I almost found an off-line method of knowing whether one is in Verizon Wireless signal on the Buckeye Trail. I've been working with the "Verizon Cell and Data Coverage" layer on ArcGIS Earth. Then I got the idea that maybe there was a mobile edition and there was (Explorer for ArcGIS). I downloaded it on Android from the Google play store.
I had the sneaking suspicion that the same layer is available there and it was. Sometime after that, I shut off the "Mobile Data" on my tablet, restarted the program and the cell signal data wasn't available. I then tried to to find a way to download it for off-line use, but it seems that ArcGIS made that impossible?
Oh well. It would have been a very valuable tool for smartphone carrying hikers. But, I salvaged that session by plotting waypoints along the various highways and county roads that we have here in our sizable cellular signal gap (aka "The Gap"). I'll know now where the signal begins and ends, as well as a number of places that are off highway that are near by. I plan on using it if I ever get out to check on those flood levels I mentioned in the previous log.
Showing posts with label smartphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smartphone. Show all posts
2018/04/03
Smartphone Issues - Likely Hardware Problems
I moved 590 megabytes of e-mails to a back-up location and deleted them from where they normally reside. That means that when my 3rd party smartphone email app polls the sever, that it shouldn't take as long and that should save on power. Well, it didn't work and considering every other way that I've cleaned it out, this is now probably a hardware problem?
My Samsung Galaxy SM-n900v was on the market in 2013. So, the model is only 5 years old. I've probably had this particular one for about 3 years? As I've been a trail maintainer, it's been outside a lot, including some cold winter temperatures. It could be possible that it's power circuitry is corroded? The first step might be to have it examined at the Verizon store and see if they can repair, or replace it? If they can't, I might be able to purchase a new, or used model.
Buying a new smartphone right now is not much of an option. You've got people out there that always need to have the "latest and greatest," so they purchase a new smartphone about every year. Every time I go into the cellular store, it's like they have somebody trying to get you to do that? I think that's wasteful. My current smartphone has served me well.
The faster they get, the more expensive they become. So the cellular providers are offering payment plans for them and tablets. Payment plans are for something that get for a car, house, or for some of you, your student loans. My smartphone probably cost about $700 new? I'd rather pay for it up front if I can. But if I end up needing a brand new smartphone soon, I'll probably have to do that.
I had payments on my cellular tablet. At $24 a month for about total of $800, it was rather painless for me. I got it for the motorhome because the interior is large and the smartphone was harder to reach. I use multiple navigation apps, internal music and Pandora. I just needed something bigger for that cab it couldn't wait.
My Samsung Galaxy SM-n900v was on the market in 2013. So, the model is only 5 years old. I've probably had this particular one for about 3 years? As I've been a trail maintainer, it's been outside a lot, including some cold winter temperatures. It could be possible that it's power circuitry is corroded? The first step might be to have it examined at the Verizon store and see if they can repair, or replace it? If they can't, I might be able to purchase a new, or used model.
Buying a new smartphone right now is not much of an option. You've got people out there that always need to have the "latest and greatest," so they purchase a new smartphone about every year. Every time I go into the cellular store, it's like they have somebody trying to get you to do that? I think that's wasteful. My current smartphone has served me well.
The faster they get, the more expensive they become. So the cellular providers are offering payment plans for them and tablets. Payment plans are for something that get for a car, house, or for some of you, your student loans. My smartphone probably cost about $700 new? I'd rather pay for it up front if I can. But if I end up needing a brand new smartphone soon, I'll probably have to do that.
I had payments on my cellular tablet. At $24 a month for about total of $800, it was rather painless for me. I got it for the motorhome because the interior is large and the smartphone was harder to reach. I use multiple navigation apps, internal music and Pandora. I just needed something bigger for that cab it couldn't wait.
2018/03/12
Smartphone Batteries, Rear Speakers and Coaxial Cable Upgrades
I received three new 3200mAh batteries for my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-900V smartphone. It's been slowing down lately and the batteries that I already had for it are probably about 3 years. So far, the new battery seems to be speeding things up and it might not be draining as fast?
I also got the second grill cover for the motorhome's new 8in rear speakers. Currently, it has the capacity for 2 - 6in speakers that install in the bottom of two cabinets. Each side has a hard plastic speaker protectors so that items can be stored on top of them. They also have speaker grills for them. Currently, they don't have any speakers or wires running to them.
To upgrade the ports, I'll have to use a jig saw on the cabinets to make their holes wider. Since there aren't any speaker wires running from the stereo in the cab to to the rear speaker ports, I'm thinking about adding them when the ceiling gets rebuilt. I believe that the analog coaxial cable currently installed is running through the ceiling and it needs to be upgraded.
In regards to the coax, I have a digital antenna upgrade to mount and I plan on hooking it up to a USB TV tuner that would be attached to my laptop. Additionally, the coax cables for the Wi-Fi and cellular signal booster need to be routed to a coupler that is on the bottom of one of the cabinets and in the closet in the master bedroom area.
I also got the second grill cover for the motorhome's new 8in rear speakers. Currently, it has the capacity for 2 - 6in speakers that install in the bottom of two cabinets. Each side has a hard plastic speaker protectors so that items can be stored on top of them. They also have speaker grills for them. Currently, they don't have any speakers or wires running to them.
