Route Scout for Dummies

[wonderwoman78]

Hi! I feel little silly posting this but can someone please explain Route Scout to me. I downloaded my route that I want to take and previewed it. Looks great. But when I get out on the trail do I need to record my hike and will it show where I am at on the route? Do I need cell service for this? I have Tmobile and my reception is awful. Or do I just download pre hike and then I use it as a map without it showing my location because I won't have cell reception? There might be another post on here regarding this, you can just point me there .

[CannondaleKid]

But when I get out on the trail do I need to record my hike?

Yes. When you start hiking, just click 'begin activity' and it will begin recording.
When done hiking, click the white circle outlined in red in the top left corner to stop the recording.

will it show where I am at on the route?

Yes. It will also show the distance you have traveled as well as how far you have to travel to reach the end of your loaded track.

Do I need cell service for this?

As long as you have loaded the track ahead of time, the phone can be in airplane mode.

[joebartels]

@wonderwoman78

Before Hike in Cell Range
1) import route ( which you have done )
2) tap the file ( in the file folder ) you imported
- imported files have a blue cloud icon
3) select "follow / change off-line maps"
now it's ready for when you need it regardless of cell signal

Hike
1) Press Begin Activity
2) Once started it's best to put your phone in airplane mode if hiking more than a couple hours. Most battery drain in remote areas is the device searching for a cell signal so airplane mode is recommended.

Finish
1) Press Finish button ( upper left of map )

Optionally Share on HikeAizona.com
1) tap the recorded file ( in the file folder )
- recorded files have a green checkbox icon
2) select "Save/Share"

rejoicing, singing & dancing is optional too

[big_load]

3) select "follow / change off-line maps"

Does this step cause the appropriate offline maps to be loaded?

[joebartels]

@big_load
yes
- offline maps are available for the last 5 files set to follow as displayed on the homescreen of RS
- only the last file set to follow will show that route on the map

[DixieFlyer]

All of a sudden route scout started recording my tracks as basically a straight line. I am guessing that it hardly has any track points.

Here is a track that was recorded the other day: [ Route Editor ]

Does anyone know what might cause this?

thanks.

[big_load]

@DixieFlyer
It looks like the GPS is only turning on once in a while, like some battery-saving option is taking precedence.

[joebartels]

2 required settings in Android 11 for RS to record uninterrupted

Settings > search rou sco > Permissions > Location

Allow all the time

Settings > search bat > Optimize battery usage > OFF

[DixieFlyer]

@joebartels
thanks. The "allow all the time" setting was already on, but the battery was being optimized for Route Scout, so I disabled battery optimization.

I'll try it out tomorrow and see what happens

[DixieFlyer]

@joebartels
changing the battery setting seems to have solved my problem. Thanks a million!

[PatrickL]

Is there a reason why Route Scout tracks seem to be consistently longer than older GPS routes? My last two routes ended up having about an extra .4mi each.

[joebartels]

There has not been a change to the recording frequency/filters within RS since 5.2.42 Sep 9, 2020. It is most consistent continuously moving at 2.1 mph in Airplane mode to force the use of the GPS radio. There are other factors and a group of a dozen Garmins or a dozen Fitbits will have minor differences with occasional major differences. I always go with the lowest known figure. Most follow Stiller's Law which is the highest known figure.

For the curious
Breaks begin at 85 seconds without movement. If desiring cleaner stats, setting the phone down for two minutes typically forces it into break mode. However, anyone that has used RS for years has probably experienced "break over" unexpectedly because(guessing) signals get interference and satellites move. It's about 50 feet from the last recorded point to start recording again.

[PatrickL]

Thanks, Joe. I haven't used it on airplane mode yet but I'll try that next time.