REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS

mapmyride for iphone

2257 Views 21 Replies 14 Participants Last post by brandonj1979, Jun 29, 2009

nOOby

Discussion Starter · Jun 24, 2009 (Edited)

Anyone use this app up the in the hills above the metro area(ned, Jeffco).

a coworker just gave me his old 3g iphone and I wanted to see what peoples experience is with the app in the hills. Accurate? I've never had a gps but since it's built in to the phone, why not?

thanks

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

nomad rdr

· #2 · Jun 24, 2009

A bit OT, but I have a T-Mobile G1 and use the tracks program. It has been pretty good imo

Full Trucker

· #3 · Jun 24, 2009

I just downloaded the FREE version of iMapMyRide for my iPhone yesterday and tried it out on my way into work... not impressed at all even on a roadie ride. Some things to note:

I carried the phone on the strap of my messenger bag on my chest, might have been sheltered from a signal.

I got a text in the middle of the ride, which I think interrupts GPS stuff.

I stopped a couple times for a fairly long time, which I think messed it up as well.

But the part of my route that it did "map" wasn't super accurate, which again could be where I was carrying the device. I'll try it out some more, maybe with the phone in my jersey pocket on the back?

$ally Hu$tle

· #4 · Jun 24, 2009

I use Path Tracker and it seems to be fairly accurate..

Jdub

· #5 · Jun 24, 2009

nOOby said:
.gave me his old 3g iphone

That's a pretty nice gift. That being said, I've been very underwhelmed with the GPS on the iPhone. It in no way compares to a dedicated GPS (I have a 60CSx), but I do use it occasionally when traveling and trying to navigate unfamiliar cities.

Its made for the "Where is the nearest Starbucks" instead of detailed trail directions. Plus, it works over the cell towers so when you lose cell coverage (like I often do when riding), its useless.

nOOby

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 24, 2009

thanks all, It will be more of a novelty than something I will count on, although my wife could rest easier knowing where I was. I'll give it a try.

Jdub, yeah very generous. I was floored when he offered it. He originally was going to sell it to me for $50 but dropped it over the weekend and put a tiny crack in the back so he just gave it to me. I got him a nice bottle of wine.

jeffkenn

· #7 · Jun 24, 2009

i thought is was a big piece of battery sucking piece of crap.

nOOby

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 24, 2009

path tracker: You guys have used it up in the woods with success?

subliminalshiver

· #9 · Jun 24, 2009

jeffkenn said:
i thought is was a big piece of battery sucking piece of crap.

What a nice comment about a generous gift...
What wonderful sentence structure... So do you mean that you believed it to be merely a large component of an even larger component of excrement that depletes batteries?
Nice post Killjoy.

nOOby

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 24, 2009

I think he was talking about mapmyride. these apps can be power hungry.

BlkDymn

· #11 · Jun 24, 2009

I use it on my G1. Its within 1mph of the speedo of both my jeep and our work truck, so its pretty damn accurate. Another tool on the G1 also shows the precision of its locating abilities, and depending on how many satellites lock on you, its down to 3 ft.

Pretty sweet if you ask me, only weakness is that if you bury it in a backpack its not as reliable.

Jdub

· #12 · Jun 24, 2009

BlkDymn said:
depending on how many satellites lock on you, its down to 3 ft.

That would be quite surprising to me if it truly was that accurate. Dedicated, handhelds with external antennas using WAAS are only rated to circa 10 foot accuracy.

Garmin quotes typical WAAS accuracy around 3 meters.
http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

Nickle

· #13 · Jun 24, 2009

Jdub said:
That would be quite surprising to me if it truly was that accurate. Dedicated, handhelds with external antennas using WAAS are only rated to circa 10 foot accuracy

Agreed, unless you found out how to make it receive the military GPS signal.

hitechredneck

· #14 · Jun 25, 2009

I have used run keeper on mine for the days im not running i will just turn it on and ride around its not to bad. But it is all tower data so if you loose coverage you are sol. It does suck battery though.

schnauzers

· #15 · Jun 25, 2009

nOOby said:
thanks all, It will be more of a novelty than something I will count on, although my wife could rest easier knowing where I was. I'll give it a try.

Jdub, yeah very generous. I was floored when he offered it. He originally was going to sell it to me for $50 but dropped it over the weekend and put a tiny crack in the back so he just gave it to me. I got him a nice bottle of wine.

Take it to the Apple Store and tell them the crack was caused by a defect. They'll give you a new/refurb one.

nOOby

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jun 25, 2009

It's pretty obvious that it's a dropped phone.

jake7

· #17 · Jun 25, 2009

I've been playing with "trailguru" on mine - a free app.
I had a ride with perfect data, no dropout and then a second with about only 20% capture of my 15+ mile loop. Both rides were in the same area (Green Mtn) and both times the phone was in the same pocket in my pack ... go figure

That said - when it did work, the trailguru app is quite data-heavy and links with google earth for topo mapping. I gives speed/pace, distanc, elevation data with support graphs. It also has a cool option where you can capture immages along the way and post them along with your ride data.
I haven't given up on it - I plan to try different pockets with better "exposure" in my pack.

Someone mentioned that incoming calls/texts can interfere with the GPS. I believe this to be true, because I think it caused the first of many signal failures in my "bad ride". That said, you can always try it in "airplane mode" to block incoming calls/texts.

See less See more

$ally Hu$tle

· #18 · Jun 25, 2009

....a brand new iPhone 3g is only $99.. just fyi

subliminalshiver

· #19 · Jun 25, 2009

hitechredneck said:
But it is all tower data so if you loose coverage you are sol.

The 3g has an actual GPS receiver independent of cellular coverage. It will still record tracks and show your location as coordinates. You will however, lose mapping when you lose the data connection.

bells

· #20 · Jun 26, 2009

FYI, if you install an app which caches map data (MotionX GPSLite is free) then you can continue mapping without access to wifi/cell data. In other words, your iPhone 3G behaves just like a regular GPS unit (albeit one with a great screen and interface, but pretty poor reception). You do need to browse the area you're going to be riding/hiking beforehand so the app can download and save the maps, but it will let you save 50MB worth of maps, which is enough to cover a lot of terrain.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.