To upgrade the ports, I'll have to use a jig saw on the cabinets to make their holes wider. Since there aren't any speaker wires running from the stereo in the cab to to the rear speaker ports, I'm thinking about adding them when the ceiling gets rebuilt. I believe that the analog coaxial cable currently installed is running through the ceiling and it needs to be upgraded.
In regards to the coax, I have a digital antenna upgrade to mount and I plan on hooking it up to a USB TV tuner that would be attached to my laptop. Additionally, the coax cables for the Wi-Fi and cellular signal booster need to be routed to a coupler that is on the bottom of one of the cabinets and in the closet in the master bedroom area.
2017/01/31
Photos Finally Organized and Smartphone Issue
I finally organized all of the photos on The Robot. The ones that need to be done on my smartphone and laptop have yet to be moved. Next task with these is naming them so that I can use the operating system's native search function to find them later and faster.
I'm curious to see how many of them are geotagged? That's the primary reason for doing this. And some of them that aren't, I can embed a tag after the fact. Those that are tagged can be imported into Google Earth. When The Robot had a different configuration, I did this. But their Google Earth properties are based on the previous file structure and those embedded placemarks might not read anymore.
Visual maintenance records for the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail are among them. I'm hoping to take plenty of geotagged photos when I hike through the rest of the Scioto Trail, Sinking Spring and West Union Sections - Buckeye/ North Country/ American Discovery Trail.
A member of the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group recently just got his first smartphone. The question is could one last 10 years. And I'm skeptical that one could go that long. I have one now that was on the market maybe 3 or 4 years ago. And right now, I'm having problems with it's 25GB of internal memory. The internal memory can't be upgraded and many apps force themselves to be installed there. And now, my operating system won't read the two drives when it's tethered.
I'm curious to see how many of them are geotagged? That's the primary reason for doing this. And some of them that aren't, I can embed a tag after the fact. Those that are tagged can be imported into Google Earth. When The Robot had a different configuration, I did this. But their Google Earth properties are based on the previous file structure and those embedded placemarks might not read anymore.
Visual maintenance records for the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail are among them. I'm hoping to take plenty of geotagged photos when I hike through the rest of the Scioto Trail, Sinking Spring and West Union Sections - Buckeye/ North Country/ American Discovery Trail.
A member of the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group recently just got his first smartphone. The question is could one last 10 years. And I'm skeptical that one could go that long. I have one now that was on the market maybe 3 or 4 years ago. And right now, I'm having problems with it's 25GB of internal memory. The internal memory can't be upgraded and many apps force themselves to be installed there. And now, my operating system won't read the two drives when it's tethered.
2017/01/24
Smartphone At Your Desk
When mapping, one thing that I use sometimes is my smartphone. By a controversial definition that is still in play from the 1970's, a smartphone is a computer. Most of the time, I like using it as a calculator because it doesn't detract from what's already going on with The Robot (my desktop computer). What I use is a round weighted base that more so marketed for automobile dashboards. It has a plastic disc mounted in the top center. This is where I use a smartphone windshield mount with a long goose neck and suction cup at the bottom. From there, the smartphone's constrictor squeeze the device and hold it in to place.
From time to time, the plastic cup looses suction where the goose neck and smartphone fall over. If I had to do it again, I would use some plastic putty from JB Weld and permanently attach it. A thin layer on the suction cup ought to do.
The goose neck should last indefinitely, but the smartphone mount's side constrictors have foam like padding. After a while from being depressed a lot, the padding will become ineffective. There are two things that I can do about that. One is that I might be able to use thin strips of duct tape to adhere to pieces of rubber foam insulation used on pipes. The other is to buy another backplate and goose neck, but only use the new backplate on the existing stem. In case you don't know, the backplate has a slot that allows you to separate it from the goose neck.
From time to time, the plastic cup looses suction where the goose neck and smartphone fall over. If I had to do it again, I would use some plastic putty from JB Weld and permanently attach it. A thin layer on the suction cup ought to do.
The goose neck should last indefinitely, but the smartphone mount's side constrictors have foam like padding. After a while from being depressed a lot, the padding will become ineffective. There are two things that I can do about that. One is that I might be able to use thin strips of duct tape to adhere to pieces of rubber foam insulation used on pipes. The other is to buy another backplate and goose neck, but only use the new backplate on the existing stem. In case you don't know, the backplate has a slot that allows you to separate it from the goose neck.
2016/09/12
Log 2016091201
I toured part of my trail promotion, Route 1 discovery trip today that took me through places like Powhatan Point, Ohio, Moundsville, New Vrindaban, Littleton, Hastings, Reader and New Martinsville of West Virginia. I use the Locus Pro app on my Android based smartphone. And apparantely, it no longer supports maps from Map Quest. So, I've had a difficult time finding something for the United States to take place of it's road map. What I have won't allow me to download maps for offline use and most of the this trip was offline. I had to rely on my GPS track that I made for these routes on a blank map. I ended up missing a few turns because I couldn't distinguish between a curve and another road. When the smartphone came back into cell service, the points around the map wouldn't zoom it. So, I was lucky to see that someplace was a town.
