Bubble GPS Spot Tracker (Spotwalla) w $0 subscription/fees

[Top_Speed1]

Yea, grabbing the first open trip on the spotwalla page for top 10 active trips, you get the history button.
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=5

If you go to my trip that the previously posted image is from, which was a 2 day trip, but is closed, there's no history button.

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=63cc515dd0e152f75

History button won't work for individual days, it only tags back a certain amount of days then combines them up. So you can go back let's say "5 days" but you see all 5 days globbed together, can't get just day 2 or lets say day 4.

We'll keep searching, along w you Jason maybe we'll find it

-or- my lil <tip> may still be the answer. It's quick n easy enough, but if one date range could suffice... well then, cool(er) beans!

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Does Spotwalla have the ability to send tracks to two trips at once? If so, make one trip for the entire duration, and other trips for each day.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Does Spotwalla have the ability to send tracks to two trips at once? If so, make one trip for the entire duration, and other trips for each day.

I did a test with a week long period map, added one within that date range and it posted to both.

Will recheck with multiple trips (encapsulated) within a week trip running as well.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[JimNtexas]

Google Latitude dies on August 9, 2013, and will be interned in the Google Graveyard.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Does Spotwalla have the ability to send tracks to two trips at once? If so, make one trip for the entire duration, and other trips for each day.

Confirmed tonight w several maps working at once, as long as the trips (maps) are in the active date range... Your plotting to all of them.

 

[Aasland]

Google Latitude dies on August 9, 2013, and will be interned in the Google Graveyard.

Been a fan of Latitude for many years. Sucks that they will only offer a neutered version via Google+ (I don't do social media).

Life360 looks like a good alternative if you have a non-overlappting group of friends (or family) to track. Otherwise Glympse is a nice way to send shortlived (<= 4 hours) tracking to someone else.

 

[nankoweap]

Does Spotwalla have the ability to send tracks to two trips at once? If so, make one trip for the entire duration, and other trips for each day.

In SpotWalla, messages are stored independently of trips. Trips are merely windows over a set of messages between two dates. So trips can overlap, be deleted or created at any time without affecting the message data.

I create a year-long, private, password-protected trip that I share with family and close friends. This allows them to always find me throughout the year without worrying about multiple links. Then if I want to share a ride with the general public, I create a separate public trip that shows limited information and share it with the world.

 

[ahchiu]

I just downloaded the Bubble Pro on my Galaxy Note 2.

 

[Wolf_in_Cheapclothing]

+1 on this app. I used it in The Big Money Rally this year and it worked out great. The spotwalla connection was nice since I'm way to cheap to buy a spot, but I liked the camera app the best. The BMR is scored in real time using pictures sent via email. Bubbler GPS has a camera app which allows you to take a picture, which it sends to spotwalla and also to an email address of your choosing. With the BMR email address plugged in, bonus stops were sped up considerably.

The rally required a lower resolution image than my phones native settings allow. At each stop I would have to resize the image and attach it to an email, but with Bubbler it was quick and simple.

 

[RossKean]

Now that people have been using this app for a period of time, are there any noteworthy updates to report? I am especially curious about the data cost - i.e. megabites per day for 10 minute spot (bubble) intervals. My current cell plan is fairly limited in terms of data coverage and is a particular problem while "roaming". I realize that photograph upload would greatly increase data useage.

 

[gixxerjasen]

I'd start off by setting your phone to not use data roaming networks. That'll kill that. Basic uploads of position shouldn't be too much but yea, photos would be more. I honestly haven't checked because that's one of the selling points for me going over to Sprint. May not be the best network but I don't have to sit around watching my bandwidth useage like I did when I was on AT&T.

 

[RossKean]

I'd start off by setting your phone to not use data roaming networks. That'll kill that. Basic uploads of position shouldn't be too much but yea, photos would be more. I honestly haven't checked because that's one of the selling points for me going over to Sprint. May not be the best network but I don't have to sit around watching my bandwidth useage like I did when I was on AT&T.

