Trail Tracker

Play Store Listing  

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbrooks.tracker&hl=en 

Use Trail Tracker to track your journey, stay safe when enjoying outdoor activities such as trekking, hiking, boating, walking, running or cycling. 

Trail Tracker overlays map coordinates onto a Google Map background.

As a journey proceeds, Trail Tracker uses a background process to record up to 5400 map coordinates which can be displayed as a map-polyline showing the travel path, pin markers show the starting and finish locations with details on remaining record time and the estimated distance travelled. 

The estimated travel distance is the sum of the calculated distance between sequential GPS locations. 

Journeys can be saved to the phone or shared using Email or a Cloud Storage service, Shared journeys can be imported into Google Earth are compatible with Google Earth to allow journeys to be saved and managed independent of Trail Tracker.

The journey recording option selects from 4 sample intervals. 

•    3 hours of recording with a sample rate set at 2 seconds 

•    6 hours of recording with a sample rate set at 4 seconds 

•   12 hours of recording with a sample rate set at 8 seconds 

•   24 hours of recording with a sample rate set at 16 seconds

Sent SMS messages will contain a short status message which can be customised and fully controlled by the app user. The SMS message will also include the current GPS location which can be copied into a Google maps application to show your location. 

Tag and save 25 locations, map pins also show location information. This feature requires network connectivity for the location information to be displayed. 

Location data is obtained from Satellite GPS as the first choice and when satellite coverage is unavailable then network locations are provided using WiFi or Mobile Networks.  Network coverage can provide unexpected location errors with a range of 1-3Km, Trail Tracker discards these errors and it may show on the journey as a direct path between location points which may be more obvious when the journey is on a curved or non-straight path.

Menu options are dynamic, only showing the allowed options, as an example the option 'Show journey' will not be available if recording has not been started. 

The default map zoom can be set using the screen pinch or finger tap methods.  Map zoom settings are saved and used when the app is restarted. 

An option to disregard GPS coordinates reporting accuracy limits greater than 10,15,20,40 or 80 metres is available. Selecting an option to dismiss errors greater than a selected level will show a direct line between the points where the error was identified. The options then allows the change to be dismissed or accepted. 

Trail Tracker requires  

• Permission to access GPS Location services specifically "Fine location" and "Background Location”

• Permission to read Contacts

• Permission to Send SMS messages.

• Ensure the device Location setting is “On”

Feature Overview

• Record and view a journey

•  Send SMS messages with preset messages

• SMS messages use the default SMS application allowing customised messages

• Share and import journey map data

• Save and manage 25 special locations with Map Pins

• Shared journeys can be imported and viewed by Google Earth 

• Switch map view between satellite or street view

• View & Manage GPS Accuracy

Map Options 

• Switch map view between satellite or street view

• Zoom screen using the screen pinch method

• Zoom In using the “Single finger tap”

•  Zoom Out using the “Two fingers double tap

Journey Options

• Show, Refresh, Hide journey

• Save journey

• Share journey

• Delete journey

• Delete Saved Journeys

• Satellite & Network Statistics (current journey)

Pin Options

• Save and manage 25 special locations with Map Pins

• Selecting a Pin location to show locality information

• Locality information requires a internet connection

• Show or Hide Pins

• Delete All Pins

• Delete a selected Pin

• Share journey

Share / Import Options

• The share option saves the displayed  journey to file.

• Save journeys when being viewed can be shared using Email or Cloud storage. Shared journeys are compatible with Google Earth as a “kml” file.

• Importing a new file overwrites a current import

Satellite Functionality

The primary locations are determined using GPS (satellites). By system design GPS location requires 4 satellites to determine the location and the degree of accuracy. When the satellite count is less than 4 satellites or while satellite coverage is unavailable a network listener is activated to provide location data created from Mobile or Wifi networks while satellite coverage is unavailable. When satellite coverage restores the network listener is deactivated to conserve battery.

Location Accuracy

• GPS Location uses Satellite, Mobile and Wifi networks GPS accuracy may vary and can be influenced by a number of factors including mobile device, weather, buildings and indoor locations

• GPS accuracy errors show on the map as unexpected travel deviation. Location accuracy is recorded against each set of location coordinates and menu options allow accuracy corrections to be pre-viewed with options to accept or reject the modified journey.

• When the map is zoomed in, the map may display a light blue or grey circle around the blue dot. The smaller the circle, the more certain the app is about your location.

• If the blue dot isn’t visible then Trail Tracker may be unable to display the current location.

• The blue dot displays the horizontal location and the shaded circle around the blue dot indicates a 68% confidence level by the GPS Location service that the location is within the shaded area, conversely there is a 32% probability that the location is outside the shaded area.

Special Options

• Delete saved files

• Show Distance as Kilometers or Nautical Miles

• About Trail Tracker (this)

• Privacy Policy

Safety

• Plan your trip carefully and monitor weather conditions

• When trekking or hiking notify friends or park rangers of your journey and check in with friends or park rangers at regular intervals.

• Some remote locations may have no mobile coverage preventing SMS messages to be sent, a satellite phone may be necessary in remote locations.

• Before hiking or trekking ensure location and SMS permissions are allowed and working correctly

GPS Accuracy