Garmin GTU 10 GPS tracker review
The Garmin GTU 10
is Garmin’s first significant entry into the live GPS tracking market. The small device pictured above can send its location to your computer or phone on demand. The possibilities are nearly endless. Got a wayward pet that likes to run off? Nervous about taking your young child to a big festival? How about that teenager just learning to drive? Or perhaps you’re a builder leaving expensive equipment on a construction site. I think you get the idea. If it can be moved, you can pretty much track it anywhere.Garmin GTU 10 tracking plans
One of the nice things about the GTU 10 is that the first year’s service is included in the plan. All GPS trackers that allow you to ascertain the device’s location remotely rely on cellular service; hence the continuing service plan. With many devices the cost can be downright usurious.
The GTU 10’s included standard tracking plan allows you to view the the last ten points of daily tracking history. After a year, the plan costs $49.99 annually to renew. A deluxe tracking plan allows you to see seven days of full tracking history, and will run you an additional $4.99 per month.
Once you add up the hardware and tracking plan, the total cost of the device is pretty reasonable compared to other solutions on the market.
Garmin GTU 10 hardware
As you can see from the image above, the device is very small, measuring only 1.34" wide, 3.07" long and 0.79" deep. And at 3 ounces (including case and car abiner), it’s as light as it is small. Hardware wise, it’s quite simple. There’s a power button, an LED, and a flap that hides a mini-USB receptacle (shown below).
Garmin GTU 10 pros
- First year of monitoring service is included
- Very small and lightweight
- Reasonable total cost
- Well designed Web interface for setup and tracking
- Accurate location reporting
Garmin GTU 10 cons
- Standard tracking plan limits you to viewing only the last ten points of daily tracking history
- Website and mobile app are slow to display results (takes a minute or two)
- Android app occasionally failed to retrieve location
- Short battery life
Garmin GTU 10 conclusion
Garmin has done a good job with this, their first mainstream GPS tracking product. Battery life is a concern though, especially if you need the location ascertained frequently (e.g., every five minutes). Otherwise, my biggest gripes are about speed of reporting and app failures, both of which seem like they could be addressed and improved on Garmin’s end (i.e., these don’t seem to be hardware issues associated with the GTU 10). The most important use tip I can give is to pay close attention to the battery/usage settings. You may need to experiment some with the various options to ensure that you are getting the desired results in terms of being able to receive tracking history and how long you can go between recharges.
More Garmin GTU 10 reviews
- Consumer-authored Garmin GTU 10 reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- CNET gives a 3 out of 5 star rating in their Garmin GTU 10 tracker review
- PC Mag gives the same 3 out of 5 star rating in their Garmin GPS tracker review
- About.com gives a 4 star rating in their Garmin GTU 10 Locator review
- A user-authored Garmin GPS locator review on the m4carbine.net forums
I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
- The Garmin GTU 10 owners manual
- Tracking a runner at the Boston Marathon with the GTU 10
- Experimenting with the GTU 10 at a triathlon
- Garmin GTU 10 FAQs
- Coverage map for the Garmin GTU 10
- The official Garmin GTU 10 web page
- Check the current Garmin GTU 10
- Get the Garmin GTU 10 at GPS City
- Check out the deal on the Garmin GTU 10 Tracking Unit
at REI.com, where satisfaction is guaranteed and members get 10% back on eligible purchases
- Get the GTU™ 10
direct from Garmin
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