iPhone geocache software

Papa Bear_Left · Post by **Papa Bear_Left** » 27 September 08 1:59 pm

Some fly-by-night cowboy outfit called Groundspeak have just announced a Geocaching app for the iPhone.

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index. ... pic=204713

embi · Post by **embi** » 27 September 08 8:07 pm

I'll be keeping my eye out for that one

feral five · Post by **feral five** » 28 September 08 6:33 pm

Spindoc Bob wrote:If you have a Symbian phone, I cannot say enough good things about Smart GPX - http://www.smartcaching.de/index.html

Been using it for 12 months on my Nokia N80 and love it.

agreed

delboy1203 · Post by **delboy1203** » 28 September 08 9:23 pm

I use my Nokia 6110 with the Trimble Geocache Navigator. There is also a pdf reader installed on the phone, so if you need all the info you can download these or transfer them from your PC to the 6110. With Trimble Navigator, you have all this info on call as long as you have signal to your phone, but if you're in the sticks, you're in trouble.

I haven't had much trouble caching with the phone, but if I'm out in the wild I also take my GPSr with me. The advantage of the phone is that you can look up a cache with Trimble whenever you get the urge to cache. (A problem which many of us seem to suffer...)

red tag · Post by **red tag** » 11 October 08 3:03 pm

The Groundspeak iphone app is in the store now. It is rather imaginatively called "Geocaching"

embi · Post by **embi** » 11 October 08 4:42 pm

Just about to test it out now....

embi · Post by **embi** » 11 October 08 4:51 pm

I wouldnt rely too heavily on the gps part of the phone but to get cache info while your out and about is very easy with this. its a great little app and will be even better when logging is possible.

I'll test this out in Perth over the next few weeks.

cdmark · Post by **cdmark** » 15 November 08 8:27 pm

We picked up a really cheap 8gb iphone last week and I have been playing around with igeocacher app.
Quite a nice and simple to use app that carries all the cache information, hints and previous logs in a portable format once you have created a gpx file from gsak. 
The trickier bit was setting up a web server so that the file could be downloaded to the igeocacher program. Actually, it was not that difficult on the macbook.
I think we can say that we can now cache virtually paper free. Nice!

vicksta · Post by **vicksta** » 23 November 08 4:01 pm

Has anyone had any success with any of the GPS/ geocaching apps currently available on the Apps store on itunes? I have a 3G iPhone and want to (finally) go geocaching. Anyone using the iphone alone in none- coverage areas? If so what have you been using?

red tag · Post by **red tag** » 24 November 08 9:13 pm

Hi
I have the iphone, like you, and have the 3 main geocaching apps (Geopher lite, igeocacher and geocaching/groundspeak app)

The groundspeak one is the most integrated and has a direct navigation from the cache page, but there is no ability to input coordinates manually so you need a proper GPS app to do puzzle or multi caches. You can browse caches offline but you can only save them individually. The navigation and loading of this program also appears sluggish.

iGeocacher is good for browsing caches offline but I have had a few data glitches (corrupted cache name etc) but I suspect that this has something to do with the transfer of data from Windows to the Apple iphone. There is direct navigation, the GPSr functions OK and you can input manual coordinates. This probably works really well if you already use a Mac.

Geopher lite is the simplest. There is no link between cache page and data, no browsing offline, and you need to input all coordinates manually but it loads quick and the GPSr seems to also be quick and accurate.
By the way, don't forget about the regular GPS apps, like MotionX GPS Lite (it's free) as some of those are also good.

There is another geocaching app called Geode that is trumped up to be the "ant pants" but there is no relaese date and the developers freely admit that they have other priorities, so I wouldn't hold you breath!!

I have found caches with all 3 programs but tend to use Geopher Lite due to simplicity and accuracy.

Hope this helps!

PS if you have an iphone you need to know about this site:

http://appshopper.com/new

vicksta · Post by **vicksta** » 29 November 08 4:28 pm

Thanks red tag, that is a great summary. I have been playing with Geocaching and GeopherLite, and they are both useful for different things.

I have a Mac so will do some more research on the way the data transfer would work for iGeocacher.

Oh, found my 1st today with the Geocaching app on the way home from shopping! Yay.

Thanks again!

Vicksta

Herbz · Post by **Herbz** » 01 December 08 1:09 am

I've been using the Geocaching app on the iPhone for a month or so now and although I have found a few caches with it, I have given up using it to actually find caches, as it's just too slow and/or inaccurate.

But it's a great tool for paperless caching. So long as you have 3G coverage, you can get all the descriptions, hints and logs of your nearby caches and save them (although only individually) this is useful if you know you are going somewhere out of 3G coverage.

Another useful feature when you are urban caching is the ability to switch out of the Geocache app and go to Google Maps to get street by street guidance to the general cache location in the car.

The only thing missing is the ability to log your finds directly to the Geocaching.com website. Don't see why a future update couldn't include this feature. You can of course use the Safari browser to log directly but it's a bit fiddly and time consuming to do this.

Crisp image · Post by **Crisp image** » 04 January 09 1:33 pm

So I am a little confused to which is the best working application. I am cosiddering purchasing a touch Ipod (without the phone) and would like to use the aplications. Any info would be great
Regards
Crisp Image

embi · Post by **embi** » 04 January 09 2:53 pm

I am currently beta testing the latest version which includes logging finds via the field notes feature. The compass is a lot bettter as well.

The Coffee's · Post by **The Coffee's** » 05 January 09 10:47 am

I am also testing the Beta version and have had fair to good results. On 3 separate caches I have been able to get to anything from 4 metres to 12 metres. The new application has a compass that points to your destination and indicates your distance. 
Although it doesn't offer the facility to enter coordinates manually it does have some cool features of description, navigate to, hint, recent logs, directions via google maps, and a field note application that enable you to log your find once home from your field note.
I assume their will be many more tweaks over the coming months and I will post any new findings.