Viewing 8 posts - 81 through 88 (of 88 total)
  • GPS? Is it really any good on a MTB?
  • stufield
    Free Member

    i use bar mounted tops got track where i’ve been and iPhone memory maps app as a yes i’m sure i’m in the right spot for when fell side routes disappear into the long grass.

    However good the tech, just worry about battery draining etc… besides i like to read a map part of the enjoyment for me, if that doesn’t sound wierd

    jonba
    Free Member

    Ball of string, tie it to the car so I can always find my way back. Worked for Theseus.

    Want a GPS but haven’t justified the initial expense while string is so cheap.

    Gribs
    Full Member

    It doesn’t need to be expensive. I use a Dell axim with memory map installed and it cost about £30 all in a few years ago. It’s even cheaper now no one wants old pda’s.

    Eg http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280860316523

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    mdavids
    Free Member

    It doesn’t need to be expensive. I use a Dell axim with memory map installed and it cost about £30 all in a few years ago. It’s even cheaper now no one wants old pda’s.

    This is what I use^^ Old pda, memory map software and one of these

    bluetooth gps reciever

    Batteries last ages, cheap to buy and has so far been totally reliable

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    I tried using GPS once but it was wrong and I found guesswork was more effective. As a spin-off though, it inspired me to create my own more accurate GPS using a goldfish with a magnet embedded in it, a large, sealed globe full of saline solution and a series of polaroid images of the area through which I’m travelling.

    Remarkably, fish have an extraordinary natural sense of direction and can often discern a route simply by looking at images of prominent landmarks and rock formations, for example.

    Adding the magnet to the fish – alignment is important here – means that it can also act as a primitive but highly accurate compass. I’ve also experimented with giving the fish a pen and paper to write down a grid bearing and act as a simple trip computer, but this ended badly, possibly because the fish I chose to use may have been dyslexic.

    Anyway, the good news is that I anticipate putting this system into production in the near future. It’s simple, idiot proof and robust enough to use on a bike – in an accident the globe will simply roll away safely.

    I wouldn’t, however, advise using a digital GPS on a bike under any circumstances. They are simply not accurate enough. As a back-up, I always carry a spare fish in a plastic bag as recommended by Icelandic Mountain Rescue Confederation.

    Hope that helps.

    boblo
    Free Member

    Tsssk, there’s always one sarky git in’t there? 🙂

    GavinB
    Full Member

    How do the fish cope with wooded areas? Surely that’s a critical design issue right there?

    BadlyWiredDog
    Full Member

    They like woods – reminds them of sea-weed and coral reefs. And if they don’t like ’em – they’re organic and unpredictable after all – I generally carry a chain-saw in my pack for a spot of impromptu clearance.

    Tsssk, there’s always one sarky git in’t there?

    So I don’t agree with Tandem Dichotomy. Eat my guppy… 😉

Viewing 8 posts - 81 through 88 (of 88 total)

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