I saw on a youtube video a guy showing how fast he was going on his cat (19.8kn) using a wearable GPS device. I believe that it was a Garmin, but are not sure, as I can't find such a device on their site.
Anyone knows or can recommend such a device?
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Peter
Vancouver BC
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Looking for wearable GPS based device to measure speed
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Posted: Aug 10, 2011 - 08:52 PM
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Posted: Aug 10, 2011 - 09:53 PM
Any of the Garmin Forerunner series work well and are waterproof to 2 m. THat is probably the one you saw. You may want to bag it to make sure it stays waterproof. There are others specific for sailing or other sports but they are generally way more expensive.
I wear my Garmin Forerunner 201 for running and on the boat on occasion. It is a pretty accurate little piece of equipment. And the software gives you a nice summary of how fast you were going, when, how far you went etc. and will give you velocity measurements while you are on the way (as you saw). Most of them also have a hear rate monitor you can wear so you can see how big your cojones were that day. :) It's is not a good navigation aid though since you have to post process the info after the fact and it doesn't display way point or things like that. I like it for training because it doesn't matter what I'm doing, running, biking, etc. it provides a lot of useful information.
D.
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Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 07:35 AM
Do a search on here, there was a thread last year about this. I think one of the Tybee racers had some good info regarding those units, & the unfortunate fact that somj of them tended to pop off the strap quite easily, rendering your new device an ornament for the fish.
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Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 10:50 AM
I have been doing some research on these lately but I have not yet bought one. So far the one I think looks the best is the Garmin Foretrex 301. From the reviews I think they have fixed the "pop off the strap" issue that is mentioned above. You can get one on ebay for $100 so it is pretty affordable also. Check it out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190557459725&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
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Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 08:00 PM
i have the foretrex 201 the last about 3-4 years before the water gets in. i would not recommend the 301 because it has a battery compartment. there in always a chance the the seal gets damaged when you change the batteries.
http://www.youtube.com/us…iekite#p/u/0/B0U5T9W_pKI
is this the video?
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Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 08:36 PM
Garmin eTrex Legend H on closeout at Best Buy for $55. Be sure to have the clerk check the top shelf storage. Pete -
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Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 11:34 PM
Yes! Is this the Foretrex 301?
I did read the thread in this forum (thanks for the tip) which ran late last year. The recommendation is indeed to NOT use the Foretrex 301 as it is not waterproof enough.
I am looking for something almost like a watch and it should be waterproof, guaranteed.
Where I sail (with club members new to cat sailing) it is likely to capsize (because of crew error
) and I don't want to lose the device. So iphones packed in waterproof bag is not an option either. I love my iphone 4 too much and they are a bit expensive to replace.
Any of the wrist watch model used by runners looks like what I want. Ideally I want only speed and course (and time of day). And don't care so much for other navigation functions as we sail using visual marks to determine were we are going.
Garmin carries a whole range of GPS wrist watches called Forerunner. However the intended market are runners which obviously have different needs.
Any one who uses a GPS wrist watch and found it useful to determine speed and possible course?
Edited by pbodifee on Aug 11, 2011 - 10:36 PM.
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Peter
Vancouver BC
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Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 05:01 AM
peter
yes, this is a foretrex201 i have on my wrist. for me the don't last forever. i sail about 60 days a year in the ocean and the get about 3 year before they get water in them. i use it to see speed and uploading me tracks to Google earth and other software to analyses my tracks (speed).
when the brake Garmin will replace them for 80.-
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Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 01:04 PM
I used both a Foretrex 101 and Foretrex 301 during last years Tybee. Yes they leak but its not the end of the world, they keep on trucking and water damage is a free replacement under Garmin's standard 1 year warranty. IMO, if you are going to do any distance racing you can't use a rechargeable device that doesn't have replacement batteries as you may need to change the batteries at least once while on the water, and there isn't time in the evenings to deal with charging batteries.
Also, the Foretrex 201 isn't available anymore at retail stores. Avoid the forerunner as they lack the proper functionality for sailing.
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Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 01:34 PM
The best one would be the Garmine 310XT, it is full waterproof and has a solid band.
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Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 06:47 PM
The forerunner series lacks navigation features that foretrex gives you. Its designed for running, not navigating the wildnerness or driving a sailboat. Sure the forerunner is good for speed but don't you want more than that from a $300 watch?
My suggestion is to mount one foretrex on each side of the mast to avoid the pin failing problem that is often mentioned. I should say that our pins didn't fail, my crew failed to secure the watch to his wrist in a sufficient manner to avoid it coming off, lesson learned. -
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Posted: Aug 12, 2011 - 08:26 PM
True, I don't use mine for navigation it's more of a training aid that I bring on the boat with me. Having a GPS nav sstem on my boat is kind of redundant, since I can see all 4 shores from any part of my lake. :) But I can see how it would be required if your sailing in the ocean or on a large lake. You can always put any decent GPS in an Aquapac bag to make it waterproof and lash it to the boat to make it secure.
D.
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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Posted: Aug 13, 2011 - 07:45 PM
It suddenly struck my mind that Suunto maybe in this business too, and they do: the Suunto M9i is probably the wet dream I am looking for. A bit pricey: listed at $650+ and some forums don't speak positive about this unit.
Any one here any experience (even from hear say)?
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Peter
Vancouver BC
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Posted: Aug 13, 2011 - 07:49 PM
But does it have a display indicating speed with large numbers? I can't find that on any of the images advertised.
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Peter
Vancouver BC
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