Newbie to Geocaching with iPhone

[FarmerFrentzen]

I have recently aquired an iPhone 3GS through work and thought I'd give it a run alongside my Garmin Etrex to see how it performs. Being new to iPhone caching, I have a couple of questions that a some more experienced in this form of caching might be able to answer.

1. I assume the Groundspeak Geocaching app while being relatively cheap in purchase cost, uses map sources that require a 3G phone or wifi signal to be able to download maps, therefore requiring a data download with costs depending on your phone plan. Is this correct or can the maps actually be accessed via the GPS chipset?

2. Is there a particular turn by turn navigation app that anyone can recommend more than another that has a one off purchase cost to download maps and then is free to use via the GPS chipset rather than 3G phone or wifi signal? i.e. Sygic or Tom Tom

Essentially what I am wanting to know is can the iPhone be utilised with the same benefits as say a Garmin Oregan i.e. paperless caching, turn by turn and straight line navigation to a set of coorinates, without recurring usage charges for accessing mapping, or am I better to use the iPhone in conjunction with my Garmin Etrex in the same way I used to use a PDA containing all the cache page information.

Many thanks in anticipation

[Cheesy pigs]

I downloaded geosphere for caching. It will take a gpx file from gsak so it will also show gca caches. It's easy to add waypoints or change waypoints for multis and puzzles and you can update field notes easily. For turn by turn I only use the google map thing the phone came with but you can view maps in geosphere and plot your path that way. Best of all it's off line, you don't need Internet connection to view listings of cache locations.

[Agent Basil]

I use my iPhone in tandem with my Triton. Because I am basically a hopeless cacher, I am usually needing to look at recent logs because I can't find the damn cache. I have never been organised enough to download cache info to the iPhone while in Optus coverage for remote caches. However, I'm on the Optus cheapie $19 / month plan that inludes 100 meg downloads and I have never come close to the limit. The iPhone has been brilliant for ad hoc caching but only in Optus covered areas.

[Renroc]

I use my iPhone in tandem with my Triton. Because I am basically a hopeless cacher, I am usually needing to look at recent logs because I can't find the damn cache. I have never been organised enough to download cache info to the iPhone while in Optus coverage for remote caches. However, I'm on the Optus cheapie $19 / month plan that inludes 100 meg downloads and I have never come close to the limit. The iPhone has been brilliant for ad hoc caching but only in Optus covered areas.

Hi Agent Basil, I have just got a 3GS iphone and plan to use it for caching. BUT at the moment I am with Vodafone NO DATA... I looked at the OPTUS plan you mention. Do you use your phone for internet and email etc or just mainly text and phone calls? Also how much have you used it for caching? How much caching do you do each month? How heavy is it on data and have you had problems with coverage? I am in northern NSW. I currently have a nuvi 500 which has been great. BUT it won't log caches in the field and you cant do field notes.


Renroc

[nog3]

If you're using Geosphere and have a wifi network at home you can just temporarily turn off the 3gs while downloading the GPX files (An average zipped geocaching.com GPX seems to be ~1mb or less).

In the near future the developer of geosphere will be adding support for the offmaps application which allows you to cache google maps data for use while offline or in a horrible reception area. This should be particularily awesome

[Cheesy pigs]

if you set your email to one of those supported by geosphere on the iphone the gpx files from groundspeak will load into the program, I don't need to go through gsak to load gc files into my phone anymore.

[Agent Basil]

Hi Agent Basil, I have just got a 3GS iphone and plan to use it for caching. BUT at the moment I am with Vodafone NO DATA... I looked at the OPTUS plan you mention. Do you use your phone for internet and email etc or just mainly text and phone calls? Also how much have you used it for caching? How much caching do you do each month? How heavy is it on data and have you had problems with coverage? I am in northern NSW. I currently have a nuvi 500 which has been great. BUT it won't log caches in the field and you cant do field notes.


Renroc

G'Day, My iPhone is really for incoming calls, I make very few outgoing calls so I have built up a bit of a credit. Probably 10-20 text messages a week. Last month was my heaviest data download, I got up to 70 Meg and that was probably because I used the map function on Google maps downloading the Sat view during caching expeditions. Looking at my stats, I average 5 caches per week but the Triton is my primary tool because it is much more accurate. I bought a Juice Pack for the iPhone to extend its battery life and that has come in handy a few times.