Handy GPS Help
Windows Phone version
Last updated Apr 2016
When you start Handy GPS you will see the page below. This page displays your current location as a UTM easting/northing or as a latitude/longitude using the WGS84 datum.
When you're moving, it will also show your speed and direction. For best location accuracy, make sure you're outside where your phone has a clear view of the sky.
The functions of each button are as described below:
- Map: Displays a map with your current location shown as a human figure, waypoints shown as red flags, and tracklogs shown as red lines.
Click on a waypoint to view its name. Pinch or double-click to zoom. Drag your finger to pan. Hold your finger down to create a waypoint.
- Waypoints: Lists all your currently recorded waypoints with the oldest first. Click on a waypoint's name to view a list of actions which may be performed.
- Goto: Lists your waypoints and when one is selected, uses the GPS to guide you back to that location.
Note that the arrow direction on the goto page is only valid when you're moving. When you're moving, the compass bezel is drawn in blue and your speed and ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
are displayed at the bottom. When you're standing still, the bezel is drawn in grey and true bearing to your target is displayed at the bottom. (To use this bearing
with a compass you need to add or subtract the local magnetic declination).
- Enter: Allows you to manually enter a new waypoint as either an easting/northing or a latitude/longitude, depending on what mode is selected at the top of the main page. Note that latitudes must be negative for the southern hemisphere, and longitudes must be negative for west.
- Add: Adds a new waypoint at your current location.
- Coord type: Press this to choose between UTM coordinates or three different formats of Lat/Lon coordinates.
- Datum: Press this (full version only) to choose between the various available datums, including custom ones you've added from the "Manage datums" option on the menu.
Coordinates will then viewed and entered in the selected datum. Click here for information about custom datums.
- Prefs: Lets you configure the app with settings such as the speed and distance units to use, and the tracklog point spacing.
- Delete: Allows you to delete all currently loaded waypoints and/or tracklogs.
- Pause/Resume: Pauses or resumes the app receiving GPS location updates.
- Help: Shows this help page.
- Menu: Shows additional options such as viewing the app version,
emailing your current location to a friend, importing waypoints from a KML or GPX file on your SD card, and uploading waypoints
to your OneDrive account.
Odometer
The last line on the main page of the app is the odometer. This records how far you have moved. To reset the odometer to zero at the start of a walk, press the "Reset" button on the right hand-side.
Importing and exporting waypoints
If your phone has an SD card then you can create a HandyGPS folder on the card and then transfer KML or GPX files from your PC to this folder.
To import a KML or GPX file into the app, press the menu button and choose "Import from SD card".
HandyGPS will not load KMZ files directly, you first need to unzip them (Click here to find out how).
You are currently unable to save waypoints back to your SD card from the app due to Windows Phone 8.0 restrictions*.
Instead, a menu option called "Upload to OneDrive" is provided to upload your waypoints and tracklogs to a KML or GPX file on your Microsoft OneDrive account. For symmetry, there is also a "Download from OneDrive" option.
Once the KML or GPX file is on OneDrive, you can login to your OneDrive live account on your PC and download the file for viewing in Google Earth. KML and GPX files are uploaded to and downloaded from the Documents folder on OneDrive.
*I would like to update the app to Windows Phone 8.1 so that you can also write KML/GPX files to your phone's SD card, but there is a limitation in 8.1 which is preventing me from releasing the app. Please read about the issue and add your vote for Microsoft to fix it
here.
Saving battery power
GPS logging apps can use more battery power than normal apps. To minimise battery usage, make sure that HandyGPS is shut down when you've finished using it.
Pressing the back button when the main page of HandyGPS is displayed will close the app.
If you're not sure whether HandyGPS is running in the background, hold down the back button on your phone for a few seconds to bring up the task manager. If you see HandyGPS displayed in this list, press the "X" at the top to close it.
Entering negative numeric values in HandyGPS
In several places in the app you may need to enter negative numbers - for example negative latitudes for the southern hemisphere. In these cases you need to know that holding down the "." button on the numeric keypad for a few seconds will display
a popup menu offering you a minus sign as shown below.
Maps
HandyGPS is just using the standard Windows Phone Map API, which normally requires a cellular data or Wifi connection to show the map backgrounds. However, if you go to the Maps application
on your Windows Phone (8.1 and upwards), you can download an offline map for your region which contains most of the roads,
including many four wheel drive tracks too. Once you have this downloaded HandyGPS will use it when neither a cellular data or Wifi connection
is available. This is not as good as the aerial photo mode, of course, but its better than no background at all.
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Website: www.binaryearth.net