GPS on a budget? Am I asking too much?

jimothy78

hi all, been thinking recently about some sort of GPS system both as a tool for logging my rides, but also to make it harder to get lost when exploring new areas.

Now I know that the cheapest option would be to run something like Strava on a smartphone, but I'm aware that it can be hugely hit-and-miss, both in terms of actually getting a signal, and also in accuratey logging the distance and (especially) height gained.

I don't have loads of money to spend on a top-end garmin or anything, so just wondering if there are any cheaper options out there worth looking at (ideally no more than about £75)?

I may be asking a lot (I really don''t know what's available and what they can do), but ideally I'd want it to be able to:
a) accurately log distance covered and height gained (not bothered about heart rate, cadence, instantaneous speed, etc.)
b) accept a route file, previously plotted on something like BikeHike.co.uk, for me to follow on the ground
c) display an OS map (or similar) background, not just a line-drawing of where i've been.

So, am I asking too much, or is there something out there that can do this for me (within my budget)?

EDIT - apologies, wrong forum, can a mod please move to "Buying advice"? Thanks.

The Northern Monkey

I know you said no to phone software, but check out the viewranger ap.

We used it on our Welsh coast to coast ride.
Completely free and has tonnes of different maps.
Can save maps to the phone so you dont need 3g/data.. as long as you have a gps signal it works really well.

jimothy78

That certainly sounds like a really nice package, thanks for the tip. I especially like the option to buy OS maps bit by bit as and when you need them.

njee20

The reason altitude will be off on a smart phone is becuase they use GPS altimeters, not barometric. Unless you spend a lot of money on a GPS it'll be no better in that respect.

Garmin 510/810 level to get barometric altimeters.

markhewitt1978

The likes of Strava uses it's own algorithms to plot your height according to where you are on the map. It's not 100% accurate but no system really is. Strava works very well with my iPhone 4S, especially with my external battery pack it will run all day.

Chunkers1980

markhewitt1978 wrote:

The likes of Strava uses it's own algorithms to plot your height according to where you are on the map. It's not 100% accurate but no system really is. Strava works very well with my iPhone 4S, especially with my external battery pack it will run all day.

This and the bold especially on.

markhewitt1978

Yep without it I could get maybe 3 hours, and it would be dead.

freezing77

Look at something like the etrex legend or etrex vista hcx. They are very good for navigation probably better than the edge series.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garmin-eTrex-Vista-HCx-colour-screen-electronic-compass-SD-card-slot-/271422048315?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_GPSSystems_GPSSystems&hash=item3f3203c83b

Slightly above your budget here

http://www.handtec.co.uk/garmin-dakota-10-010-00781-00.html

larkim

Strava uses the topographical map data to plot altitude anyway, doesn't it? Certainly around here if I were to do a circuit up and down the local hill it consistently reports a non-existent dip in the road which can be explained by reference to the elevation information which is present in google's mapping data.

I've said before that apart from battery life (and that can be compensated for by buying a larger battery or buying an external battery charger) a smartphone GPS is equally as effective as a dedicated GPSr unit. For my sins I also participate in a "game" called geocaching which uses GPS to locate small boxes and items in urban and rural locations (makes an excellent motivation for kids to go out on walks!), and for the past 4 years I've used a smartphone GPS to do that. Bearing in mind that that requires you to locate places to about 1m or so, I can safely report that the smartphone GPSs are as accurate as they need to be. Certainly when you're travelling at 15-20mph on a bike, its likely to be as accurate as a dedicated GPSr unit.

markhewitt1978

larkim wrote:

Strava uses the topographical map data to plot altitude anyway, doesn't it?

In the first instance it takes elevation from your GPS, but then uses map data to put some corrections onto that. Which is why when you first upload your workout it'll show one elevation then come back 30 minutes later and it will have changed! That has flaws in the the points on the map aren't very dense, so if you have for example a sharp dip and rise it may not register as a climb at all.

For my sins I also participate in a "game" called geocaching which uses GPS to locate small boxes and items in urban and rural locations (makes an excellent motivation for kids to go out on walks!), and for the past 4 years I've used a smartphone GPS to do that. Bearing in mind that that requires you to locate places to about 1m or so, I can safely report that the smartphone GPSs are as accurate as they need to be. Certainly when you're travelling at 15-20mph on a bike, its likely to be as accurate as a dedicated GPSr unit.

Haven't really done it as much since I started cycling and one of my hides now has a Needs Archiving on it, so had better get my finger out lol