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TomTom software offers mapping information for all of the U.S. and Europe. European countries and the American states are all available separately.

TomTom takes most of the guesswork out of road navigation, because as well as route planning, TomTom Navigator can also provide you with voice instructions to help you get where you want to go. If you get into a traffic jam or are detoured, there’s no need to worry because TomTom will keep track of your location in real time via GPS and plan a new route, automatically updating the remaining distance and estimated time of arrival. It also contains some superb features such as night vision mode, which enables you to drive more easily during hours of darkness (see Figure 11-15).

FIGURE 11-15: TomTom’s night vision mode

Remember too that TomTom Navigator is useful for more than just geocaching!

Route-planning software isn’t of much use when it comes to actually finding the cache. Software for use when you are driving rarely requires the same level of accuracy and is unlikely to give you reliable distance and heading information when you are 50 yards or less from the cache. At that point, you need the precision of the GPS interface to navigate the final few yards.

Sort Out Cabling

If you are going to connect your GPS to a PDA and possibly want to power your GPS from an alternative power supply, make sure that you have all the cables you need with you. A sample is shown in Figure 11-16.

Clearly label each of your cables, as shown in Figure 11-17. This way, if you have more than one GPS or PDA, you won’t get confused and take the wrong cable or damage something trying to fit the wrong connector into the socket. Make life even easier on yourself by labeling the cable at both ends, detailing what the connector fits.

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FIGURE 11-16: Cables needed for a geocache trip

FIGURE 11-17: Clearly labeled cables

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In addition, because you are going to be outdoors, take care that dirt and water don’t get into the cable connectors. Some connectors (such as the serial connector on an iPAQ) are quite delicate and can be easily damaged by foreign objects in the connector. A handy tip to prevent damage is to cover the ends with a small plastic bag when not in use, as shown in Figure 11-18.

FIGURE 11-18: Connector protected by a small plastic bag

Keep cables as short as required, because they can snag on branches or other items and damage equipment. Loop and tape them to keep them under control, as shown in Figure 11-19.

Power for the Trip

There is nothing worse than being out hunting geocaches and running out of juice for the GPS or PDA. We’ve already covered powering the GPS on the move, but let’s take a quick look at issues specific to geocaching and how to keep your PDA powered while out hunting for caches.

GPS Power Considerations

The easiest way to keep a GPS powered is by keeping a good selection of batteries. Never just rely on having a full set in the GPS — they might discharge more quickly than normal, get lost or damaged, or you might be out for longer than expected. I tend to work with a full set in the GPS, and carry two spare sets for a day’s geocaching. I always use rechargeable NiMH batteries, so cost beyond the initial purchase is low; and I keep them charged up with a car charger. I also have a natty, little solar charger that’s really useful in summer. Figure 11-20 shows a selection of my favorite powering gear.

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FIGURE 11-19: Keep cables under control with tape

FIGURE 11-20: My favorite GPS powering gear

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To keep the PDA going, I use a combination of an expansion battery pack that gives me a few extra hours, a car cord, and an external battery pack that will power or charge the iPAQ from four AA batteries (see Figure 11-21). I find that the pack is an ideal way to carry a few spare batteries for the GPS.

FIGURE 11-21: iPAQ external battery pack

Another option to charge an iPAQ while on the move is a solar charger, as shown in Figure 11-22. If you have a car cord for your iPAQ, then using a solar charger such as the Silva Battery Saver, you can, given some sunlight, plug the car cord into it and charge the internal iPAQ battery.

When using solar panel chargers, take care to protect the panels from damage. While they are quite robust, they aren’t indestructible.

You could also use a portable lead-acid battery (shown in Figure 11-23) and a socket splitter, which would enable you to power both the GPS and your PDA. The drain on a lead-acid battery will be a lot less than it would be for other kinds of batteries and you can charge up the battery in your vehicle. The main disadvantage of using such a battery is the weight associated with it.

To help others, some geocachers put spare batteries into geocaches as swaps. These are really good swap items and could really get someone out of a jam if their batteries are low and they need to navigate their way back to the car. Putting batteries in a cache is referred to in geocaching parlance as “leaving GPS food”!

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FIGURE 11-22: A solar charger is a good option if you go geocaching during the day.

FIGURE 11-23: Portable lead-acid battery