GPS Tracking Watches – What They Aren’t
We thought it might be helpful to provide some explanation about the various types of GPS receivers. So far, and for the foreseeable future this site will speak to the users of GPS Tracking Watches (also commonly known as a runners watch) that are geared towards exercise and fitness enthusiasts. As we have mentioned elsewhere on this site these watches are convenient to wear and provide a wide variety of useful data intended for the user to monitor and optimize the workout efforts.
Searching the internet and other electronics retailers will reveal a growing interest in using GPS receivers to track the position of other people. Common uses may include tracking your children, your suspicious wife/husband, employees and so forth. Some may have been confused and think the “exercise” watches can be used for tracking others, they can not, at least not without some customization.
GPS receivers are all similar as far as using the satellite network to pinpoint the receiver’s position. In order to provide the ability to monitor some one wearing or possessing the receiver the information needs to be transmitted to a monitoring station. This is commonly done using cell phone towers or other radio signal technology. Exercise watches don’t transmit signals to cell towers or anywhere else.
If you are looking at tracking someone without there knowledge it is possible to do but not with exercise watches. You are now entering the “spyworld” which is a growing industry with many new and innovative products.
We will soon add two new product reviews of popular GPS Tracking Watches.
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Review: Timex Ironman T5J985 - GPS Tracking Watch
Timex has been a leader in exercise watches for decades and this model has most bells and whistle most athletes would want.
Notable Features;
Unit Size – Comparable to conventiona l watch
GPS receiver – Separate from watch.
Battery Life – up to 2 years/watch
Battery Type – 1AA for GPS unit
Water resistant – Yes to 50meters for the watch, gps unit splash resistent
Heart rate monitor – Yes
Lap memory – Yes, 100 laps
Waypoint memory – Yes, 10
Routes feature – Yes, 50 max
Warranty – One year
Timex approaches the GPS Tracking Watch concept by separating the GPS unit from the wristwatch. There seems to be pros and cons for the split unit approach and the decision will likely be a personal one. One obvious advantage is the watch size is kept small enough to be an everyday watch. When the GPS is needed it is strap mounted to the arm or waist. The watch itself is water resistant to a depth of 50 meters while the GPS unit is only splash resistant. For an electronic device used outdoors in various forms of athletics this seems a poor choice to us, better water resistance would be preferable.
Battery life for the watch itself is a strong point and should last up to 2 years. The GPS tracking watches which integrate the watch/GPS in one unit need frequent charging and have shorter operational intervals. The GPS unit operates on a AA battery which will require periodic replacement and are small enough that one could carry a spare while out for a run or hike. There is no charger provided for recharging the GPS units batteries but one could purchase an aftermarket charger for recharging the AA battteries.
In operation the unit performed well with no issues. Obtaining satellites took a minute or two and accuracy was very good. We found the accuracy to be better when strap mounted to the upper arm rather than at the waist. The upper arm location likely enjoys a better view of the sky and satellites and so one might expect better performance when used that way. The GPS signal did not suffer much when running through moderate tree cover as might be typical in a park like setting.
The heart rate monitor performed well providing a steady read out and target feature would prove valuable for one looking to get top conditioning in a minimal amount of time.
We think the Timex performs well and would be satisfying to most people based on performance and price. When selecting GPS tracking watches take the time to consider whether you want an integrated unit or separate GPS/watch components as described here.
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Review: Garmin Forerunner 205 - GPS Tracking Watch
When you look at GPS tracking watches it would be hard to miss the Garmin Forerunner 205. That is for good reason, it is a popular choice, functions well and the prices have never been better.
Notable Features:
Unit Size (W x H x D) – 2.1 x 2.7 x .7 inches
Screen Size (W x H) – 1.3 x .8 inches
Weight – 2.7 oz.
Battery type – Rechargeable Lithium- Ion
Battery Life – approx. 10 hours
Water resistant – Yes (IPX7)
Heart rate monitor – No
Lap memory – Yes, 1000 laps
Waypoint memory – Yes, 100
Routes feature – Yes, 50 max
Warranty – One year
Our experience with this GPS tracking watch has been quite good. For starters it usually takes about 1 minute to acquire the satellites and begin operation. We have even found that it does a reasonably good job with satellites when indoors provided the room had windows, not that most would do this often. Outdoors we have found the accuracy to be excellent; the unit detects small movements of just a couple of feet. When the elapsed distance was checked against a known measured mile the accuracy was within about 15 feet.
Perhaps the biggest improvement from the previous 201 model is the size and ease of use. The 205 is a “watch” although it is certainly larger than a typical watch whereas the 201 was a more bulky unit strapped to your wrist, somewhat like an iPod. The wristband is also made of rubber so it should not acquire and retain the foul odor like the Velcro of the 201. In any case the rubber is certainly easier to clean. The navigation buttons are simple and seem intuitive, enough so, that use while running should quickly become almost automatic.
The computer software that you can download your GPS data to is really nice as well. You can display in chart format how fast you were going, position, elevation, etc. and it also can be displayed on a road map. The Forerunner 205 itself doesn’t have any mapping features built in so mapping on the fly is not possible, but being able to “replay” your run or trip is great, not to mention fun.
As with most GPS tracking watches instant readings may be a little slow in updating but this unit has good performance there as well. Obviously when satellites are obstructed by thick overhead trees, roofs, tall buildings etc, the performance will suffer and the signal can be dropped. Having said that, the sensitivity and signal strength of this unit is at least as good as any other GPS tracking watch we’ve used.
All in all most people should be quite satisfied with this unit provided that a heart rate monitor is not desired. With prices frequently discounted well below $200 the Forerunner 205 is a great choice for a GPS tracking watch.
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