Sureshot GPS

[v205]

Anyone using one of these things? Or some other golf GPS thing.

[Grunt]

I am using Intelligolf with GPS when allowed. Is pretty good.

[Jono]

I used to have this but sold it to another Ozgolfer. I found that I wasn't using it much and it was too much trouble. YMMV.

[v205]

Not many people here use a golf GPS eh?

[PeteyD]

Nope. I am looking at getting some software for a GPS enabled PDA. Not a lot out there.

[Grunt]

Pete, Intelligolf is really good. Once the course is logged, all downloads are free too.

[PeteyD]

How do you get the GPS done? Or do you need to buy a full version to see it work?

[goughy]

They should have a functioning trial version. I just downloaded the smartphone version since I don't use my palm pda anymore.

[PeteyD]

didn;t seem to be able to enter in GPS stuff for a course. I might look at it again.

[goughy]

That could be possible. The demo only let you enter 3 rounds, and maybe it doesn't let you enter any gps stuff.

[Grunt]

I got the full version and it lets you add GPS data. I got a trial then upgraded to the eagle version.

[PeteyD]

OK so Eagle version allows GPS to be added. How hard is it to do? You walk around the course and click 'here'??

[Grunt]

Exactly that Pete. Lots of courses up your way already done too. May not have GPS done yet but adding that would be easy in a social hit, may take up some time in any other round. You just get to the point you want to record and click ok. You can enter a courses card into the system quite easily.
One thing I have noticed though is the index system only goes up to 18, so when it is calculating stableford it gets it wrong sometimes at courses that use the 1 to 36 system, if your handicap is over 18.

[Rusty]

with the new model 8800 been out for a while, decided to give one of these babies a go. see how it goes on the weekend. now if only it can help my putting...

[BrisVegas]

hey rusty, mind if i ask what you paid? my club's got these for $499 at the moment. They look very flash though, so might be worth the $$.

[Jarro]

Pretty keen to hear what you think of this unit Rusty ..... i'm keen to get one myself

[Grunt]

Have heard both good and bad reports on the sureshot. You haver to pay a subsciption fee to download courses don't you, that is the killer for me.

[Rusty]

hey rusty, mind if i ask what you paid?

sure. got mine off the bay. rang the seller after he offered a "second chance" buy. turns out he's one of the PGA pros from Horsham Golf Club deciding to sell some stuff on ebay. his name is Mark McIntyre 0419 104 297. he's most likely got some more to sell. i paid $417 for mine including postage. a bargain if you ask me. turned up in it's original plastic-wrapped, packaged box - perfect. imo minimal risk anyway if the item is a dud as Sureshot are based in Vic. i'd give him a ring soon if you're interested.

Have heard both good and bad reports on the sureshot. You haver to pay a subsciption fee to download courses don't you, that is the killer for me.

true. but when we spend $$ on equipment, playing, memberships... what's another $27 a year to keep up to date on courses, or to know whether that shot in is 70 or 80m. especially courses played infrequently eg. the upcoming Champs, or ones like Wantima, which only have 135m distance markers?!

Grunt what's the bad stuff you've heard?
the only bad stuff i could tell - was when putting in other waypoints they apparently appear in the order entered rather than order encountered on the hole (distance to waypoint). (but this could be overcome by re-entering all the waypoints in order met, on the hole, then resaving/uploading the course. which someone else most likely has done for their own course.) i'll wait and see. but the acid test for me will be whether it works under my umbrella and how easy it is to see the screen on sunny days.

the big ++ for me were the unit's 40 course storage capacity; upto 9(?) waypoints per hole; & subscription service means firmware & software updates as well.

huh! i've even bought a Bushnell Medallist. now i'll be right even at the range. right, anyone want a distance??

[BrisVegas]

rusty - can i play with you at the champs!?!?

[PeteyD]

I'm doing the draw. Bribes gratefully accepted but no promises

[Grunt]

Heard reports of the manual save is not that good/accurate. Also heard the older models were not as strong as they should have been. Maybe it is all covered in the new models.

[pt73]

I read reports/reviews on the GEA forum that the igolf units have problems too and measurements are not that accurate (+- 5m), a few guys sold theirs because of this.

[kev]

Well unless you are using differential GPS, that would be about right.

It used to be in the 10 to 100m (random) range, until the US switched Selective Availability off.

I was working offshore during the first Gulf War, using dGPS for navigation, when suddenly we had virtually no error showing on the position display. We though something was wrong with the system and spent hours trying to chase it down. We then found out the US had turned off SA as they didn't have enough military GPS receivers (capable of eliminating SA), and so had to equip their solders with civilian GPS receivers.

Of course they turned SA back on not that long afterwards...

(apologies for hijacking the thread)

[pt73]

Good info, the issues raised on GEA related to the GPS chipsets used in the various brands and how accurate they were, one poster said the u-blox5 was the most accurate.

[Rusty]

sureshot use dGPS