 Poster: A snowHead
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Quick question, hopefully quick answer 
Is the GPS offering on any phones good enough to use for hill walking, ski touring etc?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any GPS (in phone or bluetooth antenna) is good enough for this. But main thing is not GPS itself, but software to interpret data gathered by GPS. There's bunch of software to do this, but my favorite is Smartcom GPS (it works at least on Nokia phones with Symbian, but I don't know about other phones). With this one, you can import calibrated map, and if map is accurate enough, you can easily use it for hill walking, ski touring, mountain biking etc. But this is not "normal" GPS like you are used to it from cars. It doesn't have turn by turn guidance, but more or less it shows dot on map where you currently are (with track of your travel till that moment).
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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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You can also use Nokia Sportstracker which comes ready on the Nokia smartphones that have GPS. I haven't had a chance to test in on skiing - only running - but it has that option. It not only measures the speed v. time, speed v. distance but also altitude v. distance and does work genuinely well.
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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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can you load up 1:25000 topographical maps and plot routes on these? that would be the most important thing for me
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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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Having used a GPS app on the iphone for a while, I'd be inclined not to rely on it for navigation because of accuracy issues. It also uses the data connection for maps (openstreetmap and google) so no use abroad unless you want to use the track-only function.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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andytb, that was my suspicion but didn't want to drop £2-300 on a GPS if you can get a phone which will do the same thing
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£2-300 is a pretty good fully featured GPS though. And will take a pair of AA's which are readily changeable halfway up a mountain should they run out.
I paid about £150 or so iirc for a Garmin Vista HCx, plus a few £ extra for a 1gig microSD card. Easily pocketable in bike jersey back pocket. Free OpenStreetMaps maps available if you know where to look (download zip file, unzip it, drag/drop onto the microSD). High sensitivity receiver too, so works under heavy foliage cover too (which phone / older / cheaper GPS might not).
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Arno with SmartcomGPS you can... It takes any calibrated map from Ozi Explorer for example (jpeg, gif, bmp), and you can convert it to use less space on phone.
With Nokia Sportstracker I didn't find option to do it yet. It loads maps from Internet (might be "a bit" expensive if you are abroad), but they are far from topo maps.
Andy I don't like to carry extra gadget around if phone already has GPS. When going on bike or skiing, I don't have backpack with me, so less of stuff I carry better it feels  Next to that, using topo maps on GPS devices (Garmin, Tomtom etc.) is pretty much pain in the a**. So third party programs like Smartcom GPS or Ozi explorer, are much better option. And for hiking or skiing, road maps are useless, topo maps on the other side are only way to go.
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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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We used Sports tracker for skiing last January. Worked really well, files can be exported to Google earth which is great.
ViewRanger ( http://www.viewranger.com ) would install on symbian phones and seems to fit the requirments re maps accuracy and detail..
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I have a wrist-mounted GPS (Garmin Foretrex 201) which I find handy. Perhaps I should have bought the 101 with its replaceable AAA batteries but it was an offer I couldn't resist.
It will do all the usual GPS things but it has no map. It just supplies your coordinates instead and you have to look that up on a paper map. I prefer it that way. For a start, if the device is to display a map then it has to have a colour screen. These consume lots of juice and are difficult to read in bright sunlight. By definition, your gonna be using this thing out of doors. My Foretrex is as easy to read as a calculator. On top of that, any downloadable maps, other than very crude ones, are gonna be expensive too.
I find one of the most useful features is the ability to record a track of your route. Obviously, this relies on the thing being on all the time. Back home, I connect the thing to my PC and download the route into MemoryMap. Now I can see where I've been in full glorious technicolour and can zoom in or out at will. Be warned, map buying is expensive and compulsive!
Loads more info on PocketGPS:
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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On a slightly different tack, are there any SatNavs that are equally useable on road and off road? Let me explain what I'm after.....
I'm looking at buying a SatNav to help me navigate my way to the resorts, but whilst I'm there it would be nice to have something in my rucksack to give me details of altitude, temperature, weather forecast (not a drop dead requirement). Not really looking for something to use for off-piste navigation. Is there one unit/piece of kit that'll meet all of my needs?
At the mo I'm looking at a Nuvi 255W SatNav and then something like a Suunto Altimax watch or Garmin etrex to cater for the 'off road' stuff
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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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And if you are not using the network for navigating (googlemaps or similar) but something that you upload to the phone memory, the GPS is for free.
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I've just got myself an HTC Touch Diamond 2 windows mobile phone... There's a programme called freecaddie that runs on any windows mobile that converts your phone into a proper golf rangefinder for free. If there's any that i could use whilst biking or skiing, please let me know.
I love all this technology stuff 
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You know it makes sense.
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I have loaded a programme from, http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/TrimbleOutdoors.aspx onto my Blackberry and have been using it for cycling. It also has a ski/snowboard function which I have yet to try as the snow has melted! Hope to check my progress up the Col d'Iseran this coming weekend.
Best of all its a free download.
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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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FAQ
