Chirp Chirp

[+Gr8Scot]

Here's something new from Garmin. It's an electronic homing beacon called the "Chirp" that can be placed as cache (or in an existing cache) to give a electronic hint as to where a cache is. Size is about 33x22mm and battery life is about a year. It'll work with the Oregon, Dakota & GPSMap62 and has about a 3m range.

 

Direct price conversion is around the R 160 mark.

 

What thoughts on this working in SA?

 

http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/10/...nnectivity.html

Edited October 15, 2010 by Gr8Scot

[+trevorh7000]

What thoughts on this working in SA?

 

I think the idea while quite cool is pretty useless. How many people have a compatible Garmin - not just in SA any where in the world.

 

So with this device there is no hide and seek there is get the info when you come within ten meters of the chiro???!?

 

The very minimum Garmin should have made comms with this device open so any device could use it.

 

trev

[+ATXTracker]

What thoughts on this working in SA?

 

I think the idea while quite cool is pretty useless. How many people have a compatible Garmin - not just in SA any where in the world.

 

So with this device there is no hide and seek there is get the info when you come within ten meters of the chiro???!?

 

The very minimum Garmin should have made comms with this device open so any device could use it.

 

trev

 

The ANT Protocol is not as closed as it first seemed. I've seen iPhone Apps that talk to Garmin remote sensors using an Ant dongle, and the NIKE+ thing uses the protocol. Here is a link with some iPhone source code: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/05/first-l...ant-iphone.html

Edited October 17, 2010 by ATXTracker

[+Carbon Hunter]

What thoughts on this working in SA?

 

I think the idea while quite cool is pretty useless. How many people have a compatible Garmin - not just in SA any where in the world.

 

So with this device there is no hide and seek there is get the info when you come within ten meters of the chiro???!?

 

The very minimum Garmin should have made comms with this device open so any device could use it.

 

trev

 

I agree somewhat with Trevor on this. I have a Garmin Oregon and have been considering placing a Wherigo cache here in the UAE - but just using SA as a barometer - not very popular - and those that are there - not found that often - so this is limiting the sport rather than expanding it.

 

Until it is freely available or across most GPSr units - it is unlikely to take off outside high cacher density areas.

[+Gr8Scot]

There's a Chirp "hands-on" review available.

 

It seems that Groundspeak was caught unawares by Garmin's release of the Chirp and a couple of cachers have reported that their local Reviewers have refused to publish new cache listings based around a Chirp citing "commercial" infringement of the guidelines.

 

I just wonder if it would be any good to attach to one's keyring so that they could be found if lost around the house. Or any other item for that matter. In my opinion, THAT would be a useful device.

[+Ysbeer]

I just wonder if it would be any good to attach to one's keyring so that they could be found if lost around the house. Or any other item for that matter. In my opinion, THAT would be a useful device.

 

Now there's an "out of the box" thinking of tecnology... But how close do you need to be before the GPS "see" the chirp? If it's only 2-3 meter's, then it's not going to help that much.?

[+Gr8Scot]

Now there's an "out of the box" thinking of tecnology... But how close do you need to be before the GPS "see" the chirp? If it's only 2-3 meter's, then it's not going to help that much.?

 

The reviewer stated that he got a signal at 20-30 feet (so 6-10m) if in clear sight but only at 5 feet (1.7m) on the other side of a tree. Probably good enough to tell you which room in the house to search

 

Further reading seems to indicate that it would be no use for my idea though, as it only transmits the co-ordinates previously pre-programmed into it. So unless you knew WHERE you were going to loose your keys.....

 

Maybe an idea for some inventor to pick up on though? Or Garmin could include some sort of signal strength meter in the software.

[+W@lly]

SA Geo Shop will have a few to test