Which phone / GPS receiver should I buy? Report your experiences here

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  • Hi there, I only recently found out about this amazing app and now looking to buy a proper GPS receiver for accurate lapping. I saw at an older post here that phone vs 10Hz receivers is a comparison of: 0.1s vs 0.01s but since 1Hz = 1cycle/1s shouldn't the phone vs 10Hz gps accuracy be more like "1s vs 0.1s" ? I appreciate the software doesn't just blindly record points but tries to smoothly connect them based on whether speed was continuous etc. but in the end, if smartphones provide a 0.1s accuracy/update interval then I guess the only benefit of a proper receiver like XGPS160 is the position accuracy of +/- 2.5m ?
  • edited September 2015
    The lap timing accuracy does not improve linearly to the update rate. RaceChrono does interpolation on the update points, so more important than the update rate, is the positional accuracy of the data the GPS reports. That said the positional data quality is also far better on the high end GPS, compared to for example internal GPS on phones. Where the update rate matters most is braking points etc.

    The position accuracy depends of various factors. 1) The GPS quality 2) Where the GPS is installed (reception!) 3) Weather 4) Geographical location (=how many satellites are there visible)
  • Ok, so I get that lap times (given that start/finish points are long straights) might be more accurate than the slow 1Hz frequency of smartphones' GPS circuits implies due to the smart interpolation RC does. But nonetheless, using a 10Hz GPS you will know where you are every 0.1 second right? That is a significantly shorter time compared to 1s / 1Hz. As you said, apart from braking points where I guess interpolation is less accurate due to the non-linear change of speed, one second is maybe all the time you need to enter and exit a corner. In that case, a typical smartphone will be unable to provide any info on the exact racing line you followed, meaning that you lose valuable analysis data (if of course analyzing your lines is of interest to you). So summing it up, is it correct to say that a 10Hz receiver offers more advantages in terms of positional accuracy/racing lines etc than it does on absolute lap times?
  • Yes, you're correct.
  • edited September 2015
    I just want to report back that I tested my setup (HTC One M7, Dual XGPS 160, GoPro 3+ Silver) on track a couple weeks back and it worked perfectly from the get go.

    Moreover, I kept the GPS module in my pocket and it still "saw" the satellites with no problem (I was instructing).

    I was a short track and we never exceeded 100mph, and for my car I will still be mounting it to my cage for the best signal.

    Thanks!
  • Good morning all,

    I find on web a new Receiver GNS 2000 (based on mtk 3333 chipset), this chipset is compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS support...You have test this chipset???

    I not find if the data are send with 5Hz or 10Hz or other....
  • edited October 2015
    Haven't seen it before and I could not find the info either. It seems interesting receiver though.
  • Hi, I've had a play with the RaceChrono app and it looks like a very slick piece of software, I'm very impressed. :)

    I haven't been able to use it properly, due to the limited GPS receiver in my phone, so it's time to buy an external receiver.

    From what I've been reading in this informative thread, is any half decent 5hz+ will do the job perfectly, so long as it can see the satellites. If possible, I would like to use my FM antenna on the car radio, with an inline switch, as an external antenna to effectively boost the signal.

    Are there reasonably priced receivers that accept external antennas, and if so, are they a coaxial type?

    If I'm being silly, feel free to tell me, I'm new to GPS receivers and it's not something I've previously researched.

    Thanks :)
  • After commenting here about a year ago I tried using a HTC Wildfire running Android 2.3.3 with the xgps160. The devices simply would not connect.

    I'm going to try again with a different handset. Has anybody tested the Galaxy S3 Mini? Perfect size for mounting on my bike and is cheaper and easier to find than the full size S3.
  • edited January 2016
    crumpy, On Android 2.3.3 you could try the "Bluetooth fix" from expert settings. Samsung Galaxy S3 mini should work just fine, although if you want record video, I'd recommend a higher spec phone.
  • Went to Talladega Grand Prix Raceway this weekend and had a blast and Race Chrono worked awesome! Took some testing to figure it all out but overall awesome app! Everyone is super impressed with how it looks!
    I have the OBD Link LX unit, the Garmin Glo unit, a Nexus 6 phone and a Go Pro Hero 4 Silver. Everything works awesome! Here's a link to my video showing proof:
  • Hi, I'm new to RaceChono but have been using similar software for many years .. Harry's and Trackmaster. This season I'm going with RaceChrono because of better reliability (hopefully .. based reviews that should be no problem). I have been using a GRay's GPS button at 10 hz.

