What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

For discussions about bikes and equipment.

I use a...?

Poll ended at 27 Sep 2014, 12:53pm

Garmin device
35
45%
Other GPS-centric device
1
1%
Android smartphone
16
21%
iPhone
7
9%
Windows smartphone
1
1%
Other smartphone
0
No votes
Something else
8
10%
Nothing
9
12%
 
Total votes: 77

LollyKat
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by LollyKat »

Why not just tick "other", which seems to meet your case????
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Possibly ought to check.
I have a GPS logger - it's basically a USB drive with a switch on the side, turn it on and it starts logging, turn it off and it stops.

Is that a GPS centric device (under which I originally considered things like the mio series)
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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mjr
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by mjr »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Possibly ought to check.
I have a GPS logger - it's basically a USB drive with a switch on the side, turn it on and it starts logging, turn it off and it stops.

Is that a GPS centric device (under which I originally considered things like the mio series)

That was one of the things I was trying to include in that heading. Maybe I should have split tracking-only devices into their own answer but there have been enough votes that I'm inclined to stop fiddling with the poll settings now unless there's a strong reason why I goofed.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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mjr
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by mjr »

mercalia wrote:I will be sad when it finally fails as I doubt smartphones are as good, as transrefective screens are not used any more on any smartphones?

I agree. I used to use PDAs and I prefer my e-Ink pad's display to backlit screens in bright light. http://www.ecnmag.com/articles/2012/06/ ... e-displays suggests transflectives aren't as cheap and don't sell themselves in stores as well as backlit screens, amongst other things. All hail the market. :-(

Back to the poll, a PDA is "something else" these days but I'm not sure if yours would be better called "Windows smartphone" or "Other smartphone". It's not one of the current systems but seems to have apps and so on. Maybe let us know what you pick just in case someone else has a similar device. It sounds pretty good for cycling - if only there was a current device like it.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
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[XAP]Bob
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Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

mjr wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:Possibly ought to check.
I have a GPS logger - it's basically a USB drive with a switch on the side, turn it on and it starts logging, turn it off and it stops.

Is that a GPS centric device (under which I originally considered things like the mio series)

That was one of the things I was trying to include in that heading. Maybe I should have split tracking-only devices into their own answer but there have been enough votes that I'm inclined to stop fiddling with the poll settings now unless there's a strong reason why I goofed.

Of course it is *only* logging, not nav at all. For information I put it under other.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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mjr
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by mjr »

Poll closes this Saturday. It's looking like Garmins are still pretty popular but maybe not as dominant as they used to be?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Be interested to see what the other 5 "Other"s are
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
wearwell
Posts: 357
Joined: 3 Feb 2011, 8:45am

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by wearwell »

Compass. Well it's vaguely electronic isn't it.
Particularly useful in strange towns when it can be easy to lose your bearings
I bought a Garmin but have never used it. I suppose it'd come in handy of you were up a mountain off the path in thick fog or darkness, but otherwise why bother?
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mjr
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by mjr »

Depends on the compass... ;-)

Personally, I use them for navigation when I don't know the area and want to find the cycleway rather than the A11 (usually following a track downloaded from http://cycle.travel/map recently); and for tracking so that I can tot up my mileage for curiosity's sake.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
c53204
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Joined: 26 Aug 2014, 7:18pm

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by c53204 »

I have a spare Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with a 9300mah battery (3 times STD size). Use Viewranger for just about everything.

Battery lasts about 18hrs of tracking, nav and broadcasting my location every 15min.
mattsccm
Posts: 5101
Joined: 28 Nov 2009, 9:44pm

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by mattsccm »

Surely if you are going to look at electricals you shouldn't be having Garmins as 1 group and everything else, GPS wise as 1 other.
I for one also feel the title is misleading . I submitted the answers as the questions were at the top the read the rest of the posts. Realised now that I should not have included no electronics which I did in the bottom choice. This was post change of title.
Not knocking your fun, I am interested, just saying that's its a bit mark 1 in its layout. Or at least not idiot proof :oops:
Colin_P
Posts: 164
Joined: 19 Aug 2013, 2:21am

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by Colin_P »

I use the baby Garmin 200. Perfect for recording rides and getting obsessed with analysing on strava. For £80 I think it is a brilliant gadget.
MikeLR
Posts: 26
Joined: 28 Feb 2011, 12:52pm

Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by MikeLR »

Mio Cyclo 305
rmurphy195
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Re: What electronics do you use for navigation or tracking?

Post by rmurphy195 »

I use O/S maps for navigation, and a Garmin for tracking - but the questionnaire doesn't seem to differentiate between tracking where you've been, and being told where to go, there's quite a difference!
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