App: Hiking

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/39d3b5e8-67db-4517-93a8-5ec485269635

For the vivoactive, FR230, FR235, and FR630 (I don't plan support for other devices)

Please use this thread for questions, etc!

"Hike" records an activity as a hike or walk in Garmin Connect. It also allows you to mark "waypoints" (they show up as lap marks in Garmin connect, so you can see them on that map).

When hike starts, it waits for GPS, and looks for an available HRM and Tempe. At this point, with the up/down key or a screen swipe, you can switch between "hike" and "walk". Then, press "start" to start recording.

The current time, HR and temp (if the sensors are available) is displayed on all screens. While recording, pressing "back" marks a waypoint. To pause or end, press "start again", and you are given the options of "resume", "save", and "discard".

When you hit the start button and get the resume/save/discard menu, you can hit the back button. The menu goes away, and the recording remains paused (it's indicated next to the clock time on all pages). But you can scroll trough the data pages at the time. That way, if you're taking a break, you can sit and look at the current data.

When "paused" is displayed with the time, pressing start again resumes the recording.

There are 5 data screens that you can see when recording (up/down button, or swipe right/left on touch devices) (some not shown here due to forum limits)

The first screen is basic recording info: The time for the activity, the time that recording was active (when paused, this doesn't increase), the distance, and the number of waypoints marked

The second screen shows pace, avg pace, speed, and avg speed.

The third page shows the waypoints you marked. They are shown 5 at a time, and rotate every 7 seconds. They closest waypoint is shown in green.

The fourth page shows elevation data. This is GPS based, and sometime may be off. Elevation, total Ascent, and total Descent is shown.

The fifth page is location information. Your current lat/lon and heading, as well as your starting location lat/lon and the direction and distance back to start. GPS quality is also show, both in text and colors (green is usable or better)

Changes in version 0.12: see https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?335082-App-Hiking&p=765691#post765691

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webvan over 8 years ago

Thanks, looking forward to trying it!

Nighthawk700 over 8 years ago

I could see using this when geocaching in the woods on some trails. Just one question (and I'm not asking you to change it). Is there only the DD.ddddd format of displaying the coordinates? Most geocachers use DD MM.mmm format.

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

I could see using this when geocaching in the woods on some trails. Just one question (and I'm not asking you to change it). Is there only the DD.ddddd format of displaying the coordinates? Most geocachers use DD MM.mmm format.

That is something I'll look at. I'll probably do it as a "user setting"

Degree/Minute Format, dddmm.mmm: 38 27.865'

How about

Degree/Minute/Seconds Format, dddmmss: 38 27' 8“

Is that useful for you too?

webvan over 8 years ago

Thanks, will give it a try.

Please keep DD.ddddd as that's the only format that is sure to avoid confusion if you need to give your lat/long to someone.

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

Thanks, will give it a try.

Please keep DD.ddddd as that's the only format that is sure to avoid confusion if you need to give your lat/long to someone.

I'd make it an option with user settings.. Due to screen space, it would probably be only one format at a time. (that you can switch using GCM on your phone - probably while it's running)

Update:

The next version will allow the lat/lon to be displayed in the following ways:
-Degrees
-Degrees/Min
-Degree/Min/Sec
-MGRS (note: this isn't available on the vivoactive)

With DMS on the forerunners, it shifts to a smaller font to avoid truncation.
Using Garmin Connect Mobile or Garmin Express, you can set the format you prefer. With GCM, you can change it while you're using it!

Nighthawk700 over 8 years ago

That is something I'll look at. I'll probably do it as a "user setting"

Degree/Minute Format, dddmm.mmm: 38 27.865'

How about

Degree/Minute/Seconds Format, dddmmss: 38 27' 8“

Is that useful for you too?

The DD mm ss isn't as useful for geocaching. Some puzzles may use coords like that, but most use the dd mm.mmm. Thanks, I look forward to trying the app out!

webvan over 8 years ago

Gave it a try this morning, very nice app, thanks !
A few suggestions if I may :
- have a pause or summary page after stopping the activity to be able to copy the recorded waypoints for future use
- a small breadcrumb screen would be great

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

Gave it a try this morning, very nice app, thanks !
A few suggestions if I may :
- have a pause or summary page after stopping the activity to be able to copy the recorded waypoints for future use
- a small breadcrumb screen would be great

Both things I'm considering.

1)Being able to see the data screens again after the activity was saved wouldn't be hard.

Internally I can save a list of lat/lon for each waypoint, but it would be saved to a <program name>.txt file, and with stuff in the app store, it picks it's own <program name>, so It's hard to point at what the file needs to be named! Also, when you have uploaded the hike to Garmin Connect, when you're viewing the activity map, if you turn on laps, there is a lap mark for the places you marked a waypoint.

2)On another hiking app I did (vivoactive only, and not in the store) I have a screen that shows a "chart" of the crumbs. With the semi-round screen of the forerunners, it would have to be a bit smarter, and would take some time.

Are you thinking something like this?

(in that app, blue is where you started, yellow are crumbs/waypoints, and green is your current location. In the current version it's not a green dot, but the 1 or 2 character abbreviation for your current heading instead)

webvan over 8 years ago

1) a saved list would be even better, with these USB watches it's easy enough to retrieve the file from your computer

2) that would be nice yes, although ideally it would also show intermediate points that haven't been saved specifically, it seems to draw a line between saved points in your screenshot ?

jim_m_58 over 8 years ago

1) a saved list would be even better, with these USB watches it's easy enough to retrieve the file from your computer

2) that would be nice yes, although ideally it would also show intermediate points that haven't been saved specifically, it seems to draw a line between saved points in your screenshot ?

It would take a bunch of memory to save points in between (image a 4 hour hike). While the points are saved in the .fit file, from Connect IQ you don't have access to them (history wise), and I would have to save them off separately. There's a 64k limit for CIQ apps like this (program and data) (Hike is currently around 22-23k)

As far as saving waypoints to a file, that is simple. The problem is that that file needs to pre-exist, and have the same name as the .prg file. The name of the .prg is generated by the app store, so it's difficult to tell people what the file needs to be named and how to find it.