What tool shows intended route along with GPS track?
Kevin_in_MD
Senior Member
I was thinking about this and Evan's question about GPS tracks reminded me .
What tool do you use, or does anyone use which will show intended path and current track for GPS trackers.
For example, you go to the Kingdom Swim Ten Miler, your tracker shows where you are and where you have been, but doesn't show where you need to go, your intended path, so folks can't see how far you have to go.
I know that races pay to have this setup, Phil does it for the Memphre swim, Ron sets it up for the Tampa Swim and that works well but it also costs several hundred bucks to set it up.
Is there a service, either using phone gps data or spot trackers where I can setup a page that shows current track and intended track, inexpensive for a single person to use?
I like to think that friends would click on it to see how I am doing, though in real life; I know it's really just my 77 year old mom who will click on it! Nevertheless I'd like her to be able to see how much I have left.
Comments
I've been developing a tool that does exactly this, among other things. I launched a preview version last Fall for the last few SBCSA swims.
I took it offline over the winter to further develop it and get it ready for a full-scale launch for the 2016 northern-hemisphere O.W. season. That will happen soon-ish. Yes, it is related to the GPS Track Database I mentioned in the other thread.
In the meantime, here's a preview screenshot from a Catalina Channel swim last year. You can see the track along with the intended route, and a progress bar at top-right. The swimmer name and swim description is usually at top-left, but I've greyed it out for privacy.
Click to enlarge.
That looks good, just have it ready by Friday for those of us doing the Lido Key Swim!
Are you using a SPOT tracker?
I have spot tracker or waterproof phone.
@evmo would this work as a line for an escort boat to follow during the swim also? I have been looking for something which would indicate in real time whether we were on the correct "line" during a crossing...
At this point my tool is aimed more at swim spectators (on land) than people on the boat -- i.e., a replacement for your SPOT Shared Page, not a replacement for a dedicated navigation app.
Most serious boaters have a dedicated marine navigation device (such as Garmin), but you don't necessarily need that for piloting a swim. There are several free or inexpensive smartphone apps that work really well. And if the app allows you to download layers for offline use, you don't need a data connection (which is a concern if you're far offshore).
Check out Navionics Boating HD on iOS, or GPS Essentials on Android.
thanks folks- I will definitely take a look at those apps- much of the time we are in the woods so cell coverage is sketchy. My er, "team", is technically challenged, not including @emkhowley, (even though it is 50% teenagers who are supposed to be tech-savvy) so the simpler the better!
Evan, that is exactly what I am looking for, as I said Kattack does it pretty well but $350 for a single event is pretty high.