The high cost of a Garmin or a cheap phone

[Deleted member 26715]

So nothing to do with accuracy. What you're comparing is tracking interval. Whatever you're using on your phone you've set to record its location less frequently than your Garmin. Either can be adjusted I suspect - I use osmand and it's set via a slider.

I set nothing on either

 

[Blue Hills]

I replace the battery in my Garmin twice a week, on average. It takes about 5 seconds, so it's often mid ride.
Etrex ftw.

Yes the OP should check out the etrex 20/30 range.

Most of what I hear about on more expensive garmins is problems.

Many caused by built in batteries.

Keep it simple.

 

[PaulSB]

Keep it simple.

This is the real solution. In my view Garmin issues come about because Garmin have simply loaded more and more features on the original software.

With my 810 I eventually did a factory reset, set up one bike, navigation and recording. Everything else switched off. It then worked well but battery life was still very poor.

Garmin should have completely rewritten the software years ago.

 

[Blue Hills]

Have you considered a 20/30 etrex series paul? They are actually very good. And also handy for when walking around. Batteries no problem at all. A roadie wouldn't be seen dead with one but then many if the other garmin problems are caused I think by consumers and garmin being locked into a mutual fascination with "features", bling, unecessary weight saving, built in batteries as oh so modern etc. Also for garmin of course more margin. Agree about garmin software updates. There are one or two irritations about the 20/30 that garmin could have sorted with ease years ago, but they are clearly more interested in new product.

 

[GlenBen]

Have you considered otger brands? I use a bryton rider 5.it cost me £120,does everything i need it to, without some of the frills, and the battery will last me around 20 hours

 

[Dogtrousers]

I very much doubt that the circuitry or firmware is any different between a Garmin and a phone.

Phones and things like running watches are likely to use the same or similar chipsets but the dedicated GPS units are likely to be quite different. Not least because phones use Assisted GPS for fast startup and standalone units dont. I think there are some proper experts on here who can confirm or refute that. My understanding was that phones tend to use mega integrated system-on-a-chip stuff like Snapdragon but standalone GPS use dedicated GPS chips.

Devices that are android under the hood are more likely to be using the same stuff as phones, obvs.

Other than when underground I've never been plotted more than a meter from where I've been

How did you measure it?

 

[Pedropete]

Phone batteries aren't up to extended use with screen at sufficient brightness to be seen in direct sunlight whilst also running GPS/glonass etc. and turn-by-turn. Fine if you don't mind stashing a battery pack somewhere and having cables all over the place but a bit of a faff otherwise.

There are other good, reliable and more affordable bike GPS computers available besides Garmin. Wahoo, while generally reliable and user friendly, still ain't cheap. The Lezyne units are excellent for a fraction the cost of a Garmin and probably a fair bit less than a cheap smart phone, battery pack and associated mounting brackets. That said, if you've already got the phone and accessories and are happy with the features and performance there's no reason not to stick with it.

 

[Mike_P]

My Garmin 500 typically pauses too long when I have stopped meaning it gradually over the course of a ride under records the distance while logging the actual route meaning the AVG mph is misquoted, Strava on the phone seems to me to be more accurate. The main issue to watch be it a Garmin or phone when using Strava is that the GPS receiver is of a good standard
The 500 is poor on wooded areas putting me way of actual position.

 

[HLaB]

I've just saw a 2nd hand Garmin 200 (in the box) on faceboke for £36 a unit like that or Bryton or similar could be an option?

 

[the_craig]

My Garmin 500 typically pauses too long when I have stopped meaning it gradually over the course of a ride under records the distance while logging the actual route meaning the AVG mph is misquoted, Strava on the phone seems to me to be more accurate. The main issue to watch be it a Garmin or phone when using Strava is that the GPS receiver is of a good standard
The 500 is poor on wooded areas putting me way of actual position.

I think that may be a Garmin or even a standard GPS issue.

I've seen my speed when descending under a layer of tree cover being quoted by my Edge 25 as 15kmh, when i know I'm going a helluva bit faster

 

[Mike_P]

I think that may be a Garmin or even a standard GPS issue.

Some Garmin's are I understand better than others, phones vary but I have no problems with a Motorola Moto G4

 

[Drago]

Mrs D has a Motorola G7 power, biggest battery capacity of any smartphone by a considerable margin. Even with her Twitbook habit it goes 3 or 4 days between charges, easy. Would make a great GPS.

 

[Dogtrousers]

My Garmin 500 typically pauses too long when I have stopped meaning it gradually over the course of a ride under records the distance while logging the actual route meaning the AVG mph is misquoted, Strava on the phone seems to me to be more accurate. The main issue to watch be it a Garmin or phone when using Strava is that the GPS receiver is of a good standard
The 500 is poor on wooded areas putting me way of actual position.

You can switch auto pause off (it's always struck me as a pointless feature) or you can set a custom threshold speed. That may help. Or maybe not, but it's worth fiddling with.

As to wooded areas, remember you are picking up radio signals from a collection of flying dustbins 12,000 miles up in the sky. All GPS will struggle under tree cover. Maybe the 500 is worse than others, I don't know - I've never owned one - but you'll struggle to find any unit that is unaffected.

 

[ColinJ]

You can switch auto pause off (it's always struck me as a pointless feature) or you can set a custom threshold speed. That may help. Or maybe not, but it's worth fiddling with.

It really irritated me, so I switched it off.

As to wooded areas, remember you are picking up radio signals from a collection of flying dustbins 12,000 miles up in the sky. All GPS will struggle under tree cover. Maybe the 500 is worse than others, I don't know - I've never owned one - but you'll struggle to find any unit that is unaffected.

There is a wide range of sensitivity in GPS circuitry. My old Garmin Etrex will not work properly unless it has a clear view of the sky; no signal at all indoors. My Edge 500 will pick up a signal indoors as long as it is near to an external door or window. My phone can pick up the satellites from further into any room with an external door or window (or inside cars, trains or buses).

 

[Blue Hills]

My Garmin Etrex 20 will get a signal in the house. Works on buses. Won't work on some trains - usually modern intercity types. Not even if held near the window.

It is noticably often a bit off or slow amidst the City of London's tall buildings - though it could be picking up toxic brainwaves from all those bankers.

Generally it's great.