Righteo, got me thinking ahead a bit with a conversation I had with a good biking friend.

For mobile devices really (aimed at mobile phone really) when youre running your gps/ route via edmondo etc via your mobile do you find if you run it all day it runs pretty low and you risk running out of battery before the ride finishes and the car journey home.

How would you like to be able to solve this, I may have the answer.

Go on…………

I have an answer… keep the phone for phone calls and used a proper GPS with all the functions, form-factor and water-resistance you need for outdoors.

Edit: As recommended by Mountain Rescue.

This sort of thing:

http://www.ikonglobal.com/

keep the phone for phone calls and used a proper GPS with all the functions, form-factor and water-resistance you need for outdoors.

This is bollocks frankly. IF you’re just after recording your route in Endomondo or something then a phone is just fine.

In fact I’d say it is perfectly reasonable to use a phone as a “proper GPS”, provided you have suitable software and waterproof case. Why not?

In fact I’d say it is perfectly reasonable to use a phone as a “proper GPS”, provided you have suitable software and waterproof case. Why not?

Don’t forget your normal phone to use for phone things when the battery runs out on your “GPS”.

Or just, you know, take an extra battery?

Or just, you know, take an extra battery?

😆 @ Jobs disciples

Sigh. Yes, yes:

They all look so convenient.

Arguably more convenient than powering off your phone, taking it apart to change the battery, then booting it back up again. Especially when you are trying to record a GPS route (or if you have cold hands!)

Point is, battery running out shouldn’t be an issue if you are sensible – so what’s wrong with potentially using a phone as a “proper GPS”?

The battery life on a “proper” Garmin eTrex is only something like 17 hours on fresh high-power AA batteries anyway, so it’s not like they are immune to that issue.

They all look so convenient.

You don’t have to leave it connected.

I have a solar/usb charging battery thingy that I take for big days out.

But for the OP you’re thinking of entering the ‘extra battery’ market I think it’s a bit limited. You can get piggy back batteries (for iPhone at least) for £25 ish off t’Bay.

Exposure are doing a link off the back of their lights to allow iphone connection etc now I think?

I’ve just reduced the gps sensor rate and increased the time between position recordings on my android phone using Mytracks (I assume other gps recording software can do the same thing?) it reduces the accuracy of the speed and location a bit. It makes the battery last a lot longer.

Most of the good software adapts the sensor rate based on how fast you are going.

Exposure are doing a link off the back of their lights to allow iphone connection etc now I think?

That’d require a careful calculation of drain by the phone in use, I’d rather have a flat phone than flat lights 🙂

I assume it’s pretty nominal compared with one of their endurance batteries.

I like to keep my phone in a safe location so if I have a big stack I can use it to call for help – rather than keeping it in a precarious position on the bars.

If all you are doing is recording the route rather than following one you could just use one of those cheap GPS loggers, like the i-gotu things:

http://www.i-gotu.com/

Yeah saw them reviewed in the mag. Looks quite cool.

But then Endomondo gives me audible pace information and lets the missus cheer me on from home 😀

And other GPS apps offer maps, routes etc.

They all look so convenient.

I’m not sure how the last one is inconvenient. 😕

But for the OP you’re thinking of entering the ‘extra battery’ market I think it’s a bit limited. You can get piggy back batteries (for iPhone at least) for £25 ish off t’Bay.

fly lead for existing (lights) battery packs, incorporating something to regulate output to 5v (or whatever USB is) ??

lets the missus cheer me on from home

this is the main advantage of using a phone as it can log your last position in case someone has to come out to get you.

but weatherproofedness is an issue.

You could get the Defy but someone on here said that it interprets raindrops as screen taps!

I have a HTC Desire and use Endomondo, to preserve battery life I put the phone into ‘airplane’ mode.

