Steve Litchfield dons his sports gear and trials the new Sports Tracker application with Polar wireless heart rate monitor. Can this new version of an old favourite, in conjunction with some Bluetooth accessory magic, help you improve your workouts, whether walking, cycling or jogging? (Short answer: Yes. With bells on!)
Read on in the full article.
It's a great idea, but what it's missing for me is a good way to mount the phone to my bike stem or handlebars (i.e. a way that keeps the device visible, but protects it from the elements).
I'm tempted by this, as I already use Sports Tracker, but can't see how I could use the HRM effectively without some sort of visual feedback about which training zone I'm in &c.
(I'm also having a slighlty odd problem with new Sports Tracker where it doesn't record all the distance of my journey, but that seems to be a fairly rare problem).
With the original app I used to have troubles with the GPS lock on my E71/E72. In the latest incarnations of the old app, GPS fix message seemed to have started to appear and I usually got a lock fairly quickly, issue forgotten.
I now have the issue with the new app. Previously I would just start the app without waiting for the lock, start biking hoping for the early lock. Now I finish my bike ride only to find the app has never started logging anything. VERY frustrating.
Have you spoken to the Sports Tracker people?
I've sent them some information and tracks related to my problem with the new version (essentially, they got me to track the same workouts with the last Beta, and the current version, and send them the output).
They seem quite keen to investigate things like this, so do let them know.
Unregistered wrote:With the original app I used to have troubles with the GPS lock on my E71/E72. In the latest incarnations of the old app, GPS fix message seemed to have started to appear and I usually got a lock fairly quickly, issue forgotten.I now have the issue with the new app. Previously I would just start the app without waiting for the lock, start biking hoping for the early lock. Now I finish my bike ride only to find the app has never started logging anything. VERY frustrating.
You don't by any chance have the Wi-Fi/Network positioning method switched on do you? It is switched on by default after installing OVI Maps 3.04 and it was a right pain on my N86 - never got a lock without rebooting the phone first and wouldn't stop the GPS receiver without switching off all of the positioning methods or rebooting.
Since I switched off "Wi-Fi/Network" positioning, I get a lock within about 2-10 seconds every time and the GPS receiver shuts down straight after closing any location based apps.
I've never bothered with getting a Garmin or other similar devices as the old version of Sports Tracker gave me pretty much all of the features that they provide for the cost of a phone and I can use the phone if something goes wrong!
The new version of Sports Tracker is excellent, the maps are much better and they even show footpaths and shortcuts to the start of a local woodland race venue.
All I've got to do now is convince my wife to let me buy the heart rate monitor, pleeeeeeease?
John the Monkey wrote:Have you spoken to the Sports Tracker people?I've sent them some information and tracks related to my problem with the new version (essentially, they got me to track the same workouts with the last Beta, and the current version, and send them the output).
They seem quite keen to investigate things like this, so do let them know.
Hi "John the Monkey",
I like the feature in the new version where it remembers your last choice about how often to record laps when you start each new track.
I noticed however that if you change from Imperial to Metric (the last race was a 5 miler and the next is a 10K) that the app crashes when you select "New Workout".
I've e-mailed them the details and hopefully they'll be able to include a fix in the next version that will be released when they switch on "upload to service" and hopefully also "live tracking".
Cheers,
i've used sports tracker for a long time and really enjoyed it, although it can be inaccurate at times.
i've now bought a garmin gps watch for my running due to one simple fact; i can see straight away what my pace, distance or heart rate is by looking at my wrist! when training it's important to have those facts accessible. running with your phone in your hand isn't a good option, especially if you're getting sweaty so making your phone droppable.
STT would do well to also devise some kind of simple wrist holster, that not only holds your phone but allows access to the keys/touch screen too.while this may look bulky, it would fulfill the requirements of runners and walkers. having a holster on the arm misses the point, that's for holding a music player, where turning it on/off or adjusting the track/volume is needed.
i for one would go back to sports tracker if this was done. the mobile/ desk top interface is superior to garmin's dedicated system.
Aidan
John the Monkey wrote:It's a great idea, but what it's missing for me is a good way to mount the phone to my bike stem or handlebars (i.e. a way that keeps the device visible, but protects it from the elements).I'm tempted by this, as I already use Sports Tracker, but can't see how I could use the HRM effectively without some sort of visual feedback about which training zone I'm in &c.
Krussel do some fantastic cases, and they have handlebar mounts for their multidapt (?) range. I used one years back with my N73, the GPS dongle sat in the bag under the seat ..... although there's a limit to the weather protection you could have on a phone whilst keeping it usable.
I own a N97.
And I have a bluetooth headset.
Is it possible to use the heart rate monitor and a headset (both bluetooth)?
Unregistered wrote:i've used sports tracker for a long time and really enjoyed it, although it can be inaccurate at times.i've now bought a garmin gps watch for my running due to one simple fact; i can see straight away what my pace, distance or heart rate is by looking at my wrist! when training it's important to have those facts accessible. running with your phone in your hand isn't a good option, especially if you're getting sweaty so making your phone droppable.
