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Thread: GPRS Costs?

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    south Wales
    Posts
    14

    Default GPRS Costs?

    Hi all,

    I use an Oregon 400 for the majority of my GC and walking activities. I've recently bought a new 'phone - Windows Mobile based - so that I can use Memory-Map (OS maps). I load PQs into MM on the PC and then export to the 'phone.

    When I'm out and about and fiddling with various programs it was often trying to connect to the web via GPRS (I've managed to disable that automatic connecting behaviour) but I've often wondered about the cost implications of any such connections. Does anyone have any experience of e.g. contacting GC.com and looking at cache info. etc? As I understand it, GPRS works on the amount of data up/downloaded.

    BTW, I'm currently on O2 - still got about £25 PAYG credit. As a side issue, should I look at a different network (ASDA perhaps, they look pretty cheap)?

    regards

    John R
    :coffee:, and just call me Felix

  2. #2
    nobbynobbs Guest

    Default

    I'd look for a network that will give you a certain amount of download per month.
    You can get monthly contracts thet'll do that from about £15 or now you can pay a similar amount per month without a contract and get similar deals.

    It can cost lots very quickly if you have to pay for each download as you do it.
    What method you choose depends on how often you think you'll use it.

  3. #3
    keehotee Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jsr-uk View Post
    Hi all,

    I use an Oregon 400 for the majority of my GC and walking activities. I've recently bought a new 'phone - Windows Mobile based - so that I can use Memory-Map (OS maps). I load PQs into MM on the PC and then export to the 'phone.

    When I'm out and about and fiddling with various programs it was often trying to connect to the web via GPRS (I've managed to disable that automatic connecting behaviour) but I've often wondered about the cost implications of any such connections. Does anyone have any experience of e.g. contacting GC.com and looking at cache info. etc? As I understand it, GPRS works on the amount of data up/downloaded.

    BTW, I'm currently on O2 - still got about £25 PAYG credit. As a side issue, should I look at a different network (ASDA perhaps, they look pretty cheap)?

    regards

    John R
    If your phone is windows mobile based, I'd invest in a copy of GSAK and use that to export the PQ as HTML as well as to Memory Map .... I use (whoops - used to use) a pda, and set Memory Map to open the saved page when I was out in the field. GSAK is free (with a nag screen) or fairly cheap to license.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    44

    Default

    It all depends on whether you can afford to move up to a contract phone... I am on Tmobile, and for £30 a month I get £130 worth of a mix of texts and calls plus FREE internet....

    I was sceptical, but it really is free and it's good too!!!!

    I believe that it's the flext tarrifs that allow this - although they are more expensive now - starting at £40 a month - but you get £225 of credit a month for that plus free interweb....

    http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobil...y/flext/plans/

    Bit more costly than my £30 a month, but depends on what suits you!
    Now doing small hills!
    Still blonde under the hair dye ;-)

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    south Wales
    Posts
    14

    Default

    Thanks all but I don't think I'll be doing any serious GCing using the 'phone - at the moment I don't even use £30 a year on 'phone bills.

    I'll be sticking to the Oregon!!!

    BTW, have your replies referred to connecting via GPRS or the ordinary dial-up charges?

    many thanks

    John R

    Oh - forgot to mention that I already have free wi-fi (BT OpenZone - Starbucks and other areas where it's available) when I'm out and about and I connect up wirelessly at home of course. I've loaded another GCing application on the 'phone (GCzII) which allows multiple named blocks of 500 GCs to be downloaded directly (by different criteria) straight to the Windows Mobile device with up to 100 logs each. I can sort these in the field by various parameters (current location, manual location, selected cache, name, code, type, size, owner, date, difficulty, terrain). There's also a direct link to Google Earth, and the 'phone (geotagged) camera function. As I posted on another forum, using the Oregon primarily I'm still struggling to find (for me) a need for GSAK - looks as if all I'd really be getting is record keeping (about which I'm not really bothered) - I'm still keeping an open mind however. Also, the Oregon gives me SO much more easy functionality than the PDA. I suppose my main interest is really hiking with GCing being an added extra rather than the other way around - hope that's not too heretical to say on this board..........................
    Last edited by jsr-uk; 3rd October 2009 at 12:08 AM. Reason: additional info
    :coffee:, and just call me Felix

  6. #6
    stevo185 Guest

    Default

    I've got a Nokia E71 free from 3 with 200 minutes, unlimited texts and internet. Then I use geocaching live to show me the caches nearest to my position.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    14

    Default

    do a search for PAYG iPhone sim on fleabay.

    Basically if you bought an iPhone on O2 as a PAYG, when you spend £10 on credit, you are given 12 months free internet.

    Usually the sims go for about a tenner delivered. Put £10 credit on and for £20 you have unlimited internet for 12 months.

    Stu

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    south Wales
    Posts
    14

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by The Other Stu View Post
    do a search for PAYG iPhone sim on fleabay.

    Basically if you bought an iPhone on O2 as a PAYG, when you spend £10 on credit, you are given 12 months free internet.

    Usually the sims go for about a tenner delivered. Put £10 credit on and for £20 you have unlimited internet for 12 months.

    Stu
    Thanks for the info :cheers: - deals coming out all the time... Hadn't heard of this one though. Cheapest I can see at the moment is about £32 (includes £10 credit) but still pretty good value considering. They do have a rider on their item description which is probably worth bearing in mind...

    ' We have heard from our customers that O2 is trying to block the internet on these cards which are not being used on iPhones. It is really a matter of luck as far as we can read. Some get a message after a few months that their free internet will stop working in next 30 days but still it usually doesn't happen; but we feel obliged to let you know about it . Even if it does, you will still have your credit on the card and it will work as normal SIM

    Also please note, this is the same case with all of these cards being sold over ebay. Thanks '


    thanks again

    John R
    :coffee:, and just call me Felix

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