 Poster: A snowHead
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My company are in the process of launching a small GPS tracker aimed at the kids ski market. It is targeted 5 - 10 year olds who you do not want to have a mobile phone but still want the ability for them to contact you in an emergency. It has an SOS button they can press which will call parents and send them a text with a google map link so they can find them if they get separated from Ski School etc. Hoping to launch before half term but could do with some honest field test. (My own daughter 8 year old tried it while we were in Austria and it worked very well but need someone to try it out who has had no previous experience of GPS tracking) Perhaps a long shot given the holiday in term time situation but is anyone planning a ski trip with kids in the next few who would be willing to test out the tracker and give a review we can use on our website in exchange for a free tracker? Here is a link to the tracker: http://www.back2you.com/kid-tracker.html
Chris
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Probably a bit late for you as we are going out in half term (10 and 15 year old).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@globalbagtag.com, I will be in Cairngorm and Lecht with my 8 year old son over the next 2 weekends. I'll also be in Glenshee the first weekend in February. Not the Alps but skiing all the same. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi Gaza thanks for the offer but could do with testing outside UK to check on sim roaming etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@globalbagtag.com, understand completely. If you have a sample I would still be happy to test and send it back to you after the 3 weekends. Be interesting to see how it works in the patchy mobile coverage around Glenshee and Lecht. 
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Going for long w/e with mates 1st w/e Feb to Chamonix - also with kids at 1/2 term to Dolomites - happy to test on either trip if you haven't found any other crash-test-dummies by then...
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Would be delighted to test on my 6 & 8 year olds during half-term in Bormio. If that's not too late then please get in touch.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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This season our "Morzine locals" ESF classes are 2.30 to 5pm, which means it's almost dark before they're trying to herd hundreds of kids off the mountain. Mini-Shep is only 4 ½ and I do worry about her being "misplaced", particularly since searching after dark isn't easy. Some people will say paranoia, but if the technology exists why not use it.
@globalbagtag.com, if I can help PM me or contact via the website here ↓
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Hi Shep that sounds like the idea test, if you could PM me your address I will get one out to you. Rgds Chris
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@globalbagtag.com, taking our nine year old to SuperDevoluy at half term if that's any use to you.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@globalbagtag.com, Cant help with a child, but our son is 3 and ill definitely buy one once we start going on the mountain if the price is reduced a bit.
I wonder is its also worth fitting RECCO into it and have it giving of a same frequency as a transceiver??
Currently Id stick a transceiver on my son as I know ill find him within 100m where as google earth image wouldn't always be accurate enough. Just a thought
As an aside - there is a group of snowheads heading out to italy on 22nd Jan, Id be willing to test out there - we always lose each other
Finally I note on your site it says UK activated SIM, what about europe??
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@globalbagtag.com, we can test one with my 7 year old if you want. Will be skiing in 10 days time just locally at a small resort called Kungsberget near Stockholm. We'll also be in Avoriaz in late February, and a couple more trips in Sweden (Romme Alpin and Åre) in March.
I was looking for a good GPS solution, and in the end the other week did the same as @Gaza with an old mobile, pay as you go SIM, and app called MyNino. We also wore Pieps beacons as visibility was nearly zero at the time.
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You know it makes sense.
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@PaulC1984, Recco idea very valid, but you'll get into hot water suggesting a xmit only avvy beacon on Snowheads  . You'll find the threads if you look, but it is a bad idea!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@globalbagtag.com, it looks like a great idea, although I don't have kids.
Not trying to be picky, but there are a ton of typos on the website, so you might want to get someone to go through and pick them out. Websites with lots of errors often put people off from buying on the assumption that the same care is taken over the products as over the website........ 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Looks good. Has potential, I'm sure my wife would be tempted to know they have a way of contacting if we were to get separated on the piste. Happy to trial. Going out to Val D'Isere on 30th Jan- 7 yr old girl and 5 yr old boy if that helps. Let me know.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@pugwash21, Welcome to snowHeads!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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saw the same thing in the Easyjet mag for £50 yepzon.com
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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[quote="PaulC1984"]@globalbagtag.com, Cant help with a child, but our son is 3 and ill definitely buy one once we start going on the mountain if the price is reduced a bit.
I wonder is its also worth fitting RECCO into it and have it giving of a same frequency as a transceiver??
