Newbie to GPS question

Moonbiker

Hi just got a new andriod phone my first ever smart phone so am trying to use the GPS to record a test ride. Managed to record a ride using the my tracks app & data is saved on phone , but no idea how to upload the file to view on the pc.

I don't have a wifi network @ home or a mirco SD card in phone (but it has internal storage) or a SIM card installed yet.

So don't know is its even possible?

When I try to upload the gpx with the usb cable plugged into the phone from the pc "msg says no external storage found"

Moonbiker

So it seems I have to buy a wifi router or/and a card to go inside the pc as can't seem to transfer over usb?

Sorry these questions are more compter tech than bike stuff but wanted to see if I can get some of those KOMS things asp.

gubber12345

download the strava app for free and sign up to the website when you get wifi.

all ride data will be stored on your phone so you don't need wifi as long as you have a good internet connection(3g or better) on your smart phone

what kind of phone have you got if you don't mind me asking?

Moonbiker

ZTE blade 3 so nothing fancy. I need to order a sim card for it before it can do calls but i thought the gps fuction would still work without that.

First i tried the strava app but it required me to login to my strava account (I signed up to strava on the pc already) on the phone which i couldn't do, I think either becase I don't have data 3GS as no a sim in the phone yet, or it requires a wifi connection im not sure which one, but it wouldn't work over the usb cable.

So i tried the google My tracks gps app, which apparenly you can make gpx files to export into strava with & that worked ok & recorded the ride but I can't find a way to export the data onto the pc.

The Apps I had to download them as apk files with andriod injector sotware to get around not having wifi yet.

gubber12345

think you probably need a sim card in it with some credit on it as you'll be needing credit to buy data for the internet.

once on the strava app just sign in with the user/password you made on the pc and all should be fine.

once you do a ride with the app(which doesn't require data/internet connection,just a gps signal)just save the ride when you finish and that's it...nothing to it really.

Jules Winnfield

The problem with the Strava app so i have seen from my mates rides is that the route doesnt actually take you on the road he travelled. According to his uploaded routes, he took a short cut a cross a farmers field last weekend

Get a GPS, they are far more accurate.

OwenB

If you have my tracks you should be able to they the data via your Google account on the pc that way you should be able to access the gpx file and upload to Strava. But I may be wrong

Moonbiker

If you have my tracks you should be able to they the data via your Google account on the pc that way you should be able to access the gpx file and upload to Strava. But I may be wrong

Yeah I though that would work, but seems I need to connect to the google account on the phone to be able to send the gpx to the pc. To do this It seems to require me to have a wifi connection, rather than be able to work over the usb cable.

markhewitt1978

Moonbiker wrote:

ZTE blade 3 so nothing fancy. I need to order a sim card for it before it can do calls but i thought the gps fuction would still work without that.

It will; but you need a data connection of some sort to be able to sync the ride to Strava. This would be either a SIM card in the phone or a wifi connection. Not much way around that.

larkim

How about a quick trip to McDonalds to use their free wifi to upload with which ever app you use?

Or perhaps at work if they'd allow it? Enough places though have free wifi. Unless you are precious (like I am) about analysis of runs / rides straight after doing them, a delay between the activity and the upload won't matter much.

And ignore comments about smartphones being rubbish for GPS tracking. Sure, some are, sometimes, but I've been using my current and previous smartphone for over 3 years now to record over 1500miles of running and cycling (not much cycling tbh) and they've never skipped a beat. And for ease of uploading to webservices like Strava, you can't go far wrong.

btw, if you don't have wifi or 3g, how did you get the Strava app on the phone in the first place?!?

HTH!

Matt

gubber12345

I used to always use my S3 to track my rides and never had a problem with it,always worked and all my mates who use it are the same as we follow each other on strava.

got a garmin 500 now so no need but phone should be no problem.

smidsy

Bluetooth from phone to computer?

markhewitt1978

smidsy wrote:

Bluetooth from phone to computer?

