Step counter - Android App v. belt clip thingy

[mikeprice]

Hi all

 

Need to get some intelligent opinions on this so I thought I would try you lot

 

My Doctor has bullied me into going on a pre-diabetes prevention course and part of it is to monitor and increase your exercise levels - after all I only cycle for 2 hours a day most days!!!

 

So they have sent me a step counter so I can see my step count

 

 

Now - before it arrived I downloaded a step counter onto my phone

 

 

so - The phone version also logs "steps" when I am cycling - but I'm not sure of the mechanism it uses and whether or not the app is accessing the GPS and calculating stuff from the distance

 

or maybe just seeing vibration and logging it as steps

 

 

but the little thing I have received from the course does not log steps when I cycle - or at other times

 

 

so I have just come back from riding for about 2 hours (Strava claims 1 Hour 55) - plus walking around getting bike from shed - opening gates ,bringing bin back in (it was about 30 yards away so 60 steps plus

 

I wrote the start steps from each device

 

Android App started at 308 steps - when I came back it said about 8700 steps

 

The little belt clip thingy started at 142 steps - ended at 144 steps - in spite of getting the bin in and walking around a bit when I stopped for a drink

 

 

so - the question (go on - you knew I would get round to it eventually!!)

 

 

Anyone else seen this??

 

Are all the cheap step counters useless?

 

Do Android Apps in general record a reasonable number of steps when riding - the 'tutor' on the course has said to take the number of minutes and multiple by 100 - which is rather more but in the same ball park????

 

 

 

Any comments