We got a question from a reader about comparisons between rowing speed measurement tools
RIM vs Coxmate. Which would you recommend and how do they compare?
Rowing in Motion versus Coxmate GPS
RiM is an app which comes in two versions: for solo athletes or for teams. It records and monitors basic data such as boat speed, distance and stoke rate.
So firstly, the software has broadly similar features for both. Coxmate does not have a display stroke acceleration curve live in the boa but does have it in the post-outing analysis software. However one advantage RiM has over Coxmate despite providing less data is that the data is more easily readable since you are reading it off a smartphone.
The principal difference from your point of view is – do you want to take your phone in a boat or use a waterproof watersport computer?
The GPS Chip
Coxmate will provide you with more accurate data because of a better GPS chip. The GPS chip inside a phone is 1 Hz, a much lower specification than the Coxmate – which is 10 Hz. This 1 Hz chip is not designed for the rapid data input/output that rowing demands. What this means is it is slow to update in real time. This will show up when you do intervals – it can take 10 or more strokes for the RiM to ‘settle’ into the correct rate and speed data display because of the slower chip. And if you are doing 10 stroke pieces, the piece is over before you’ve got the information.
If you are not satisfied with the amount and quality of data from the app, RiM sells a SensorBox which can be purchased via their website. This box is linked to the RiM application and comes at the hefty price of Euros €1,000 and offers data analysis capabilities similar to the Coxmate GPS. Importantly both the Sensorbox and Coxmate GPS use the 10Hz GPS chip.
What makes RiM unique is a feature called coaching. This feature allows your coach to monitor your data live on his smartphone or tablet. As a coach you can capture videos automatically synchronizing measurement data from the rowing boat with the recorded video. The applications communicate via WiFi networks. All the data is recorded and available for analysis and archived in their online tool called Analytics. If you are using the solo application Analytics is free but if you are using the team version of RiM it will cost you from €295 annually. There is a free version of this application but it is limited to 100 strokes per session and the coach can only analyse 50 strokes. Also worth noting is that you need a waterproof smartphone or a cover.
Roger – I wrote it trying to be very balanced and to give the reader enough information to make up their own mind. For what it’s worth, I won’t take a mobile phone in the boat. Rebecca
Some elements of this comparison are factually incorrect, particularly with respect to the existence of features. For example it says that phones do not have chargers, mains or USB. Clearly that is not the case. Given such an obvious omission the rest of the comparison lacks any credibility whatsoever.
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This Post Has 4 Comments
Is there a conclusion to this article?
Roger – I wrote it trying to be very balanced and to give the reader enough information to make up their own mind. For what it’s worth, I won’t take a mobile phone in the boat. Rebecca
Some elements of this comparison are factually incorrect, particularly with respect to the existence of features. For example it says that phones do not have chargers, mains or USB. Clearly that is not the case. Given such an obvious omission the rest of the comparison lacks any credibility whatsoever.
Dear djb – thanks for pointing that out to us. We will update the post to reflect your careful observations. Just checking – do you work for RIM?