twobikes
11-27-07, 01:29 PM
My daughter gave me an Atech Professional Speedometer. It is GPS enabled. It does not include cadence or heart rate. There are no maps on-board, but the user can insert waypoints in deg/min/sec from a map. Atech is a large Chinese electronics company. I have used the Atech for a sixteen mile ride in unfamiliar territory. I had bookmarked my home base, and pretty well knew my way back without the GPS. But, it was interesting to have the compass display and a mileage figure on my distance back to my base, although the distance was as a crow flies, not as I had to ride. There is not much information about these units on the Internet, so I thought I would offer what I know so far. I will be reading the manual a few more times. Although it is not that difficult to use, a newbie can become confused about navigating the different displays.
twobikes
11-28-07, 06:02 AM
I sent e-mail to Atech's contact address and got a response in less than 12 hours on converting latitude and longitude from decimal to degrees/minutes/seconds. Here it is:
<
When making a waypoint, GPS008 only accepts degree/minute/second format for latitude and longitude input. Conversion from decimal format to degree/minute/second is simple and can be done by a basic calculator as following example:
E.g. to convert 12.34567 degree to degree/minute/second format
(1) Write down the integal number 12. This is degree value.
(2) For the decimal part, multiply it by 60. Hence 0.34567 x 60 = 20.7402
(3) Write down the integal number 20. This is minute value.
(4) Again for the decimal part, multiply it by 60. Hence 0.7402 x 60 = 44.412
(5) Write down the integal number 44. This is second value.
Hence 12.34567 degree = 12 degree 20 minute 44 seconds>
I know some BFers would reply, "Just get a Garmin 305." but this was a gift and it does work well. I know I will enjoy using it.
It appears to have an appetite for batteries, as do most GPS units. After an hour and forty-three minutes of riding, the battery meter showed 1/3 of two fresh AA batteries was gone. It works on both alkalines and on rechargeable NiMH batteries, but the user must tell the unit which battery type is to be used so the battery meter knows how to display properly.