It helps but I have given in and got a basic Garmin

You could strap a Pebble charger to the bike, only issue is the robustness of the USB interface.

or just take it along in and plug in for a quick charge whenever you stop for a snack or need the phone for a call.

http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/accessories/all-accessories/power/chargers/nokia-bicycle-charger-kit

I have a HTC Desire

based on trying to navigate with my Desire I would say it was a good move to go to the garmin – sometimes the accuracy was terrible, with both GPS and 3G on.

On that great weekend 2 weeks ago my GPS accuracy was down to 104ft at Peaslake on my Satmap even though the skies were clear – my phone could see satellites but couldn’t lock on to anything – the SNR must have been really bad for some reason.

I have a HTC Desire and use Endomondo, to preserve battery life I put the phone into ‘airplane’ mode.

The main thing is to switch the screen off when you’re not looking at it.

Having said that the max I’ve used Endo for was an hour ride in, normal day at work (without Endo running obviously), then and hour ride back.

Seemed fine for that but I guess if you’re doing 12 hour epics it might struggle a bit!

On that great weekend 2 weeks ago my GPS accuracy was down to 104ft

I use the GPS a fair bit to help produce traces for maps on OpenStreetMap and it doesn’t seem too bad.

On the iPhone 4 I’m usually getting an HDOP of 10m, sometimes as low as 5. I have the tracking app set to only record points when the HDOP is less than 20m.

I use the GPS a fair bit to help produce traces for maps on OpenStreetMap and it doesn’t seem too bad

on my satmap the normal accuracy is 16ft – I think I might have seen lower though, maybe 9ft, but I am not sure if that is possible.

I use Endomondo and Viewranger a lot.. if it’s a longer ride I stick it in Airplane mode as someone else suggested. And carry a £10 unsmart phone for backup…

I have one of those pebblecharger thingies. Connects to the phone via a USB cable. My worry is that I’d damage the USB connector on the phone but it’s been fine so far. Makes a long ( 12 hours) all dayer possible.

can’t you just take a map and do some basic arithmetic?

average speed = distance/time

Dynamo hub
USB charger lead
Oh…and spare batteries for the phone, obviously.

can’t you just take a map and do some basic arithmetic?

I think you might be slight underestimating how much information a GPX track can give you. Try whacking one into here for example:
http://utrack.crempa.net/ (or just look at the samples).

Plus they can give you this stuff live (e.g. Endomondo can call out your rime for each km, and coach you to go faster if you’re trying to beat a certain time or burn a certain number of calories).

Plus they can feed the information live to your missus, so she knows where you are 😀

Dynamo hub

First link I posted is a rim dynamo and power unit.
http://www.ikonglobal.com/

Rim dynamo? Oh dear 🙂

Jesus, what a pile of rubbish just so you can combine two items into one. Buy a cheapo phone and a cheapo GPS and they’re going to do exactly the same bloody job, risk a fraction of the value in the wet and rain and leave each usable should the other die (which is a safety issue with regards the phone). Extra battery packs, waterproof cases, apps to call you names if you’re not fast enough etc etc just to get one device to do everything – what a backward way of doing things.

Buy a cheapo phone and a cheapo GPS

or buy an expensive phone and an expensive GPS – much more applicable to STW, shurely

You could, of course, remind yourself that you are going out riding a bicycle in a little loop covering about 15 miles over terrain that most prams could manage, and stop worrying about taking lots of electronic gadgets with you, you great big blouse.

what a pile of rubbish just so you can combine two items into one. Buy a cheapo phone and a cheapo GPS and they’re going to do exactly the same bloody job

Right. I already have an expensive phone that has a GPS chip and digital compass in it. But to avoid buying maybe £40 of extra stuff to cart around I should instead spend a few hundred quid buying another phone and another GPS device? Genius 🙄

remind yourself that you are going out riding a bicycle in a little loop covering about 15 miles over terrain that most prams could manage

That makes more sense. But numbers are fun.

Jesus, what a pile of rubbish just so you can combine two items into one.

Wow you’re a bit angry about this aren’t you.

leave each usable should the other die (which is a safety issue with regards the phone).

Yes because before mobile phones existed everyone who went out mountain biking died. EVERYONE.