Apisphere Geomate.jr Geocacher

"Just a Note to Buyers: Dear Geomate.jr CommunityWhat can we say – this good thing has come to an end. We are no longer able to offer the Geomate.jr for sale or continue the Update Zone service. We do hope you've had as much fun geocaching as we've had working with everyone.To help keep the adventures happening however, we have made some software available here that will allow anyone with an Update Kit and a PC to load a Pocket Query from Geocaching.com to a Geomate.jr.Regrettably,The Geomate.jr TeamI had this fun GeoCaching GPS since 2010 and loved it. Since I read this news, I cannot update new mass region caches from their website. This GPS is now useless for my needs and I returned it. It was fun while it lasted. RIP Geomate Jr."

"I've struggled to get my 12 year old daughter off the sofa and away from her TV and FaceBook page. So discovering the Geomate.jr seemed like an opportunity combine her love of gadgets with a little outdoor fun. Plus, at only [$] trying the product seemed like a no-brainer.Given the price, I was a little concerned that the device might be a piece of junk but I was pleasantly surprised. It's well made and has a very solid feel to it. The screen is small and I found it a little hard to read with my 40-something eyes but no daughter had no issues.We live a block from Central Park so it was pretty cool to find our first geocache only 15 minutes after turning the device on. The GPS accuracy seemed way better then my BlackBerry Bold and it worked even under heavy tree cover."

"This device is PERFECT for kids, young kids geocaching with parents, or just the casual geocacher. It's incredibly easy to use (my 5 year old wears it & tells me the direction to go) and tons of fun without all the hassle or large expense. I really like the nice big strap to wear around the neck and the ruggedness of the rubber shell around it."

"Some friends recently introduced me to geocaching during a weekend hike, and I was hooked immediately. I don't own a GPS receiver, and didn't want to spend much money on one to get into this game.



Two things sold me on the product over a "normal" GPS receiver:

1. The price.

2. The caches are pre-loaded into the device. So I don't have to "plan" my excursion to find caches. I can simply turn on the device and start following the arrow.



It was a very cloudy day when I first turned it on so it took a bit for the GPS to "find" itself. Once it did, it showed the closest cache was 1500 ft. away. I found it within 15 minutes. When you find the cache you can mark it as found, so you know not to look for it again.



Once I understood the menu button sequences, it was easy to navigate through them. I found the size, terrain difficulty, and how-hard-is-it-to-find icons helpful.

And it told me the distance to the 20 closest caches.



It started to pour rain while I was searching for a cache and it didn't seem to phase the device, although I did try to keep it covered.



An unexpected bonus is the home setting. I set my car to "home" before starting a hike (hoping to find some geocaches along the way). I ended up using that feature to see how far I had left in the hike, rather than where my car was.



Overall I am very happy with this product. I find the preloaded caches so convenient. I brought the device back east with me, and it was so easy to fire it up and start searching. I look forward to the release of the update cable so I can get the most up-to-date cache list.



I would highly recommend this to a friend, especially if they have kids. I can see my nephew loving this as a high-tech treasure hunt. I intend to get him one for Christmas."

"This little guy is perfect for beginners and kids, and that's about it.



Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful little device, but if you're like me and got into geocaching as a serious hobby rather quickly, there's only so much patience you'll have with it after about 5 or 6 outings.



Eventually, you notice that, although the chipset is quite accurate, the compass is not. The best way to use this device is to go by the North and West coordinates using a printed out list of caches.



Geocaches are only listed by GCxxxxx code, so you don't get the usual hints you might through the title and hints of caches.



Additionally, if you aren't willing to buy the update kit, although the device contains roughly 250,000 caches built-in, I noticed that roughly 1/10th of those seemed to be disabled, or contained complicated instructions on the cache listing page (which can't be accessed within the device).



The device lists container size, diff/terr and that's it. The rest is left to your wits.



I would DEFINITELY recommend this product, though, to those who might cache casually, but not to those that I think might soon become enthusiasts.



If you TRULY enjoy geocaching, and already know so, do yourself a favor and splurge for the Garmin GPSmap 60csx. Now THAT is a geocaching device with a solid userbase and extreme versatility. I'd give that one a 5.



