Reference for outside read before signal leaves
Field Manual.
The answer you want before the map becomes the only thing you have.
Open the manualFind your answer
Start with what you need to know.
Choose a subject, then open the question closest to yours. Each article explains the idea, its practical consequences and what to check next.
Field Manual subject
Using and sharing routes
5 answers-
How to follow a GPX route without mobile signal
What remains on your phone, what can disappear with coverage, and the checks worth making before you leave.
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How to import and prepare a GPX route in beacen
Where a route can come from, what a usable GPX needs, and the checks to make before navigation starts.
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What to do when you go off a GPX route
How to separate a GPS wobble from a wrong turn, read the ground, and choose a sensible return.
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Route recording vs workout recording
What beacen saves, what a fitness app records, and why the two sessions start separately.
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Share a route as a link or GPX file
Choose the right handoff and understand what stays public, what can be revoked, and what the file can contain.
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Field Manual subject
GPX fundamentals
5 answers-
What is a GPX file, and what does it contain?
Learn what a GPX file stores, how routes, tracks and waypoints differ, which fields are optional, and what to check before sharing one.
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GPX tracks, routes and waypoints explained
Understand the practical difference between GPX tracks, routes and waypoints, including how each type affects import and navigation.
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GPX vs FIT vs TCX: which file do you need?
Choose between GPX, FIT and TCX for routes, recorded activities, workouts and sensor data, with practical advice on conversion.
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Why route distance differs between apps
Learn why the same route can have different distances across apps, how point density and processing affect totals, and what to compare.
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Can you follow a GPX route backwards?
Learn what happens when you reverse a GPX route, what stays the same, and which access, gradient and navigation checks need repeating.
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Field Manual subject
Route, terrain and access
6 answers-
What makes an outdoor route difficult?
Understand how distance, ascent, terrain, surface, weather, navigation and personal ability combine to make an outdoor route difficult.
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What makes a mountain bike route technical?
Understand mountain bike technical difficulty through line choice, obstacles, gradient, surface, exposure and the way trail conditions change.
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What counts as a gravel route?
Understand the practical meaning of a gravel route through its surface mix, road-like character, technical sections and suitability for the rider and bike.
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Contour lines explained
Learn how contour lines show height, slope, valleys, spurs and route shape, and understand the terrain details that contours cannot show.
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How 3D route maps are made
See how elevation data becomes a terrain mesh, how a GPX line is placed on it, and why a 3D route map remains a model rather than a survey of every obstacle.
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Why a GPX file does not prove legal access
Understand why GPX geometry is not access permission, how outdoor access differs across the UK, and what to verify before walking, running or riding a route.
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Field Manual subject
GPX internals
12 answers-
What happens when a GPX track has multiple segments?
A track segment preserves one continuous run of points. Learn what the boundary means and why joining it can invent distance.
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GPX timestamps explained
Point times can support duration and speed estimates, but metadata time, local display and missing samples need separate treatment.
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Does a GPX file include elevation data?
GPX points can carry elevation in metres, but the field is optional and does not identify whether the height was measured or terrain-sampled.
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GPX extensions explained
Extensions add information outside the shared GPX core. Their namespace, definition and survival through an export all matter.
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Why two GPX files for the same route can differ
The same route can be written with different points, segments, elevations, times and extensions. Compare the evidence that matters.
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What duplicate points do in a GPX file
Matching coordinates may still carry different times, elevations or sensor fields. Define the duplicate before cleaning the file.
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How GPX simplification works
Simplification removes selected vertices while approximating the source line. Tight turns and attached point data deserve close review.
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How to inspect a GPX file safely
Read a copy as plain XML, inventory its lines and validate the structure while keeping sensitive coordinates under your control.
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Latitude, longitude and WGS 84 in GPX files
Every GPX point uses WGS 84 latitude and longitude in decimal degrees. Correct signs and reference-system conversion are essential.
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Planned GPX vs recorded GPX
A plan expresses intended travel; a recording preserves observed positions. GPX structure alone cannot reliably prove which one you have.
