Mobile phones

[swee'pea99]

a dedicated device also leaves you with a phone that you might want use for its primary purpose to make calls. For serious use I would usually recommend using a device that was designed for that purpose, the phone excels at wrapping lots of things in one but leaving you very vulnerable if it goes wrong and it's your only device.

Funnily enough this was the one reason I kind of wished I'd taken one of my little Lumix's with me on my trip this summer - every time I wanted to take a photo I had to faff around removing 'my GPS' from the handlebar mount, changing to camera, taking the shot, then changing back to maps and remounting it.

 

[Andrew_P]

Funnily enough this was the one reason I kind of wished I'd taken one of my little Lumix's with me on my trip this summer - every time I wanted to take a photo I had to faff around removing 'my GPS' from the handlebar mount, changing to camera, taking the shot, then changing back to maps and remounting it.

yeah but imagine what you would have needed to have with you 10-15 years ago, paper map, or crib sheet for directions at best a small (large by todays standards) digital camera and brick phone that barely ever could find a signal in the countryside. Go back 20 and you have to luck out and find a Telephone box!

Not related to your post sorry but an add on!

The only thing I keep repeating to everyone who will listen. We are the test subjects for all of this, and a lot of other stuff like Chemicals etc. No one truly knows the long term effects. Sitting at home my equipment can see upwards of 6-12 wireless internet routers, let alone the Phones it cannot see as set to invisible that are constantly searching and connecting. All of this is bouncing around us no one really knows if it is having any long term affect on us! Definitely people who live near the main mobile masts seem to think they have an affect. These feckers are hidden everywhere, Petrol Station price signs etc. I am not a nutter in that I am convinced they are damaging but who knows really? Our bodies are being exposed to stuff long term that they never were 20-50 years ago. My kids as much as I try to stop it would be with their phones 24/7 given the chance as well as a lot of adults. If I tun on my microwave at home my Bluetooth speakers goes mad so without any knowledge of the science behind this it has to make me wonder if the Bluetooth can sense it surely I can at some level :-)

OK putting my tin foil hat back on now.

 

[classic33]

yeah but imagine what you would have needed to have with you 10-15 years ago, paper map, or crib sheet for directions at best a small (large by todays standards) digital camera and brick phone that barely ever could find a signal in the countryside. Go back 20 and you have to luck out and find a Telephone box!

Not related to your post sorry but an add on!

The only thing I keep repeating to everyone who will listen. We are the test subjects for all of this, and a lot of other stuff like Chemicals etc. No one truly knows the long term effects. Sitting at home my equipment can see upwards of 6-12 wireless internet routers, let alone the Phones it cannot see as set to invisible that are constantly searching and connecting. All of this is bouncing around us no one really knows if it is having any long term affect on us! Definitely people who live near the main mobile masts seem to think they have an affect. These feckers are hidden everywhere, Petrol Station price signs etc. I am not a nutter in that I am convinced they are damaging but who knows really? Our bodies are being exposed to stuff long term that they never were 20-50 years ago. My kids as much as I try to stop it would be with their phones 24/7 given the chance as well as a lot of adults. If I tun on my microwave at home my Bluetooth speakers goes mad so without any knowledge of the science behind this it has to make me wonder if the Bluetooth can sense it surely I can at some level :-)

OK putting my tin foil hat back on now.

Coded signal?

 

[Andrew_P]

Coded signal?

Don't know but it is consistent on two different Bluetooth boom boxes have to put the boom box about 15 ft away from the Microwave before it will work uninterrupted again! My wife has not sussed it yet but I keep a 15 ft distance now between me and the microwave when it is on... :-)

On a serious note I suspect it has something to do with a radio signal form the MW and nothing sinister though

 

[FishFright]

Using a phone as a GPS in the hills would be better than not using one at all - they are quite good and even have some advantage over some dedicated GPS units in terms of the amount of screen space - but as you mention, battery life is an issue, so are water resistance, quality of the antenna and being able to operate it in shocking conditions with gloves on.

A dedicated unit can do a lot more than just tell you where you are, there's functionality that I don't know if a smart phone can match?

When you use a GPS/phone in the hills do you continuously and leave it on and tracking all day ? When I'm up in the hills I use my phone, and before a gps unit, for occasional position checks only so the battery life on either has never been an issue.
Or don't people memorise routes anymore ?

Actually I turn my phone off most of the day out walking and riding in nice places , I'm there for peace and quiet for one.

 

[summerdays]

Loads of people use paper maps all the time!, they are not going out or anything.Theres a massive market for them.
What are you going to do if your phone or GPS fails and you dont know where you are in the middle of nowhere on the moors?
All the really serious walkers I know have good map reading skills and take the maps and the GPS when they are going out.They can use both like I can.

I suspect that's the problem with people using the phone maps... they still need to actually look at the map and compare it to their surroundings... and understand, rather than just assuming it is telling the right way to go. Look at all the people who follow their sat navs blindly!

 

[classic33]

When you use a GPS/phone in the hills do you continuously and leave it on and tracking all day ? When I'm up in the hills I use my phone, and before a gps unit, for occasional position checks only so the battery life on either has never been an issue.
Or don't people memorise routes anymore ?

Problem with that last part is how good is your memory, and how you decide which route to take should anything happen.

Maps are constantly updated, often minor changes. To go onto the hills, with only your memory to go by is a stupid thing to do.

 

[FishFright]

Problem with that last part is how good is your memory, and how you decide which route to take should anything happen.

Maps are constantly updated, often minor changes. To go onto the hills, with only your memory to go by is a stupid thing to do.

Joke of the day or oh really ? Where are these terrifying outdoors you seem so worried by ?

 

[classic33]

Joke of the day or oh really ? Where are these terrifying outdoors you seem so worried by ?

Often they happen to be in areas people say they know like the back of their hands.

How well do you really know the back of your hands!

 

[FishFright]

Often they happen to be in areas people say they know like the back of their hands.

How well do you really know the back of your hands!

A lot better than you know the countryside it seems. What are you scared of ?

Actually maybe listen to the Mountain Rescue etc who warn repeatedly about relying on digital devices as a cure all.

 

[classic33]

A lot better than you know the countryside it seems. What are you scared of ?

Actually maybe listen to the Mountain Rescue etc who warn repeatedly about relying on digital devices as a cure all.

Be a bit odd being scared of living in the countryside.

That'd be most of my life in the country.

 

[FishFright]

Be a bit odd being scared of living in the countryside.

That'd be most of my life in the country.

Go on then explain this bearing in mind you live there .... "To go onto the hills, with only your memory to go by is a stupid thing to do."

 

[classic33]

Go on then explain this bearing in mind you live there .... "To go onto the hills, with only your memory to go by is a stupid thing to do."

Doesn't quite tie in with what you worded, let alone what I said.

 

[FishFright]

Doesn't quite tie in with what you worded, let alone what I said.

If a direct quote of your own words confuses you then I've no idea what to do next.

 

[Drago]

Yes, paper maps won't be going anywhere in a hurry. OS Landranger sheets are a staple of SAR and AccyChat trig baggers.