But, if you've got some money to throw around, live in an highly-urban area, and want to find something that might get your kid out of the house, then this is the device for you. :-)"

"We picked a pair of these at our local REI on a whim to take with us on a trip to Yosemite as gifts for our kids, ages 9 and 11. We had heard there were a couple caches near the Tenaya Lodge where we stayed. The kids opened the packages after we arrived and had figured out what to do and were off in about 15 minutes. Convincing them to go on a hike can take some doing, but the encouragement of new handheld electronics got a much better reception! They were thrilled to find their first geocache and trade trinkets, and I got a nice vigorous hike keeping up with them. They wore them on lanyards for the rest of the trip, and updated us on nearby geocaches even from the car, so there seems to be "replay value" for future trips. At this price, I let the kids carry them around without too much fear they will be lost or damaged.



It's clearly not a device for GPS powerusers- but I don't think we would have tried geocaching if it had required a more expensive device or advance downloading of coordinates, so the preloaded data and smaller cost commitment were a perfect solution for us. We were particularly interested in the "home" button that allows you to set a start location- if we manage to lose our way while caching, or one of the kids wanders off, this could also help them find their way back."

"WARNING: If you believe you need hi-res satellite imagery, a live weather feed, a Swiss army knife of GPS receivers, a backup GPS receiver, a backup for your backup GPS receiver, climbing equipment, and a 4x4 outfitted with long range fuel tanks to go geocaching, then stop reading now. This product is not for you.But if you're looking for something that reads off the charts on the outdoor family-fun-o-meter, then read on!First, I gotta say, I'm impressed with the performance of this little guy. I own a few GPS receivers – 7 to be exact – and I found 'junior' more than a match for any of them. The direction arrow is rock solid, the accuracy is bang on, and it's more than happy to take a knock or two (and in the hands of a 7 year old, it certainly has taken its share of knocks).But the thing that turned me into a huge fan (and the desire to write this) was how it gave me and the kids something to go out and enjoy together. Our first try was at a large local park. After reading all 3 steps in the user manual (yep, count them, three), we were off searching for our first cache. Four caches later and after much running, and racing each other to the caches (not to mention a few grass stains), I was a fan - albeit an exhausted one.The key I think was just how simple it was to use. You just switch it on, and it directs you to the closest cache (the caches are already loaded). So rather than reading page 47 part B of your new tech-gizmo-things manual, you're already off racing each other to be the first to find the cache. It does only give you direction as the crow flies, so unless you have a D9 bulldozer handy you need to work your way around things. But we found that was half the fun – watching the kids go every which way but then working together to figure it out.Does it do everything that a $300 GPS does? Nope. But for[$]and the fun it brought our family, it easily gets a 5."

"I love geocaching and plan adventures whenever I can find the time, which is less often than I would like. A friend of mine tipped me off about the potential for casual caching with the geomate.jr, so I bought one (my 4th GPS device!) and have kept it in my backpack for the last week. Its been great! I've pulled it out whenever I've had a few spare moments, and because of the preloaded database it has automatically shown me which caches are nearby and how far away. No planning ahead required! Now, there has not always been a good cache available, but I've still found 3 caches this way already -- and was close to finding a 4th yesterday when I had to catch the bus I was waiting for! It is like having an instant adventure available anytime.



So, I think it is an excellent choice for the geocaching junkie who wants adventure at any moment."

"This is my third GPS reciever, I have a dedicated running/training device, a general outdoor mapping unit and now a dedicated geocaching device. The Mapping GPS also handles geocaching quite well, but does require prep, planning and loading the geocaches for our destintation. The geomate is ready to go, anytime, anywhere. I find geocaching to be a group activity, individuals (not just kids!) like to participate in the hunt, so I originally bought the geomate jr as a second device for our geocaching adventures, but it's quickly become the primary geocaching device with the bigger, more expensive outdoor unit in the secondary role. The geomate jr. was designed for geocaching and it does it well."

"The GeoMate Jr. is a simple and fun device to get started with geocaching (and to get the kids out of the house). After inserting 2 AAA batteries, you simply turn on the device (presumably in an area where caches may be hidden) and the GeoMate Jr. will connect with satellites and then give you the distance and the direction to the closest cache from the point of power-on. After you find your first cache, you can log it and then either go to the next closest cache from where you first turned the GeoMate on, or you can power off and back on to find the next closest cache from your current location. The GeoMate also lets you set a "Home" location if you want to find your way back to a certain location. After reading the product quick-guide and down-loading and reading the extended user-guide from Apisphere, the controls were easy to use. The Geomate seems accurate to within 3-6 ft and the signal was good out in the open, under tree cover, and even in my vehicle between caches. The product itself is well built (Made in the USA!) and comfortable to handle. It also comes with a convenient lanyard. You will need the optional update cable (sold separately) if you want to load the latest caches that have been placed in your area since the date your Geomate Jr. was manufactured. But geocaching has been around long enough now that there are plenty that show up in the area where I live."