Discussion: GPS Logger

What GPS Logger are you using? (no watches - only GPS for WRE)

Fine, exclude me from your exclusive discussion you excluding excluder.

I Got U

There have been a few previous threads on this which you can find by searching. Most recently:

http://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/me...

Qstarz
Reasonably happy with it once i learnt how to use it (manual being based on a previous model).

Just got GiSTEQ DL-500 5Hz logger. Battery suppose to last 32hours. Tried once. So far so good. Still playing with settings. Planning to use it on coming CNYO rogaine this weekend. Will post more updates after that.

I noticed the DL-500 also has a 3-axis accelerometer ("g-sensor"). does the log include that data?

edit: sounds like maybe, when the software works.

According to docs - it does, but by default this option is disabled and needs to be changed in settings. I did not activate it yet.

QStarz bt1000.
And it works woth gpsbabel which is good.

I have the iGotU GT-120 and can't recommend it except purely as recreational. Fine for low needs, but needing a lot of fine-tuning once in quickroute. Maybe the higher-priced models are better.

QSTARZ BT-Q1300
Must be worn on the top of your shoulder (or your head), then the precision is comparable to or even better than a Garmin Forerunner (worn on your wrist).
If you wear the BT-Q1300 the recommended way (wrist or upper arm) the precision is rather poor, especially in dense forests.

I've had good success with the M-1000C worn on my head or in the top pouch of a backpack. 20hrs was no problem, i think that's the longest I've used it for at a single go. Seems fairly accurate, I think it's a good chipset and has 66 channels.

http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...

Gpsbabel works fine, but had to guess for a setting or two because it's not (or wasn't last summer) a listed device. BT747 works as well.

OpenStreetMap project has a serious set of reviews, too:

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/GPS_Reviews

Any updates on this front since this thread was written? What lightweight GPS logger (without screen) would you recommend to buy today for use at rogaines?

I ordered an I-gotU GT-600. Will hopefully report my experience with it here next week...

For orienteering I use Suunto GPS Track pod http://www.suunto.com/Products/PODs/Suunto-GPS-Tra...

Plastic ring allows to attach it to headband and wear at the back of head. I additionally use some tape to secure logger.

Suunto watch is not required to use this logger.

The button on the I-gotU GT-600 is proud of the surface and prone to being squeezed, which can shut it off. You may wish to experiment before your target event. I've had issues in my pack and in my pants such that I say screw the rules and run my Garmin watch for any event within the Garmin's battery life.

I have to agree with Niall on igot-U 120. I just got it and it is a disappointment regarding accuracy. WorldOfO recommends GlobalSats BT-335 or DG 200. Tracks from BT-335 look quite well.

Has anyone found a multi system logger (GNSS type with GPS and GLONASS as min)? With twice the number of satellites, accuracy becomes some 40% better as an average. Latest cells have such chipsets. I found a couple of thorough GPS-GLONASS links - but no loggers: GPS-GLONASS White Paper and way beyond loggers: Test Drives.

As I understood it the I-gotU GT-600 model has an option to lock the button to avoid accidentally shutting it off (which was not available on the earlier GT-120), but I haven't received mine yet... The Garmin watch is not an option since it has a screen and the battery life is too short.

The I-gotU GT-600 was a complete failure at the adventure race last weekend. Despite being mounted on top of my backpack, it lost track of where I was about 10 minutes into a 12-hour race, while I was still on a big road, and found itself just twice more for short periods of time during the next couple of hours. It finally died completely after about 3,5 hours (battery down, I think), despite having promised a battery life of 30 hours with the logging frequency I had selected.

The holder that comes with the device is also completely inadequate to mount the device on the outside of your clothes or gear. At one point in the race I happened to check it just as it was about to fall off (which would probably have been just as good).

Will experiment a little more with it before throwing it away, but can obviously not recommend this device to anyone for any purpose at this point.

I don't trust lithium rechargeables until I've done three charge-discharge cycles.

I used a I-got U 200 in 2010 for a 24hr Rogaine, it was set at 15 sec recording, and had no problems recording, except resetting itself at midnight

Saturday and Sunday

The one fault it did have was a lot of artifact

I have been comparing devices over the years, just for fun. On older comparison:
http://www.routegadget.net/gps/GPS_test_2010-12-01...

My current favourite is Suunto's trackpod. here is my latest run with it
http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...

The accuracy makes it good device for making geo-scribbling like these:
http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...
http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...

it is excellent for orienteering, weight is just 35g and it records far more accurate track than any wrist gps I have ever tried, but it may not be that perfect for 24h races because battery/runtime is just 15h at one second recording interval. It has option for recording one point per minute and in that mode it runs for days, but is one minute interval good enough for rogaining? I guess not. So you would have to have two units and turn second one on at halfrway. But there is good slightly larger units one can use over 24h,s so this pod may not be the best option for 24 races. One good alternative is the unit andzs has been using (Wintec-WBT-202), accuracy about same as suunto's - in some cases most likely even better - and it runs long enough for rogaines. And there may be other units too. Igotu units I have tried have been dissapointing.

Accuracy seems to be really good, Jagge.
Where do you wear the Suunto Pod? Head? Shoulder? Upper arm?

When I like to record accurate track, I have it on head (inside my cap, antenna shooting about straight up). All the accurate scribblles are done like that. For factor/weight makes it quite confortable to be carried like that.

For races I have it on top of my shoulder (antenna shooting about 30 deg wrong). Upper arm is bad place, antenna shoots sideways. The device is quite sensitive to the direction antenna shoots.

Example of a typical track session with it:
http://www.attackpoint.org/sessiondata.jsp?session...