Author Topic: "Cumulative" altimeter?  (Read 1504 times)

Fredsie

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"Cumulative" altimeter?
« on: 16:35:36, 30/04/19 »
Hi all,


New to this stuff having only recently started doing any serious (for me!) walking. Given the impact of altitude on any given walk It occurred to me that there must be altimeters available which show the accumulated climb for a given walk? So I'm looking for something which, say,  if I ascend three hills each with a climb of 200 ft followed by decent to zero, the altimeter would at the end of the day report that I'd ascended 600 ft. (even though I ended back at zero). However I've searched and not found any device (at any price!) which claims to do this. Does anyone know of something like this?


Cheers
Fred     

ninthace

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #1 on: 16:55:30, 30/04/19 »
Hi all,


New to this stuff having only recently started doing any serious (for me!) walking. Given the impact of altitude on any given walk It occurred to me that there must be altimeters available which show the accumulated climb for a given walk? So I'm looking for something which, say,  if I ascend three hills each with a climb of 200 ft followed by decent to zero, the altimeter would at the end of the day report that I'd ascended 600 ft. (even though I ended back at zero). However I've searched and not found any device (at any price!) which claims to do this. Does anyone know of something like this?


Cheers
Fred   


Welcome Fred from Devon,
ViewRanger on your mobile phone will give you a reasonably good summary of total ascent and descent as well as an elevation profile,  A walking gps will do the same.  You can also export the gps trace from your phone or gps device to GoogleEarth.  This will show you where you actually walked on an aerial image and if you click under properties you can get an elevation profile plus the ascent and descent data.
Solvitur Ambulando

richardh1905

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #2 on: 17:28:52, 30/04/19 »
ninthace has answered your question, Fred, but I'll add my welcome too  :)
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

alan de enfield

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #3 on: 17:40:16, 30/04/19 »
My GPS shows the highest point, the lowest point, a continuous track of the trip and a cumulative total height gain.


This was a recent 5 miles in the 'flatlands of Lincolnshire' but it does show the Maximum height (55 ft ASL), Minimum height (29 feet ASL) and cumulative height gained (45 feet).


MarkT

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #4 on: 19:15:39, 30/04/19 »
As been said before, Viewranger App, free of charge and gives you loads of information.





This is from a recent coastal walk so hardly any height gained, apart from along the cliff tops. Note my minimum altitude was 0.42ft below sea level. This was when I was walking along the shore line when the tide was very far out.


Below is a copy another walk I did up Helvellyn, so the altitudes are a lot greater.



Fredsie

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #5 on: 07:02:40, 01/05/19 »
Thanks guys I've downloaded the ViewRanger app and will give it a go today.  I presume it uses the internal pressure sensor for altitude changes, and not GPS altitude, which tends to be a bit iffy? Also, do you notice a heavy battery drain with it if it's using phone GPS for location? If no problems from these factors, it looks ideal. Otherwise, is it generally true that all the standalone walking GPSs offer view/download of all this info?

MarkT

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #6 on: 07:15:16, 01/05/19 »
I have an old smartphone so doubt it has an "internal pressure sensor", as far as I'm aware it uses gps to calculate your height. The app runs in the background so you can do other things on your phone at the same time ie take photo's. Regards draining your battery, I find it ok for a days walk on my phone, but as I said it is old, so ona newer phone you shouldn't have any issues.


Best way to find out is use it and try it. If you don't like Viewranger, try another, there are loads out there but Viewranger customer service is brilliant if you need to contact them. (even for non paying users)

ninthace

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #7 on: 08:19:41, 01/05/19 »
Thanks guys I've downloaded the ViewRanger app and will give it a go today.  I presume it uses the internal pressure sensor for altitude changes, and not GPS altitude, which tends to be a bit iffy? Also, do you notice a heavy battery drain with it if it's using phone GPS for location? If no problems from these factors, it looks ideal. Otherwise, is it generally true that all the standalone walking GPSs offer view/download of all this info?
No, it uses the gps altitude and position.  It shows an elevation profile based on Gps altitude and a smoothed elevation profile based on position and map data.  Battery drain should not be an issue on a modern phone. It was on the old Symbian phones
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sussamb

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #8 on: 10:48:01, 01/05/19 »
Otherwise, is it generally true that all the standalone walking GPSs offer view/download of all this info?

Not necessarily, and some rely on GPS data rather than having their own barometer, generally the more you pay the more you get  ;)

I've never fussed about having altitude in my tracks so I have a bog standard Etrex 20, but it will display route profiles if the selected map has altitude detail.  All I want to know when I'm walking is 'am I going up or down' and I work that out through my feet  ;D
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alan de enfield

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #9 on: 17:27:07, 01/05/19 »
………... Otherwise, is it generally true that all the standalone walking GPSs offer view/download of all this info?



My SatMap GPS can be set to either 'GPS Altitude', or, 'Ordnance Survey Altitude' (which it takes from you position on the OS Map)




Fredsie

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #10 on: 16:27:37, 10/06/19 »
Hi again


As you guys took the trouble to advice me on this I thought I'd let you know how I got on with ViewRanger.


Well it turns out that it is ideal for my needs. It is very accurate as regards location, consumes little battery and records all the data I need. The default mapping is more than good enough for me (thankfully, as the OS maps seem expensive to me), and shows many more pathways and off-road routes than the Google maps I was using before. And it's free.  :)


On the altitude aspect, the app seems mostly to follow the altitude supplied by the map. I don't get much of an impression of it also using GPS altitude. This is clear from occasions such as crossing a railway footbridge, where the GPS clearly registers the additional height on the bridge but the app records only the level of the land on either side. But this is pretty trivial overall for walking and I get a good idea of total climb and descent.


Thanks to all for the recommendation!


Regards
Fred




ninthace

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Re: "Cumulative" altimeter?
« Reply #11 on: 16:34:28, 10/06/19 »
Thanks for the feedback - glad it worked out for you.
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