About RC Sentinel
RC Sentinel is a dedicated backup GPS logger for offroad rally racers. The “RC” in the name is your race computer: it does the navigating, while RC Sentinel quietly runs alongside it, recording a complete, independent track of your stage. If your primary device fails, freezes, or loses power mid-stage, your stage log isn't lost: it's safe on your phone.
Built for the realities of desert rally raid and offroad rally, every GPS coordinate is written and flushed to storage the moment it's captured. No buffering, no "save on stop," no single point of failure. Logging is distance-based and deliberately lightweight, so files stay small and battery impact stays low. Start it, pocket your phone, and ride.
Review any session and share it as CSV or GPX, or send it straight to the race org. Keep the rulebook, schedule, service routes, emergency contacts, and tech checklist on your phone—available even with no signal.
Screenshots
Now on Apple Watch New
RC Sentinel comes with a companion Apple Watch app. Start, monitor, and record your GPS track straight from your wrist—keep logging without ever reaching for your phone.
Key Features
- Protect Your GPS Track — Each fix is flushed to disk immediately, so a crash or dead battery can't take your data with it.
- Record a Backup Track — Runs in the background capturing speed, heading, elevation, distance, and time, with a continuously growing point count.
- Export Your Race Tracks — Review any session and share it as CSV or GPX, or send it straight to the race org.
- Coordinate Tech & Bivouac — Lightweight event messaging for tech inspection and bivouac logistics. (Not for race communication—always use your official race comms for that.)
- Access Race Docs Offline — Keep the rulebook, schedule, service routes, emergency contacts, and tech checklist on your phone, available even with no signal.
- Background Operation — Keeps logging while your screen is off, with a clean, glanceable live readout showing both local and UTC time.
- Log From Your Apple Watch — Start, monitor, and record your GPS track straight from your wrist, so you can keep logging even without reaching for your phone.
- Built for Officials & Backends — Standard CSV and GPX output, metric units, and UTC timestamps—works with the tools you already use.
For Race Officials & Organizers
RC Sentinel gives every competitor an independent, evidentiary record of the stage. When a scoring question comes up, the exported log shows whether waypoints were cleared and establishes approximate stage start and end times—without relying on the primary navigation stack.
Standard output: CSV and GPX with metric units and UTC timestamps—drops straight into the scoring tools you already use.
Independent by design: the log is recorded on the racer's phone, separate from the race computer or roadbook tablet, and every fix is flushed to storage the moment it's captured.
App Information
Now Available on the App Store Available Now
Privacy: Your track data stays on your device unless you choose to export or send it.
Location: RC Sentinel uses your location in the foreground and background to continuously record your GPS track while recording.
Android: RC Sentinel for Android is in beta. Want early access? Submit a request to become one of our app testers.
From the Makers of GPX Analyzer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RC Sentinel for?
RC Sentinel is a dedicated backup GPS logger for offroad rally racers. Your race computer does the navigating—RC Sentinel quietly runs alongside it, recording a complete, independent track of your stage. If your primary device fails, freezes, or loses power mid-stage, your stage log isn't lost: it's safe on your phone.
What does the “RC” in RC Sentinel stand for?
RC stands for race computer—the navigation unit in a rally vehicle. RC Sentinel is the sentinel that backs it up, recording an independent GPS track alongside it. It's a motorsport rally app; it is not related to radio-controlled (RC) cars.
What happens if my phone crashes or the battery dies mid-stage?
Every GPS coordinate is written and flushed to storage the moment it's captured—no buffering, no “save on stop,” no single point of failure. A crash or dead battery can't take your data with it: everything recorded up to that moment is already on disk.
Does it work with no cell signal?
It's built for the realities of desert and offroad rally. Recording happens entirely on your device, and your race documents—the rulebook, schedule, service routes, emergency contacts, and tech checklist—stay on your phone, available even with no signal.
Can I export my recorded track?
Yes. Review any session and share it as standard CSV or GPX—with metric units and UTC timestamps—or send it straight to the race org. Afterward, you can open the GPX in the free browser tools at GPX Analyzer: analyze the track (distance, speed, elevation) or trim it to the stage boundaries. Everything runs locally in your browser; nothing uploads.
Does it work with Apple Watch?
Yes. RC Sentinel comes with a companion Apple Watch app. Start, monitor, and record your GPS track straight from your wrist—keep logging without ever reaching for your phone.
Will it drain my battery during a long stage?
RC Sentinel is designed as a lightweight backup, not a full navigation app. Logging is distance-based and deliberately efficient, so files stay small and battery impact stays low while it runs alongside your race computer. The screen can stay off the whole time.
Can organizers use RC Sentinel logs in scoring disputes?
That's what it's for. The exported CSV or GPX—metric units, UTC timestamps—is an independent record of the stage, recorded separately from the navigation stack. Officials can use it to confirm whether waypoints were cleared and to establish approximate stage start and end times.
Is my location data private?
Yes. Your track data stays on your device unless you choose to export or send it. RC Sentinel uses your location in the foreground and background only to continuously record your GPS track while recording.