MBlog

How to Record a 24 Hour Ultra Running Event

We hear it quite frequently, "I've got this ultra marathon and I want to track it with my Forerunner 305.  How do I go about making sure I capture all the data?"  There's a chance, although slim, that you'll be able to wear the one device to record your data.  But why take the chance that the device won't have the storage capacity for your event?  One of our creative users, reiner.stucky.motionbased.com, used his device along with donated devices from a shop in his area (Avnic in South Africa) to track his progress while running the 3rd South African Addo Elephant 100 Mile Trail Run on 28 April 2007.  After the First Leg of 55 miles was recorded he changed out the device for a new one.  Leg Two was a little shorter, measuring 24 miles.  The third device recorded the Final Leg just over 21 miles.  For the full Combined event, check out Reiner's activity:

Finally, check out the activity on Google Earth.  I've left the sections divided so you can see where Reiner swapped out each device.

Congratulations on a fantastic event, Reiner!  Can't wait to see what you do next year!

MBlog post brought to you by kk.

A Refresher on the Basics

We've seen our user-base grow by leaps and bounds over the last few months.  Welcome!  For those new users who are still figuring some things out and for those of you that haven't joined MotionBased yet, this week's post may be of interest to you.  Let's revisit our System Requirements and our Quick Start Guide for the newbies.

System Requirements include a few key pieces of equipment, starting with the ever important GPS device.  You need a GPS device since MotionBased only accepts activities with trackpoints.  While it is our goal to accept non-GPS workouts in the future, MotionBased currently accepts GPS only activities.  Your computer, PC or Mac, needs to have an Internet connection to upload activities to MotionBased.  You'll also need to download the MotionBased Agent for the PC, or the Mac Web Agent for you Mac users.  For either operating system, Windows PC or Mac, please check the requirements at the respective links.

Our Quick Start Guide will help you master flawless uploads.  The top 3 things to remember? 

• Make sure you're using the most recent MotionBased Agent.
• Follow the GPS Routine for best device results.
• Have FUN!  Remember that no matter what appears in your Upload Status page there is tons of information at your fingertips to help you find a solution.  And of course, we're always here to help, too!

Have a great weekend! -- kk

Setting Your Account Preferences

Last week I told you about accuracy and how to set up a couple of your preferences to get the most accurate data from MotionBased.  This week I'm going to show you how to set the rest of your preferences so they are customized to your liking.

You can set all of your preferences under Account > Preferences in the navigation. 

Units: On this tab you'll find Units of Measure and Heart Rate Units.  You can choose between Metric and Standard (U.S.), and select your preferred HR Units from either Beats per Minute, Percent of Max or HR Zone.

Heart Rate: Here you'll be able to customize your HR zones.  Select the sport in the top field, then select the Max beats per minute for the activity.  This feature is great for MultiSporters, or anyone involved in many activities.

Privacy: Select to keep your activities Public or Private on the TrailNetwork.  No matter your preference, you can still choose to make an activity Public or Private at your Inbox when submitting to the Digest.

Tune-Up: The tab where you'll find GPS Corrections and MB Gravity.

View Options: Choose between Table and Map View for your Digest and the TrailNetwork, Dashboard maps and whether or not you want to view all the ads (paying customers only).

For quick reference as to what the default settings are, check out the chart below:

Feature	Default	Set Preference To:
Units of Measure	Standard (U.S.)	Metric
Heart Rate Units	Beats per Minute (bpm)	% of Max or Zone
Heart Rate Zones	5-zones, 185 bpm max	Custom
Privacy	Public	Private
GPS Corrections	On	Off
MB Gravity	Off	On
My Activities View	Table View	Map View
TrailNetwork View	Table View	Map View
Dashboard Maps	Google Maps	Traditional Maps
Advertisement View	See Ads	See Fewer Ads (paid feature)

Now go have some epic weekend activities! -- kk

Forerunner 305 Device Software 2.6 Available

Forerunner 305 device software (2.6) update is now available. There’s a long list of improvements and fixes, including an update for day light savings time. This update is Recommended, not Required.  If you do not upgrade your device you can still set the time for your time zone, it just will not be automatic at the next time change.

If you update your Forerunner 305, YOU MUST DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE NEW MOTIONBASED AGENT (version 2.3.0.1). This upgrade allows heart rate and lap data to be retrieved from Forerunner 305's and displayed on MotionBased.

If you’re having device-computer communication problems after updating your device software, download and install the latest USB drivers (Version 2.2.1 at the time of this post).

Accuracy - Dialin' Your Device and MotionBased

If you've ever wondered how to get the most accurate data readings from your device and MotionBased, this MBlog installment is for you.

Device Specific: To get the most out of your fitness device, make sure you're locked on to the strongest satellite signal possible.  Leave the device still on a static surface when acquiring a satellite lock.  While your device will acquire satellites when mounted to your wrist or (moving) bike, it will take longer to acquire satellite lock if there is any movement with the device.  Also, the longer you leave your device still acquiring satellites, the better the signal. That means you'll have better data.  Leave your device still while you get ready for your activity.  The additional acquisition time will make for a better satellite lock.

MotionBased Tools: There are other tools at MotionBased that will greatly enhance the accuracy of your data.  Apply them properly and you'll be rewarded with better data, which makes for better analysis:

Corrections: By applying GPS Corrections to your activities, you're allowing MotionBased to apply its algorithms to smooth your data and give you the most accurate readings.

