Forums > Windsurfing   Gps and Speed talk

Cheap Android phones for GPS-Logit?

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Created by sailquik > 9 months ago, 8 Nov 2015
sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
8 Nov 2015 8:32PM
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Having just drowned and killed my Sony Xperia E, I checked to see if I could get another, but so far have drawn a blank.

I already have a Alcatel Pixie3, but does anyone know of any others currently for sale that are suitable, below about $60?

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
8 Nov 2015 11:31PM
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Do you mean the Dodgee one!!! LOL!

Not sure I like the name!

That is a US website isn't it?

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
8 Nov 2015 9:08PM
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Not sure I thought it was Chinese, think that's wear my "waterproof"? bluetooth earphones came from

seanhogan
QLD, 3424 posts
9 Nov 2015 5:01PM
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http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_210726.html

this one seems ok

as decrepit said, chinese website but with warehouses all around the world.

The previous one I had worked really well until I drowned it in an ebay waterproof bag....
Work for an extra day and then died....
Should've rinsed it and shoved in a rice container but just forgot about it as it was still working.


As for the jabees bluetooth earphones, they work really well even after a couple of dives....

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
11 Nov 2015 8:20PM
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Thanks Sean. Decrepit pointed me to the Australia Post cattledog where I found that they have the Samsung Galaxy J1 for A$139. This one has been said to be pretty good for GPS-Logit so I might test one myself.

gh
NSW, 153 posts
30 Nov 2015 2:26PM
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Aldi have $100 phone on special this Wednesday. Does not say on the website but the catalogue does state inbuilt GPS.

Do the specs look suitable?

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
30 Nov 2015 8:24PM
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gh said..
Aldi have $100 phone on special this Wednesday. Does not say on the website but the catalogue does state inbuilt GPS.

Do the specs look suitable?


Unfortunately the phone specs don't mention anything we want to know, the only way to find out is to test one ourselves.

pirrad
SA, 850 posts
4 Dec 2015 7:03PM
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The OCD in me.





morts
WA, 182 posts
1 Feb 2016 12:50PM
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From Wednesday the 3rd of Feb the Optus Alcatel Pixi is on special for $19, think you can currently pick it up at Big W for this price. So if I install GPS Logit that would be suitable as a basic GPS setup???

Just looking at using it for my own interest at this stage.

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
1 Feb 2016 9:35PM
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morts said..
From Wednesday the 3rd of Feb the Optus Alcatel Pixi is on special for $19, think you can currently pick it up at Big W for this price. So if I install GPS Logit that would be suitable as a basic GPS setup???

Just looking at using it for my own interest at this stage.


That is exactly the phone I now use for my on the water feedback (GW52's in helmet so can easily see them without taking it off). The phone is quite good within the limitations of Android phones but it does throw up some ridiculous speeds sometimes. Mostly so wrong they are not hard to spot, but not always which is the issue for posting from them.

But it should be great to get you going and give you a taste of whit GPS sailing is all about!

When you get hooked and start contributing to a team, you will need to get a GW-52 or whatever is the latest and best GPS, but you will probably always use the phone like I do.

Oh, and have a look for the AudioH2o waterproof arm band for it. They are excellent! (I think the new model has a different name for the same thing).

JonesySail
QLD, 1090 posts
1 Feb 2016 9:32PM
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sounds great, ..so $19 for a cheap phone that suits,
Best water proof phone holder that suits?
best water proof ear plugs?$

Which is the best App?
My needs list would be 'talks the speed to you' ' must have 1hr results, quick map/track on the phone display, no computers required, and dead simple to use... personal use only is the key, doesn't have to be 'compliant' just for fun.

love the idea of being told how fast or slow you are going and just seeing your session on the phone screen...handy also if your doing down winders and need to call for your pick up, or ordering pizza and beer upon arrival!
Must be plug'n' play..or at least download and play!

So from those that are in the know on this subject, cause I'm too tired/busy/lazy to read through the pages of subject matter before here and work it out myself.

the Windrace App or GPS Logit

morts
WA, 182 posts
1 Feb 2016 8:17PM
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Thanks Sailquik

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
2 Feb 2016 12:52PM
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JonesySail said..
sounds great, ..so $19 for a cheap phone that suits,
Best water proof phone holder that suits?
best water proof ear plugs?$

Which is the best App?
My needs list would be 'talks the speed to you' ' must have 1hr results, quick map/track on the phone display, no computers required, and dead simple to use... personal use only is the key, doesn't have to be 'compliant' just for fun.

love the idea of being told how fast or slow you are going and just seeing your session on the phone screen...handy also if your doing down winders and need to call for your pick up, or ordering pizza and beer upon arrival!
Must be plug'n' play..or at least download and play!

