Golf watches around £200

[Slab]

FYI, anyone considering a watch over a laser please check the gps strength on your course. Recently acquired an s2 and i cannot use it for 3 or the last 4 holes due to signal strength (lose it half way down 15 and resumes halfway down 18) checked on mobile and also lose reception on the phone.

That seems weird, does your phone and watch even use the same 'transmitter' Or maybe your golf watch is dependent on your phone having a signal, so if phone goes then watch follows

 

[Jigger]

If you by any chance have an Apple Watch, use Arcoss or hole 19

 

[Oddsocks]

That seems weird, does your phone and watch even use the same 'transmitter' Or maybe your golf watch is dependent on your phone having a signal, so if phone goes then watch follows

Maybe I was making an assumption. I walked off 14 data on screen and when I got to my second shot on it went to “ locating satellites”, data resumed half way down 18.

Our course runs parallel to a road which I use regular and it may just be a coincidence that the watch stopped work and at exactly the same point of the road where signal drops out when driving and resumed within 100ft of the same point where it returns when driving.

 

[evemccc]

If you by any chance have an Apple Watch, use Arcoss or hole 19

I don’t have an Apple Watch

I am trying not to convince myself to get one…?

Would a Bushnell Neo Ion GPS watch - retailing at about £110 be any better or more reliable than the Hole 19 App.

Also, I have used Hole 19 on my phone (but find it drains the battery) - never the Premium version. Is the paid-for version much better?

Cheers

 

[Backache]

I have had a couple of GPS devices played on numerous courses and can't recall losing signal, worst that happens is that they don't recognise a change of hole which can be a pain when they give you a distance and it's the wrong hole.

 

[spongebob59]

I don’t have an Apple Watch

I am trying not to convince myself to get one…?

Would a Bushnell Neo Ion GPS watch - retailing at about £110 be any better or more reliable than the Hole 19 App.

Also, I have used Hole 19 on my phone (but find it drains the battery) - never the Premium version. Is the paid-for version much better?

Cheers

As far as I know only skycaddie map a course, others just take measurements from satellite images.
I've had bushnell watches and they are fine.

 

[Oddsocks]

I have had a couple of GPS devices played on numerous courses and can't recall losing signal, worst that happens is that they don't recognise a change of hole which can be a pain when they give you a distance and it's the wrong hole.

I’m hoping it’s a one off and I’ll check again this week. I’d assume the satellites would be mast based similar to that of a cell phone mast, again hence my link to gps/phone signal

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I’m hoping it’s a one off and I’ll check again this week. I’d assume the satellites would be mast based similar to that of a cell phone mast, again hence my link to gps/phone signal

The GPS needs line of sight to the Sky to maintain lock, you can get deadspots, ie, built up areas or heavily wooded areas etc.

It can also be affected by time of day, if you have locked on to satellites low on the horizon they may drop off during your round.

Other things that affect the GPS Signal is things like weather, solar flares etc.

If you are using a GPS Device only it’s very unlikely you’d lose connection in the UK, if it is a GPS App on a phone, it’s more likely to be your phone is losing connection and disconnecting the GPS App.

 

[sunshine]

I’m hoping it’s a one off and I’ll check again this week. I’d assume the satellites would be mast based similar to that of a cell phone mast, again hence my link to gps/phone signal

I'm no expert in this area, but I thought satellites were in space, so phone signal / call phone masts would have no impact?

 

[davidy233]

I don’t have an Apple Watch

I am trying not to convince myself to get one…?

Would a Bushnell Neo Ion GPS watch - retailing at about £110 be any better or more reliable than the Hole 19 App.

Also, I have used Hole 19 on my phone (but find it drains the battery) - never the Premium version. Is the paid-for version much better?

Cheers

Apple watch SE and Golfshot app on iPhone 12 for me - works really well - I don't find a massive battery drain on either the watch or the phone, both have good battery life.

 

[Oddsocks]

The GPS needs line of sight to the Sky to maintain lock, you can get deadspots, ie, built up areas or heavily wooded areas etc.

It can also be affected by time of day, if you have locked on to satellites low on the horizon they may drop off during your round.

Other things that affect the GPS Signal is things like weather, solar flares etc.

If you are using a GPS Device only it’s very unlikely you’d lose connection in the UK, if it is a GPS App on a phone, it’s more likely to be your phone is losing connection and disconnecting the GPS App.