STT would do well to also devise some kind of simple wrist holster, that not only holds your phone but allows access to the keys/touch screen too.while this may look bulky, it would fulfill the requirements of runners and walkers. having a holster on the arm misses the point, that's for holding a music player, where turning it on/off or adjusting the track/volume is needed.
i for one would go back to sports tracker if this was done. the mobile/ desk top interface is superior to garmin's dedicated system.
Aidan
Hi Aidan,
This is what I use to keep my open N95-1 / N86 dry whilst running, it has a fully transparent front which remains soft to the touch (even when wet or snowy) so button presses are as easy as holding it in your hand (touch screens should be the same), it's guaranteed to be watertight at depths of up to 15 feet deep and is bouyant.
I use it to train whether it's sunny, raining or snowing and do cross country that involves ponds, ditches or streams that can be up to 3 feet deep.
I found their website after drowning my N95-1 in muddy ditch water (it was strapped to my upper arm in an i-pod touch case and open to the elements).
Well worth the �30.
Cheers,
Alun.
Is the new sports tracker compatible with any of the existing bluetooth heart rate monitors?
I already use a Zephyr HxM (measures heart-rate and cadence) that works with applications on the N900, WinMo and Android. It's also USB-chargeable via a cradle which is handy, although it's completely sealed so no user-replaceable battery.
Zephyr also have a very impressive device that does the above as well as measuring breathing rate and various other bits and pieces, but that was outside my budget / requirements.
John the Monkey wrote:It's a great idea, but what it's missing for me is a good way to mount the phone to my bike stem or handlebars (i.e. a way that keeps the device visible, but protects it from the elements).
Unregistered wrote:With the original app I used to have troubles with the GPS lock on my E71/E72. In the latest incarnations of the old app, GPS fix message seemed to have started to appear and I usually got a lock fairly quickly, issue forgotten.I now have the issue with the new app. Previously I would just start the app without waiting for the lock, start biking hoping for the early lock. Now I finish my bike ride only to find the app has never started logging anything. VERY frustrating.
I have a similar problem. When I start the application on my way out (no chance in hell to get a gps lock in the stairwell) it won't even get a lock once I'm outside. However, after shutting down and restarting sports tracker it usually gets a lock after a couple of seconds, same goes for simply just starting it once I'm outside.
So my guess is that there is some kind of timeout problem where the app doesn't properly resume trying for a gps lock.
John the Monkey wrote:It's a great idea, but what it's missing for me is a good way to mount the phone to my bike stem or handlebars (i.e. a way that keeps the device visible, but protects it from the elements).I'm tempted by this, as I already use Sports Tracker, but can't see how I could use the HRM effectively without some sort of visual feedback about which training zone I'm in &c.
(I'm also having a slighlty odd problem with new Sports Tracker where it doesn't record all the distance of my journey, but that seems to be a fairly rare problem).
For my Nokia 5230, I've bought a bicycle mounting holder of ebay for about �4, which is great. It is obviously a copy of the official Nokia holder, but is really well manufactured.
When the weather is a bit inclement, I'll drop a clear plastic bag over it with an elastic band, which is what I have done since the mid-eighties when I first used electronic bike computers.
I think sports tracker is great, and will be ordering a heart rate monitor soon. It is one of the main things which has kept me to symbian.
Hey where all the pics of Steve in spandex?!?!? Hmm... on second thought, perhaps not.
Bodycount wrote:I own a N97.
And I have a bluetooth headset.
Is it possible to use the heart rate monitor and a headset (both bluetooth)?
Yup. Most devices with bluetooth v2 and later will handle a few separate bluetooth connections without any problems - I had the N73 streaming audio to a bluetooth headset whilst having a bluetooth GPS dongle connected.
Personally, what I'd really like for Sports Tracker would be the option to define some new activities with the GPS _disabled_.
#1: as a simple pedometer. I'd like to know how many steps I've made through the day, without it keeping my GPS position. In this case, I don't particularly need the heart rate monitor.
#2: as a dedicated heart rate device. For static exercise (i.e., elliptical machine, strength training), I'd really like to have a record of my heart rate. It'd tell me how hard I'm working, where my limits are, etc. Having the option of adding other meta-data into the exercise would be great, though not necessary.
These two use cases would, I think, appeal to a much wider audience. I use Sports Tracker for walking, and it's a terrific app. I've thought about the heart rate monitor, and may still grab it .. though the addition of a "disable GPS" option would speed me towards the purchase.
rlaskey wrote:Personally, what I'd really like for Sports Tracker would be the option to define some new activities with the GPS _disabled_.#1: as a simple pedometer. I'd like to know how many steps I've made through the day, without it keeping my GPS position. In this case, I don't particularly need the heart rate monitor.
