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#Post#: 5594--------------------------------------------------
The demise of the GPS receiver
By: Griff Grof Date: September 29, 2013, 12:07 pm
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Just wondering: how long do you think it will be before this
happens ???
I think we've discussed this elsewhere on here briefly, but oh
well :D
I think that smartphones are being used far more now, they're
less chunky, have better screen resolutions, and can search for
caches any time through the app - plus, many people always have
theirs with them.
Garmin are no longer supporting Wherigo, which would draw some
people back, and, their new devices are starting to BECOME
smartphones.
Are we seeing the last few months of the GPS receiver as we know
it? - have your say in the poll above, and why not drop a reply?
Personally, I think we are, which is a shame as a phone will
never be as sturdy, reliable and have such a good battery life
:( But caching has got to change with the times...
#Post#: 5596--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: tarmacjohn Date: September 29, 2013, 2:26 pm
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Can I just put it on record that
I HATE CACHING BY PHONE >:( >:(
The battery life is rubbish (or at least my iphone is), they are
fragile, not waterproof, accuracy isn't great, no clip to put on
my belt loops.
Shall I go on ???
#Post#: 5600--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: walktall Date: September 29, 2013, 3:55 pm
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[quote author=tarmacjohn link=topic=401.msg5596#msg5596
date=1380482768]
The battery life is rubbish (or at least my iphone is), they are
fragile, not waterproof, accuracy isn't great, no clip to put on
my belt loops.
[/quote]
You installed that app that makes the iphone waterproof :o :o :o
Totally agree with TJ
Having used a smart phone now and again, they are still not up
to the job. This comes back to my idea device - computer + GPS +
camera + phone + jukebox - it doesn't exist yet and I think it
is still quite a few years away, if nothing else battery life is
still pants :(
#Post#: 5603--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: Griff Grof Date: September 30, 2013, 2:24 am
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I agree too!
But, if you look at the newest Garmin's, they basically are
smartphones :o
#Post#: 5604--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: SangueG Date: September 30, 2013, 2:50 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I am going to be controversial and say yes. But only because it
is more a yes than a no.
I am not using an iAnything, I am using android. I do not use a
Geocaching app by Groundspeak, I use non-official ones. The
battery life is good. The accuracy is on par with my GPSr. The
only time my GPSr comes out of my backpack now is when setting a
cache to double check the coordinates, it has agreed with the
phone each time so far. And I always carry the GPSr so that I
have it available to include it in a photo for other location
based games.
The only negatives I see at the moment is fragility and water
tightness, but it feels much more rugged sat in the flip-open
padded case.
Until I gave the phone a good try I was not convinced.
Everywhere was telling me that a dedicated GPSr was the
equipment to have. But my GPSr cannot scan gc.com and pick out a
few caches to go and do whilst laying in bed. I cannot use my
GPSr to create a pocket query whilst sat almost anywhere, and I
certainly cannot download the pocket query straight to it on the
fly and have all the caches available to me immediately. I can
with the phone. My GPSr can only store 500 waypoints, the phone
has no limit to the amount it can store (not an easily
measurable amount anyway). I can also log the caches on-line
wherever I am... just a few of the good points.
#Post#: 5605--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: tarmacjohn Date: September 30, 2013, 3:22 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=SangueG link=topic=401.msg5604#msg5604
date=1380527440]
I am going to be controversial and say yes. But only because it
is more a yes than a no.
I am not using an iAnything, I am using android. I do not use a
Geocaching app by Groundspeak, I use non-official ones. The
battery life is good. The accuracy is on par with my GPSr. The
only time my GPSr comes out of my backpack now is when setting a
cache to double check the coordinates, it has agreed with the
phone each time so far. And I always carry the GPSr so that I
have it available to include it in a photo for other location
based games.
The only negatives I see at the moment is fragility and water
tightness, but it feels much more rugged sat in the flip-open
padded case.
Until I gave the phone a good try I was not convinced.
Everywhere was telling me that a dedicated GPSr was the
equipment to have. But my GPSr [quote author=SangueG
link=topic=401.msg5604#msg5604 date=1380527440]
But my GPSr cannot scan gc.com and pick out a few caches to go
and do whilst laying in bed
[/quote]
[/quote]
You go caching in your bed. Impressive
#Post#: 5607--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: walktall Date: September 30, 2013, 3:51 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Griff Grof link=topic=401.msg5603#msg5603
date=1380525866]
But, if you look at the newest Garmin's, they basically are
smartphones :o
[/quote]
Technologies are definitely merging but for what we (cachers)
use a GPS for, smartphones don't cut it but for most muggles,
GPS on a smartphone is great.