Hi Paul, I was using a garmin s2 approach watch, it was just that it dropped out in exactly the same area where 3G/4G drop out on cell phones. Not heavily wooded, overly built up and was around 12noon on a Saturday so no solar eclipses and to be fair the weather was pretty good.

I wasn’t sure if the drop out was a one off but I always wasn’t sure if the signal for watches is omitted from the same sort of towers which cover mobile networks. I’m using Saturday so will have a better idea either way.

The point of my post was that it was something that I had never considered so wondered if any potential new buyers had

 

[Jigger]

I don’t have an Apple Watch

I am trying not to convince myself to get one…?

Would a Bushnell Neo Ion GPS watch - retailing at about £110 be any better or more reliable than the Hole 19 App.

Also, I have used Hole 19 on my phone (but find it drains the battery) - never the Premium version. Is the paid-for version much better?

Cheers

The free hole 19 app works on the watch. I can’t honestly recall if it’s native gps or not But as long as your bag is next to you it shouldn’t be an issue. golf shot is a premium service at about £40 a year if I recall and Arcoss needs the tags at present until they fix the next hole issue on their tagging system.

if it’s something more dedicated, I’d go golfshot as you get tags which track your stats too. My friend has had a barman for about a year and now doesn’t get a full round out of it. I’ve never had such issues with Apple Watch. I always get home and get in on charge before it dies, despite hanging around post round.

I’m like you in that I mainly use a range finder. I’ve found have some form of gps useful to get front and back but I much prefer the laser and rarely use the gps.

in all honesty I’d stick with your phone gps with hole 19 or the arcoss free phone app. Even if your new course has lots of blind holes, you’ll probably find eventually that it is a fixed club distance to keep it in play. Must admit I HATE blind shots!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Hi Paul, I was using a garmin s2 approach watch, it was just that it dropped out in exactly the same area where 3G/4G drop out on cell phones. Not heavily wooded, overly built up and was around 12noon on a Saturday so no solar eclipses and to be fair the weather was pretty good.

I wasn’t sure if the drop out was a one off but I always wasn’t sure if the signal for watches is omitted from the same sort of towers which cover mobile networks. I’m using Saturday so will have a better idea either way.

The point of my post was that it was something that I had never considered so wondered if any potential new buyers had

GPS signals are only transmitted via satellite, but if it’s dropping at the same area as the 3G/4G it could be something in the vicinity blocking the signals.

The only other question I’d ask is, do you keep the watch software up to date?

 

[davidy233]

The free hole 19 app works on the watch. I can’t honestly recall if it’s native gps or not But as long as your bag is next to you it shouldn’t be an issue. golf shot is a premium service at about £40 a year if I recall and Arcoss needs the tags at present until they fix the next hole issue on their tagging system.

if it’s something more dedicated, I’d go golfshot as you get tags which track your stats too. My friend has had a barman for about a year and now doesn’t get a full round out of it. I’ve never had such issues with Apple Watch. I always get home and get in on charge before it dies, despite hanging around post round.

I’m like you in that I mainly use a range finder. I’ve found have some form of gps useful to get front and back but I much prefer the laser and rarely use the gps.

in all honesty I’d stick with your phone gps with hole 19 or the arcoss free phone app. Even if your new course has lots of blind holes, you’ll probably find eventually that it is a fixed club distance to keep it in play. Must admit I HATE blind shots!

Golfshot do a free version - mine is the version for people who bought it when it first came out - it’s inbetween the free and subscription version

 

[timd77]

I’ve got one of the older Apple watches and use hole19 lite version which allows you to input scores on the watch itself, shows front, middle and back yardages. I did have the premium version but never used the extra features so just went with lite. Free doesn’t let you input scores on your watch.

Never had an issue with battery life on the watch or phone, even when I’ve played a round both last until I go to bed when I normally charge them anyway.

Signal/gps has generally been fine, occasionally if I’m out in the sticks it can take a while to find 4g, or you can connect to the WiFi at the course and download it via that. Or download it at home before leaving.

Newer Apple watches come with inbuilt 4g I believe, meaning you wouldn’t need to have your phone nearby.

 

[Oddsocks]

GPS signals are only transmitted via satellite, but if it’s dropping at the same area as the 3G/4G it could be something in the vicinity blocking the signals.

The only other question I’d ask is, do you keep the watch software up to date?

Wasn’t aware of them needed to be updated, il log on over the weekend and check