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What happens when one GPX contains several routes or tracks?
One GPX can be a collection of independent routes and tracks. Their order does not explain whether they are alternatives or stages.
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Why a GPX line can have gaps
A blank route span can be an intentional segment break, absent recording data or a handoff problem. Diagnose it before drawing a repair.
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Field Manual subject
Offline use and device behaviour
8 answers-
Offline maps vs offline route navigation
Separate the background map from the route line, live position and guidance, then prepare each layer for the loss of coverage.
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What to download before going offline
Save the line, enough surrounding map, every device copy and the trip details that cannot be fetched after coverage ends.
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What happens if you lose signal halfway through a route?
Work out whether a signal loss has removed online services, map context, route data or the current position before changing course.
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How to test a route before going offline
Rehearse the exact loss of connection, then inspect route, map, position and device guidance as separate pass or fail checks.
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How location permissions affect outdoor navigation
Read the full permission stack before blaming GPS: device location, per-app access, precision and active or background use.
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What low power mode changes during GPS navigation
Compare phone and watch power controls without assuming that a low-power label either disables GPS or leaves navigation unchanged.
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Can Apple Watch navigate without mobile signal?
Distinguish losing mobile signal from leaving the iPhone behind, then prove that location, map and route data live on the watch.
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Can a Wear OS watch navigate without a phone nearby?
Check the watch hardware, connection, app, local route data, permissions and power state before calling a Wear OS setup standalone.
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Field Manual subject
GPS and position behaviour
10 answers-
GPS vs GNSS: what does a phone actually use?
Separate the American GPS constellation from the wider GNSS family, then read receiver and app claims with the right level of precision.
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How long does phone GPS take to get an accurate fix?
Fix time is a receiver outcome, not a universal countdown. Prior data, rough location and signal conditions change the wait.
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Assisted GPS explained
Assistance can provide time, rough location and satellite data so a receiver starts with a smaller search rather than a blank state.
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Why satellite geometry and sky view matter
A receiver solves intersecting ranges. Signals spread across the sky constrain that solution better than a tight cluster in one direction.
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GPS multipath explained
A reflected signal travels farther than the direct path. The receiver can turn that extra journey into a displaced or unstable position.
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GPS course vs compass heading
Course answers where the device is moving. Compass heading answers where it faces. At low speed those answers often diverge.
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What the location accuracy circle means
Treat the circle as an uncertainty estimate around the reported point. Its confidence convention and freshness depend on the platform and provider.
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Why dual-frequency GPS improves positioning
Signals at two frequencies let a receiver estimate frequency-dependent atmospheric delay and may improve robustness in difficult conditions.
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GPS altitude vs barometric altitude
GNSS estimates height from satellite geometry. A barometer infers change from pressure. The displayed altitude may combine both.
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How apps smooth recorded GPS tracks
The line on screen is often processed rather than raw. Filtering can reject noise, but strong correction can also erase real movement.
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Field Manual subject
Elevation, height and gradient
8 answers-
Altitude vs elevation vs height
Separate everyday language from geodetic definitions, then identify the reference surface behind any vertical route figure.
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Total ascent vs highest point
Read maximum elevation and accumulated climbing separately, then account for the elevation source and processing behind each figure.
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GPS elevation vs terrain elevation data
Distinguish a device's processed vertical position from the terrain value sampled beneath a route line before comparing profiles.
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Why vertical datums change altitude numbers
Treat a datum as part of every height value, then distinguish the mathematical ellipsoid from gravity-based mapped height systems.
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How digital elevation models supply route height
Follow a route line through raster cells and interpolation, then judge whether the model resolution and surface suit the feature on the ground.
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How route gradient is calculated
Calculate percentage gradient from consistent rise and run values, then check segment length, direction and data smoothing before comparing apps.
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Why steepness can be hard to judge from an elevation profile
Read both axes before judging the silhouette, then inspect the segment behind a steep-looking spike or a deceptively gentle ramp.
