Most GPS watches are used for fitness applications. They are light weight and durable, providing just what the serious athlete needs to gather information about their workout to push their bodies to the next level. But that is not all that GPS tracking watches are good for. In fact, they can be used for many different purposes. Here are three:
Measure Something
Have you ever wondered just how big your apartment complex is? How far your child walks to school? Or the approximate size of the lot you are thinking of purchasing? Well, most GPS watches are going to be able to perform these measurements for you – without having to spend a single cent on gasoline. All you have to do is have your watch on as you take a relaxing stroll around you apartment in the evening, or as you walk your kid to school, or as you survey your potential purchase. These powerful systems will silently track all your information for you – can can even set way points along the way to help you track specific portions of the trip or to help you find the exact spot where you began your measurements.
Most watches also allow you to interface with a computer mapping application. This can give you a satellite image of your journey. Not only will you have information concerning the object or distance you measured, but also you will now be able to process that information in the larger context of the world you live in.
Exploring
As mentioned above, GPS watches have the ability to set way points. One watch in particular, the Suunto X9i
, advertise this feature aggressively. Suunto likes to classify this as a ‘military’ feature, but most fitness GPS devices have a similar function. Way points are generally very useful.
It is particularly helpful in exploring unfamiliar territory – whether it be out in mother nature or in a new neighborhood or city. All you need to do is log your starting location into your watch and be amazed as it records electronic breadcrumbs for you to follow once you have explored to you hearts content. This makes it very easy to find you way back and takes a lot of the stress out of exploration.
Analyze Your Commute
A GPS tracker is also helpful if you want to take a closer look at your commute to and from work. With gas prices being what they are and looking to go even higher, making our driving time as efficient as we can is important to our pocket books and to the environment. All you need to do is have your GPS watch in tow, for this example lets consider you have the Garmin Forerunner 405. This model comes with a heart rate monitor, an addition that will add a nice little bit of information for our analysis.
By utlizing the heart rate monitor you will not only be recording the standard information found in a GPS tracking watch – speed, direction, altitude, and time – but you will also be able to see your heart rate. Does your commute make you particularly stressed? Do you sometimes feel burnt out after getting out of your car when you left work feeling fine? A your Garmin Forerunner 405 with heart rate monitor will help you see where and when changes in your heart rate occurred during your commute. You will even be able to see interesting information that you would normally never be able to see – how your heart rate responds to a crisis.
During rush hour many near accidents occur. When this happens and we are wearing our GPS watch we will be able to see exactly how these near accidents affect our heart rate. This is really interesting information and it is all made possible by your GPS tracking watch! You can share this information with your children and get them excited about their own GPS kids device.
GPS tracking watches have tons of possible uses and applications in a variety of daily activities. The ability of these devices is improve our understanding of the world around is immense if we are willing to be imaginative enough to utilize them to their fullest potential. GPS technology is simply a tool waiting to be used.