So from those that are in the know on this subject, cause I'm too tired/busy/lazy to read through the pages of subject matter before here and work it out myself.

the Windrace App or GPS Logit


GPS-Logit.

But you only get out of things, what you put in!

JonesySail
QLD, 1090 posts
2 Feb 2016 10:04PM
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Thanks, Big W here we come!

Wonder if you can program the voice, like a car GPS? maybe sexy French chic...faster faster come on big boy!

mathew
QLD, 2054 posts
3 Feb 2016 11:43AM
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JonesySail said..
Thanks, Big W here we come!

Wonder if you can program the voice, like a car GPS? maybe sexy French chic...faster faster come on big boy!


it uses the Android voice API... which itself is implemented using downloadable voice files. There are default Android UK and US voice files; Samsung phones have other downloads available. If you set the phone to French, then yes you do get the female French voice.

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
3 Feb 2016 10:13PM
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Would not a dominatrix German voice best suit GPS-Logit?

JonesySail
QLD, 1090 posts
4 Feb 2016 9:50AM
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Got the last phone in store! Good looking phone for $19! Set up is a Weekend project ...German voice? Hmmm ... Maybe Arnold Shwartz.... 'Go faster you girly boy'

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
7 Feb 2016 11:29AM
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I picked up another Pixie3 a couple of days ago for $19 in Officeworks. Good to have a spare in case the other gets drowned.

Interestingly, GPS-Logit completely missed showing my best NM yesterday but it was great having the speed talk feedback on each attempt.

Windxtasy
WA, 4015 posts
7 Feb 2016 1:33PM
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how accurate was the speed talk with the Pixie?
My Xperia can be out by 4 knots (calls 32 as 36) so I have stopped using it.

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
7 Feb 2016 5:15PM
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Windxtasy said..
how accurate was the speed talk with the Pixie?
My Xperia can be out by 4 knots (calls 32 as 36) so I have stopped using it.


Can't handle the let down Sue after getting all excited and then checking the GT-31 screen?

And that is also one big reason why it is not suitable for posting.

No real way of knowing if the accuracy is out while using it except to study some by side tracks with GT-31/GW-52 after the session. Yes, it makes some large errors sometimes and the speed rounds up and down a bit to the nearest 0.1, but it doesn't matter to me as the feedback during sailing is fantastic. I do have far less trouble with the Pixie 3 than with the previous Xperia as far as turning off or switching screens in use goes. I think the waterproof armband case I have is a big help in stopping random screen off and accidental turning off. For $19, how much can you lose? All on water feedback is good!

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
7 Feb 2016 6:15PM
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Windxtasy said..
how accurate was the speed talk with the Pixie?
My Xperia can be out by 4 knots (calls 32 as 36) so I have stopped using it.


Anita, I found the insensitive antenna in the cheap phones is the biggest cause of error, when I wore mine on my head I got results very close to the GT31.

I also have a feeling that if I was wearing it on my arm, it was more accurate on my back arm than the front, as my head turns forwards, shadowing my front arm more than the back, and it's also further away from the carbon mast. So if you want to look at the display every run try it on the back arm for your speed run tack.

The Pixie is much worse than the Xperia when it looses satellite fix, but I think it's a tad more accurate if it has a good fix.

Windxtasy
WA, 4015 posts
8 Feb 2016 12:11PM
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sailquik said..

Windxtasy said..
how accurate was the speed talk with the Pixie?
My Xperia can be out by 4 knots (calls 32 as 36) so I have stopped using it.



Can't handle the let down Sue after getting all excited and then checking the GT-31 screen?

All on water feedback is good!


Oh Andrew, forgotten after such a short time...

The first couple of times I got excited. Now I take no notice as I know logit is likely to be overestimating, which makes the app useless with this phone.
Only accurate feedback is good. Inaccurate feedback is misleading and causes you to sail differently to how you should.

AUS 808
WA, 471 posts
8 Feb 2016 1:56PM
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Guys, I have bought the Pixi as my last phone didn't seem to work well, 3 SATs only. Now I can't get a sat fix. Does the sim card need to be in & activated? Paul

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
8 Feb 2016 6:25PM
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No my Pixie runs without sim card fine. but you have to "allow" location so the gps can connect to logit.

