iGeocacher

The powerful geocache hunting platform that isn't overly complicated but gets the job done remarkably well. Sonar mode is a hoot!

This is the makeover of the original iGeocacher app I wrote back in 2008. I believe it was one of the first if not the first apps for the serious geocacher. I've wanted to do this since the original 32bit app was no longer supported but never had the time it seemed. The advent of AI coding assistance in Xcode allowed me to do a complete makeover in a fraction of the time. It has some features that I haven't seen in any other geocaching apps, most notably the SONAR ranging simulation that I had in the first app. It is extremely helpful when chasing down geocaches in the wood where the footing is tricky. The auto ranging allows you to "home in" without having to focus on the compass display.

The app parses standard .GPX files known as "pocket queries" from the geocaching website and displays them in easy to use lists and map views for selection and targeting. The navigation display, patterned after the directional gyro display in light aircraft, show a simultaneous view of your current heading and bearing to the selected cache target while displaying the distance to the target. Turn on the SONAR feature and the app provides a simulated SONAR ping and echo sound effect that simulates the SONAR pings and echoes you've heard on all those submarine movies. That's really handy when riding a bike or driving a car toward a cache because you get an audio indication of target proximity.