BUILDING A NEW TOY - PLEASE READ

[Samuel Bellamy]

Hi everyone -

While my hobby is metal detecting, my full time job is building applications. I am a UI designer and I make games for the Xbox One and PS4 game systems. Lately I have been working on iOS (smartphone) apps and I am building one for my hobby, OUR hobby. Right now I"m building it out for the iOS devices with a quick follow up to Android devices.

The working name is DIGGER. It allows you to create an account for free and use all of it's abilities for free. You can take pics of your finds, it will map the location with google maps but also longitude and latitude. It will allow you to post to your facebook page if you desire and you can IF YOU WANT, it will allow you share your hunt location with other users of the app, but ONLY IF YOU WANT TO SHARE. All information is stored locally on your phone/device.

Now here is the interesting part for you who want even more. I've also built a database access that saves all of the information I just mentioned but also includes weather conditions, what detector your using and any other notes you want to put into the hunt that day. It will also have a map overlay option that if there is a SANBORN map of the area you are in, it will overlay the SANBORN map over your current position so that you can see what use to be in the area. It will also have the option to tell you who currently owns that property via county records and how to contact them so that you can get permission to hunt in that location. Also, it will have a permission form that if the owner wishes, they can sign right on your phone that gives you permission to hunt so that if your approached by a neighbor or law enforcement, you have a signed release in hand.

I"m still working on other features, but wanted some input from you, my fellow detectorists of what you feel would be important to you to have included in this application that would entice you to use it?

As a thank you, everyone who responds and wants to test the application when I've got it running can do so.

Thanks for your time and happy hunting.

Rick

 

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[dsdigger]

I like this idea and some of Skippy SH13's mods but my main thing would be stand alone as I am not a facebook user nor plan to ever be. TreasureNet, LinkedIn and a couple other MD'ing sites are all I do as far as social media type sites. I also use gloves and my phone is in an Otterbox Defender cover and normally snapped in it's belt clip on my belt face in or in a pocket in the cold. It less i have to mess with it the better. I am an android user, never used iOS but nothing wrong with it either, just always bought Android phones. Sounds like and interesting app and would like something on the phone or a a 3G/4G tablet that would be usable.

 

[Quisp]

Rick,

I like the concept. I've tried a few other MD apps and none of the seem to do what I want. You seem to have thought of many features. One thing I worried about with the other apps was if I tagged a spot of where I found something good, was I providing the author of the program this same info. I guess privacy is what I'm concerned with. You seemed to be addressing this keeping the data on the device. That being said, I'd like to be able to upload or sync the data with my desktop PC where it would be better managed, cataloged and enhanced. Typing on a normal keyboard beats a smart phone hands down. So, maybe the app data could be imported into MS Access or some other database program for better management.

Or, maybe it could also work on a small tablet (with resized screens/menus) and for the smartphone app to sync with the tablet version. Once I get back home I could manage the data on the tablet (but I'd still like it on my PC best).

I'd also suggest you change the name of the program. I once gave a DVD copy of the MD program "Diggers" to a buddy at work. Another co-worker overheard the short conversation and misconstrued what I had said. After showing him the title clearly written on the DVD label, he knew he mis-heard me and then we all have an awkward chuckle.

Keep us posted with the progress and I'd love to be a beta (or alpha) tester. I have an iPhone, Android tablet and MS Win10 Tablet.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[against the wind]

That sounds like a lot of good material and
documentation to have at your fingertips while out in the field.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[huntsman53]

Rick,

I also love your' concept and hope that you can make it work! It may be a little slow in getting MD'ers onboard but if they ever see one in use and it's features, it should go over well. You might want to consider creating a waterproof device (able to descend to +/- 100 meters) and applications for Treasure Salvor Divers as well as any and all Divers in general whether they are professional or recreational Divers. I also believe that being able to attach the device to your' arm, wrist or even mounted on a metal detector's shaft would be great as long as neither interferes with the other.

On another note, I passed through Houston on Tuesday (02/14/17) on my way to Alice, TX to deliver a sleek black 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Super Crew Cab 4x4 Pickup. Shortly after receiving the Tornado Warning for the Houston area at 10:12 AM CST, GPS routed me onto the Sam Houston Tollway where traffic slowed down to 15 miles an hour due to the torrential rain. I am a retired Meteorological Technician with the National Weather Service, am trained to spot Tornadoes as well as weather phenomena associated with them and Severe Thunderstorms and I spotted a large Rotating Wall Cloud to our (myself and other traffic) South Southwest. Needless to say, I turned on the left signal light on the Raptor, went around the slower traffic and hauled butt out of there. A few of the other drivers must have seen it as well as they fell in behind me and followed the path that the truck was making through the 3 to 5 inches of water running down the Tollway. When I got to Alice and delivered the Raptor to it's new owner, I advised him that he had a Lucky Truck and that it will likely get him out of some bad situations, if they ever arise.


Frank

 

[bloovey]

interesting.

 

[RustyGold]

I would use an app like this as long as the UI was more mac like. I don't care for apps with everything buried under hierarchical menus where one has to "dig" into the app to find what one is looking for.
Sounds like a great idea and I would love to try it out.
Good luck with the design.

 

[Samuel Bellamy]

The plan for this application is a stand alone. You CAN upload pics and info about your finds to social media sites if you wish but you don't have to. Entirely up to you.
As the builder of this application, i would have no access to anything saved to the users phone. Your hunting area, your finds, etc. would be 100% secure. Someone mentioned that earlier so I just wanted to put that to rest.
Here are the updated images of the layout as it stands now. I'm currently working on the coding.



I also wanted to mention that the overlay map is from Sept. 1895. Only two streets retained the same names from that time. Main street that the courthouse sat on and Masonic which is the street the Episcopal church sat on. That how the two maps used two separate points to match orientation. Pretty cool, I coded it to match as many points as possible by name association for orientation. I'll have more news soon and some additional screens developed as I get more time.

Please let me know what you think.

Sam

 

[Quisp]

Hey Sam,

It's been a while. Any updates on your progress?

Dan