Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => GPS => Topic started by: Manotea on 30 January, 2018, 10:05:36 am
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I'm increasingly thinking that smartphone navigation/tracking apps are the way to go for riders not particularly interested in the training bells and whistles (HRM/Cadence/Power Meters, Strava Integration, whatev.) and simply want to follow a preset route and record their progress.
Advice/Recommendations on GPS Apps and phone mounts welcome. :)
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Have a look at AAT (http://bailu.ch/aat/). I only use it for recording a gpx of rides (for which it works well) so I can't comment on it's other features. Available from f-droid and it has a light set of permission requirements.
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For android apps look at Osmand or Locus Maps. I've used both and prefer the paid for version of Locus Maps (a stunning £6).
My current bike mount is one of these which allows a plastic bag as rainproofing should the situation require it.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Motorcycle-MTB-Bike-Bicycle-Handlebar-Mount-Mobile-Phone-Holder-GPS-iPhone-X-LG/112667147513?_trkparms=ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170912102017%26meid%3D2dd07dfb35df4a24b0b40e1e725d459a%26pid%3D100706%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D112667147513&_trksid=p2045573.c100706.m4781
I have used plastic holders in the past and they are fine but usually die due to stress failures from poor design.
This specific model fitted by needs well as I have a large phone (Huawei Honor Note 8 = 6.6 inch screen)
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Yesterday with no navigation req'd, instead of my usual Etrex, I thought I'd log a ride just on my phone using the resurrected MyTracks. What could possibly go wrong I thought. mid ride - stopped and took some photos using phone, then looked down and phone was restarting! Don't know if it was a crash or i fumbled buttons to cause it. Anyway fortunately the logging had autosaved somehow. I have definitely had previous Strava crashes (and lost all) when taking pics, and gave up 2/3yrs ago with OsmAnd due to the ease of of messing up navigation display by fumbling something, and inexplicable crashes. I do like the OsmAnd display/functionality, and it may be more stable on Android 7. Etrex for the moment.
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You don't have to use the same app for everything. You can use several apps to do different things.
For logging a track, I like GPS Logger for Android. It is simple and reliable, and lots of options to tweak if you want. You can decrease the recording frequency to save battery life. https://code.mendhak.com/gpslogger/
OsmAnd is pretty good for maps and navigation, it has quite a lot of features. Though can be a bit confusing.
Maps.Me can be good for quick and easy maps, and simple routing.
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I'm a hardcore phone GPSer. So much so that I've written (shameless plug) my own app (https://bikegpx.com/) for navigating. I simultaneously use Strava for logging and find it very reliable, at least if you have a phone with enough RAM that launching the camera doesn't cause Strava to be killed.
The Quadlock cases are very good and have a great range of mounts. I leave my Quadlock case on all the time as it does a great job protecting the phone without making it bulky.
I recommend using a waterproof phone, which includes the iPhone 7/8/X and a subset of Sonys and Samsungs. Charging the phone in the wet is solved by Vaselining the plug thoroughly (don't do this with a phone where the charging port isn't sealed from the phone innards!).