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Are those gps apps any good?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi, does anyone here use any of those fancy gps apps on their phones. What value do they add? I posted it on a different forum and it soon started to look like an infomercial.

Please do share your experiences. If you have any commercial association with those product makers, please clarify in the disclaimer.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hi tim123, those free apps are worth every penny providing no data is better than incorrect data. I used a free app last year on my iPhone and it clocked me doing 148mph, I would not go that fast if I fell over a cliff. I can however recommend our GTrek product, it’s accurate, it’s easy to use and yes I do have a commercial association. If that’s wrong I apologise.
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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?
Ski Tracks is brilliant. Lots of information available etc. I used it several times in the 3V and loved it. I clocked 56mph!!!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
tim123, I agree with Ricklovesthepowder, Ski tracks is great, good fun to review the days skiing over an early evening beer just dont take the details such as top speed too seriously!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
It depends how good the GPS on your phone is.

I used alpinereplay for android in Tignes a few weeks ago and when it was working it was very good. It kept tracks of speeds, distances and showed it all on a map. You could also watch a replay of your run and someone else going down the run at the same time to compare which I thought was pretty cool.

However for 4 out of 6 days my Gps wasn't working well and it couldnt find my location therefore did not work.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
tim123, I haven't used any of ther ski specific ones yet, because I only received my first android phone a few hours before flying out for my last ski trip. I've since downloaded a few and will be trying them next time.

But I have regularly used several different free GPS navigation apps, and they all work well (although with limitations regarding choice of route).

Speed data is not likely to be particularly accurate, but tracking of where you are/have been should be accurate to within a very few metres.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The general opinion is that speed is not reliable on GPS apps. I used the ski tracks for iPhone a few weeks back when staying in Pedraces, the first run of the day was always the Santa Crocoe usually 2 or 3 times. Now I am not a speed freak but it consistently recorded me at between 39-41 MPH. So I would say on this app at least speed is reliable because of the consistency of the results.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Ski tracks is fantastic - I would recommend it to everyone!
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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.
tim123 wrote:
Hi, does anyone here use any of those fancy gps apps on their phones. What value do they add? I posted it on a different forum and it soon started to look like an infomercial. If you have any commercial association with those product makers, please clarify in the disclaimer.


tim123, the answers at your 'different forum' may well have sounded like infommercials but the way you've asked your question here sounds like market researching. Toofy Grin

Anyway, in my limited, biased and negatively opinionated view, these fancy GPS apps on phones are mostly a load of old bang-juice and the speed/distance tracking stuff based on google maps seems to be best described as appealing to the anally retentive. wink

Of course, there is software available for Android, Windows Mobile and Apple phones that allows you to load 1:25,000 or even better scale topographical mapping that might help you to not fall of a cliff or to find your way back to a road or piste if you get totally lost in shite weather. Cool
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Apemap for topo maps, backcountry navigator or Google mytracks.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Do you need network (3g) connection to log in to Alpine replay to use ? As in, if have no access to wifi, (or if need to change battery mid-day) Will I need to use 3g to log on?
Or can it be used without logging on?
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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.
Ive use ski tracks today all day on an i phone 3, and its hardly touched the battery
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Any suggestions for an app that works on blackberry. There seems to be nothing remotely suitable.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
foxtrotzulu, have a look at Endomondo for blackberry. It's a sports tracker rather than a dedicated ski app, but they all do the same thing really.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Ski Tracks worked well for me, loved the functionality. Not used any of the others to compare tho.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
foxtrotzulu wrote:
Any suggestions for an app that works on blackberry. There seems to be nothing remotely suitable.


GpsSkiMaps are OK. Bought Switzerland for Jungfrau and had fee refunded when I pointed out missing lifts.
Today in Murren I did 24 lifts, 24 runs 55km max sp 108km/h,which is about right as I had a flying run down an early morning empty un bumped piste.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
So... Do you need a 3G signal to use these apps as I turn off data roaming whilst in Europe and pick up me emails on free WI fi on an evening...
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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?
I used Alpine Replay last week, and although it wasn't perfect it was useful. The extra features that their website provides once you upload the data at the end of the day are cute too.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Nadenoodlee wrote:
Ski tracks is fantastic - I would recommend it to everyone!


copycat Wink
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Richard Sideways, kat.ryb, and colinstone

Many thanks for your suggestions.

FZ
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Quote:

So... Do you need a 3G signal to use these apps as I turn off data roaming whilst in Europe and pick up me emails on free WI fi on an evening...


ARGH everyone keeps asking this! No you don't, GPS it totaly separate to data.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I have just been reading about how some free apps collect (steal!) personal data from your mobile phone and pass it to advertisers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/05/more_android_privacy_fail
http://www.channel4.com/news/android-apps-share-personal-data
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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.
If you need a place where you can store and view your own, friends' and other's tracklogs from these apps on a map, I've made an app on Facebook where you can upload GPS tracks and write about your skidays. It's available on http://apps.facebook.com/snowlog/. Click the "mapped" tab to find skidays with a GPS track.

It should work with tracks from most of these phone apps and other GPS devices. I use the free GPSLogger for Android or my Garmin 60CS.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I used Ski Tracks this season and found it pretty consistent. It's interesting, if not particularly useful, to log where you've been and how many miles clocked up etc. Provides you a nice little log of your skiing and no hassle to use. Just switch on and leave in the background.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
LukeRibs wrote:
So... Do you need a 3G signal to use these apps as I turn off data roaming whilst in Europe and pick up me emails on free WI fi on an evening...


No, not with Ski Tracks at least. It doesn't use data at all, only GPS to log your movements. But you do need a data connection if you want to view your track on a real map. This can be wifi of course and is not required while you are actually out skiing.
ski holidays
 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.
Biggest problem is that the GPS drains the battery quite quickly on smartphones. I use my iPhone as a satnav in the car, but only because it's plugged in.

Some ski resorts do a piste map app (PdS do at least) which is quite useful as you can turn on the GPS and check where you are. If you don't mind flattening the battery then you can leave it on and it'll show your tracks.

With regard to data usage with the satnav, I'm familiar with the iPhone system not the Android ones.

With the iPhone, the GPS module is integral to the 3G chipset. This means you need to have 3G enabled to get a position. It uses assisted gps which uses the cell masts it's communicating with to get a general location fix more quickly. It does this by sending around 8k of data to each cell mast it can talk to, so if you don't have data-roaming turned off it WILL cost you data usage to get a location fix when abroad even if you have no other data applications running. With data-roaming turned off it will still work, but may take a second or two longer to get the initial fix while it searches for satellites.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
feef wrote:
With data-roaming turned off it will still work, but may take a second or two longer to get the initial fix while it searches for satellites.


This is the main point. It works fine without 3G, just like most dedicated GPS receivers. I used Ski Tracks with data roaming turned off and it worked fine. The assisted feature is only really of relevance when using GPS in urban areas where there are loads of masts and poor satellite signal.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Spam bump, apparently.


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 8-12-20 15:57; edited 2 times in total
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@SnowyPrincess, 8yr spam bump rolling eyes
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@adithorp, not any more Toofy Grin
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