Nokia Sports Tracker vs Android My Tracks

Anonymous

Anyone done a recent (i.e. latest versions) comparison between these two?

I'm a big fan of Nokia Sports Tracker (despite the not so great web site) and use it all the time. I've generally stuck to Nokia too as I find all the features and functions I want are there on Nokia and every other brand has some niggly issue that makes me regret leaving Nokia.

However Nokia's touch screens seem way off the mark and expensive, compared to the competition, and I'm looking at something like an Android phone as my next phone perhaps if I can't be sold on a Nokia.

That means ditching NST though. Google has My Tracks for Android which is similar, but I'm wondering if it's got everything that NST has.

I need it to support tracking walking, cycling and skiing, with altitude data especially for the latter.

infoxicated

I find NST really glitchy. On tonight's ride it cut out with about a quarter of the ride still to do, and it seems convinced that all the low, high, slow and fast points were bunched together at the start of the ride; http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/work ... id=1331335

It's worked fine before, but recently it's been a bit flakey. I wonder if that's because I'm sticking my 5800 in my pocket instead of having it on an armband.

Anyhow, I love the concept, but the phone itself is so buggy that it'll probably be my last Nokia, so I'd be interested to learn how the Android equivalent performs.

Anonymous

I think I get better results with mine because my old N80 doesn't have built in GPS so I'm using an external bluetooth GPS. I have found the latest version to be more stable though. The previous version kept stopping tracking for no reason.

But yeah, the 5800 and so far all the 5th edition S60 phones seem to be quite buggy, and I'm unimpressed by the 'touch' implementation in S60. It just seems so bolted on rather than well thought out.

infoxicated

It's terrible, it really is. I haven't had a Nokia phone I've been this disappointed with. What makes it worse is that I wanted to wait for the N97, but the guy in the Vodafone shop told me in March that they had been informed internally that it was delayed until xmas. So I took the 5800.

Lying git - he just wanted me to sign a new contract. :roll:

I continue to use it because it works most of the time, but it's as half baked as the N97 is. It's amazing to think that Nokia have slipped from their once dominant position to the point where they're throwing shoddy hardware & software into the market early just to get a jump on the new iPhone.

And for what? People have been returning 5800 & N97's in droves.

// end rant

Anyhow, I think I'll switch back to the armband for my next ride just to see if I get better results. It does position the GPS receiver in a better line of sight to the sky.

Andy B

NST works fine on my E71, even in my camelbak

alfablue

I use sportstracker on an n82, after an initial bug (fixed with update) it works 100% perfectly, whether it is in pocket, backpack or pannier.

Personally, I would actively avoid a touch screen phone - call me old fashioned :oops:

(the initial bug was that it would stop tracking, although timer would keep running, unless my access point was set to "none", or the NST screen was scrolled to the one without the map showing. The latest version fixed this).

cougie

I used Sportstracker on my N95 with great success - only flaw is that my battery would run out on the really long rides.

Swapped to a Blackberry now - and disappointed that I cant find any app thats anywhere near as good as the Sports Tracker. :evil:

alfablue

I resolved the long ride battery problem with a single AA external charger (eBay, £5), I use it if going beyond 4 hours.

dynamis_dk

I'm starting to use my n95 8gb with an external GPS - works a treat. Phone tucked safely in my bag, GPS in saddle bag and haven't had any problems.

My contract is up in Sept and am looking at getting a iPhone 3GS so i've got a free 3 sim and am gonna throw a £5 on it every so often and use it with the n95 purely for tracking duties until (if ever) i find something better for the task.

albino

i've got a 5800 which i used to use with sport tracker and never had a problem with it and found it as accurate with data as my mates proper gps. I've changed now and use Viewtracker on the 5800. It still produces all the same data, (and more) but also gives you 1:25000 scale os maps on your phone. I spent 25 quid on it which covered enough map tiles for biking in my area...you can add any more at any time. I've found it really useful especially when i've been up on the moors in shtty weather. Well worth a look at imo.

amt27

infoxicated wrote:

and it seems convinced that all the low, high, slow and fast points were bunched together at the start of the ride;

I am getting this problem, yesterday I was going 48mph up my driveway, hmmm, I wish

using a N95 in camelbak with bluetooth GPS receiver in a mesh pocket

dodgy

I love my 5800, no problems at all and I have all sorts loaded on it.

infoxicated

I'm wondering if other things are clashing with NST and causing it to glitch?

On the report of yesterday's ride it said I'd listened to one audio track for 0 seconds, and plonked the little treble clef icon right in the middle of the map, when I hadn't listened to any music at all. However, in the background I had the music player on standby and the Vodafone/Last.FM scrobbler running.

To be a bit more scientific about it I'm going to shut everything else down and run it by itself on my next ride.

alfablue

infoxicated wrote:

I'm wondering if other things are clashing with NST and causing it to glitch?

On the report of yesterday's ride it said I'd listened to one audio track for 0 seconds, and plonked the little treble clef icon right in the middle of the map, when I hadn't listened to any music at all. However, in the background I had the music player on standby and the Vodafone/Last.FM scrobbler running.

To be a bit more scientific about it I'm going to shut everything else down and run it by itself on my next ride.