Looks like I'll have to go with USGS Topo's now. They're better for hiking. Meanwhile, I discovered that I can download maps in my Google Maps app that covers all the routes, but they expire in one month. I can also use it to view a trail's track. If this pertains to topographic maps then, Locus might be on it's way out?
Looks like I'll have to go with USGS Topo's now. They're better for hiking. Meanwhile, I discovered that I can download maps in my Google Maps app that covers all the routes, but they expire in one month. I can also use it to view a trail's track. If this pertains to topographic maps then, Locus might be on it's way out?
2015/03/13
Log 2015031201
Some financial matters got "squared away" today. I'm pleased to report that "the books" are in good shape so far. Yesterday, I got the desk assembled. Today, I worked on the laptop's arm, which clamps to the opposite end of the desk and elevates it off of the surface. When the laptop is on the platform, I usually remove the battery so it doesn't keep charging (constant charging diminishes their life). Then I used zip ties to mount a surge strip, seven port USB hub, the AC/DC box and power cables to the platform's arm. I use a second set of AC/DC power cables when I take the laptop out of my dwelling.
At the moment, there's a pile of laundry on the floor that needs to get done and my old laptop tray on wheels needs to be taken out to storage. A message was sent to NiteRider requesting an electronic copy of their user guide for my Lumina 750 bicycle headlights. As of last week, I invested in a second unit that will mount opposite of the one already on there on the bicycle extension bars that I mounted. I'm looking forward to seeing how those two work in concert with the 250 lumen unit that I mount to my helmet. It also comes with a powerful rear taillight that I'm quite fond of and will match one that is already on there. They have a pretty powerful "pulsing" mode, that when set to alternate from each other, seems to send a pretty clear signal that I'm unusual and don't belong there, or there's something definitely artificial happening ahead.
- I'm unsure if the documentation for my Acer laptop is in my tablet's "library" folder? If it's not, I should download it to that directory in the event that it's needed when I'm off-line.
- And I still have yet to read my smartphone's manual. It may contain things that I don't know about it yet.
- Updated GIS/GPS files for the Buckeye Trail still need to be uploaded to the smartphone, tablet and laptop.
- I need to perform electrical diagnostics on my 2008 Chevy HHR's tailgate wiring. It just doesn't sound like it has enough power to pop the tailgate? If it were a short, it would be blowing fuses (and it's not) So, I think that I'm looking a wire that is partially breached, but not coming in contact with anything metal. With the backseats taken out, there are some harnesses that are exposed there and I think that the problem is probably there. But proper diagnostics dictate that I start with a multimeter at the plastic plug on the tailgate release motor and measure the amperage along the wire going towards the fuse block.
Another way that I can do is with the HHR's rear battery. Using an inline fuse, I can hard wire a positive lead to the corresponding wire just before and leading to the tailgate release's touch pad. If the motor promptly releases the latch, then my problem is elsewhere. If it doesn't, my problem is confined to the tailgate itself.
- Last week, I received a new truing stand for the bicycle's wheels. My previous one is still in good shape, but one of it's knobs fell off when it was getting stuffed into the trailer and I've been unable to find a replacement. This time, I need to procure some kind of tough container for it. If it's knobs do fall off, I don't want them to go very far, like some unknown mile on Interstate 77.
- two adjustable lanyards were purchased at Staples in Mentor of Lake County two days ago. I cut the mesh on one of them so that it only fits around my hand. That lanyard will also tie down the digital camera and keep it from falling out of my car windshield mount and hitting the floor.
I have about 40% of the intersection's photographed and geotagged for the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail. And I have about 20% of it on video. The digital camera can geotag, but only if it's connected via Wi-Fi to the smartphone. The plan is to install a second goose neck windshield mount inside of my Chevy. Then use the digital camera to record the videos and the smartphone to take the geotagged photographs. I'm not so sure about the video, but the geotagged photos will be uploaded into the Google application Picasa, which will sense the geotags. From there, I'll use the option to upload them to Google Earth and incorporate them into my administration and maintenance folder for Whipple Section. Once done, I plan on giving a copy to the Trail Management Team and the Buckeye Trail Association's Headquarters for their records. Since their from various parts of the state, if they ever need to do anything on Whipple, they can study the sites that they're going to. As for me, I would like to study these myself on occasion.
At the moment, there's a pile of laundry on the floor that needs to get done and my old laptop tray on wheels needs to be taken out to storage. A message was sent to NiteRider requesting an electronic copy of their user guide for my Lumina 750 bicycle headlights. As of last week, I invested in a second unit that will mount opposite of the one already on there on the bicycle extension bars that I mounted. I'm looking forward to seeing how those two work in concert with the 250 lumen unit that I mount to my helmet. It also comes with a powerful rear taillight that I'm quite fond of and will match one that is already on there. They have a pretty powerful "pulsing" mode, that when set to alternate from each other, seems to send a pretty clear signal that I'm unusual and don't belong there, or there's something definitely artificial happening ahead.
