BlackBerry geocaching /w Blackstar Navigation and CacheBerry

Discussion about anything geocaching tech related! GPS Units, PDA's, Paperless Caching, etc. (For NWOGEO web issues, please use "Website Related Forums".)

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Mighty_Mo
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by Mighty_Mo »

Glad I was able to provide a CacheBerry proving ground.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by BlackBrownDog »

GG411: is the software usable on ALL BBs? I have a curve... hrmm...
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

BlackBrownDog wrote:GG411: is the software usable on ALL BBs? I have a curve... hrmm...
There are multiple versions, and one should work with your Curve.

You may also want to check out "BlackStar", which is free. And while it has a couple of interesting features that CacheBerry, does not have, I still prefer CacheBerry.

http://blackstarnavigation.com/
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by keithlemons2 »

Since Verizon is right where I want them;can cancel my account anytime - have been contemplating what should be the next bill (phone). Have seen that Verizon will have the iPhone within less than a year and at this time have the iPod Touch which is very similar to the iPhone. The iPod Touch is a whole lot of fun if you are within reach of WiFi. It also has a geocaching app too but, doesn't sound as nifty as CacheBerry.
So... is it going to be...wait for the iPhone with Verizon or go ahead and grab the BlackBerry Storm?
hmmm. to much money eitherway but it's all about geocaching.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

That could be a tough call.

Some more things to consider:
- The Storm has multitasking, and the IPhone does not except for core programs. This could be very important when geocaching. Rumors are that Apple may allow more multitasking in the furture.
- Verizon's coverage is generally better than AT&T, however there are exceptions that could be important if you are in the those areas.
- The BlackBerry Storm was released with a lot of software bugs, although a new version came out last Sunday that helped a lot. More improvements still in the works.
- The IPhone core software seems a lot more stable than BlackBerry.
- A new Storm 2 (code named Odin) is coming. It promises to have WiFi along with other improvements.
- IPhone has a ton more apps than the Storm. While the Storm is catching up, there is still a huge gap.
- The IPhone apps are less expensive than the BB apps.
- Not sure about the IPhone, but I can visit geocaching.com from my Storm and directly download a GPX file to it, and the CacheBerry app catches it automatically. Very handy.
- Not sure about IPhone, but when running some apps on the Storm, the battery life sucks. IMHO
- On the other hand, I can charge and have ready a spare battery for the Storm and swap it. IPhones battery is not user removable.
- I can also purchase two different third party batteries for the Storm that have longer lives.
- The geocaching app CacheBerry improves regularly, and the author is great at taking suggestions. The BlackStar app is interesting in its own way, and is also free. Both have compasses now.
- There are some apps for geocaching that are only available for IPhones, at least currently.
- The Storm uses USB, like Garmin. Although it is a microUSB, I use an mini to micro adapter so I can use cables, chargers, external booster packs, etc., interchangeably.
- The Storm uses MicroSD memory, like my Garmin.
- Besides using the computer, you can update the Storm software over the air.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by keithlemons2 »

Thanks Gizmo.
Your last post answered a few questions of mine. Just got off the phone with a Verizon agent from the Findlay, Ohio Mall and was trying to get a deal on the Storm. Got him down a bit but, now that you mention (and I didn't know) that a new storm is in the works, this could work in my favor. May just get a one year contract with these people so when something better comes along with smartphones I won't be stuck with an antique.
Good info Gizmo, thanks for your time.

P.S. it does suck about the battery life
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by keithlemons2 »

Also understand that Sprint and AT&T have limited coverage in my area here in Fostoria. So staying with Verizon is probably my only option.

Verizon and Time Warner are stealing us blind around here...
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by Handyman-N-Fam »

I got my Blackberry Storm last week. I am on the free trial for Cacheberry. When I receive my pocket queries, I have to download them, and then find them through cacheberry. Someone mentioned that cacheberry would automatically intercept the gpx file. What am I doing wrong. The only thing I don't like, is waiting on the compass to load or update. In WV this weekend, sometimes it took five minutes for the compass to load. While waiting, I could have the coords hand-entered into my Garmin. I have been pleasantly surprised by the BB's GPS accuracy though.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

Handyman-N-Fam wrote:I got my Blackberry Storm last week. I am on the free trial for Cacheberry. When I receive my pocket queries, I have to download them, and then find them through cacheberry. Someone mentioned that cacheberry would automatically intercept the gpx file. What am I doing wrong. The only thing I don't like, is waiting on the compass to load or update. In WV this weekend, sometimes it took five minutes for the compass to load. While waiting, I could have the coords hand-entered into my Garmin. I have been pleasantly surprised by the BB's GPS accuracy though.
Last week I sent a GPX file via email to myself, and I had to hunt down the file too. In the past when I downloaded it from the geocaching.com site, CacheBerry found it automatically.

Was CacheBerry running when you downloaded it? I'll have to try it again when I get a chance and see what happens.

I used my BB Storm in Paris, and it had a fix, faster than my Garmin 60CSx a number of times. I was also very surprized how accurate it was.

Have you seen the Storm II yet? Pretty nice, so far.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by Handyman-N-Fam »

I tried it with Cacheberry running, and it worked the same.
What does Blackstar do that Cacheberry doesn't?
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

Handyman-N-Fam wrote:I tried it with Cacheberry running, and it worked the same.
What does Blackstar do that Cacheberry doesn't?
Woops... forgot to reply to you until now. Blackstar had a couple of features that I liked that Cacheberry does not have, however I really did not use it all that much. Even though BS is free, I really liked the GUI of Cacheberry better.
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Re: CacheBerry - Paperless BlackBerry geocaching

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

Just updated the read post to show the latest version!
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Re: BlackBerry geocaching /w Blackstar Navigation and CacheB

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

This topic was changed to show both Blackstar Navigation and Cacheberry.

I'll add screenshots of BS once I figure out how it works!
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Re: BlackBerry geocaching /w Blackstar Navigation and CacheB

Post by TheMetalSteve »

I have a Blackberry Storm and have been thinking about downloading one of these programs...

I'm through Verizon... I'm assuming that there is an additional charge for the GPS usage per month? I haven't really looked into that...
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Re: BlackBerry geocaching /w Blackstar Navigation and CacheB

Post by GizmoGuy411 »

TheMetalSteve wrote:I have a Blackberry Storm and have been thinking about downloading one of these programs...

I'm through Verizon... I'm assuming that there is an additional charge for the GPS usage per month? I haven't really looked into that...
Luckily Verizon opened up use of the GPS for free, after a LOT of people complained.

If you have a data plan you should be all set.

Be sure to check out Google Maps too. It even has "Street View" like on your PC! It also has "Latitude" which is a feature you can optionally use that will let people you approve to see where you are in real time.

If you want a free voice Navigation program, check out. "Nav4All" Not the greatest user interface, but it works. You can get it right from your Storm via BlackBerry Apo World.
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