Elevation: With advancements in device accuracy, it can be a little confusing to know when to use certain features on MotionBased and when to leave them turned off.  If you're looking to get the most out of your Elevation reading you'll want to turn on MB Gravity, UNLESS you are using the Edge 305, or another device with a barometric altimeter.

	Default	Set Preference
GPS Corrections	On	X
MB Gravity	Off	X

There are a couple other articles you should check out.  First, read through Accuracy.  It gives some more information on elevation numbers.  Finally, check out the information in Calculations.  This article will hep explain some differences between data seen at MotionBased and Training Center.

Registering for a New Account

In January MotionBased merged user accounts with myGarmin accounts, so as to link MB with the administrative end of things.  Since the Migration, new users have been experiencing some quirks with registration to say the least.  If you're reading this and you're one of those users, we do apologize for the confusion. 

If you've already registered an account with myGarmin, that account is being reserved for you at MotionBased.  There's no need to go through the registration process at MotionBased.  Simply use your myGarmin username and password to login to MotionBased.

If you went through the registration process at MotionBased, the same holds true at myGarmin; you're account is on hold and just waiting for you to login.

If you have further questions, email your username and registered email to support@motionbased.com.

Best Upload Practices

Last week we told you a little bit about the Upload Status Codes.  This week we want to share the best upload practices so your Upload Status page won't be littered with error messages, and you'll be free to enjoy the outdoors even more.

1. Upload directly from your device.  Make sure the activity you are trying to upload is an outdoor activity with a good satellite signal.  Uploading from the device through the Agent is much faster that trying to upload file via the Internet browser.

2. Keep your device set to Smart Recording.  Even if your activity is under 5,000 trackpoints, having it set to Every Second Recording will still slow your upload and put it toward the end of the upload queue.

3. If you are trying to complete a Manual Upload, make sure the file meets the requirements.  The most common files for Manual Uploads are GPX files and Garmin Training Center files.  Make sure your GPX file have active trackpoints and do not contain and Infinite Timestamps (INF).  Make sure you've installed the most recent version of the Training Center for those uploads.

4. If you are using the Mac Agent be sure to delete your device history from time to time.  The Mac Web Agent will upload all of the activities on your device each time you make an upload.  Deleting items from the device history will speed up the process since less data will be available to read.

Follow these tips and you should see the Successful Uploads notice more frequently!

Understanding Upload Errors

We've all lived the scenario.  You've just come in form THE ride or run or hike, etc., and you're beyond excited to see it all laid out on MotionBased.  You hook up your device, Synchronize, get the message that your data's been sent to MotionBased.  "Yes!," you think, "now I get to relive my most epic adventure to date! WOO HOO!"  You quickly go to your Inbox to find . . . nothing.  "But the Agent said that MB had received my data?," you say aloud in bewilderment. 

Fear Not! 

Before writing to Customer Support and waiting for an answer, the answer is right at your fingertips.  While the Agent refers to MB as having received the data, it doesn't necessarily mean that the data was good.  This is why if you've never checked out the Upload Status Page (the tab right behind the Inbox tab) you'll want to give it a click soon.  It will list everything, from the uploads that made it to your Inbox to the dreaded Red Squared System Error.  By clicking on the link to the error, it gives you the rundown of the Upload Status Codes you've received, and that means you'll know exactly what happened before you write to Customer Support. 

Above is just a taste of what you may see on the Upload Status Page.  Be sure to check out the Page.  If you have any questions feel free to contact Customer Support.

Applying Corrections

We've seen a few queries recently asking why the distance seen on the device or in Training Center is so different than it shows in MotionBased.  We usually see some variation, maybe a quarter mile difference at most.  Some of you, however, have seen huge discrepancies.  And by huge, we're talking 5+ miles difference.  Since there have been a handful of users who wrote in with this experience, we know there are more of you who are puzzled by this problem. 

What could the problem be?  Corrections.

Some users have no idea about Corrections.  Applying Corrections to every activity will clean up your data and bring your mileage into manageable distances.  Found under Account --> Preferences --> Tune-Up, select the option to have MotionBased apply our corrections for all of your data from this point forward.

If you have old activities needing Corrections Attention you'll need to apply Corrections to the individual activity.  See the previous MBlog post, Editing Multiple Activities, for a faster way to get this done.

The 411 on Adobe SVG Viewer

If you've been having trouble getting the Analyzer (paid feature), or the Map Player or Dot Racing to work, it may be due to not having the latest version of the Adobe SVG Viewer installed.  While it is our goal to have the Player out of BETA and fully replacing the Analyzer sometime in the Third Quarter, you'll still need to use the Analyzer with the SVG Viewer until then.  Don't forget, it's only compatible in Internet Explorer at this time.

If you've installed the latest version of the Adobe SVG Player and you're still having problems with the Analyzer or Map Player double check the following:

1. Make sure you're in IE.  These 2 features only work in IE.  If you prefer Firefox, you can use the IE tabs extension.

2. Check your security settings.  Firewalls should be set to Medium.  Other securities,  like Norton Internet Security, need to be set to allow MotionBased.

3. Pop-up blockers can sometimes interfere with the Analyzer, so make sure those are adjusted.