- I'm unsure if the documentation for my Acer laptop is in my tablet's "library" folder? If it's not, I should download it to that directory in the event that it's needed when I'm off-line.
- And I still have yet to read my smartphone's manual. It may contain things that I don't know about it yet.
- Updated GIS/GPS files for the Buckeye Trail still need to be uploaded to the smartphone, tablet and laptop.
- I need to perform electrical diagnostics on my 2008 Chevy HHR's tailgate wiring. It just doesn't sound like it has enough power to pop the tailgate? If it were a short, it would be blowing fuses (and it's not) So, I think that I'm looking a wire that is partially breached, but not coming in contact with anything metal. With the backseats taken out, there are some harnesses that are exposed there and I think that the problem is probably there. But proper diagnostics dictate that I start with a multimeter at the plastic plug on the tailgate release motor and measure the amperage along the wire going towards the fuse block.
Another way that I can do is with the HHR's rear battery. Using an inline fuse, I can hard wire a positive lead to the corresponding wire just before and leading to the tailgate release's touch pad. If the motor promptly releases the latch, then my problem is elsewhere. If it doesn't, my problem is confined to the tailgate itself.
- Last week, I received a new truing stand for the bicycle's wheels. My previous one is still in good shape, but one of it's knobs fell off when it was getting stuffed into the trailer and I've been unable to find a replacement. This time, I need to procure some kind of tough container for it. If it's knobs do fall off, I don't want them to go very far, like some unknown mile on Interstate 77.
- two adjustable lanyards were purchased at Staples in Mentor of Lake County two days ago. I cut the mesh on one of them so that it only fits around my hand. That lanyard will also tie down the digital camera and keep it from falling out of my car windshield mount and hitting the floor.
I have about 40% of the intersection's photographed and geotagged for the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail. And I have about 20% of it on video. The digital camera can geotag, but only if it's connected via Wi-Fi to the smartphone. The plan is to install a second goose neck windshield mount inside of my Chevy. Then use the digital camera to record the videos and the smartphone to take the geotagged photographs. I'm not so sure about the video, but the geotagged photos will be uploaded into the Google application Picasa, which will sense the geotags. From there, I'll use the option to upload them to Google Earth and incorporate them into my administration and maintenance folder for Whipple Section. Once done, I plan on giving a copy to the Trail Management Team and the Buckeye Trail Association's Headquarters for their records. Since their from various parts of the state, if they ever need to do anything on Whipple, they can study the sites that they're going to. As for me, I would like to study these myself on occasion.
2014/10/04
Log 2014100401
The new smartphone adapter for the USB hub works. It just read one of my flash drives.
2014/09/24
Log 2014092403
Locus Free was installed on my smartphone. BT, map points and trail to transit points were imported on to it. I installed it on my tablet earlier and I was surprised that it let me keep the complimentary basemap on my smartphone without making an in app purchase. Well, it's nice to have it.
2014/04/15
Log 2014041501
I received my two spare smartphone batteries via USPS today from Uniwide Wireless in Los Angeles, California. I'm pleased about its shipping time. But, since the temperature at this hour is 26°F, I question USPS putting it in my outdoor mailbox. Any temperatures below 34°F can damage electronics. This type of product should be shipped requiring a signature on the receiving end. But these minimum temperatures make me ask things like how do electronics survive being shipped at -60°F when the plane is traveling at 30,000 feet above sea level? Or in a 53' trailer traveling through North Dakota in January? Is it too George Carlinist to use my brain? It must be...
2014/04/13
Log 2014041302
It's good to run tests and put things on a shakedown cruise. Just because the smartphone is new... that makes it an unknown. Here's another unknown... I have 6GB of data on it that I can download before I incur overage charges. When I lasted used a PCMCIA cellular expansion card in my previous laptop on Sprint, it took me downloading 29 seasons of television shows to rack up an $800 bill in a single month mostly overage charges.
Verizon doesn't have unlimited data packages, so that's why I pay for a additional 6GB package. And they have several lower ones, too. I chose 6 because I was guessing what the phone and laptop would need down trail. But since I wasn't paying attention last time, I really don't know how much it would take it get to, or exceed that 6? At the moment, I haven't even broken the 1GB mark yet, but judging by where I'm at now, I expect to do so at the end of this month...
But not 6. My cable Internet package here in the office is not measured in "gigabytes," or the total you can download, but in "gigabits," which is a measurement used to describe how wide the channel of information. And the amount of information one could download on those is usually unlimited. With the smartphone, that's not the case.
So a test needs to be done. I have a usage meter widget on my smartphone. And what I need to do is hotspot, or wirelessly connect my three other computers to my smartphone's Internet for about a week or so to see what it would take to get to get close to maxing out. And I'll do this at the end of the month and stop it about 0.3GB shy of the limit so the smartphone still has some of the package left to get by for a few days. Having this experience will allow me to know exactly what I can do it down trail when the hotspot becomes the primary Internet connection. And if I don't run an expirament like this, I could wind up in "hot water" simply by being ignorant.
2014/03/12
Log 2014031201
-I received my arm band mount, laser pointing stylus pen and wired headphones from Bestpricecenter.com who's P.O. Box is in Chino Hills, California. This shipment was on time.
