How does a cycling computer know the gradient?

[freiston]

I bought a sale-priced Etrex H years ago and primarily used it for the OS grid ref to quickly and easily find myself on the OS map (more when walking than cycling) and for recording the route and importing it onto Google Earth. I thought that was amazing. I also used the altitude (including when recording a microlight flight - which agreed with the aircraft's instrumentation) and sunset/sunrise - I don't recall noticing the discrepancies in altitude that I do now on my phone (Samsung A8 2018). My Garmin Edge 530 seems to report accurate elevation in the house but overall ascent/descent always seems to be over compared to "survey data" correction.

I'd better shut up before I start repeating myself and taking this thread round in a circle.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

We also have to remember GPS launched back in 1979 over 40 years ago.

 

[Ajax Bay]

an adequate supply of 2p coins.

You youngster: the requirement was 4 pennies, and press the 'A' button when answered, well, in the levelled up sarf.

taking this thread round in a circle.

Are you suggesting this thread is 2-dimensional. How about round an ellipsoid?

 

[ColinJ]

You youngster: the requirement was 4 pennies, and press the 'A' button when answered, well, in the levelled up sarf.

Wow - I've just had a flashback to about 60 years ago...

I was a small child standing in a call box with my mum. I was looking up as her call connected and she pressed the 'A' button. I was bored and was fiddling around with the underside of the box below the handset. I found a hole in the box big enough to poke my finger into...

ZAP - an electric shock threw me against the door of the call box!!!

 

[Alex321]

We also have to remember GPS launched back in 1979 over 40 years ago.

Sort of. Only 4 GPS satellites altogether in 1979 (the first was launched in 1978), so you sometimes had to wait hours to get an accurate fix.

It was initially only for military use (and required receivers weighing 16Kg+), civilian access wasn't possible until the mid-80's, and even then was limited in accuracy until 2000.

The first civilian handheld GpS device was launched by Magellan in 1989.
The first cellphone that included GPS was launched in 1999

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Sort of. Only 4 GPS satellites altogether in 1979 (the first was launched in 1978),

Launched a year earlier than I said, only a pendant would argue that point 45 years later.

 

[Alex321]

Launched a year earlier than I said, only a pendant would argue that point 45 years later.

True, but I wasn't arguing that point, just putting it as an aside. Though pedantically, I don't agree it was launched a year earlier than you said, because 1 satellite is not sufficient to get a GPS fix. You need 4.