Monday 24 May 2010

Something I learnt at the weekend is to...

... not try to run 20 miles in the evening sun after working for 8 hours in the sun, having no intake other that a bottle of Powerade before hand and lunch 5 hours previous, serious school boy error. Another one would be not considering the finish time for such a run seeing that I was starting at 7:30 PM, even if there wasn't much of an option if I wanted to get in my long run for the week.


View Outbound to ards in a larger map

(I particularly like the circuit of trail I did around 20:30 while trying to find my way from Helen's Tower to the Lead Mines, I never can find the right path to take!)

At least I had taken some money with me to grab a Mars bar and bottle of rehydration juice before dragging myself back from the metropolis that is Newtownards, to Helen's Bay.

6 comment(s) so far, add your thoughts -->>here<<--:

Anonymous said...

Another curse of technology: being caught on getting lost ;)

Reminds me of the very childish fun to be had 'writing' using your GPS trail: link

ps. what kit are you using to track your trail?

Keith said...

Doesn't matter how many times I take that route, I can never find the correct path :)

LOL, very good! Must be getting pretty bored with looking at your log to be doing that! Maybe some day I'll try it myself.

I'm using a very simple Holux M-241 GPS logger at the minute. Its a handy wee unit to turn on and just forget about, and runs for around 20hours off 1 AA battery, but have been eyeing up a Garmin 305 for a while. The kit monster in me is saying yes, but the wallet is saying no, for the mean time anyways.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info on the GPS logger, I got an itch a while ago to try mapping my mourne walks...but I can't warm to GPS units (or their cost)...prefer my map....so just need my position logged (height and temperature would be a Brucie Bonus). GL.

Keith said...

The M241 might suit you pretty well then, its roughly the size of a film cannister (remember them?), has a small backlit screen to show vital info and change settings, and comes with a soft lanyard which I usually wear round my neck. It's not marketed as being water proof or resistant but I've worn it next to skin under a tight base layer and my sweat is yet to wreck it, and being caught out in the same attire during 10 minutes of heavy rain is yet to take any effect on it.

I picked it up for around £40 and as said before it runs off a single AA battery for around 20-24hours. Some features: obviously it logs you're movements (at either 1, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 or 120 second intervals), shows the time, gives lat & lon co-ord's(unfortunately not OS map ready, just degree's and minutes), measures distance travelled, gives you you're speed and direction of travel, shows you're height(just GPS height, so not always the most accurate) and can connect to a laptop/phone/device with bluetooth for added functionality (with the correct app on your phone I'm sure you could get OS ready co-ords if you needed them).

Well that turned into a mini review, no doubt a quick google will give you a far better one though!

Anonymous said...

Sold :)

Bidding on one at the moment...can't see anyone else selling them but on fleeBay.

Google does indeed point to others but you have to drop more money to get features I don't need.

Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Hi, ended up with a iBlue 747a+, same price as the M241 but runs of a separate Li-ion battery with USB charging. Doesn't have any screen, just logs (not been able to get the bluetooth working yet wth my Nokia). Output is pretty good, just need to figure out the best combination of Log every 'XX seconds' or 'XX meters'...then figure out the best way to make pretty maps like yours :)

Anyhow, big thanks for starting me down this path Keith. Well pleased.