- Also, I received my Polar Bluetooth heart rate monitor from HIM USA, Inc in Warminister, Pennsylvania. This shipment was on time.
I believe the stylus pen was free. So, except for that, the other items will help me when I workout, either at the gym, or on the bicycle.
2014/03/04
Log 2014030401
Orange reflector tape was installed on the two largest bars of my Nishki Colorado mountain bike. It will increase night time visability from the sides and 3, or more way intersections and diminish my chances of being t-boned at night.
A new smartphone mount with a goose neck and suction cup was purchased at Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County today and installed. It replaced a smaller smartphone holder, that didn't have grips to secure the smartphone in place. It's design was gravity based. And it's back plate didn't go high enough for the new Samsung Note 3's height. The new mount is now sufficient for my in office use.
-A new 1 liter water bottle and cage was installed on said mountain bike. A second cage is still on order and should arrive soon.
- A new rear basket was purchased from Wal-Mart in Mentor of Lake County and was installed on the back rack of said mountain bike. This will allow me to haul cargo on the bike such as groceries and supplies.
- Two new USB cables were purchased for the new said smartphone. They were intended for use in the garage where I'm currently housesitting and in my car. Well, I opened the box and found out that they were the same as the data cables for my previous cell phone. One of the boxes is now in the trash, so, I'm hoping that I that I can get my money back for the second one if I can find those other cables.
- A universal notebook charger was purchased today from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County, but it was the wrong kind and it didn't fit my HP's power port. I hope to take it back for an exchange.
- My new 10" combat boots made by Bates came today from Dick's Sporting Goods. They'll be replacing my current boots of the same make and model. That's because part of the outer sole at the tips of my feet are starting to separate and their tread is very worn down.
- A new Otter box smartphone case was purchased from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County. It's a rugged enclosure that protects my new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. If the cost to get the phone at Verizon only cost me about $300 out the door and a newly activated 2 year plan, should I damage the unit in such a way that it's beyond my extended warranty, a replacement of said smartphone will cost about $750 out of pocket at its current retail price.
-The new smartphone was mounted to said mountain bike and it seems to work.
-Even a service with a superior coverage area like Verizon Wireless will loose data signal in the kind of places that I go. In the second installment of the next recreation trip, I'm counting on it. This is a 31 mile bike ride from Belpre of Washington County to Chesterhill of Morgan County on the American Discovery Trail in Ohio, while it's independent of the Buckeye Trail. My purpose will be to ride ADT's independent east arm before hiking the Buckeye Trail. This will take place on township and county roads in remote areas.
I anticipate that the smartphone's GPS won't be up to the job. Anyways, the field GPS is much more battery efficient than the smartphone. If I can run them both, using the field GPS for my odometer, navigation and the smartphone for my on-board music, it should extend the smartphone's battery life.
So, I installed a custom field GPS mount to the top bar of said mountain bike's frame with a buckle, mesh strap and four zip ties. The units belt clip mounts to one of the zip ties and the adjustable mesh strap. The other three zip ties are secured to the frame for stabilization.
A new smartphone mount with a goose neck and suction cup was purchased at Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County today and installed. It replaced a smaller smartphone holder, that didn't have grips to secure the smartphone in place. It's design was gravity based. And it's back plate didn't go high enough for the new Samsung Note 3's height. The new mount is now sufficient for my in office use.
-A new 1 liter water bottle and cage was installed on said mountain bike. A second cage is still on order and should arrive soon.
- A new rear basket was purchased from Wal-Mart in Mentor of Lake County and was installed on the back rack of said mountain bike. This will allow me to haul cargo on the bike such as groceries and supplies.
- Two new USB cables were purchased for the new said smartphone. They were intended for use in the garage where I'm currently housesitting and in my car. Well, I opened the box and found out that they were the same as the data cables for my previous cell phone. One of the boxes is now in the trash, so, I'm hoping that I that I can get my money back for the second one if I can find those other cables.
- A universal notebook charger was purchased today from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County, but it was the wrong kind and it didn't fit my HP's power port. I hope to take it back for an exchange.
- My new 10" combat boots made by Bates came today from Dick's Sporting Goods. They'll be replacing my current boots of the same make and model. That's because part of the outer sole at the tips of my feet are starting to separate and their tread is very worn down.
- A new Otter box smartphone case was purchased from Best Buy in Mentor of Lake County. It's a rugged enclosure that protects my new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. If the cost to get the phone at Verizon only cost me about $300 out the door and a newly activated 2 year plan, should I damage the unit in such a way that it's beyond my extended warranty, a replacement of said smartphone will cost about $750 out of pocket at its current retail price.
-The new smartphone was mounted to said mountain bike and it seems to work.
-Even a service with a superior coverage area like Verizon Wireless will loose data signal in the kind of places that I go. In the second installment of the next recreation trip, I'm counting on it. This is a 31 mile bike ride from Belpre of Washington County to Chesterhill of Morgan County on the American Discovery Trail in Ohio, while it's independent of the Buckeye Trail. My purpose will be to ride ADT's independent east arm before hiking the Buckeye Trail. This will take place on township and county roads in remote areas.