You can see this in the compact camera arena, how long will they
last as smartphone cameras get better.
It might be that a unit's primary function is first designed and
then a phone bolted on so you get 'smartphones' designed for a
primary function which it would do as well as the stand alone
unit but with the benefits of other technologies bolted on. This
could well mean that a GPS smartphone is bulkier than others and
is designed to save power, change power source easily, designed
to take knocks and is waterproof :)
#Post#: 5608--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: walktall Date: September 30, 2013, 4:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=SangueG link=topic=401.msg5604#msg5604
date=1380527440]
I am going to be controversial and say yes. But only because it
is more a yes than a no.
I am not using an iAnything, I am using android. I do not use a
Geocaching app by Groundspeak, I use non-official ones. The
battery life is good. The accuracy is on par with my GPSr. The
only time my GPSr comes out of my backpack now is when setting a
cache to double check the coordinates, it has agreed with the
phone each time so far. And I always carry the GPSr so that I
have it available to include it in a photo for other location
based games.
The only negatives I see at the moment is fragility and water
tightness, but it feels much more rugged sat in the flip-open
padded case.
Until I gave the phone a good try I was not convinced.
Everywhere was telling me that a dedicated GPSr was the
equipment to have. But my GPSr cannot scan gc.com and pick out a
few caches to go and do whilst laying in bed. I cannot use my
GPSr to create a pocket query whilst sat almost anywhere, and I
certainly cannot download the pocket query straight to it on the
fly and have all the caches available to me immediately. I can
with the phone. My GPSr can only store 500 waypoints, the phone
has no limit to the amount it can store (not an easily
measurable amount anyway). I can also log the caches on-line
wherever I am... just a few of the good points.
[/quote]
I've used two smartphones which includes my current one and they
have been OK in good signal areas but put in a more trickier
area like: woods, in the base of a valley or in town and they
struggled to the point I had to give up. And battery power, well
that on both phones has been pants!
The one thing I think is brilliant, is the instant nature of a
smartphone, being able to get caches while out but this costs
and I can't afford it, so for me, a smartphone looses one of its
major plus points.
#Post#: 5610--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: Griff Grof Date: September 30, 2013, 4:39 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Yes, very true !
I think smartphones are, as you said, getting much better...
They DO need to improve battery life.
Also, they're not 'tough enough' - for example, what's the worse
accident you've had with your GPS?
It's probably a guarantee that a smartphone wouldn't have
survived that, and so that's why I think GPS's still have their
place for a while - if you're out on a mountain with plenty of
rocky outcrops you don't want to risk it with a phone!
#Post#: 5611--------------------------------------------------
Re: The demise of the GPS receiver
By: SangueG Date: September 30, 2013, 7:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
This subject has many topics that can be discussed / debated.
Nice one Griff Grof for bringing up :D
I'll pick one point made for the moment to explain how I use /
get around, and that is this one brought up by walktall:
[quote author=walktall link=topic=401.msg5608#msg5608
date=1380532099]
The one thing I think is brilliant, is the instant nature of a
smartphone, being able to get caches while out but this costs
and I can't afford it, so for me, a smartphone looses one of its
major plus points.
[/quote]
I have a 250mb per month included with my basic phone plan.
Since the beginning of the year when I got the phone I have not
used more than 100mb per month, and so have not paid any extra.
How I have got around this is two fold, but both by using the
wifi. When I am out in places like Tesco's for example, I
connect to their free wifi. For the times I am not in the range
of such free wifi, because I have BT broadband I can tap into
free wifi spots all over the country (and the world apparently),
and so use this to check on new caches and check email
notifications. The BT wifi hotspots are extensive and I have
been surprised where I have picked up a signal, for example when
I placed the Ciren Movable Cache in the farmland behind our
house yesterday I was connected where I hid it which was over
500' from the nearest building.
When I plan to do a number of caches, which has not been often
this year, I create and download a PQ straight to my phone so
have everything stored on there like I would if I had created a
PQ downloaded to my PC and transferred to my GPSr via a cable. I
have done this whilst out and about, and whilst laying in bed :)
..I don't sleep well, I have to do something in bed, and yes
there is probably more interesting I could be doing there :D
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