What version are you using?

infoxicated

It's version 2.06 - I've looked for a newer one on the NST site, but there isn't even an option for the 5800 in the download list.

stevepj

I have a 5800and use NST and i've never had an issue, i have it in a pocket on my Camelbak and it works fine.

redwinnie

I recently brought a handle bar mount from ebay (from hong kong, but arrived in four days and cost £5). It works really well and clear of my body for a good signal. the added benefit is you an purchase the navigation software for nokia maps. It is 70 for the car version, but only 7.50 a year for the walking version. It doesn't talk to you but does beep loudly and vibrates 30 yards from a turn, plus you can see the map all the lime so know what is coming up. Only downside is because it is designed for walking the screen balnks out above 30 mph and directs you again when you drop below this speed (it still works in the background but no turn instructions).

redwinnie

albino wrote:

i've got a 5800 which i used to use with sport tracker and never had a problem with it and found it as accurate with data as my mates proper gps. I've changed now and use Viewtracker on the 5800. It still produces all the same data, (and more) but also gives you 1:25000 scale os maps on your phone. I spent 25 quid on it which covered enough map tiles for biking in my area...you can add any more at any time. I've found it really useful especially when i've been up on the moors in shtty weather. Well worth a look at imo.

Do you have a link for this viewtracker with os data that you speak off? Had a quick look on the interweb and can not see anything...

dodgy

He's talking about Viewranger I think, excellent app but more suitable for walking than riding imho.

redwinnie

VIEWRANGER - found that, what a complicated web site to work out the pricing.

Think I will stick to sport tracker, and the nokia maps for directions.

infoxicated

I'm going to do my usual route tonight and be quite clinical about setting it up - no other apps running, just NST with no live sharing, and I'll stick it in an arm band instead of in my pockets.

This time, if it shows my fastest speed before I've passed the end of my garage, I'll know that something is up with it!

redwinnie

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0314315728

Thats the handle bar mount I brought from ebay. Very good, phone clips in very securely and very easy to use. Recommended for 5.99.

infoxicated

Nice one redwinnie - that looks like something that'd be great for a longer XC ride.

redwinnie

It is also useful for showing how inaccurate my bike computer is. I've had the mount a week, the computer says (no) I rode 50km and nokia maps says I rode just over 40km.

Hint - when you change from knobbles to slicks, change setting on your computer :idea:

Not going to bother now as I have just changed my cheap work heavy mountain bike for a nice shiny trek 7.5 FX through the work cycle scheme. That was a hard desicion, decided to keep my FS GT idrive 4 and get a nice bike to ride to work and on road on. Was so tempting to blow the full grand on a new FS bike though :?

dodgy

Best way to get the pricing for Viewranger is to download their map browsing application, simply select the tiles you want and it prices it as you go. Cost me £20 inclusive to get N.Wales, Wirral, Peak District, Forest of Bowland and the Lakes in 1:50000.
As I said, it's an excellent app, astonishing really. But more suitable for walking/hiking than cycling.

infoxicated

Well, tonight's ride seems to have been recorded fine with the NST:

http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts/work ... id=1341271

Just the usual issue with it bunching the fast/slow/low/high tags together near the start of the ride for no apparent reason, but I guess I can live with that for a free service.

s-worksenduro

Tried the Android My Tracks app last night, had the phone in the pocket on the back of my jacket and it seems to have worked quite well. Am going to Afan tomorrow, will use the app there and put a link to output on here. Will also fit a cycle computer to my bike tonight so "accuracy" can be compared.

amt27

redwinnie wrote:

VIEWRANGER - found that, what a complicated web site to work out the pricing.

Think I will stick to sport tracker, and the nokia maps for directions.

tell me about it, you basically download the trial and then when you purchase a map you get an activation number to continue using the software after the trial has ended,
however you can buy the software on it own for £15, but the cheapest map they do is £8, so might as well buy the map,

s-worksenduro

Well, went to Afan today, put the phone on top of the car for about 15 minutes to get gps fix, but there wasn't enough network coverage (T-Mobile) to download the maps to the phone, so it wouldn't work! Bit annoying, around the city it works fine, have used it 3 times now, but will have to work out a way to make it work elsewhere.

jago25_98

Perhaps after an update SportsTracker has been improved. It has enough detail to show me jumping over the groynes at the beach running. I was expecting 30m accuracy. In my top jacket pocket it seemed fine. Perhaps it's assisted GPS now. I won't bother downloading maps on the go. I'll view it online to save data costs.

Is there a way I can take data from SportTracker and do something more useful with it, like tell me how fit I am, and if I'm improving, or link it to a bluetooth heart rate monitor or something like this?

re: Touch screen phones. I used to have a SE P800, back in the days of when JamesBond used one in the back of his beemer in the 90's. Yeah the software was cool but it drove me mad. Now I see the newer gen phones and, while the screen being bigger is useful for web browsing (the only REALLY useful feature). I haven't found anything an iPhone can do that my N95 can't.
In terms of battery life I carry a N95 when I need it for SportsTracker / TomTom/ GPS & web browsing on Three. But for an everyday phone a use a C902- lighter, better camera, just better at being a phone! It's a pain carrying 2 phones about but at least I don't run out of battery so much and my pay as you go gets the best rates for both data and cross network minutes (cheaper than contract).

wesdev

whats the difference between GPS and Assisted GPS? I was looking at a nokia E71 or 6700 classic?