I anticipate that the smartphone's GPS won't be up to the job. Anyways, the field GPS is much more battery efficient than the smartphone. If I can run them both, using the field GPS for my odometer, navigation and the smartphone for my on-board music, it should extend the smartphone's battery life.
So, I installed a custom field GPS mount to the top bar of said mountain bike's frame with a buckle, mesh strap and four zip ties. The units belt clip mounts to one of the zip ties and the adjustable mesh strap. The other three zip ties are secured to the frame for stabilization.
2013/12/11
Log 2013121101
I attempted to purchase a replacement Samsung Galaxy S D-700 smartphone from SPlusDirect.com on 08 DEC. The company sent a message on the 9th stating that they had found a part that was damaged during shipping and were quick to give me a refund. They were very nice in their e-mail.
Today, I purchased a refurbished unit of the same make and model from ParagonR3 via Amazon.com. ParagonR3 is an electronics recycle. And a copy of the order confirmation was made. I chose standard shipping, which stated that I should expect it in 3 - 7 business days. The order is coming from Massachusetts. Having ordered things for my computer repair business from around the country many times, I predict that the unit will arrive on the 16th.
Some people are going to look at this and wonder why would I use such an "antiquated" smartphone? The biggest reason is that my unit, which hit the market in 2009, is still the latest model on Sprint's network with a pull out qwerty keyboard. I've become a bit of a typist with it. Another thing is that this replacement only cost me $70. My insurance deductible would have been $100, and I'd have to pay about $400 out of pocket to purchase a new model smartphone... I don't have the money to do that and I need something now because it fits in my pocket, contains my task list, notes and day planner which are integral to my life. And without such a device, I would have to carry a bag with a paper day planner everywhere I go.
So why aren't there any newer smartphones with a pull out keyboard? The best answer that I got was that keyboard consumes a lot of power. And I can confirm that when I went to from the Palm Pre to the Galaxy S. In terms of power, in this case, I compare it to fuel, that switch was like going from the Honda Accord to the Cadillac Fleetwood.
On trips, I'm very power contentious. Most of the time, I carry it in the "airplane mode" that shuts off the wi-fi, bluetooth, internet, voice and text message hardware while leaving the rest of computer on. If I'm using my Bluetooth headset, well that just means that I have to do something similar, but I'll have to shut down as much hardware as I can manually because airplane mode will uniformally shut the Bluetooth as well :-(.
During on-board music playback when non-essential services have been shut off, my D-700 can run for about 8 hours if I play more albums and let the screen go black. But on my bicycle, I have a smartphone mount. And its here that I use my unit for GPS turn-by-turn navigation, odometer, and Pandora internet radio when available. That means that for the entire time those services are running, my screen must also remain on for hours. And that means that every piece of hardware on the smartphone is being used to its maximum potential simultaneously. At this rate, I'll be lucky to get 2 hours of battery life out of the D-700. So, I have 2 extra spares, and the batteries are usually marked A, B & C. A & B are usually newer batteries and have longer life. Battery C is usually the oldest. It's also the weakest because of how many times it's previously been exposed to a recharge.
When the third battery gets down to about 20% charge, that's about the point where I usually power the smartphone off to save it for something else. Emergency calls can be made on 10%. The extra ten are for other contingencies, like making a call or text to someone else, or having to use Google Maps to plot some other course if I need to leave my current route early.
Today, I purchased a refurbished unit of the same make and model from ParagonR3 via Amazon.com. ParagonR3 is an electronics recycle. And a copy of the order confirmation was made. I chose standard shipping, which stated that I should expect it in 3 - 7 business days. The order is coming from Massachusetts. Having ordered things for my computer repair business from around the country many times, I predict that the unit will arrive on the 16th.
Some people are going to look at this and wonder why would I use such an "antiquated" smartphone? The biggest reason is that my unit, which hit the market in 2009, is still the latest model on Sprint's network with a pull out qwerty keyboard. I've become a bit of a typist with it. Another thing is that this replacement only cost me $70. My insurance deductible would have been $100, and I'd have to pay about $400 out of pocket to purchase a new model smartphone... I don't have the money to do that and I need something now because it fits in my pocket, contains my task list, notes and day planner which are integral to my life. And without such a device, I would have to carry a bag with a paper day planner everywhere I go.
So why aren't there any newer smartphones with a pull out keyboard? The best answer that I got was that keyboard consumes a lot of power. And I can confirm that when I went to from the Palm Pre to the Galaxy S. In terms of power, in this case, I compare it to fuel, that switch was like going from the Honda Accord to the Cadillac Fleetwood.
On trips, I'm very power contentious. Most of the time, I carry it in the "airplane mode" that shuts off the wi-fi, bluetooth, internet, voice and text message hardware while leaving the rest of computer on. If I'm using my Bluetooth headset, well that just means that I have to do something similar, but I'll have to shut down as much hardware as I can manually because airplane mode will uniformally shut the Bluetooth as well :-(.
