GPS Live Tracking for Safety Reasons

[Alan O]

It doesn't turn itself off automatically when the phone is fully charged?

My Anker device doesn't - it just charges whenever there's a device connected that needs some power.

Oh, and after all day yesterday keeping my iPhone charged, and recharging my fitbit twice, its capacity is still at 4 out of 4 on the LEDs. I use mine to charge/power my laptop computer sometimes, so I want high capacity, but for an iPhone out on a bike ride this smaller one would be fine (although it can only power one device at a time).

 

[Drago]

The most foolproof way is not to venture forth alone.

 

[jefmcg]

My Anker device doesn't - it just charges whenever there's a device connected that needs some power.

Oh, it turns itself on when you plug in a device? Cool! I last bought one of these 4 years ago. Glad to see the technology is improving.
(very off topic, sorry)

 

[Alan O]

Oh, it turns itself on when you plug in a device?

Yep.

Actually, I think it's probably more that it's always on - sort of like a battery.

 

[PaulSB]

I'm not sure why your phone battery runs down. I have an 810 and use Garmin Connect on my phone. Garmin Connect allows livetracking from your phone but it doesn't use the phone GPS. Recently I got about 8hrs out of a Livetrack with still plenty of life left in the battery of the Garmin and phone. Plus if required you coulod use a power bank to charge both on the go if reqd. Garmin Connect allows you to send a livetrack by email or other and the track can remain active for 24hrs if reqd.

I've also tried Glympse and it works well too but it does use more from my phone.

When I've used the Strava app on my iPhone, obviously using GPS, the battery has drained within 4 hours. I presumed Live Tracking would be using the GPS on my phone either instead of or as well the GPS on my Garmin. If that's not the case how does it provide the data?

The other point to keep in mind is I have chosen to have a very small data allowance on my iPhone. I only pay £1/week for 25 minutes calls, 50 texts and 60MB of data. The calls and texts are more than adequate for my weekly needs. While I worked my employer was paying for a huge amount of data which I was able to take advantage of, now I'm retired I've chosen not to pay for a lot of data just to have the convenience of accessing the web while I'm out of the house. To date I haven't found this to be an issue but I might change in the future - currently I don't feel it's necessary but a luxury.

I do like the idea of the stand alone devices being suggested. Spare batteries are easy to carry and one never knows when I phone might fail through battery, physical damage or lack of signal. While I shall value the safety aspect the BIG issue is convincing my wife I will be safe, she can check this reliably and be convinced I can carry on solo touring!! Either that or I have to find a touring buddy.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I do like the idea of the stand alone devices being suggested

the BIG issue is convincing my wife I will be safe,

That latter is the key point. Cellular network devices are fine for 'fun', and they're certainly better than nothing for safety too, but no-one should try and convince your wife that they offer a properly 'safe' solution to knowing that you're still moving and not in trouble of some kind. For that you need a satellite-based communication device which both 'knows' where it is via gps/glonass and can alert appropriately without needing line-of-sight to a cell mast. That pretty much means SPOT or various other, typically marine, devices at the moment and of those SPOT tends to be thought of as easiest in general. Battery life, incidentally, tends to be talked of as 'months', meaning that it's really not going to be a problem (though that does mean you need spares or pre-emptive replacement since it's not so easy to gauge remaining charge over months!).

 

[Joffey]

I use Strava Beacon through my Garmin 520. This in turn uses my iPhone to transmit the data.

I can safely say that it hardly uses any data or battery when I am cycling around. My wife can track me and you can see the last sport where you were if phone signal dies so it wouldn't be hard to work out where you are. It then picks your location back up as soon as you have signal. There isn't that many places without signal nowadays - I'm near the Dales and never had any issues.

I would try the Beacon option for a few rides as you have the hardware already and see how you go. If it isn't for you then consider buying something for the job.

As for 'forgetting to charge your phone' concerns etc if you feel the need to be tracked due to your health surely you should show the same care before a ride such as telling your wife where you plan to ride and making sure your Garmin / iPhone is fully charged.

 

[jefmcg]

Battery life, incidentally, tends to be talked of as 'months', meaning that it's really not going to be a problem (though that does mean you need spares or pre-emptive replacement since it's not so easy to gauge remaining charge over months!).

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Presuming you are in England (or somewhere else with good coverage) if the spotter fails, most likely you will have mobile signal, so a call could be made.

If you were going into the real wilderness - say the southern ocean - where you might need rescuing, then 2 spotters with fresh batteries would be minimum.

 

[Alan O]

Either that or I have to find a touring buddy.

Ah, I'm not too far away from you - if I could afford to retire, I'd be up for it!

 

[jefmcg]

For personal safety off the beaten tracks you can't get any better than this and it's not just for boats
http://www.force4.co.uk/mcmurdo-fastfind-220-plb.html

Cool, but it doesn't seem to be what the OP needs. As far as I can tell, you press a button and it sends a signal to emergency services and emits a beacon that they can home in on. Very useful (again) in the southern ocean, but not useful for reassuring the lovely wife that everything is fine.
http://www.mcmurdomarine.com/personal-locator-beacon/fastfind-220

 

[Sea of vapours]

Totally OT, but last time I was in Reeth (2 or 3 years ago) there was no signal in the village or for miles around. I think I was on O2 at the time.

There are still numerous places in the Dales and Lakes, and Snowdonia, etc. where mobile coverage is not present. 4km from my house I enter an area devoid of coverage which lasts several kilometres, and that's not even remote. The sort of place where you won't have coverage is also the sort of place where you might be lost or injured. And whilst the 'last known point' thing works to a degree to narrow down a search, it's not very helpful if you've walked a few kilometres in a coverage free valley before falling into a gulley or whatever.

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Presuming you are in England (or somewhere else with good coverage) if the spotter fails, most likely you will have mobile signal, so a call could be made.

If you were going into the real wilderness - say the southern ocean - where you might need rescuing, then 2 spotters with fresh batteries would be minimum.

I wouldn't worry either. The risk you'd be guarding against there is for the batteries to die just before you have your accident. Possible, but improbable.

Agree on the 'real wilderness' thing too, plus a sat 'phone ideally. Not that the OP is though.

 

[PaulSB]

There are still numerous places in the Dales and Lakes, and Snowdonia, etc. where mobile coverage is not present. 4km from my house I enter an area devoid of coverage which lasts several kilometres, and that's not even remote.

I'm sat in my house 4 miles from Chorley, Lancashire and there is no mobile signal!!!! Walk 500 yards to the garage and there is one

 

[NorthernDave]

Totally OT, but last time I was in Reeth (2 or 3 years ago) there was no signal in the village or for miles around. I think I was on O2 at the time.

It was the same in Thwaite further up the valley last time I was there, using EE.

 

[Welsh wheels]

Do you use strava? If so, the premium option has a beacon that allows up to three safety contacts to see where you are.

 

[NorthernDave]

Like others up thread, I've got a Garmin 810 paired via Bluetooth with my Android mobile and I've never experienced excessive power drain. I've done a ride in the Yorkshire Wolds where the signal can be very patchy where I was out for 9 hours and although the phone battery was down to 25% when I got back, I think that's a reasonable margin to allow (I'd taken a USB powerbank but didn't need to use it). Mrs ND was able to watch my progress throughout using LiveTrack without any problems.

But if total safety is your number one priority I can understand wanting something a bit more robust than a mobile phone.