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Hi mate, depends on what you are using it for. For daily driving i would go for a cheap navman etc.... for topo weekend use / bush walking / campimg etc if i had an iPhone i would defiantly try the software out. Looks good from what i see on the website.....good 2 see most of the maps are for Australia :).Quote:
Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD
it is really expensive, $150, but it look fantastic. I would only use it on an Ipad though due to the small screen in the Iphone.
How about one of these mudrunner???
Review: Garmin Approach S1
April 18, 2011, 12:31 pm Pam Carroll CNET Australia
Attachment 4131
Heading golfing over the long weekend? It won't make the shot for you, but this accurate and simple to use GPS golf watch will give you more confidence that you're making the correct club selection.
Mobile Technology
Garmin is now applying its expertise in GPS navigation to golf, a sport where knowing your exact position is most useful.
Design
The Approach S1 builds this GPS functionality into a simple, lightweight watch interface. Weighing just 52 grams, it functions as a rugged, waterproof everyday watch, with large, easy-to-see numbers on a screen that is bright enough to see clearly, even in direct sunlight.
You control it via four buttons on the perimeter of the face that are dead simple to figure out. There's the light/power button on the top left, OK/menu on the bottom left, and then the Up and Down buttons on the right side help you cycle through its handful of menu options.
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts for three weeks for normal watch functions and about 8 hours in GPS mode — more than enough to get a round or two in. The recharging clip is a tad fiddly in that it has multiple contact points that you have to line up, but overall, that's not a significant issue.
It also has an odometer if you're keen to track how far you've walked.
Set-up and features
The best thing about the set-up is that essentially there is nothing to actually set up. The S1 sets its time and time zone automatically, and when you switch to Start Round (GPS) mode, it also automatically recognises your position provided you're playing at one of the 600 golf courses in Australia that Garmin has previously mapped and preloaded on the device. Happily, there's nothing to download and nothing that you need to subscribe to.
The complete list of Australian golf courses included in the S1 can be found here. (Note: Garmin is doing all mapping itself and does not use 3rd party maps; the company claims that it will be adding more courses as it gets them mapped.) If you travel overseas to golf, for US$49.95 you can purchase via download golf course maps for the US and Canada (16,500 courses preloaded) or Europe (5400 courses preloaded).
Attachment 4132
Credit: Garmin
Performance
Since it identifies the hole you're on automatically, you only need to glance at the screen to see its calculations to the front, middle (displayed in a larger font) and back of the green. It measures the distance in metres or you can change the settings to yards if you're old school.
Conclusion
We particularly like the S1 because, being a wristwatch, it's hands free — so you can just glance at it and then focus on your golf swing. You don't have to carry an extra device around the course or consult something strapped to your bag or cart. You can't mark your score on it, but we don't think we'd use those kinds of the extra features found on more expensive devices.
It won't replace using the physical markers found on the courses themselves, but it certainly is a very accurate way to help club and recreational golfers judge distances more accurately. By confirming where you are in relation to the flag, it's a real help in confidently determining which club to use and what kind of shot to play. This is particularly useful if you're playing on a course you haven't played on before. It is legal, by the way, under USGA/R&A golf rules. We predict that this will be on most golfer's gift wish lists in the very near future.
hey Todd,Quote:
Originally Posted by toddrhind
More for a back up mate to be honest, if i find myself out in the bush without a GPS (yet to buy one but is very high on the list) then at least i can use the iphone and download teh tracks and way points when i get home and install them back into the GPS I think??
I am very keen to grab something off this page for the GPS cause the prices are SIK!
http://www.chinavasion.com/gps-sat-nav/
but i can buy one of them for cheaper than the iphone app????
for a backup in bush i would just go one of these https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=144&pID=8705 or something similar. Be careful when buying cheap gps from china, make sure the map software is 1st for Australian and 2nd gets updated every so often.
There is a lot of GPS stuff on the market these days cheap / expensive, it really is personal choice, also if your going for a in car make sure it has a good mounting system ( esp for 4wd use ), my garmin @ the time many years ago cost me 1 grand and i found out the hard way it had the shitt!est windscreen mounting system. Mine was a one suction cup mount and don't think it lasted a year before it started falling off the window at the slightest bump in the road, let alone a 4wd track!
to be honest Todd i figured the Chinese ones would be a throw away mate for $80 a hit! They will take an SD card and run WinCE so i should be able to run OzExplorer which is the plan?
for that price i would give it a try for running OzExplorer, not sure on spending 150 bucks on Iphone software for a backup, for that money i would go a basic Garmin handheld or equivalent as a backup.