During on-board music playback when non-essential services have been shut off, my D-700 can run for about 8 hours if I play more albums and let the screen go black. But on my bicycle, I have a smartphone mount. And its here that I use my unit for GPS turn-by-turn navigation, odometer, and Pandora internet radio when available. That means that for the entire time those services are running, my screen must also remain on for hours. And that means that every piece of hardware on the smartphone is being used to its maximum potential simultaneously. At this rate, I'll be lucky to get 2 hours of battery life out of the D-700. So, I have 2 extra spares, and the batteries are usually marked A, B & C. A & B are usually newer batteries and have longer life. Battery C is usually the oldest. It's also the weakest because of how many times it's previously been exposed to a recharge.
When the third battery gets down to about 20% charge, that's about the point where I usually power the smartphone off to save it for something else. Emergency calls can be made on 10%. The extra ten are for other contingencies, like making a call or text to someone else, or having to use Google Maps to plot some other course if I need to leave my current route early.
2013/11/14
Log 2013111401
This is a Runner's World arm strap for a smartphone. I was carrying a Samsung Epic 4G D-700 unit with a hard plastic case on it. The problem with most arm straps is that their not large enough to get around my bi-cepts. So, I purchased a yurbuds unit yesterday from Dick's Sporting Goods. I'm not sure what its made from, but I hope it holds up.
My Delton X9 bluetooth head set cuts out in the wind.
My Delton X9 bluetooth head set cuts out in the wind.
2013/10/16
2013/09/06
Log 2013090601
Last night, I realized that my boots need new inner soles. So, I drove about 25mi from Thurston to Holland outside of Toledo and I'm having breakfast at Bob Evans now. I haven't changed campsites yet and I'm still without power. The smartphone, tablet and laptop are charging off of the car now. portable battery charger was used starting with 67% and was completely exhausted this morning.
As far as I know, both spare cellphone batteries are charged. But I'm not certain about my AA & AAA battery cells? Today, my adventure begins in the Oak Openings Metropark, about 8 miles west of my present position. I'll be hiking on the North Coast Inland/ North Country National Scenic/ Wabash Cannonball Trail from Oak Openings, through Wauseon to West Unity.
As far as I know, both spare cellphone batteries are charged. But I'm not certain about my AA & AAA battery cells? Today, my adventure begins in the Oak Openings Metropark, about 8 miles west of my present position. I'll be hiking on the North Coast Inland/ North Country National Scenic/ Wabash Cannonball Trail from Oak Openings, through Wauseon to West Unity.
2013/08/31
Log 2013083003
I've been shopping for a new smartphone lately, but the only one's available at retail at Sprint and Samsung with a pullout keyboard are the 3 year old D-700 that I already have, or a Motorola Photon that doesn't have any more memory that I already have. It might be time to break down and purchase a new unit that only has an onscreen keyboard.
The downside to that is that is it might become more susceptible to the cold when temperatures drop below 34°F. The pros are that I'd have a lot more smartphones to choose from with better CPU's, RAM memory and international storage. There's a couple things that I insist on and that is it must do everything I'm already doing on it and having a USB Hub that can plug in external hard disk drives. Also, It must fit the new external microSD High Capacity (HC) disks. I could care less about the 4G LTE as long as still has the standard 3G.
Regardless, the device is running out of RAM, onboard and external storage. There's not much more that can be added to it. I might have to reset the unit back to its factory state to get rid of unnecessary application updates.
Both data and voice coverage areas for Verizion look surpurb in more remote areas. But with the new lower powered cellular signal repeater that I still plan on installing, I could probably still beat it on Sprint. And anyways, Verizion's coverage area isn't perfect and I'd still need the repeater. Considering that the repeater runs on CDMA for voice and EVDO for data, which both companies use those protocols, switching to Verizon is still an option. In fact, for what I'm paying now, it looks like they're about $20 cheaper per month.
I spent the afternoon and evening shopping today shopping for items, mostly other than ones that pertain to The Cramper. I did purchase a new windshield mounting cell phone holder. I can't go with a vent mount because my smartphone has a tenancy to overheat and my cup holders are near the parking brake and are too low to make much use of them. In theory, if I could rig up a mount that clamps to my laptop mount like an extendable desktop lamp, I might be able to maneuver it into places that are more convenient for me to use it from.
The downside to that is that is it might become more susceptible to the cold when temperatures drop below 34°F. The pros are that I'd have a lot more smartphones to choose from with better CPU's, RAM memory and international storage. There's a couple things that I insist on and that is it must do everything I'm already doing on it and having a USB Hub that can plug in external hard disk drives. Also, It must fit the new external microSD High Capacity (HC) disks. I could care less about the 4G LTE as long as still has the standard 3G.
Regardless, the device is running out of RAM, onboard and external storage. There's not much more that can be added to it. I might have to reset the unit back to its factory state to get rid of unnecessary application updates.
Both data and voice coverage areas for Verizion look surpurb in more remote areas. But with the new lower powered cellular signal repeater that I still plan on installing, I could probably still beat it on Sprint. And anyways, Verizion's coverage area isn't perfect and I'd still need the repeater. Considering that the repeater runs on CDMA for voice and EVDO for data, which both companies use those protocols, switching to Verizon is still an option. In fact, for what I'm paying now, it looks like they're about $20 cheaper per month.
