Backtrack Point 5

Last Saturday I left my compass-like Backtrack global positioning system on top of the car. It slid off while I was driving and another car ran it over.

The Backtrack is a limited GPS.  It does not do much except indicate the direction and distance to your car.  That's not much until you realize you're lost and the sun seems lower than you think it should be.  (I reviewed the Backtrack here.)

There is a reason why my Backtrack was on top of the car in the first place.

The Backtrack takes a long time to find the satellite and give you any useful information. I put my Backtrack on top of the car while we sat and waited for the owner of a lost dog to stop by and pick him up. I wanted the Backtrack to have a clear view of the sky and the satellite.  Predictably, I forgot all about it when it came time to leave.

I bought another Backtrack, this one BackTrack 2 (it is really called Backtrack Point 5): the upgrade.

Forget about the fact that it can set 5 locations rather than the 3 of Backtrack 1. Who can remember 5 locations anyway? There are several things to like about Backtrack Point 5:

• As advertised, Backtrack Point 5 finds the satellite faster.  Much faster.  Backtrack 1's long lead time needed to find itself was a real shortcoming with me.  If not for last Saturday's events, I would have lost Backtrack 1 eventually, leaving it somewhere else.

• A digital clock that links to satellite time.  You really need a watch when you are out so that you know exactly when you left the car, how long you've been traveling, how much time you have before sunset, etc.  Since I often don't wear a watch when hiking, I find the digital clock is a good add.

• Altimeter.  Maybe not critical, but another good add.  How high in the mountains are you anyway?  

• 4 buttons instead of two.  It actually makes the operation a little easier for some reason.  Somehow with Backtrack 1, I would always press the wrong button and re-set the locator so that it found the exact spot where I was standing when I really wanted the direction to the point I was going.

You can get Backtrack 1 on Amazon for $44.  Backtrack Point 5 is $99.  That's a big difference.  Backtrack 1 is just fine.  I would not have looked twice at Backtrack Point 5 if someone hadn't run over my Backtrack 1.  But if you are looking, I will say that the digital clock, faster satellite lock-in time, altimeter, and 4-button operation represent genuine upgrades to a  nice gadget.

The Backtrack Point 5 is a break from the old-school compass style of Backtrack 1.