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
8 Feb 2016 6:36PM
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Windxtasy said..
>>>Now I take no notice as I know logit is likely to be overestimating, which makes the app useless with this phone.
Only accurate feedback is good. Inaccurate feedback is misleading and causes you to sail differently to how you should.


Anita where are you wearing the phone?

If it gets a good signal it should be very close to the GT31. The biggest problem with the Xperia is it's half knot resolution, so 30.1kts will be recorded as 30.6kts, and because of the 1kt resolution of speed talk, will be spoken as 31kts.
You gain a bit of accuracy by switching to Km/hr, that way you almost double the speech resolution to about 0.5kts, but then you have to do a mental calculation back to kts!

Windxtasy
WA, 4015 posts
8 Feb 2016 7:50PM
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Select to expand quote
decrepit said..

Windxtasy said..
>>>Now I take no notice as I know logit is likely to be overestimating, which makes the app useless with this phone.
Only accurate feedback is good. Inaccurate feedback is misleading and causes you to sail differently to how you should.



Anita where are you wearing the phone?

If it gets a good signal it should be very close to the GT31. The biggest problem with the Xperia is it's half knot resolution, so 30.1kts will be recorded as 30.6kts, and because of the 1kt resolution of speed talk, will be spoken as 31kts.
You gain a bit of accuracy by switching to Km/hr, that way you almost double the speech resolution to about 0.5kts, but then you have to do a mental calculation back to kts!


The GT31 is on my left upper chest. The phone has been on my right upper arm. I will try it elsewhere. I think when I was first using it it's accuracy was better, but
I can't remember if I had it in a different spot. Maybe on my right upper chest.
I don't wear a helmet so I will try wearing it on my left shoulder. I am not bothered by it being out by a knot or so, but 4 knots is ridiculous. I think it was during the bear away that is was overestimating the most.

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
8 Feb 2016 8:02PM
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Top of shoulder is also a good spot, especially on the one belonging to the downwind backhand.
The back and chest can give bad gybe signals as you lean into the turn.

AUS 808
WA, 471 posts
9 Feb 2016 5:50PM
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decrepit said..
No my Pixie runs without sim card fine. but you have to "allow" location so the gps can connect to logit.


Mike, I have got "Location" set on but to "Device Only" as there would be be no Wi-Fi or Mobile Network available without a sim card.

I have also loaded "GPS Status" which is not working either so there is either a setting I'm not getting right or the phone GPS is not working.

I left it outside for hours but still no GPS Fix.

How can it be so hard

Did you ever solve the problem of the screen going off & affecting the tracks?
Do you still need the chocolate box?

Paul

aka Nelson (Perth Southsiders)

decrepit
WA, 12370 posts
9 Feb 2016 6:18PM
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Unfortunately I still use the chocolate box.
The windrace app doesn't seem to need it though, that keeps the gps connected regardless.
But Alby had trouble with logit once windrace was loaded.
It's a real puzzle why you don't get sat fix, mine is also set to device only. If anything occurs to me I'll get back to you.

morts
WA, 182 posts
9 Feb 2016 7:48PM
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I've only just got the Pixi as well so am definitely no expert but would be interested to know Paul when you go into Settings -> Location does it list GPSLogit under "recent location requests"?

Wifi works without a sim card, I've switched mine on so it can update as required at home.

sailquik
VIC, 6149 posts
10 Feb 2016 7:57AM
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Windxtasy said..
sailquik said..

Windxtasy said..
how accurate was the speed talk with the Pixie?
My Xperia can be out by 4 knots (calls 32 as 36) so I have stopped using it.



Can't handle the let down Sue after getting all excited and then checking the GT-31 screen?

All on water feedback is good!


Oh Andrew, forgotten after such a short time...

The first couple of times I got excited. Now I take no notice as I know logit is likely to be overestimating, which makes the app useless with this phone.
Only accurate feedback is good. Inaccurate feedback is misleading and causes you to sail differently to how you should.


Opps! Most embarrassed and deepest apologies Anita. Age catching up with me.

Apart from some intermittent, obvious off the scale errors, the Logit app has mostly been within a Knot for me. That is certainly good enough for my level of ability.

I just acquired a second, backup Pixie3, so I will try some side by side tests. Maybe I was just lucky to get a good one the first time?



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Forums > Windsurfing   Gps and Speed talk


"Cheap Android phones for GPS-Logit?" started by sailquik