TackTracker

Clearly there are a lot of GPS units on the market which are capable of logging a yacht race.  Almost any unit you can buy will do a good job, and would be suitable in small numbers.  When you are dealing with multiple units (more than 5), efficiency issues become paramount.  You need the whole process to be as streamlined and simple as possible so you can get the results up quickly and without error, and minimise your administrative overhead.

Here are some thoughts in this regard:

1.  Standardise on one model of GPS unit.  The last thing you want is to have to use a suite of different software utilities for each different model of GPS out there.

2.  Minimise the number of upload steps.  Ideally you should be able to load the tracks directly from the GPS into TackTracker without the need to use intermediate software.  TackTracker can upload directly from the QStarz BT-Q1000X, and from various USB type GPS units such as the AMOD 3080.  If you select a GPS unit that is not supported by TackTracker, I would be happy to discuss adding support.

3.  Upload speed should be fast.  Some GPS units take up to a minute to download a track.  Multiply x 50 and that’s too long.

4.  The GPS should store competitor ID information.  This feature can save you a lot of time and eliminate errors.  We store competitor (boat name, sail number, skipper) on the BT-Q1000X GPS, so this information is automatically loaded along with the tracks.

5.  Most GPS units allow the logging interval to be configured.  For sailing, a 2 or 4 second interval works well, whilst a 1 second interval is more suitable for power boat navigation trials.  It is preferable if the logging interval can be configured by TackTracker.  I’ve seen some units where a complicated sequence of buttons must be pressed to get the desired logging mode, and it’s not the default.  This could become a pain when 50 trackers are involved.

6.  The GPS must have sufficient logging capacity.  The BT-Q1000X has sufficient memory to record a week’s racing before uploading.  I’ve seen other trackers claim good capacity, but its only achieved in certain logging modes, often not the default.

7.  Battery life must be good (> 20 hours) and the battery must be chargeable in-situ.  I would not select a unit with rechargeable AA batteries, as the task of removing 150 batteries, putting them in chargers, and replacing them would be painful.  The BT-Q1000X claims a 42 hours battery life between charges, and is charged through the USB cable, so the battery does not need to be removed.