Merging data from MS Band
Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:49 am
I got a MS Band a few months back, but as I am gone for work for over a month at a time I hadn't been able to work out how to get the HR and GPS data to merge in Issac. You can download a .csv file from the MS health website (which actually gives you some interesting information not found anywhere else). But its useless, and doesn't merge. Now, you can connect MMR or Strava (and a few others) either on the phone app or website, and as soon as the band syncs to MS Health, it uploads the rides to these "Connected Apps". So, as I use MMR I went to the site and hit the "TCX" button and tried merging that file in Issac. No go. I even tried to find a .TCX reader, and it wouldn't open in any of them. I then uploaded that file to Strava, and then downloaded the .gpx file. Bingo! So Strava it is.
So no more chest strap! I can tell the sample rate is a lot lower than the chest strap, but I just don't care. Also, the GPS seems to be more accurate, but ymmv. One nice feature with means no more editing .gpx files, is that in order to use the bike app on the watch, you tap the bike tile, then you hit the action button. However this does not start the ride. It simply turns the GPS on. Once the GPS has locked you get a buzz on your wrist. Then when you are ready to go you hit the action button again and your ride starts. So far I have only tried merging data on two rides that were close to each other. But I have quite the back log of files to go through. One last thing, there is no auto start/stop. But if you are combining data its no concern. I have done little road riding with this watch, mostly mountain biking.
So no more chest strap! I can tell the sample rate is a lot lower than the chest strap, but I just don't care. Also, the GPS seems to be more accurate, but ymmv. One nice feature with means no more editing .gpx files, is that in order to use the bike app on the watch, you tap the bike tile, then you hit the action button. However this does not start the ride. It simply turns the GPS on. Once the GPS has locked you get a buzz on your wrist. Then when you are ready to go you hit the action button again and your ride starts. So far I have only tried merging data on two rides that were close to each other. But I have quite the back log of files to go through. One last thing, there is no auto start/stop. But if you are combining data its no concern. I have done little road riding with this watch, mostly mountain biking.