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How elevation changes route time and difficulty
Treat ascent as one part of a route-time estimate, then account for where the climbing sits, how steep it is and what the ground demands.
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Field Manual subject
Activity and route judgement
12 answers-
How to judge hiking route difficulty
Turn a route summary into a walking decision by checking the ground, the navigational burden, the conditions and the whole group.
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How to judge gravel route difficulty
Assess gravel by its roughest ground, sustained climbing, wet-weather character and the practical fit between route, rider and loaded bike.
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How to judge road cycling route difficulty
Separate endurance from road complexity by reading the climb pattern, descents, junctions, traffic exposure, surface and weather together.
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Why mountain bike distance can be misleading
See why trail grade, technical density, climb surface, interruptions and consequences can matter more than the distance total on an MTB route.
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Why gravel route times vary so much
Replace a single average-speed guess with a route-specific estimate that separates rolling ground, slow sectors and planned interruptions.
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How surface type changes route speed
Read surface as a chain of physical and practical constraints: energy loss, grip, line choice, braking, passing space and forced stops.
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GPX navigation for hiking
Prepare the line, map and phone for walking, then navigate feature to feature instead of waiting for a dot to report a mistake.
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GPX navigation for mountain biking
Set up an MTB route for low-distraction use, recognise geometry that can confuse progress and stop before inspecting any uncertain decision.
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GPX navigation for gravel riding
Use a route line for continuity, a map for context and route notes for the gates, access changes and rough sectors the GPX cannot explain.
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GPX navigation for road cycling
Prepare a road course for timely cues, identify complex junctions and know when a calculated detour would change the route you chose.
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GPX navigation for trail running
Build navigation around short interactions and early error detection, with a clear distinction between an independent GPX outing and a marked event.
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GPX navigation for bikepacking
Keep the route usable over several days by combining ordered GPX segments with offline maps, current notes, power planning and known alternatives.
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Field Manual subject
Maps and terrain data
8 answers-
What a topographic map shows
Understand what a topographic map selects, how it represents terrain and why its legend, scale and publication context still matter.
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How contour spacing reveals slope
Read close, wide and changing contour spacing, then account for the route's direction across the slope before judging steepness.
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How contour lines show ridges and valleys
Recognise valleys, spurs, ridges and saddles by following complete contour patterns rather than memorising an isolated V shape.
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What is a digital elevation model?
Understand the height values behind terrain views and profiles, including surface definition, grid spacing, datum, source and processing limits.
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DTM vs DSM: two ways to describe a surface
Compare bare-ground and top-surface elevation models, then read the provider's definition before using either one for a route or visualisation.
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What is LiDAR terrain data?
See how laser ranges, sensor position and classification create point clouds and terrain products, with processing choices kept visible.
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Why terrain resolution matters
Distinguish terrain cell spacing from accuracy, then judge whether the source can represent the ridges, gullies and structures that matter.
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Why maps look different between apps
Understand why one place can be selected, simplified, labelled and styled differently across apps without assuming one visual is complete.
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Field Manual subject
Access and rights
6 answers-
Footpaths, bridleways and byways in England and Wales
Read the four recorded right-of-way classes by permitted user, then check the legal record, current orders and actual surface separately.
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Permissive path vs public right of way
A public right of way and a permissive path can look identical on the ground, but their authority, conditions and continuity are different.
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Why Scottish access rights differ
Scotland starts with responsible non-motorised access over most land and inland water, then applies exclusions, conduct and local management.
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Temporary closures vs permanent access
A closure can suspend use without erasing the underlying right. Read the order, dates, affected users and legal route before changing a plan.
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OpenStreetMap access tags explained
Decode access, foot, bicycle, horse and designation tags, then confirm important decisions against current signs and official records.
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How to check route access before following a GPX
Turn a GPX into a checked plan by splitting it into access segments, choosing the correct authority and resolving current restrictions.
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For the route ahead
Know the line. Read the ground.
Use the Manual to understand a GPX file, prepare for lost signal, make sense of elevation and terrain, and judge a route before you commit to it.