One would imagine only if an internet connection can be established over bluetooth. As the app isn't looking to transfer a GPX file; it's looking to upload to the servers. Although we don't know what software the OP is using?

chsantiago

so much potential of a smartphone(even the low-end ones) is lost without data/wifi connection.

like above, a quick trip to a Mcdonalds, starbucks, mall? should do the trick. Connect to their wifi and setup your google account on that phone and complete your Strava registration.

so many helpful forumers on BR. This is also where I learned that I don't need my data on when I do my ride.

larkim

markhewitt1978 wrote:

smidsy wrote:

Bluetooth from phone to computer?

One would imagine only if an internet connection can be established over bluetooth. As the app isn't looking to transfer a GPX file; it's looking to upload to the servers. Although we don't know what software the OP is using?

If the OP used an app which did create a gpx file on the phone, that would work OK. But most of the advantages of using an app like Strava / SportsTracker / Runkeeper etc is that they have a nice live display of things you might be interested in whilst riding / running - e.g. average pace per mile, climb total, current speed, average speed, max speed etc etc which the apps which simply create a gpx file *probably* don't have. The downside to these apps is that they don't natively output a gpx file from the phone-app, they rely on you synching that to their servers, from where you can usually find an export option.

Matt

Moonbiker

Hi bought a new wifi router just for strava uploading & managed to record a ride in the strava app but now it won't sync from phone to computer across wifi

Seems it is a fairly common thing:

https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/22100080-Sync-failed-Upload-failed-etc

Tried the suggestions listed in that thread without any luck.

Managed to upload a different ride recorded previuosly in the "my tracks" app to google "my places" on the pc but dunno how to get it from there over to strava?

Do I have to buy an internal SDHC card for the phone to save ride as gpx files to the pc?
Maybe strava needs one also to sync?

Phone has 2.5GB internal memory.....

Basicially I need to find some way of creating then uploading a gpx file to my pc strava account without using the strava app as thats not working.

Phone does have 2GB internal memory.

Thought I was pretty tech savy but after spending hrs messing with this & still no luck yet. :evil:

larkim

When you say sync from phone to computer, I take you actually mean phone to strava's servers - you don't upload it to your PC and then upload separately to Strava (assuming you are just using the Strava app).

It does look as if some users get this issue from time to time. Have you tried the "sign out" / "quit app" options which a few seem to have success with as mentioned on that link?

If you can get the gpx file from the My Tracks app, you just need to go onto the Strava website and choose "upload" "from file" on there to stick it on the site. But you'd need to contact Strava support for help if the sync hasn't worked for a ride tracked with the Strava app itself.

Matt

larkim

Have you tried everything suggested here:-
https://strava.zendesk.com/entries/2097 ... id-Uploads

Matt

markhewitt1978

AFAIK you can't save the gpx files from the Strava app. You have to upload it to their servers and then you can download the GPX. I seriously doubt it's even stored in GPX format on the phone.

Bobbinogs

Am I missing something? Why not just get a freebie sim and put a tenner on it, stick it in the phone and upload from the Strava app to Strava when you finish a ride like everyone else? Cost will be pence per data tx and the app lets you check things like segments, awards, followers, clubs, etc. Sounds like a lot of effort the OP is going through and I am not sure what for???

Moonbiker

I take you actually mean phone to strava's servers

Yeah meant this

Have you tried the "sign out" / "quit app"

Yeah tried that several times no luck.

From the link:

You can try Exporting the activity as a .GPX file to your phone's internal storage. If that export is successful, the file will be saved to /Strava/gpx/Activity_title.GPX. From there, you can either browse your phone's internal storage

I aslo tried this but unsure anything happed as no confirmation msg appeared when I exported.


Browsing phone using ES File Explorer App but couldn't find a /Strava file directory anywhere.

Moonbiker

Found this:

http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-export-your-ride-data-from-mapmyride-to-strava/

So will try map my ride instead as can import to strava afterwards

larkim

Personally I use Sports Tracker (another one free on Android) and sync to that, then export GPX for use on Strava and a couple of other websites too.

But there is no real reason why Strava shouldn't just work!

Matt