iPhone Apps for geocaching

[Bronnie_1990]

The accuracy of the iPhone's GPS can be wonderful sometimes.

(taken whilst standing on GZ..longest 150m of my life)

But it can seriously be wonderful, it's gone spot on several times as well.

[Kaisho53]

Found this while browsing the www last night on the iPhone.

http://iphonecaching.appspot.com/

It is a free web app designed for the iPhone. It has some sweet features such as loading the coordinates into Navigon and a few other programs for navigation to the cache. The other feature I particularly like is the ability to view all logs right back to publishing in one long scrolled page.
If you view this web site on PC, it obviously does not know where you are (edit. Yes it does! How? IP adresses are not that good!) On the iPhone, tapping the location tab loads the nearest caches.
The one thing that concerns me, you do not appear to need to log on to get the location data. Unless it found a cookie from my geocaching app??? Can someone without their geocaching login details on their iPhone please try this?

Just logged into forum 2day after a bit of an absence...
bshwckr this site works real well with this caching app for iphone/ipad -
Geocaching Buddy for iPhone 5.20 (http://www.btstsoft.nl/}
very handy for doing multis - particularly long ones
dumps the info direct from iphonecaching direct into GCBuddy &then you can edit clues etc via your browser if both PC & iphone/ipad on same network connection...

Have used quite successfully including a 15 point multi around Brisbane CBD

[waterlogged]

I was out with another geocacher the other night, with 2 iPhone4 plus two dedicated GPSr. One iPhone with the Groundspeak app and the other with Geosphere.

After doing a few multis and other caches, Geosphere stared to show it's true potential against the clunky GC app. Extra waypoints for the multi's can't be entered into the GC app. Unless I haven't found that feature yet.

Geosphere seamed to need a little bit more setting up, but not much. It was also able to load GCA GPX files as well, (any GPX file for that matter) so all data was available offline. Unlike the Groundspeak app you can't load non GC GPX files into it.

So.........
Only one thing left to do, buy Geosphere myself and give it a try.

[Damo.]

Extra waypoints for the multi's can't be entered into the GC app. Unless I haven't found that feature yet.

The little flag at the top menu next to the compass view is the create waypoint feature.
I have used the geocaching app to find GCA and Terracache caches so it can be done.

Geosphere is looking tempting for gca gpx loading though.

[PirateRock]

I've tried caching with an iphone on a number of occasions and have to say that the accuracy is absolute carp!!

I've had accuracies ranging from 1200 metres down to 40 metres (but never better)

Interesting. I've never had that poor accuracy at all when caching with the iPhone. On several comparative tests the accuracy has been almost as good as the Oregon, admittedly only tried in suburban Adelaide and in the less urban Adelaide hills. This includes hilly terrain under tree cover. There's a noticeable improvement in accuracy between Mr Wibble's iPhone 4 and my 3GS too. Oh, and in Alice Springs. No troubles there either

However, we've only ever relied solely on the iPhone on a few occasions. It's there as a backup or emergency caching tool. Not a substitute for a dedicated GPSr at all, but our experience certainly hasn't been anywhere as bad as ian-and-penny's, by any stretch.

I find the opposite with accuracy. I regularly load my Colorado 300 up with pocket queries, and use the iPhone to log, as my iPhone 4 GPS nothing short of sucks. This may be my handset, as my iPhone 3GS was great. As an example, I was in the Adealide hills ysterday and at GZ, the CO stated 2 metres, the iPhone 4 was 83 metre walk. I regularly get this when there is any sort of tree cover.

Like you, it is a back up only or a "I'm bored, I wonder if there is a cache around here".

[bmak]

I find the Iphone 4 GPS accuracy is equal to my Magellan GC and close to many other GPS's except in deep valleys or real heavy tree cover. In most circumstances it actually gets down to 5m accuracy in under 60 seconds which is a lot faster than my dedicated GPS. Ive had both the 3G and 3GS and its a huge improvement over them.

[Richary]

I'm about to get an iPhone for work, as the old Nokia is dying, keeps turning itself off and the display is going. Work plan will allow 3GB of data per month which I can't see myself using on the phone. So I guess I get to join the world of apps which I have had nothing to do with so far. I'm guessing I have to pay money to the iTunes store now <sigh>

[Jardry]

I'm guessing I have to pay money to the iTunes store now <sigh>

Jailbreak the iPhone - use a program called "GreenPo1son".
Install "Installous 4" from the Cydia repository (installed when Jailbreaking the iPhone).
You will be surprised to see what is available on Installous".

[Richary]

Now there's a plan, thanks Jardry!

[bshwckr]

I'm guessing I have to pay money to the iTunes store now <sigh>

Jailbreak the iPhone - use a program called "GreenPo1son".
Install "Installous 4" from the Cydia repository (installed when Jailbreaking the iPhone).
You will be surprised to see what is available on Installous".

Installous is much better than iTunes for browsing and downloading apps.
But be fair. Pay for the ones that you plan on keeping. That way development continues.
I have actually paid for more apps since jailbreaking my iPhone than I did before.

[Richary]

Installous is much better than iTunes for browsing and downloading apps.
But be fair. Pay for the ones that you plan on keeping. That way development continues.
I have actually paid for more apps since jailbreaking my iPhone than I did before.

That also sounds fair. I would be hesitant about handing over money for an app that might turn out to be crap, so unless I have it recommended to me probably wouldn't buy it. A try before you buy sounds much better. I have done the same with shareware in the past, tried it and decided it is good enough I want to buy it. Programs like GSAK and Ozi are just 2 examples.

[Richary]

I've now got the iPhone 4 and have downloaded Geosphere onto it. The find nearest cache part works well, though I haven't tried finding one with it yet to check the GPS accuracy.

My question is how to load the GPX files onto it that I have set up? It talks about getting them from the mail accounts but now I have 1000 query ones set up it doesn't email them to me, so I would like to download or copy them from the PC onto the thing and use those. Is that possible - or do I need to upload them to a gmail or whatever account so Geosphere can download?

[pwags]

I've now got the iPhone 4 and have downloaded Geosphere onto it. The find nearest cache part works well, though I haven't tried finding one with it yet to check the GPS accuracy.

My question is how to load the GPX files onto it that I have set up? It talks about getting them from the mail accounts but now I have 1000 query ones set up it doesn't email them to me, so I would like to download or copy them from the PC onto the thing and use those. Is that possible - or do I need to upload them to a gmail or whatever account so Geosphere can download?

Assuming you are a premium member of GC, and the GPX files are generated via Pocket Queries, simply select the "Data" menu in Geosphere, then "Pocket Queries". Geosphere will then grab them straight from the GC site.

[Richary]

Assuming you are a premium member of GC, and the GPX files are generated via Pocket Queries, simply select the "Data" menu in Geosphere, then "Pocket Queries". Geosphere will then grab them straight from the GC site.

Thanks, that's working. Now how do I import the GCA ones as well?