    I would like to step up to 20 htz but so far the posts I've been reading seem to stay around 5-10 hz. That's makes good sense for tracking. I'm looking for more hz because we run a modified car in autocross, where change of direction, braking, etc all happens in milliseconds. What GPS should I buy to get good 20 hz performance?

    I guess while I'm at it my old GRay's GPS button should work with RaceChrono, right?
  • BreezyRacer, welcome!

    The 5-10 Hz is specific for the Garmin GLO unit, receivers like RaceLogic VBOX Sport can achieve 20 Hz no problem. For now I'd say buy Garmin GLO because of the GLONASS support. RaceLogic VBOX Sport is good 20 Hz but it's not cheap and you need to have external antenna for proper reception. Your old Wintec G-Rays should work just fine too.

    -Antti
  • Can anyone comment on whether RaceChrono will work with a Samsung Galaxy S5 android phone together with a Dual XGPS 160 gps device?
  • TRF78, it will work perfectly.
  • @Kevin85 "If possible, I would like to use my FM antenna on the car radio, with an inline switch, as an external antenna to effectively boost the signal."
    It looks like no-one answered this.
    Forget it. Your FM antenna is designed for the FM band. 87-108 MHz.
    GPS signals are at 1.2 and 1.5 GHz, MUCH higher. Your FM antenna is useless at these frequencies.
  • Haha, thanks ric. Seems like a silly question now, considering the massively different frequencies. That's how people learn I suppose, asking questions. :)

    I bought a qstarz bt-1000ex 10hz and it works a treat.
  • HTC Desire A8181 and QSTARZ BT-818XT (10 Hz) works great for the free version.
    I'd really like to pay for the Pro version but I can't upgrade from Android 2.3...
  • garth.newton, you'll get chance to pay once you upgrade your device at some point :)
  • Ok I've upgraded to a Sony Xperia M and am the proud owner of the Pro version now :smiley:
  • I tried to use QStarz BT-1000ex GPS receiver and the problem is that although the application recognizes the GPS unit and even is able to draw the track no position data can be seen. The app works fine with Q-818XT for me. The phone is Sony Xperia Z5 compact
  • edited June 2016
    vprouza: Are you using it in recording mode? It might output combination of data when recording compared to non-recording mode.
  • hi, I'm new to this tech but have a HTC 820. I was going to try this soon at cadwell on my bike. am I best getting the 818 and will this jut connect on Bluetooth. also I have a Go pro4 silver. can I film and overlap speed/revs etc. from using the gps tech? or do I need to connect into the bikes electrics/ecu somehow
  • Hi everyone, I got a chance to take a look at the Racechrono app at a track day yesterday, and I really liked what I saw. Does anyone know if the app will work with a BLU android phone? My actual cell is an iPhone, and I'm perfectly willing to have a dedicated Android phone for the app, but I'd prefer not to spend a large amount of money on the phone itself, Amazon has some really great deals on the BLUE Advance 5.0, and the BLU R1HD, both of which seem to run Android 5.1 out of the box. Do you know if the Racechrono app will work with either of these phones? Thanks very much for your help!
  • Hi guys! I use to ride a kart in many popular kart tracks in Brazil.
    Works perfectly on MOTOROLA MOTO X (first generation).
    I use internal GPS and a GOPRO Hero 3 White in RaceChrono App.

    There is an example here. I render with RaceRender.


    And another with RaceChrono render.



    I hope it can be useful.
    Greetings from Brazil!

    Gabriel Gavinelli
  • Firstly, this is the best app on my phone, thanks Race Chromo for putting in so much effort to make this an amazing tool.

    Works well on Nexus 6p using the internal GPS but its well worth getting a Garmin GLO as it draws much more accurate paths on the map overlay and 10 times faster updates help stop it looking like you ran off the track when you change direction at high speed.
  • I have a Cat S60 with Garmin GLO. Works very well. I work in the automotive industry and this helps me get accurate data on minor tests I wouldn't normally be granted access to the shared VBOX for.
  • edited January 2017
    Been trapped on iPhone for the last 6 years but have now acquired a Samsung S6 Edge to use at the track. What external gps works best with this phone?

    Can't decide between Qstarz BT-Q818XT or Garmin GLO
  • @blotto, Garmin GLO is superior
  • Hello, I recently purchased the pro version of Racechrono which I installed on my new HTC 10 phone and I have used it on multiple track sessions and days at Buttonwillow. None of them recorded properly. The map is all over the place. Do I need to purchase the garmin GLO for this application to work consistently and accurately? Thank you
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