I spent the afternoon and evening shopping today shopping for items, mostly other than ones that pertain to The Cramper. I did purchase a new windshield mounting cell phone holder. I can't go with a vent mount because my smartphone has a tenancy to overheat and my cup holders are near the parking brake and are too low to make much use of them. In theory, if I could rig up a mount that clamps to my laptop mount like an extendable desktop lamp, I might be able to maneuver it into places that are more convenient for me to use it from.
2013/08/08
Log 2013080802
The trip across the south of Ohio will be postponed until 14 September. I need to fall back and gather my resources. Base Camp Echo will now be at Findley State Park, just south of Wellington of Lorain County. I have to help a friend volunteer at a Buckeye Trail booth in Monclova of Lucas County on 13 September. The event is about 8mi north of the Defiance Section - Buckeye Trail. There's a 5k walk going on that day.
Today, I purchased 26 nutritional supplement bars with at least 30g of protein each. That's going to help those high mileage days down south. They were on sale and totaled about $64 out the door. I also purchased a new USB cable to charge the smartphone, along with a replacement suction cup, goose neck and mount for it. The unit will suction to the windshield where it will help me navigate, take calls and play MP3's.
I purchased a new 7 liter lunch box and cooler that will fit in my long cooler on my trailer that I'm already using. So far, chicken and maybe pork shows that it can not be canned. I use the long cooler for mostly dry goods and water has seeped in over the past months and caused everything to mold inside there. If I'm going to use ice, I'd rather have a separate chamber to use.
I did not have a medical appointment today. Instead, I was prompted to make one and that was done for 5 September. Next week, I plan on moving that appointment to the 11th, where I have, yet, another appointment in the same facility. It beats driving to Cleveland from Basecamp Echo twice.
Today, I purchased 26 nutritional supplement bars with at least 30g of protein each. That's going to help those high mileage days down south. They were on sale and totaled about $64 out the door. I also purchased a new USB cable to charge the smartphone, along with a replacement suction cup, goose neck and mount for it. The unit will suction to the windshield where it will help me navigate, take calls and play MP3's.
I purchased a new 7 liter lunch box and cooler that will fit in my long cooler on my trailer that I'm already using. So far, chicken and maybe pork shows that it can not be canned. I use the long cooler for mostly dry goods and water has seeped in over the past months and caused everything to mold inside there. If I'm going to use ice, I'd rather have a separate chamber to use.
I did not have a medical appointment today. Instead, I was prompted to make one and that was done for 5 September. Next week, I plan on moving that appointment to the 11th, where I have, yet, another appointment in the same facility. It beats driving to Cleveland from Basecamp Echo twice.
2013/08/07
Log 2013080701
I have an appointment tomorrow at the VA Medical Center in Cleveland tomorrow.
A new app by SPEEDTEST.NET was installed on to the smartphone. Since my internal RAM memory is running low, I install those very sparingly now and days. But since I still intend to continue configuring my cell phone signal repeater, I need the new app to test the speed. When the internet runs over cell phone signals, it's downstream bandwidth speed will up and down with the signal. At its fullest, my downstream without the booster should get as high as 3000 kilobits per second (mb/ s) on 3G signal. But, I'm not sure what it will do with the lowest data signal. If the speed gets below 256mb/ s, I might not be able to work with the laptop if smartphone is hotspoting and feeding internet signal to the laptop. And I might not be able to get on with the laptop at all if the speed dips below a consistent 128 mb/ s.
There's no telling how much Google Earth is going to download? It has to get high quality images from a server to zoom in on an area. The higher the quality, the more programming information it contains. And the more programing information it contains, the bigger the file size it. When I get a hotspoting package from Sprint, it has a download limit like dial-up use to when it was new. Back when I use to run a cell phone internet card in my apartment, it was about 5GB. I downloaded about 180 videos one time and sent it over. That ended up costing me $800 in mostly overage charges. Testing with Google Earth while the smartphone is hotspoting to the laptop will probably have to be done.
A new app by SPEEDTEST.NET was installed on to the smartphone. Since my internal RAM memory is running low, I install those very sparingly now and days. But since I still intend to continue configuring my cell phone signal repeater, I need the new app to test the speed. When the internet runs over cell phone signals, it's downstream bandwidth speed will up and down with the signal. At its fullest, my downstream without the booster should get as high as 3000 kilobits per second (mb/ s) on 3G signal. But, I'm not sure what it will do with the lowest data signal. If the speed gets below 256mb/ s, I might not be able to work with the laptop if smartphone is hotspoting and feeding internet signal to the laptop. And I might not be able to get on with the laptop at all if the speed dips below a consistent 128 mb/ s.
There's no telling how much Google Earth is going to download? It has to get high quality images from a server to zoom in on an area. The higher the quality, the more programming information it contains. And the more programing information it contains, the bigger the file size it. When I get a hotspoting package from Sprint, it has a download limit like dial-up use to when it was new. Back when I use to run a cell phone internet card in my apartment, it was about 5GB. I downloaded about 180 videos one time and sent it over. That ended up costing me $800 in mostly overage charges. Testing with Google Earth while the smartphone is hotspoting to the laptop will probably have to be done.
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