A lot of my riding (especially the stuff I would want to track) is done in "Data Roaming" areas so I need to be careful about useage. Data roaming gets very expensive if there is no specific plan in place. I think Bubbler can be set up to only download (Pro version) in a WiFi connection area. Not very useful if the purpose of the spot is so someone can follow your track in real time.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Well, that's the rub there. You will want a spot tracker then for sure if you want to follow along in real time. I have mine set up to only upload when it has a data connection and I have my phone set to not use roaming networks. It will queue up the tracks and upload them once it has a data connection again. While it doesn't give my wife the total peace of mind when I'm on the road, she knows if it looks like I'm out in the middle of nowhere and not updating that I probably don't have data there. It's not perfect but it's way better than 10 years ago when I was giving her a ring at each gas stop with a pay phone so she'd know where my last stop was to give to authorities.

Eventually I'll get me a spot, but most of my time is spent near pavement and a good portion of that is covered with data of some type these days, especially the slab. If your riding takes you elsewhere, then a spot is what you'll want. But for $10, you really can't beat this.

 

[RossKean]

Don't want to pony up the bucks for a Spot Tracker plus the annual subscription fee. Just wondering if the daily data upload (10 minute intervals) is on the order of kilobytes per day or megabytes per day. I also have to try and see if the Galaxy S4 can pick up a GPS signal in my top box or if I will need to keep the phone in a pocket in my jacket.

Any observations on how Bubbler affects battery life? When I'm on a trip, I often camp where there is no access to a charger. I could charge via the outlet in the glovebox while riding but the phone doesn't fit (wouldn't want it to bounce out).

 

[nankoweap]

Just wondering if the daily data upload (10 minute intervals) is on the order of kilobytes per day or megabytes per day.

Let me preface this with saying this is not a complete picture of all data being sent between Bubbler and SpotWalla, but from the SpotWalla stats it appears the typical message-posting activity including both request and response is ~1800 bytes or 1.76Kb. Given a 10-minute tracking interval, that's 6 requests/hour or 10.5Kb/hour. So even for a 24 hour period, you're still looking at ~250Kb of data. That's not bad at all.

The rest of the picture is filled with logging in, validating the session/device and a few other things, but not significant enough to send the amount of data into the MB range, I wouldn't think.

 

[RossKean]

OK. I got the app - Pro version. I'm considering a week+ trip to Newfoundland starting Saturday and I will see how Bubbler works out for me. Trip depends on weather and whether I manage to get some stuff caught up at work.

 

[extrememarine]

I have the Pro version loaded on my phone, and used it for the WV camping trip a couple of weeks ago. I had to keep my phone in the top box and plugged in - my phone is 2 years old, a Samsung Epic 4g. I carried my work phone in my pocket to have it handy just in case.

I set the app to ping a location every 5 minutes. The only issue I had was a couple of holes in the tracking where we were riding through and area with some steep terrain. I had 2 or 3 spots where neither the phone or my Spot Tracker pulled a GPS position at the specified time. I like the 5 minute interval - it provides a much more accurate breadcrumb track in the twisty stuff. Especially hopeful if you following a "local" around and want to go back later to the same roads.

Overall, I'd say it's an excellent alternative to a spot tracker if you just looking for the tracking feature.

 

[HelzBelz]

<p>I can attest, I used my Droid Razr Maxx woth Bubbler Gps pro, and my Garmin Nuvi 765t (with 2011  maps) to run my first Rally last weekend, The BigSky Rally/ITU. I did pretty well considering some major first timer mistakes.  I came  in 21 overall, out of 49 finishers, and I think 14 DNF/Q-ers. If I had a laptop with me (don't ask) I would have been able to use the thumb drive they gave me to actually prepare, and I think I could have improved to at least 16th place. If I had my Rick Mayer Seat, which was out being recovered for what was supposed to take a week, I would have been 13th or 14th.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Here is my track</p>

<p><a href="https://spotwalla.com/embed.php?id=7aa35218a4fea8661&width=600&height=600&scale=on&zoom=default&refresh=no">https://spotwalla.com/embed.php?id=7aa35218a4fea8661&width=600&height=600&scale=on&zoom=default&refresh=no</a></p>

 

[HelzBelz]

Just in case it wasn't covered, I've discovered that Spotwalla stores all of the points it receives from Bubbler (or a spot device).

I can create Spotwalla maps of trips in the past, just by creating a new trip, and providing a start date/time and finish date/time in the past. You can also create a future trip, and as long as your bubbler is running during those times you will have a future trip.

Invasive? only as invasive as you let it be. Although, once they've got your plot points, I don't think you can take them away from them. So, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Or leave your cellphone with someone else while you are commiting the crime.