Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => GPS => Topic started by: David Martin on 08 June, 2012, 12:54:10 pm

Title: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: David Martin on 08 June, 2012, 12:54:10 pm
So there is this garminalike chinese GPS on eBay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Holux-GR-245-GR245-GPSport-245-bike-Data-Logger-/320578173151?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item4aa3f2b8df
At £50 is it worth a punt? My ageing QStars dongle appears to be getting increasingly inaccurate.

..d
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: plum on 08 June, 2012, 01:06:27 pm
It's not really a GPS though is it? What I mean is it doesn't do any sort of navigation, just a data logger. Maybe I'm confusing terms.
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: Wobbly John on 08 June, 2012, 01:06:28 pm
It may be able to count Carolines   :o ...

(http://i10.ebayimg.com/08/i/001/5c/72/3327_10.JPG)

...but it doesn't appear to do mapping or directions.  :demon:

I'd say it's not worth it, if you ever want to try following routes.

If you just want a speedo that will show you, on your PC, where you have been, then £50 isn't bad, I suppose.

I'm set up with:

 a secondhand Garmin (at less than half that price) which does directions but not mapping.  :smug:

a phone that does mapping, GPS and can be charged from the dymano (but isn't weather proof  >:() for less than £100 including the dyno charging bit.

Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: plum on 08 June, 2012, 01:10:40 pm
Carolines haha. You can imagine what the instructions will look like.
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: Aushiker on 08 June, 2012, 01:43:49 pm
Holux (http://www.holux.com/JCore/index.jsp) is a known brand of GPS units.

Andrew
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: Bledlow on 08 June, 2012, 01:59:57 pm
Not remarkably cheap, though. Comparable to other cycling GPS receivers with colour map display. £250-£300 for the Funtrek 130 models on the Holux UK site.
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: phil d on 08 June, 2012, 02:13:36 pm
It's not really a GPS though is it? What I mean is it doesn't do any sort of navigation, just a data logger. Maybe I'm confusing terms.

It's a datalogger, not a navigation aid.  So the sort of thing that could be used to provide proof of passage on a GPS DIY audax.  As reported elsewhere I tried a Holux datalogger and could not get it to provide a tracklog that was good enough for this purpose (lacked elevation data even though it purported to record this).

If you only want a datalogger, a full (Garmin type) GPS is rather large and overkill.  But it does work!
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: henshaw11 on 08 June, 2012, 02:36:58 pm
The non-mapping Bryton units might be worth a look (and tend to be cheaper than the Garmin cycle equivalents)

There's a uk distributer for holux:
http://www.holux.co.uk/products.php

Have a search over on CC, ISTR Holux has come up in a few threads..
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: Biggsy on 08 June, 2012, 03:44:37 pm
It's not really a GPS though is it? What I mean is it doesn't do any sort of navigation, just a data logger. Maybe I'm confusing terms.

It is really a GPS.  Global Positioning Satellite device.  But not a sat nav.  For the amount of space it takes up, though, I'd want sat nav as well.  There's also a chance of getting charged VAT +£8 collection fee if the seller doesn't falsify the customs form.

Better value for money will be a second-hand Garmin Edge or Etrex and free OSM maps.
Title: Re: Cheap bike GPS
Post by: plum on 08 June, 2012, 04:49:42 pm
It's not really a GPS though is it? What I mean is it doesn't do any sort of navigation, just a data logger. Maybe I'm confusing terms.

It is really a GPS.  Global Positioning Satellite device.
Is exactly what I meant. In a lot of people's minds [mine too] GPS has become synonymous with satellite navigation, it's another hoover or band aid [well it's not but hopefully you get the point], which is how I meant it. Then it occurred to me that the OP might be using the olde worlde meaning and did literally want just a GPS based data logger with no navigation technology.