Which GPS

[redddraggon]

705 here as well. Managed to blag a discount and got the unit with citynav maps for £330 from Evans. Worth every penny in my book.

£330? Worth every penny? I paid £80 less than that from Handtec, I'd say it wasn't worth those extra 8000 pennies

 

[jayonabike]

£330? Worth every penny? I paid £80 less than that from Handtec, I'd say it wasn't worth those extra 8000 pennies

well i would as i've never heard of handtec and i'm happy with paying £330

 

[DrSquirrel]

Hello, I use Sportypal on a HTC mobile phone. I find it very good. They have a good website backup where you can make finer adjustments to your trip. I find on a 6 mile run it would only be about 0.2 mile out after carrying out those adjustments. Screen shows time, distance, current speed, average speed and calories. You can clip on the map option which on mine shows a compass and draws a line to indicate your journey. There is also a photo option to take a picture which will have a GPS tag. On there website you can put your trip on to google maps.

On a recent run was able to compare to one of those Garmin watches. On a 6.6 mile run mapped on Map my Run my phone had us doing 6.42 and the Garmin 6.48. Sporty Pal free, Garmin over £100.

Sportypal + Phone = not free

Even though I would say GPS is inaccurate, you'd be better off trying GPS distances rather than assuming the map is always correct.

Altitude differences will add to the distance, whereas on a flat map it doesn't add this. GPS will if calculated with inclines/declines although its not easy to tell which units (like the garmin) take this into account internally - then you have the sites that parse the data - some people still even use the spherical model to calculate distances let alone consider altitude!

 

[HLaB]

I use the 305 and for tracking its great but for navigation not so, especially in the city; as its just a line on a map its OK when junctions are far apart and option are few but in the city that's not the case. I may upgrade someday to a 605 or 705 but the 305 does everything I need at the moment and more.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I use the 305 and for tracking its great but for navigation not so, especially in the city; as its just a line on a map its OK when junctions are far apart and option are few but in the city that's not the case. I may upgrade someday to a 605 or 705 but the 305 does everything I need at the moment and more.

It's just the navigation from the old walking units, ie. waypoints hence "the line".

It does take a bit of playing to get sensible way point notifications, what I do is rename them to RT01 (right turn), LR, ST(straight) on all the turns.

You could just get a bare 705 and use your current CAD/HR unit with it

 

[mcshroom]

I've got a Garmin Geko 201 which I got originally for walking. It mounts well, and turn by turn is fine in the areas I tend to ride in (rural roads). The battery life is about 10hrs on two AAAs and the bike mount is nice and secure.

No maps other than a simple line though.

I put the route together using Mapyx Quo, which I also had before I started cycling.

What I would like though would be to have the thing beep at me (and light up) at waypoints.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I've got a Garmin Geko 201 which I got originally for walking. It mounts well, and turn by turn is fine in the areas I tend to ride in (rural roads). The battery life is about 10hrs on two AAAs and the bike mount is nice and secure.

No maps other than a simple line though.

I put the route together using Mapyx Quo, which I also had before I started cycling.

What I would like though would be to have the thing beep at me (and light up) at waypoints.

I thought they did? I know the lower garmin edge units with "just a line" beep at you. I can't remember if the foretrex do as well, but I thought it did :/

 

[zizou]

really fancy a 705 but as it has been out for 2 or 3 years now i dont know whether to just get it or hold off or wait a bit longer incase a new model is due for release. I always seem to end up buying something just at the end of the product lifecycle

 

[jayonabike]

really fancy a 705 but as it has been out for 2 or 3 years now i dont know whether to just get it or hold off or wait a bit longer incase a new model is due for release. I always seem to end up buying something just at the end of the product lifecycle

I bought my Garmin 705 three weeks ago and love it. Brilliant piece of kit. If you want it and can afford it i'd say buy it

 

[DrSquirrel]

really fancy a 705 but as it has been out for 2 or 3 years now i dont know whether to just get it or hold off or wait a bit longer incase a new model is due for release. I always seem to end up buying something just at the end of the product lifecycle

If you buy one, don't bother looking at what else is avaliable for years until you look at buying again (if at all). No disappointment... just enjoy the ride

 

[lpjr]

Sportypal + Phone = not free

Even though I would say GPS is inaccurate, you'd be better off trying GPS distances rather than assuming the map is always correct.

Altitude differences will add to the distance, whereas on a flat map it doesn't add this. GPS will if calculated with inclines/declines although its not easy to tell which units (like the garmin) take this into account internally - then you have the sites that parse the data - some people still even use the spherical model to calculate distances let alone consider altitude!

Thanks for your reply, just trying to describe what I use. I used the different measurements (map my run) to give readers some form of measuring guide. You say not free, but I would have this phone if I did not run or ride anyway as it has many functions, the main one being able to make a phone call. So when it comes to cost I chose not to spend money on a Garmin etc, but to download a free application for an object I would own anyway. I have checked now and the garmin used in my comparison was a 405 Forerunner, around £175 today. So technically not free just £175 cheaper for 0.06 of a difference for every 6.6 mile.

I, like a lot of people on this thread like gadgets and would love to own the descibe objects, but £175 / £330 is a lot on money. Having said that I had a two week demo of a GPS application which was superb, it appeared to cover all angles and had great reviews worldwide. But even there £22 was too much for my stitched up pockets (Note on my journey I can refer to Google maps. If I know there is going to be no signal I can photo my OS map and use my gps on that with the built in compass. It all works quite well).

In conclusion, the technology in phones are for ever improving and the gap on specialised kit is closing. It will never beat it, but its close enough for me.

 

[redddraggon]

When I crash or it rains I'll be glad that at least I wasn't foolish enough to have my phone strapped to the bars.

 

[DrSquirrel]

705 is £280 +HR +CAD

When I crash or it rains I'll be glad that at least I wasn't foolish enough to have my phone strapped to the bars.

You know - if our phones were as rugged as our garmin(etc) units (and maybe as small) I'd probably use it. Although most runners would have it on their arm and less likely to crash, bike... well, don't crash

Then I'd realise how rubbish the GPS in it pretty much is, without a barometer and then wish I had the Garmin

And imo 0.06 miles is a lot (96 metres), 60m per 1km is poor. Considering I do 17km inward daily that is 1.02km - and being GPS it can differ wildly.

 

[marinyork]

I don't think either are indestructible. I've seen someone's Garmin Edge come off the mount down a steep hill before my eyes. It survived miraculously enough.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I don't think either are indestructible. I've seen someone's Garmin Edge come off the mount down a steep hill before my eyes. It survived miraculously enough.

You're saying here the mount broke... not the GPS