# Garmin Livetrack



## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

How does it work? Are there better options out there? I'm night riding alone, want the wife to have an idea where I'm at. 2-3 hour long rides. I don't have an Iphone, I have an Android. I know there are phone options, apps out there, but I'm not familiar them all. 

Thanks!

Dan


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## danielboukreev (Oct 2, 2013)

Try glympse app for Android - i use it on ios, works great


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

First, it requires you to have a compatible phone. Then, you pair the GPS with the phone and the GPS tells the phone where it is (with more accuracy than the phone can determine on its own). The phone then communicates that information using Garmin's services and you can provide links to people who you want to be able to monitor your position.

There are phone apps that do this basic functionality on their own. Pairing devices with phones using bluetooth is always a fussy affair when there's a fairly complicated use scenario. It'll usually work for the short term, but over the long term something often interrupts the communication. I wouldn't buy a Livetrack-compatible Garmin if this is the only functionality you're looking for. This is a feature I get the feeling was an add-on Garmin did that worked with protocols Garmin put in place for other reasons like remote uploading of rides via the phone, allowing the phone to push notifications (like weather updates) to the GPS head unit. With all the phone apps out there that do this, I think Garmin felt like it needed to offer the functionality for the folks who were ditching their Garmins for phone apps.


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

The live tracking works exceptionally well in my experience. I've found a number of uses for it to include letting your teammates know where you are and when to go stage during a 24 hour race. The only downside is that your phone must have signal for it to work. I am pretty far out there most of the time.


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Silentfoe said:


> The live tracking works exceptionally well in my experience. I've found a number of uses for it to include letting your teammates know where you are and when to go stage during a 24 hour race. The only downside is that your phone must have signal for it to work. I am pretty far out there most of the time.


That's my concern, In the hills, I don't have a signal.

Any other suggestions?


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

I am looking at the glympse app, will try that too. Thanks!


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

Anything that is using your phone for relaying your location, to include any app, will not work without signal. If you are truly concerned and peace of mind is your goal, then you need a spot tracker and service plan. Not cheap.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

If you lose cell signal on your rides, ANYTHING that utilizes your phone won't work, Garmin or a standalone phone app. Gotta pony up for a SPOT or Delorme InReach or something that relays via satellite, not the cell network.


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Tried Glympse today, seemed to work well enough, didn't drain the phone as fast as I feared it might.. I had looked into the Spot before for Moto..desert stuff.. tech is not there just yet..next couple years it will be perfect. 

What I'm looking for is a easy way to keep someone else aware of my riding. It's not easy to always ride with someone else, and wife and kids get worried, so I'm hoping this will help with that.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

hm, I doubt it'll do much. I manage my risk and family worry a bit differently, but I refuse to use live tracking because of a couple of things. I really don't live anywhere remote enough to require that kind of tracking. If I'm going out solo, I make sure my wife knows where I'm going and when I'll be home. If there's an issue, the safety net I've set up before I ever leave is there.

Also, live tracking can create a false sense of security for family members as well as you. If you're not leaving a plan behind before you leave, how are your friends/family supposed to know or decide if you've stopped for a break to enjoy the view, had a mechanical and are just taking a little extra time to fix it, were mauled by a bear, crashed and are unable to walk out, or simply dropped your phone? Under what circumstances are they to contact emergency responders? Under what circumstances are they NOT to? Is that judgement left entirely up to them? I have seen family members OVERreact and call SAR out because a guy just dropped his SPOT device. Dude was fine, knew he dropped it (and just physically was unable to recover it) and double-timed it to finish his trip early. But SAR was still called out.

Not sure what you mean by the tech just isn't there for SPOT yet. It does what it does. No, it's not 100% reliable. No live tracking is EVER going to be 100% reliable. Too many variables, and another part of the reason I won't use it to "reassure" anyone. For entertainment purposes, sure. If I was doing some cool trip, I'd give my family and friends a link to a site tracking me so they could live vicariously through that. An endurance race, a big trip in a once-in-a-lifetime location, etc. In a situation where I will truly be in a remote place with high consequences for even small errors, I'll carry a true PLB for emergency purposes. They have a solid track record and cut family judgement out of the equation.


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## luvdabeach2001 (Nov 11, 2011)

Motion-X can track your ride, and send live tracks also. It is a little more cumbersome to set up initially than Glympse but if you track your route you only need to run one app. It also allows caching of maps for offline use, no data signal. And you can load routes to follow trails or some one else's routes.


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Nate, you bring up very good points, and believe it or not, have been covered by my track record with my previous experience with family. There will not be an EMS activation until a few things have happened.. and that can vary by ride as well. 

The worst case scenario changes based on the ride, duration, type, area, riding group etc..

What I'm saying about the SPOT technology, is that it's changing, very quickly, and what requires a 3" x 3" transponder/beacon today, will need a 1" x 1" tomorrow, and even smaller the next day. The support plans are also changing.

As things like this become more available, how we use them will change. 

For me, the phone app that lets people know about where you are is good enough.. heck, we used to ride with out cell phones, and who hasn't been delayed for an epic adventure!


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

If you are always waiting for the technology to get better and/or smaller before you buy it, you will always be waiting.


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## Cbopleasanthill (Aug 21, 2013)

Is there a monthly subscription fee for Garmin Livetrack?


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Cbopleasanthill said:


> Is there a monthly subscription fee for Garmin Livetrack?


nope


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## gsa103 (Sep 1, 2014)

The main advantage of Garmin Livetrack is that there's virtually no battery drain. I routinely use it for 2-3 hr rides and my phone battery doesn't drain much faster than just normal idle usage (might drop 17% instead of 15% over a ride). 

With MapMyRide my phone was going from 100-0 in 2 hrs.


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*Where are you riding?*

Where are you riding that t you need such a device? Also curious how old are you?


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## YamaDan (Mar 24, 2011)

Wherewolf said:


> Where are you riding that t you need such a device? Also curious how old are you?


In the mountains, on the roads... Some are well traveled, some aren't.


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## ewarnerusa (Jun 8, 2004)

I use the Live Track on every ride I do that will be in cell phone service. I think all the info presented in this thread about Live Track is accurate based on my experience. When you do drift out of cell service during a Live Track, it is capable of updating your Live Track once you get back into service. However, it isn't completely reliable because it doesn't work every time. 

I use an Edge 510 and I've been through various Android smartphones with it. Currently on a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.


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## bosse (Sep 3, 2013)

*A cheaper and simpler option*

I always ride with LocaToWeb. It's a great real time tracker for your phone, and I have seen it used for 10 hours without charge. Available for android, iphone and WP. Lots of cool options on the connected web site too, and you really don't need to register or anything if you don't want to. Just install and track. Check out at https://locatoweb.com


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