Trimble Geocache Navigator Review

By Kevin O'Brien , Brighthand Staff | | 8877 Reads

Geocaching is an ever increasingly popular hobby, in which people use latitude/longitude coordinates to try and locate hidden caches. While it is gaining popularity, it can be seen as an expensive hobby, requiring a dedicated GPS receiver for finding these hidden locations.

Trimble is looking to change this, by using the GPS chip found in many smartphones combined with its own special Geocache Navigator software package. This lets users pick geocaches in their area, read detailed info on that cache, and then track it down using software designed to operate like a standalone GPS receiver.

For now this software is only out for a few software platforms, including Symbian and Blackberry. For this review I will cover the BlackBerry version on an AT&T BlackBerry Curve 8310.

Overview

The Trimble Geocache Navigator is a very easy to use program. It gives you quick access to caches near you, or in any area you might be interested in.

Basic Options
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Once you pick a cache you are interested in locating, the program gives you a handful of information about that cache to help you in your journey. These options include the compass navigator, radar, map (topographical, street, or satellite), and cache details, like past user logs and hints.

Features

Connect to the world's largest cache database at Geocaching.com
Select a cache to hunt
View your cache location on an aerial, topographic, or street map
Home in on your target using the handy radar tool
Mark caches as lost or found

In Use

I'm going to cover the use of the Geocache Navigator, as well as compare it against a high-end dedicated Garmin GPS receiver. I managed to drag along fellow forum member J.R., as he was local to the area, and had not experienced a geocaching hike before.

When you open the application, you have three basic options; Quick Cache (finds the closest caches), Find Caches (specify the area), and Enter Manually (enter your own coordinates). Each of these options led you to the same navigation area, to let you home in on the location you picked.

Compass Screen
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I chose Quick Cache, which listed the caches nearby, sorted ascending by distance. I picked the one off the top of the list, and went on my way after entering the same coordinates into my Garmin GPS receiver. This way I could see how both performed as we got closer to the spot.

My preferred screen during the hike is the Compass screen, which gives you a big arrow pointing in the direction you should walk. Also on this page is your current speed, heading, altitude, distance to target, bearing, GPS accuracy, and cache lat/long.

I found the map screen to also be helpful; especially using the topo maps to give me an idea of what the elevation was like in the area to see just how bad of a hike we had ahead of us. The street and satellite images can also come in handy if you want to see what obstacles might be ahead of you, like streams, roads, or even airports (not easy to walk right through them).

Map Screen
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As we got closer to the target, both GPS receivers were neck and neck, giving roughly the same distance to target. Compasses were a bit off though, as they tend to spin around if you aren't moving in a steady line, since they are calculated headings, not using a true compass mechanism.

Since the cache location was a bit off the trail, we had to go underneath tree cover to continue. This is one of the worst situations for a GPS receiver, as they depend on line-of-sight for reception. Tree branches and leaves are murder for many low-end GPS receivers, so it was quite a surprise to see the cell phone chip handling it well.

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To help with the acquisition, I scrolled over to the details tab to get an idea of the cache difficulty, which you can usually use to tell how long you might be spending looking for the hidden spot. This was a 2/5, so I wasn't expecting it to be that long. As we got closer, I spotted a suspicious looking area, and saw the cache hidden under some branches and foliage.

Once we arrived, I put each GPS receiver above the cache, and had my friend snap a picture to show how accurate each device was. Considering that most are rated for 10-20 foot accuracy, and things like trees can skew that even farther, they both performed beautifully. The Garmin GPS put me 5 feet from target, and the BlackBerry using the Trimble Geocache Navigator at 9 feet.

Conclusion

Forum member J.R.'s thoughts on the Trimble Geocache Navigator:

Where the Trimble software really shines is ease of use. Once loaded, the software functions transparently, allowing the user to have fun without being lost in menus and details.
There's no need to plan ahead and set up a list of sites; simply let the software acquire your present location and it loads the nearest caches for you, ordered by distance. Select one from the list and the screen displays an easy to follow tracking arrow, making it simple to set off.
The readings were accurate enough that caches were easy to find at the destination. Hard-to-find cache? The software's tight integration with Groundspeak means hints and past logs are only a button press away.
The Trimble developers have worked to deliver a seamless end user experience, and it shows. Loading, tracking, and crossing off caches are painless, even for relative newcomers to the hobby.

My take on the Trimble Geocache Navigator, being an avid cacher, owning many GPS receivers is that it worked much better than I could have expected. I never thought the GPS modules inside cellphones were up the the task of working in a forest environment, and was pleasantly surprised when it kept up with my Garmin GPS, and for most of the trip led our way through the trails.

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Being able to have all the cache information at our fingertips made a heck of a difference. In the past I would log into a geocaching site, download the waypoints, print out the cache information page, and drive to the spot I wanted to hike at. With the Trimble software you drive to whatever location you want, load up the nearest caches, and you are on your way in minutes.

Pros