Advice for GPS tracking device so family can follow my cross-country ride?

[mbattisti]

Has anyone used the SPOT on the GDMBR?  I am doing it this summer and would like to have my family track me as I travel along

as stated earlier, it's what all the racers use.  And how they plot the progress of the race on the official web site.

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

We've been using the SPOT Tracker each summer on the Lewis & Clark Trail in South Dakota for the past 4 years. although it has gotten much better since our first fundraising "Ride Across the Rez" in 2009, there are still many places on the reservations and along the Missouri River bottoms with no cell signal. The first and second generation SPOTs have a set ping rate for tracking, the Gen 3, as they call it, has an adjustable rate. I'm in a quandary as to whether I want a Garmin Edge Touring NAV GPS, or a SPOT Gen 3. Since I have a old style SPOT that works fine, I will probably stick with that for now, because I really want that new Garmin, and my birthday is only a couple weeks away!
 
Ride safe,
Hans

PS: I went with the Edge Explore 1000 in 2014. Now Garmin has several cycle GPS units with Live Track which can send the info to your friends.

[BikingBrian]

My budget is limited so I use the iPhone in two ways:

- For family members with an Apple mobile device, they track me on 'Find My Friends' app

- For others, I use Google Latitude and they can track me on smart phones and web sites

These apps are always on, and they do not add too much drain to battery life.

Have you found an alternative to Google Latitude, now that it has been retired?
https://support.google.com/gmm/answer/3001634?hl=en

[mdxix]

Have you found an alternative to Google Latitude

• With Find my Friends, the iPhone locator is always on. I exchange location with a few close family & friends. They know my location at any time.
• While on a ride, I always use Garmin Live Track with the Edge 510:
• The data is updated constantly showing accurate location at all times. I find other apps to lag behind in showing the location and tend to be slow in retrieving the information.
• Live Track shows the route taken along with other information about the ride such as speed, distance, and elevation.
• Minimum impact on battery. In a test I did a few weeks ago, while temperature was hovering around freezing, after three hours of riding, with normal use of phone for a few text messages, phone call, etc, including Live Track, the iPhone 5s was still at 55%. Other apps drain the battery much quicker as they use the phone GPS. During that test, as soon as I turned the phone GPS on, the battery drained fully in about 40 minutes.
• Life360. I have not used it but read recommendations about it.

The app store shows many options when searched for "share location".

Please share other options that you find.

[CanvasAndSteel]

As others have written, SPOT is a good choice. I've used it on three Canadian canoe trips, sending the "I'm ok" message at every portage and campsite.  Using it that way I've not yet needed to change batteries.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

[Tatiana]

This is an old thread, so you I guess you already found the right fit. For those still looking and on the fence about buying a tracking device, consider using a family locator app instead.
The free app will have you covered (unless you are into pro features). Some of the good ones are: Life360, Zenly, Familo. If you are into a battery friendly option, try GeoZilla: https://bnc.lt/geozilla-forums.
You will need to bring a power bank with you though to be safe.

GeoZilla will also show your daily location history, location-based tasks for any circle member,  location alerts for when you or a family member enters or leaves a place, private chat, battery status of your family members,
SOS button with your emergency contacts. (Disclosure: I work with GeoZilla, so I may be biased)