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garmin 510 live tracking or app alternatives
I'm after either upgrading my edge 500 to an edge 510 or putting an app on my phone that will allow live tracking.
This is mainly so if I do come to any strife either on the road or dirt, I can let the wife (or 000) know where I am.
What are peoples opinions of either option? Does having the phone constantly connected to the 510 kill the battery or is it no worse than having a tracking app running?
What tracking apps do people recommend or cheap places to buy a 510 from.
Cheers,
Pete
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Iphone: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/find-my-friends/...
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co...
Of course it relies on having cellular access.
If you purely want tracking/safety then relying on mobile phone networks might not be such a good idea. Depends where you ride I guess.
Have you considered FindMeSpot?
http://findmespot.com/
The actual unit itself is cheaper than an Edge 510, but you need a satellite subscription to use this device. On the plus side, it should work absolutely anywhere and has a button you can press to alert emergency services or one to 'ping' your followers.
here area couple more options if you're planning to be outside mobile network coverage
"Satsleeve" turns your iPhone/Galaxy into a sat phone and "inReach" is a standalone device
Pivotel offer these solutions as well as "Spot" and have some local pricing on their website www.pivotel.com.au
I haven't used any of them but was looking around for something I could use for solo gravel grinder trips...let us know how you go!
What Rob said...
Thanks for the replies, I'll look into the spot thingy-me-bob.
Pete,
I had exactly the same issue. My big difference to your situation was that I didn't have a Garmin already.
I used to run the Strava App on my iPhone, which provides a live track service, but as you suspected the location services used by the phone (partic. the GPS) meant a full battery charge was eaten up in sometimes less than an hour - which is impractical for most rides.
One thing about using a mobile in remote areas is that as the signal to/from the mobile tower weakens, most phones automatically increase the power to their signal to compensate - using even more battery life.
My initial solution was to invest in an external battery recharger thingy which I left plugged into the phone which extended the battery life by at least an hour.
http://www.kathmandu.com.au/power-bank-2600-mah-...
That solved the staying in contact issue (for me at least), but I also wanted a HR & Speed/Cadence monitor etc, so I invested in a Garmin 510 and synced up the phone to that unit. Bluetooth uses far less power and so the phone battery life is now not an issue. I still carry the external battery thing just in case.
Mobile phone coverage in Sydney and surrounding Nat Parks is usually fine, especially if you are with Telstra - can get dicey if you find yourself at the bottom of a valley though.
I use a 510 and the app for the same reason you are looking at a garming.
If the budget stretches that far go with the upgrade to a 510 or better. i have found phone GPS to be inaccurate, and battery draining. I got my Garmin from Wiggle a little over a year ago, but they appear to no longer ship Garmin to Australia. I did however price match them with 99 bikes.
have you looked a Magelen? I believe that they may have a similar solution.