GCBuddy FAQ

Question: I can't login into geocaching.com to authorize the App

Authorizing the App to use the Groundspeak LIVE API uses a webview showing a login page of geocaching.com

Make sure you use the loginname and password for geocaching.com. After login you see a page asking if GCBuddy may access your account. Allow this. GCBuddy now receives an access token fro geocaching.com and stores this (and only this) for later use. You can revoke this at any time on the geocaching.com website.

Question: How do I load caches into the program?

In the main list, press the "+" button in the upper right corner. Now search for a cache at the geocaching.com website or alternatively enter the cache code if you already know it.

If the cache is not on geocaching.com just create an empty cache you can fill in yourself.

It is possible to select opencaching.de or one of the other opencaching sites as an alternative source for geocaches.

Where are the formula's?

Most people carefully prepare their multi-cache trip at home before taking off. Everything which can be done at home should be done at home. Multi-caches are not the kind of quick pickups like some traditional caches are. So entering the information at home is very useful. The downloaded cache does contain waypoints when their location is given by the cache creator. But for unknown waypoints no standard exists so that these can also be "imported" automatically. Most of the time you have to carefully read the cache description to know what to do at each waypoint. Waypoints are often entered as formula's and these have to be entered manually. This can all be done conveniently at home before you start. The list of clues is always A-Z and is typically filled during the cache hunt, revealing the new waypoints.

What is this 'easy editing mode' ?

A special 'easy edit mode' is available by starting a dedicated web server (built-in in the GCBuddy app) on the iPhone.
Using a regular browser from a PC/Mac on your local WiFi network you can then browse to the iPhone and use a simple web interface to conveniently copy/paste or type-in descriptions, instructions on a per waypoint basis and formula's. Copy/pasting from the cache description and editing the information is much easier on your larger PC/Mac screen and using your keyboard!

Do you support floating point arithmetic?

Yes! But no square root yet :-(

Question: Can you give examples for the different ways to enter a latitude or longitude?

Answer: Here are a couple of ways to enter the latitude: 51 degrees and 12.345 minutes:

51º12.345
51º12.345'
51º12345
51º12345'
51º12'20.7"
51.0º12.0'20.7"
51.205750º
51.205750

Assume we have the following clues entered:
A = 1
B = 2
C = A+B = 3
D = 2*B = 4
E = A+D = 5

Then we could also use formula's like:
EAºAB.CDE
(A+D)AºAB.(A+B)(2*B)(A+D)
EAºABCDE
EAº(C-B)(D/2).(3*115)
51º11.945+400
51º(37035/3)
etc.

Question: I entered 50°10.330+A with Clue A equal to 20 and obtained 50°10.350 instead of 50°30.330 How is this possible?

Answer: The expression evaluator first splits the angle in degrees, minutes and fractional minutes sub formulas (in this case 50, 10 and 330+A) and evaluates them separately using integer arithmetic. The fractional part of the minutes is assumed to have 3 digits!!!!!. So the floating point value for the minutes is always derived as minutes + fractional minutes/1000.
If you want to add a number to the minutes itself use a formula like: 50°(10+A).330 or 50º(10.330+A)

I'm on Android and the backup e-mails contain no restore link, what's wrong?

Answer: Modern Android mail clients often strip links from a sent e-mail. Very inconvenient. Try another e-mail client such as FairEmail (tested and works). We are thinking about switching to mail attachments instead of embedded links.