Currently Id stick a transceiver on my son as I know ill find him within 100m where as google earth image wouldn't always be accurate enough. Just a thought
As an aside - there is a group of snowheads heading out to italy on 22nd Jan, Id be willing to test out there - we always lose each other
Finally I note on your site it says UK activated SIM, what about europe??[/quote
It is supplied with a UK PAYG sim so there are no subscrition charges or contracts so you only pay for the calls/text you use. The sim will roam in Europe no problem and the cost of a text to locate is 6p in UK and 8p in Europe so not too much to pay for peace of mind. The cost of roaming in Europe has come down considerably in the past 6 months, I know I now get a deal with my provider which cost me £ per day to use my call/text/data allowance in Europe. When I was testing on my Daughter at Christmas in Obergurgl I was great to be able to locate her ski school group and get a sneaky peak on her progress without her seeing us and putting her off. Also great to check when they were heading for lunch. It is not meant to replace a transceiver but it is normally accurate to a few meters.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@globalbagtag.com, I'm off to PDS with my 4 year old on 23rd Jan if that's helpful.
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@globalbagtag.com, You have mail!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@globalbagtag.com, based in Switzerland and I'd be delighted to test one on my wife who is constantly getting lost in supermarkets.
Not perhaps the application you had in mind, but still...
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| shep wrote: |
This season our "Morzine locals" ESF classes are 2.30 to 5pm, which means it's almost dark before they're trying to herd hundreds of kids off the mountain. Mini-Shep is only 4 ½ and I do worry about her being "misplaced", particularly since searching after dark isn't easy. Some people will say paranoia, but if the technology exists why not use it.
@globalbagtag.com, if I can help PM me or contact via the website here ↓ |
Hi Shep,
How did you get on with the Kid tracker?
Regards
Chris
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi @globalbagtag.com, we did use the Kid Tracker for mini-Shep most of last season, and found it to be excellent; simple, reliable, and very reassuring! Her weekly lessons finished at 5pm, i.e. in near darkness in December and January. As an ex instructor myself, I know that little ones can and very occasionally do get separated from their class. Normally they're rounded-up pretty quickly, but a search after dark is a different prospect. For the relatively low cost of this now reliable technology this seems a worry easily avoided.
Plus it was great to be able to text the tracker anytime and have her location (plus speed and altitude) pop-up on a map on your phone! At four years old we didn't even want to raise the possibility of getting lost on the mountain, we just zipped it in an inside pocket (it's only the size of a key-fob) and told her it was so we knew where she was, and to not touch it. We didn't explain she can phone mummy or daddy by holding-down the single large "SOS" button, but this season she'll know and (hopefully!) be sensible enough not to abuse it. We did get a couple of random texts from the device (a quick push of the button sends out its location) when she was probably rolling around in the snow playing, and once or twice the return text with her coordinates took a few minutes to come through, but otherwise it performed perfectly.
We had fun calling it and eavesdropping on her (either rustling when skiing, or chatting animatedly at snack-time!), but of course in a missing-child situation this could be a valuable feature. You can also set it to ring when you call it, and the child answers by pressing the button. Other features are programming it to text you if it goes outside a chosen perimeter (once she starts going off skiing with friends this could be useful), or if it detects a fall followed by a period of motionlessness (not tested).
Once the novelty wore off we mainly just used it to check if they were coming down via the piste or the telecabine at the end of her lesson! There's no contract or subscriptions, just the cost of the texts and calls; a 10 quid top-up lasted us all season. I thoroughly recommend this tracker for anyone who would like the peace of mind of knowing where their child is at any time, or even as a simple parent-to-child "mobile phone" for kids too young for the real thing.
For full disclosure (as you can see above) Chris sent us the tracker free, in order to get feedback from an independent field trial. However, the above is a true account of our experience, and given what we now know I would happily have paid for this product. Thanks for the opportunity Chris! 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@globalbagtag.com, so when can we buy it?
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@Themasterpiece, Just go to the website at the top of the page
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@altis, I prefer the look of this on
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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|
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Themasterpiece, 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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So has anyone else used this device? My wife thinks it looks great, but quite a lot on the market so interested to know others views.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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At £125 isn't it cheaper to give them a smart phone with a tracker app?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@musher, my first thought re phones without thinking too hard is battery limitation...
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@musher, also I am not too keen on my 5&7 year olds having their own phones yet 
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Have ordered one just now. We will do some testing around the uk and will post some thoughts back here in a few weeks.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Remember to enter "SNOW" for your 10% s discount
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@Bennyboy1,
I've got my two (9 & 12) phones for when they are skiing. They don't have them otherwise. They aren't particularly smart phones so the battery life is quite good.
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FAQ
