FAQ
Questions and answers.
- Why does ROWPILOT use refurbished smartphones?
- Because great technology deserves a second life. At the heart of ROWPILOT is proven smartphone technology: high-quality GPS/GNSS, motion sensors, Bluetooth and a powerful processor. There is no reason to build another complete electronic device when excellent hardware already exists. That is why we deliberately use carefully selected refurbished smartphones as the technical base. It reduces electronic waste, saves valuable resources and gives perfectly capable technology a meaningful new purpose. The device is prepared specifically for ROWPILOT and combined with our software, housing and mounting system. For you, it is simply one thing: ROWPILOT. LESS WASTE. MORE ROWING.
- How does ROWPILOT get my data?
- ROWPILOT uses the sensors already built into the base device, above all GPS/Galileo and the motion sensors. From those it derives speed, pace, distance, stroke rate, power and further training figures. No extra sensors on the boat. No cables. One device.
- What is the SPI?
- SPI stands for Stroke Performance Index — a training figure developed by ROWPILOT that condenses several pieces of information about a rowing stroke into one number you can read at a glance. It shows how efficiently and dynamically you move your boat. Not a scientific measurement, but a figure for comparison: your SPI, your training, your progress.
- What is the BAI?
- BAI stands for Boat Acceleration Index and describes, in simple terms, the acceleration and the movement pattern of the boat. ROWPILOT uses the motion sensors for it. The BAI, too, is a calculated training and comparison figure, not a certified measurement.
- Which device does ROWPILOT use as its technical base?
- ROWPILOT is built on a high-quality electronic base device, for example from Google, Nokia or Motorola. Professionally checked refurbished devices may be used. We set the base device up and turn it into a self-contained training system with our software. You are not buying a smartphone — you are buying ROWPILOT.
- Is my ROWPILOT waterproof?
- Depending on the model, the base device may offer protection against water. ROWPILOT is not, however, intended for submersion or for being lost in the water. So always secure it to the boat with the safety strap. Damage from submersion or loss is not covered by the warranty as far as the law permits.
- Is ROWPILOT shock- and scratch-proof?
- ROWPILOT is designed for normal use in a rowing boat, but it is an electronic device with a screen, not an indestructible outdoor tool. Treat your ROWPILOT the way you treat your boat and your oars — then it will serve you for a long time.
- How do I get updates?
- We provide software updates whenever improvements or necessary adjustments are available. We inform our customers about relevant updates and explain how to install them.
- What is the difference between an update and an upgrade?
- An update improves the version you already have. An upgrade extends your system with additional functions or a higher product version — for RowPilot that is Pro, with the RACE display and the full report.
- Which chest belts can I pair?
- ROWPILOT supports selected Bluetooth-compatible heart-rate chest belts. We recommend a model we have tested; you can get a current list from ROWPILOT. Using one is optional — ROWPILOT works without a belt as well.
- How does ROWPILOT account for current, wind and weather?
- It does not — and we say so plainly. ROWPILOT knows neither the current at your boat nor the wind resistance nor every single wave. These factors affect your boat and therefore the values recorded. We do not pretend to measure conditions we cannot measure reliably. That is why the data is most valuable for comparing your own sessions under comparable conditions.
- How many training reports are stored?
- ROWPILOT stores your sessions directly on the device. There is room for a large number of reports; the actual number depends on the software version and on how much data each session holds.
- Are my training reports deleted automatically?
- No. You decide which reports you keep. Before a reset, a service or a repair we recommend backing up anything important.
- How do I get my training report onto my phone?
- A QR code appears in the report on the device. Scan it with your phone and the full report opens there — no app and no account needed, because the outing is contained in the link itself. From there you can save it or pass it on. If you link your device to an account once, every outing appears there automatically, including the earlier ones.
- Is my training data transferred to ROWPILOT?
- Personal training reports stay local on your device, unless your version expressly offers another function and you have switched it on. YOUR TRAINING. YOUR DATA.
- Do I need internet or mobile data to row?
- ROWPILOT is designed as a self-contained device for the essential training functions. Individual extra functions may depend on GPS, Bluetooth, mobile network or a data connection.
- Is ROWPILOT a navigation device?
- No. ROWPILOT is a training and information system for rowing. It replaces neither navigation nor your own watch on the water and on other traffic.
- Can I use ROWPILOT in different boat classes?
- Yes. Before training you select the boat class; ROWPILOT takes it into account in the displays and calculations built for it.
- Can I switch the display during training?
- Yes. You can move between the displays available in your version — training keeps running while you do.
- Can I start a new report during an outing?
- Yes. That way you can record individual hard efforts, race simulations or a series of hard strokes separately and analyse them afterwards.
- Does ROWPILOT need calibrating?
- No. Mount the device, choose the boat class and row. Keep it simple.
- What do I do if my ROWPILOT does not work?
- Get in touch. Please describe the problem briefly and give us your device or serial number if you can. We will help as quickly and as simply as we can.
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