Hello. Well as point number one is already catered for by Nokia themselves with this: Nokia Step Counter I don't think the folks at STT will be too eager to have a go at that!
As for your second point, yes that is interesting. When I get my belt I will test a few settings and see what I can do.
John the Monkey, megapack162
Thanks for the tips. It got me to check the settings, where I've realized I've left the AGPS switched off after holiday abroad. I'll check when I ride next, and if that doesn't help, I'll try the wifi setting.
One other observation: new sports tracker lets you import the uploaded workouts, but they request the login details. This means they have your Ovi login, right? I've tried both pre-Ovi login sports tracker login and Ovi one. Wonder what gets imported. Also what if one keeps uploading tracks after import was requested. Guess I should ask the new team...
Wonderful app though. Only feature I'm missing is some kind editing. I always forget to stop logging at the end of the ride - too exhausted to think of that. Continued logging screws off the stats, though. It would be nice to cut off the extra time.
Insane Reindeer wrote:Hello. Well as point number one is already catered for by Nokia themselves with this: Nokia Step Counter I don't think the folks at STT will be too eager to have a go at that!As for your second point, yes that is interesting. When I get my belt I will test a few settings and see what I can do.
Right; the Nokia Step Counter is definitely what I had in mind re: #1. It's a good app, and I wish it were refreshed in the same way of this new Sports Tracker. Touch support is lacking in the Nokia version, and it'd be great to integrate the data from the step counter with the other workout data.
What might be particularly nice would be to have Sports Tracker constantly running: in a sleep-like mode, it would emulate the Nokia Step Counter. When you start a work out, it could then transition into recording that other data, set to the controls that you'd like. I'm not sure how difficult that'd be in terms of programming, though again it may attract a much wider audience.
Questions:
1. Can you use all the features of Sports Tracker with a phone without an accelerometer like a E71 ?
2. Does it use the same preloaded maps as Ovi Maps or is there some other method ?
Very Nice Article...
Arcade wrote:Questions:1. Can you use all the features of Sports Tracker with a phone without an accelerometer like a E71 ?
2. Does it use the same preloaded maps as Ovi Maps or is there some other method ?
Very Nice Article...
I ran Sports Tracker on the E71 without a problem. Not sure how it calculates the amount of steps though without the accelerometer
2. The maps are not Ovi maps and are not preloaded either so a data connection is required. Maps are by OpenStreetMap
megapack162 wrote:Hi Aidan,This is what I use to keep my open N95-1 / N86 dry whilst running, it has a fully transparent front which remains soft to the touch (even when wet or snowy) so button presses are as easy as holding it in your hand (touch screens should be the same), it's guaranteed to be watertight at depths of up to 15 feet deep and is bouyant.
I use it to train whether it's sunny, raining or snowing and do cross country that involves ponds, ditches or streams that can be up to 3 feet deep.
I found their website after drowning my N95-1 in muddy ditch water (it was strapped to my upper arm in an i-pod touch case and open to the elements).Well worth the �30.
Cheers,
Alun.
hi alun,
thanks for the link. certainly looks like what i've been after. do the case fixtures allow for you to strap your phone to your wrist?
cheers
aidan
Unregistered wrote:hi alun,thanks for the link. certainly looks like what i've been after. do the case fixtures allow for you to strap your phone to your wrist?
cheers
aidan
Hi Aidan,
The supplied elasticated velcro strap is pretty long, I shortened mine off to fit my scrawny arms by doubling a portion of it up and holding it in place with safety pins.
No reason why it can't be shortened enough to fit snugly on your wrist.
Cheers,
Alun.
tried again today. switched on agps. no data recorded during the whole journey when track was started in an underground parking with no signal using new tracker. Repeated the pattern on the way back using the old tracker - got the journey recorded fine.
I do have the wifi enabled in positioning settings, but it that is the problem it is only happening for the new tracker.
I'm running v3.5 on a N86 and seem to have one of two options
1. I launch inside & I am unable to get gps lock (Icon stays orange for the whole 40min cycle ride), but can start a workout and record time only
2. I launch outside & get a gps lock but as soon as I click start the software crashes - when I reopen it says its recovering a workout after a crash and I have a 0seconds workout recorded
neither really work for me 😉
I've tried:
disabling the wi-fi assist on gps (didn't help)
resetting the phone (#*7780*)
uninstalling reinstalling the software
the old nokia version (2.05) does work (but doesn't have the upload feature from the phone & the maps don't seem to download for me either)
I'd LOVE to get this working as having just started working out having a record to encourage me would really help
I bought the Polar HR monitor.
Neither the monitor nor the application gave me any audible warnings when my heart rate was too high. After I had finished the training I saw that my HR had been too high 96% of the time.
Unless they add sound alerts for high heart rate (like proper pulse watches), the Sports Tracker + Polar monitor are just fun toys, maybe not worth the 70 euros though.