GPS Tracker With Vest (Outdoor Use Only)

Collect data for individual athletes or a full team (using additional trackers). Compare between athletes, or compare over time. Find out where each athlete needs improvement, and see if they're progressing over time.

The GPS tracker fits securely in a padded slot in the back of the vest - it is comfortable and barely noticeable. For a strong and accurate GPS signal, this device must be used outdoors, on a field with no roof.

We find it most convenient to have 2 vests (1 vest included) - and it is optional to add additional vests. That way 1 vest will be clean and ready for use, while the other is being washed. Upon ordering, you can email us with your vest size requirements (see the size guide image, using chest circumferences).

Instructions

1. (Set up the app as a pre-requisite - add the tracker to the app once via Bluetooth, and add the field to the app once by standing on the 4 corners of the field)
2. Turn on the charged tracker, wait for the orange light to change to blue (GPS Signal Connected). Insert into vest. Put on vest.
3. Decide whether you'll turn on tracking for the full game/training, or just the active portions. When you're ready to begin recording data, press the button on the tracker and listen for the beep (can be pressed through the vest). When you're ready to stop recording data, press the button again (could be at the end of the half, or the end of the game - preferably, all players do it at the same time for better comparisons). The tracker's battery life is 6-8 hours, while the maximum recording time is 2 hours including up to 15 sessions, before requiring syncing.
4. In the app, press Sync on the particular tracker, then choose the correct training session to import.
5. The data has now have been copied from the tracker to the app. You may now turn off the tracker. You can view the data analysis in the app, and even export the data to PC in Excel .xls with screenshots or .tcx format.

XLS Data Export Sample (Individual)

XLS Data Export Sample (Team)

Putting it on for a training session or match is just half of the process, with the balance happening within the free Action Tracer app, so here is how a session runs and what you get out of it.

• The app is Action Tracer, free on Google Play and the Apple App Store, with both links in the manual. The tracker can accumulate data while turned on but disconnected from any other devices, then once you're done, it is paired with a phone over Bluetooth to sync the data to the app.
• Each outdoor field is mapped once before use (the location will then be saved in the app, and can be exported to other apps if needed). This involves carrying the tracker and phone to each corner of the field and holding them there for about ten seconds, until calibration succeeds. Once all 4 corners are done, you can save the field name, and the process is complete. Football, rugby and custom fields can work (anything outdoors, with no roof to interrupt the GPS signal). Saved maps can be renamed, deleted, or shared to another phone running the app.
• Recording. The tracker holds two hours of data across up to 15 separate recordings, then overwrites. Start and stop by pressing the button through the vest: a beep means recording started and no beep means stopped, so a match can be captured as two halves, or recording paused for breaks.
• What the app produces. A heatmap, a sprint vector with adjustable speed and time filters, playback at up to eight times speed, and statistics covering a speed graph, total distance, maximum speed, average speed, sprint time, maximum acceleration and maximum deceleration. A team view compares several players with speed diagrams, radar charts, rankings and player comparisons.
• Data Exports. Excel .xls or TCX, individually with optional screenshots, or in bulk without screenshots.
• Charging and coverage. A magnetic cable to the back of the tracker, with a red light signifying charging and no light when finished, with the exact percentage shown in the app. GPS will not work reliably under a roof, which is why this is an outdoor product.

Who this suits

This is for match and session workload, not lab testing. The battery runs 6 to 8 hours, but it holds two hours of recording before it has to be synced, so plan to pause and sync within 2 hours of starting recording. The device can be used for a full team by using multiple trackers and vests, then syncing the data to 1 phone. From there, you can generate comparison reports, or export multiple players' data. Eg.

Do I have to map the field before using it?

Yes, once per field. Carry the tracker and your phone to each of the four corners and hold them there for about ten seconds, until calibration succeeds, then save the field name to complete the process. It has to be outdoors with no roof, because a roof interrupts the GPS signal. Saved fields stay in the app, and can be renamed, deleted, shared to another phone running Action Tracer.

What can I get out of the data afterwards?

A heatmap, a sprint vector with adjustable speed and time filters, playback at up to eight times speed, and statistics covering a speed graph, total distance, maximum and average speed, sprint time and maximum acceleration and deceleration, once the tracker has synced to a phone over Bluetooth. A whole team can sync to the one phone, and the team view compares players with speed diagrams, radar charts and rankings. Everything exports to Excel or TCX.

Do players need a phone with them while recording?

No. The tracker records on its own once it is switched on, with nothing connected to it, so no phone goes onto the field. Pair it with a phone over Bluetooth afterwards to sync the session into the app. It holds two hours of recording across up to 15 files before it overwrites, so plan to sync within two hours of starting. The battery runs 6 to 8 hours.

Can one phone handle a whole team?

Yes. Give each player a tracker and vest, then sync them all to the one phone once the session is over. The team view then compares players with speed diagrams, radar charts, rankings and player comparisons, and multiple players' data can be exported at once, to Excel or TCX. The one phone can both map the field (once), and regularly sync the team data to the app.