 Poster: A snowHead
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I have tomtom mobile 5.0 on my smartphone and a portable bluetooth module. Works great in the car or on foot, but I'm wondering if there is a plug-in or programme anyone knows of that will record distance travelled, top speed, etc... that I can use in a few weeks' time?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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carled, you can check it out on Epic (www.epicski.com) where a few people use Garmins, etc for that. I wouldn't rely on it for speed accuracy, and if you are really going for the speed route, then I would tell you to be very careful about safety - particularly of those sharing the slopes with you.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Good grief - "speed" in my book is feeling a light breeze on my face! I'm not going to try the flying kilometre on my trusty snowboard! I'm into caving (or at least trying to when conditions allow!) not all out balls-flapping eye-watering speed, trust me!
I'm going in a big group of 20 or so and would just be interested to see the kind of distance we end up travelling in a day, the sorts of speeds (even if only 30 kph) reached and the altitudes and so on... nothing else!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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There was extensive discussion on the Equipment section on GPS if you do a search - including some neat stuff people were doing uploading data on to Google Earth....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi.
I have a Tom Tom bluetooth GPS receiver I use with my Ipaq. I use Memory Map, I'm not sure if you can use memory map on a smartphone?
I used the GPS all last week in Canada and was able to log all my tracks for the whole week (how sad is that!!!)
286 miles covered, 154,000ft of vertical desent. Great fun.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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carled,
I tried out the Navman A300 last week at AlpeD'huez. Tells you nothing useful regarding WHERE you are, but is quite fun with info on distance covered (70Kms in 3 days) altitude, and max speed recorded. The best I did was 65 Km/hr on a schuss down a green run chasing my 16 year old daughter. I guess I won't be in the running for the next olympics, but it felt pretty fast to me 
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I have a Garmin 76CS that is a lot of fun to play with. You can record data and plot it back including elevation, position, bearing, average speed on a leg between position points. I just updated the Mapsource software, and now I can overlay my tracks on Google Earth. I have to warn you that the temptation to go straight down the fall line on your slalom skis without making any turns just to see how fast you can go on a little hill is pretty strong (not that anyone will believe you). http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap76cs/spec.html.
It also works as an automotive GPS so you can find your way to the ski hill 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hi, I've already got a Garmin Pilot III that I use in the car and for flying but it's a bit bulky for skiing and eats batteries. So i was thinking about getting a Navman A300 for the distance and speed stats, and I quite like the arm strap idea. But i think if I'm using GPS it might as well tell me where we are if we ever witness an accident or get temporarily unsure of position (How we describe being lost when flying).
AxsMan, does the Navman A300 not give you any data about location? Can't you even read off co-ordinates like the earlier hand held gps?
Would I be better just buying any small hand held gps and making an arm strap from a phone pouch, especially as the e-trex supposedly runs for 22 hrs on 2 AAs?
Thanks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Not sure about TomTom devices, which I think are primarily aimed at navigation.
For Garmin handheld devices, in theory, you can just turn the thing on, get lock, and ski/board all day. Then download to GPX file to laptop, then view in tool of your choice. Should be able to see things like total distances, altitude changes (best to calibrate barometric altimeter first). Drag+drop the GPX file to Google Earth for a visual rendering (but the satellite/aerial images of resorts I've looked at are total pants).
In practice, the batteries might give up at lunchtime, especially if weather is too cold.
Tempted to take mine this year, to record the PdS circuit.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Chris Brookes, are you suggesting skiing al fresco 
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You know it makes sense.
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FenlandSkier, dont be stupid,i always carry a hat with me 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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</Homer mode on> Mmmm, burger king 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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FenlandSkier, Ah but does it translate text phrases like 'can I have Mayonaise with my chips please' into 7 languages, act as a bluetooth hands free kit for your phone, and will it play your mp3 toonz at the same time? (and killer question for Tom Tom users), does it slip into your pocket without causing unsightly bulges?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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BT yes, MP3 yes (20G HD), will also control an iPod (but I haven't got one), translation no and it is quite chunky.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Daft thing is the Garmin has NO headphone socket!!!, otherwise it's just about perfect. The 660 is even more flash with the digital radio traffic monitor built in. the 360 has an optional external cable antenna for that. Works though. if traffic gets bad on the route ahead it warns you and offers to route round it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I use a Garmin etrex vista C - v.good battery life but the memory only catches 3 days of skiing. Good solid bit of kit & waterproof 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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GPS off piste sounds more useful.
Lost, somewhere far from any piste in a white-out (assuming you had a 1:25,000 map, as I usually do).
Radios or mobile phones are really useful too. For example if the guide goes on out of sight to check out the safety of an area ahead, or the group gets split up skiing in the trees, or someone takes a wrong gulley etc etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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WayneC, I tried a Garmin Pilot III on the piste last season - left the aerial sticking out of my top pocket. Came up with a highly dubious top speed, but drew a reasonable map of where I had been. Another time I think I would want a removable aerial as I think it was getting confused with loss of signal from time to time.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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snowball, ....even better if off piste and someone comes a cropper and needs to be airlifted out. ....get in touch with rescue services and not be able to give position.....  I carry a Garmin Map60 type mainly for that very purpose, but also a bit of navigating. I am waiting for a French Alpes Topo map, 1:25,000 that I have bought. That should expand its navigating usage greatly as most Garmin maps are US, Canada & UK based.
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| snowball wrote: |
GPS off piste sounds more useful.
Lost, somewhere far from any piste in a white-out (assuming you had a 1:25,000 map, as I usually do).
Radios or mobile phones are really useful too. For example if the guide goes on out of sight to check out the safety of an area ahead, or the group gets split up skiing in the trees, or someone takes a wrong gulley etc etc. |
I agree.
I did some light backcountry at another resort last year (without map or local knowledge). All forest land and valley, but had use or continual assement of bearing, and most importantly height via barometirc reading on my watch.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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According to one of the Sunday supplements last w/e, Meribel (I think) will rent you some dsor tof GPS gadget for a ridiculous sum (£!6/day?) whcih will give you various bits of info about your day (presumably starting with 'That's £16 less you have to sped in the bar this evening, sucker.').
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FAQ
Did find a Small pocket sized sat rx (64 x 22 x 15 mm) from 