Distance apps

[DC]

Has anyone found a cell phone app that measures distance reasonably accurately? I'm not looking for record accurate. Just a quick measure.

[Hawkdancer]

Don't know of a cell phone app, but a range finder may work, most are pretty accurate but spotting an arrow may be a challenge.
Hawkdancer

[DC]

Apps are free . I downloaded one but it doesn't seem very accurate. I layed out a 30 meter tape and measured it a few times, every one was different between 33 and 48 meters

[Badger]

   About a year ago I did find one that seemed pretty accurate. There are a lot to choose form.

[avcase]

I have been using an application called “Track Kit” on my iPhone for a few years. It is excellent and does so much more than just measure distances. It has made it possible to find arrows at the Salt Flats years later. I use it to map out Flight lines and mark where arrows were shot from, and where they landed. It also allows me to attach notes and pictures of the arrows at the points they are found so I can do things later like measure the angle they entered the ground. It records my search path for looking for the arrows so I can easily see where I have or have not looked. Finally, it saves time, date, altitude, and weather information at the time the arrow was marked.  Pretty cool.

Alan

[Badger]

  Allen, Harry Drake would have been your best friend!

[avcase]

  Allen, Harry Drake would have been your best friend!

Hahaha!  That’s funny. I do wish I could have met Harry.

Here’s another screen grab from the gps app that I have been using. In this case, each of those blue dots on the map correspond to a serial number on the arrow that landed at that location. 1603, 1606, etc. So later at my convenience, I can find the specific arrow in my arrow stash that may have consistently performed well and look for unique properties or design features that work well, or don’t work well.

[Badger]

   One of the biggest regrets and stupidest mistakes I have repeatedly made was not tracking the performance of individual arrows because I get tired chasing them down and tell myself I will remember which is which.

[Hawkdancer]

Wow!  I was sure somebody had a better mousetrap! . Thanks AV
Hawkdancer

[DC]

Thanks Badger and Alan. I've been reading a bunch about these things and they use a combo of GPS, cell signal and tower location to tell distance. You guys in the States have excellent cell coverage. At my house I usually have no signal or maybe one dot on my iPhone and it may be worse where I'm shooting. I'll try the Track Kit but in the mean time I've cobbled up a measuring wheel.

[DC]

I downloaded Track Kit. I walked back and forth in the front yard which is 27.5 meters. I did it 5 times and got 33,38,27,36 and 26. I would call that acceptable 1 out of 5 times. Alan, do you get better results than that? I have pretty poor cell signal here but it's using GPS. I would call this useless as is.

[avcase]

Wow, that is pretty bad. I haven’t had your experience. Cell tower access isn’t great at a place like the Bonneville Salt Flats, but it does have a clear view to the sattelites on the horizon. Once I mark a point, I can blindly walk back to that point and will be within a step of my marker flag. I have even revisited a point I marked two years prior and found myself almost standing on the corroded remains of a flag I forgot to retrieve.

There are a couple of things in the app that can foul up the measurement. One is to make sure it is actually measuring between the Blue points marked. It will allow you to select a measurement near, but not snapped to the point sometimes and this can throw the measurements off.

Alan

[DC]

Thanks Alan. I'll have to play with it a bit. I've just been using the red bar that appears at the top of the home page I'll have to look for the blue measuring points. I'm not very good at this kind of stuff. Too old and set in my ways, I guess. Do you know if there is some kind of tutorial? Maybe a Youtube thing?