing something wrong?

Back to scraps of paper and putting coordinates in one at a time until I can buy a usb gps.

The GPS function certainly seems to be a current hog in all the smartphones I've used.

Two solutions:

1- use the GPS sparingly. Turn off the satt function and just use the wifi/cellphone positioning until you're in the general vicinity, then turn it on for the final approach.

2- get a spare battery or two (if you're not stuck with a factory-sealed iPhone, of course) or an add-on battery. There's sleeves and cases and external units with a range of capacities, and they're not all expensive. (the battery name brand ones seem to be the dearest, for some reason.)

I have found quite a number of caches in a day using the iPhone 4. However it is still running iOs 4 as I haven't upgraded it to 5 having heard about battery life problems.

I'm not sure how it would go running GPS all day, as it does seem to use the battery. I tend to use the maps to work out how to get where I want to be from where I am, then turn it off until I get close.

The other problem with using it to navigate all the way is that the screen is on sucking battery as well.

My own iPhone4 certainly does run down its batteries quickly when running various kinds of apps.

As my A50 battery ages I find I can only get 3-4 hours with the GPS turned on. I carry a spare internal ($14 off ebay) which doubles this, and a spare external that connects via the USB which gives me another boost. I walked 22 miles the other day, did 109 caches,with the GPS on most of the way and JUST made it back to van 11.5 hours later

Given my Garmin is not set up for paperless caching I tend to use my iPhone for the paperless caching functionality and for logging my finds into field notes, however I still use my Garmin to actually locate GZ.

I have found the official Groundspeak app to be very battery hungry and now only use the Geosphere app which appears to be far more gentle on battery consumption.

Thanks for all the replies. A friend was here today and she seems to think my iphone might have a battery problem. Just opening the caching app without locations on uses 1%. We sat talking for 1.5hrs and my phone sitting on the table with me just waking it a couple of times to show her apps used 12% and that was with apps closed and only wifi on (bluetooth and locations services etc all off) She has had iphones for ages and says it's not usual so I might book in to the apple shop and get them to check it.

I will look into the usb battery too thanks papabear, I have a sealed iphone 3gs.

There's almost certainly ways to see what's using the power. In Android, it's in the "About phone" settings, but I don't know my way around iOS, sorry.

There's probably an app for that, as well! Worth checking, just in case there's one particular app or function that might be the culprit and can be turned off or uninstalled.

If you get a portable charger get something with a decent capacity too.
I have a car charger with a little removable battery pack that would only top up 20% of the battery. Waste of time!
I now have one of these which while slightly larger than the phone is small enough to stash in a backpack pocket and fully charges the phone at least a couple of times from flat. Also charges anything else that uses a usb port.

I also find the groundspeak app really chews up my iphone battery. I've got an external battery now (mophie brand) which I've found gives me 2 complete recharges for my phone. Also handy for when the kids start playing games on my phone, Zombie Highway & Plants v Zombies also chew through the battery pretty quick