Over the years the accuracy of all GPS devices has improved to the point (within a couple meters) of being almost mind boggling. Fortunately, for all of us, the cost of the technology has steadily decreased, even while the performance and reliability has improved. Only a few years ago the thought of buying a well made GPS device for under $100 would have seemed impossible, yet today, it is a fact. With the reduction in cost, the popularity of these devices has almost literally, exploded.

The GPS evolution has also meant a drastic reduction in the size of the units. This breakthrough may have allowed the popularity to increase even more than the reduction in price. Who would want a device the size of a shoebox mounted on the dash board of a car or strapped to ones arm? Clearly, a GPS watch would never have become practical without the reduction in size. I still have a “handheld marine unit” from the early 1990’s that makes me laugh at the size, whenever I see it, which admittedly, isn’t often. Thankfully those days are long gone.
GPS tracking devices, receive signals from orbiting satellites to determine the user’s latitude and longitude usually within a couple meters. This makes its simple to track your current location, speed, direction of travel, distance to go, exact time and many other functions. For the serious running/walking enthusiasts using a GPS watch a heart rate monitor adds the ability to tailor the exercise to personal targets and monitor them along the way.
The biggest challenge may be the decision of which GPS tracking watch is best for you, that’s where we will help.

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.

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.