Geocaching on i-phone 4?

[malley]

Started Geocaching with my daughter and following recommendations on here I got a couple of apps for my i-phone - geocaching and gpsmotionX. My question is 'how do you use it when out of phone signal'? or more to the point, can you?!?!?! They both seem to indicate that this can be done, by saving the map area to the memory to use later. I am a little bit of a techno-phobe to be honest and I realise this may be a stupid question! Any help appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[Bigfoot]

Sorry, I still use a map, compass and notepad! What is this i-phone 4 of which you speak?

 

[malley]

Agreed! Me, too. Just seems to be a way to introduce her to navigation and showing her 'proper' maps at the same time.

 

[Oghma]

I'm pretty sure that you can't download bits of the map in advance - unless it's a facility that the app itself offers.
Also bear in mind that without a mobile phone signal, the iPhone may not be able to initialise the GPS from cold (cold start) - to save power/time it gets a rough fix from the cellular network and then gets the finer resolution from the sat signals. You'd need to check whether it's a case of 'won't do it', or of 'will do it but takes half an hour to get first fix' before you commit to relying on it for a GC trip.
Cheers
Og

 

[Bushwhacker]

I found a cache on Saturday and I don't even play the game!
Hidden under some tree roots it was. I was tempted to put a spider in there.

 

[Suffolksteve]

I don't know about Iphones but I know my blackberry can pick up GPS signal even when I don't even remotely have signal from my service provider and when it is using GPS it can download maps.

I don't really get geocaching, is it just an excuse and something to do while out and about?

 

[Oghma]

I don't know about Iphones but I know my blackberry can pick up GPS signal even when I don't even remotely have signal from my service provider and when it is using GPS it can download maps.

Steve - if there is no mobile signal, then there's no way you're downloading map segments... if the BB is displaying them, then they must have been cached on the phone.

I don't really get geocaching, is it just an excuse and something to do while out and about?

It's a bit like most other things you do while out and about... mostly an enjoyable waste of time, lol.
TBH, it probably gets a lot of folk out into the fresh air and countryside who otherwise wouldn't bother, particularly children, and takes them to places that they probably wouldn't otherwise visit.

Og