NorthVanMike
New member
just finished. here's what you get:
MY NEW MENU
MY NEW MENU
SkyCaddie Upgrades
- Admin
- #2
They want $19.95 to upgrade my software on a device that I just purchased in the last six months.
NorthVanMike
New member
- Thread starter
- #3
good deal. it was $23 for me, Canadian.
TheGasman
I Like to Party
It should be cool to see what competition brings to all of these GPS companies. Its a win/win for us. Ill have to tell my Skycaddie buddies.
DDBowdoin
Banned
I am stiill on the fence about getting one of these before the season starts. I want a rangefinder so I can go everywhere and use it without any download or membership fees but I struggle with handshake at times.
- Admin
- #6
At times? You could not even get a reading...hehe
Harry Longshanks
ILikeBigPutts&ICannotLie
DDBowdoin
Banned
- Admin
- #9
I agree Harry. There are too many units out now that do not have the annual fee.
worst_shot_ever
I leave big divots
Well if you would just cut back on the mascara when you know you're going to play golf ...
NorthVanMike
New member
- Thread starter
- #11
of course "in addition to", it's a stand alone upgrade.it's a one time fee for the life of the unit. anybody who owns a SkyCaddie knows there's an annual fee, equivalent to the cost of a box of balls. there were other GPS units all along without memberships, so complaining about a membership fee AFTER you buy a SkyCaddie makes no sense.
- Admin
- #12
IIRC its a one time fee for THIS upgrade. If they come out with another upgrade next year you have to buy that one too. Both Igolf and Upro have upgraded their stuff completely free. As did the Garmin. Im just complaining because I just bought the thing and now I have to pay to have it work the way most of the others work already.
Farmergolf
Drink Milk
I have a golfbuddy pro, doesn`t have all the features of some others, but no fees is nice.
Dent
MIA
What is the difference between a rangefinder and a GPS?
- Admin
- #15
Rangefinder in common terms are the binocular type of equipment and GPS is a software based
GolfGirl
New member
Go to the search tab top right corner and type this:
GPS vs Range Finder
There is a thread that you may find interesting.
mkrolewski
Member
Quick summary;
Rangefinder uses an invisible eye safe laser which bounces off an object that you are pointer at. You look through an eye-piece like a binocular or camera. The cross hair is the object you are pointing at. The electronics times the round trip and converts it to a distance.
Pros: you can point at anything.
Cons: if your hands shake, you cannot point long enough to get a signal.
You need line of sight
Sometimes you cannot get a reflection eg a flag is too small or folded up or other things are in the way.
GPS uses a radio reciever that determines the Global Position based on signals from satellites. The unit then compares your position from other known positions eg the center of the green to tell you how far away from the object you are. The important thing is that the GPS can only measure distance from where you are to other known/pre-recorded points. It can give you distance for a club hit by remembering where you were when you swung and telling you the distance back to that point.
Pros: no need for line of sight
Can give continuous display of distance
Nothing to point
Cons: only measure know objects
requires courses to be downloaded to the device.
I have a GPS, golf guru. Really enjoy it. It track distance thru the center of the green to the front and back edge along the line from your position. Easy to use, great at tracking stroke distance, continuous display, etc.
I almost would like a rangefinder too. To measure those - I have to hit back onto the fairway, I have a lane, but I don't know how far to the other side of the fairway shots. Or to find a layup spot because I need it now. I played with one in the store. They seem to be pretty steady to me.
Mike Krolewski
Rangefinder uses an invisible eye safe laser which bounces off an object that you are pointer at. You look through an eye-piece like a binocular or camera. The cross hair is the object you are pointing at. The electronics times the round trip and converts it to a distance.
Pros: you can point at anything.
Cons: if your hands shake, you cannot point long enough to get a signal.
You need line of sight
Sometimes you cannot get a reflection eg a flag is too small or folded up or other things are in the way.
GPS uses a radio reciever that determines the Global Position based on signals from satellites. The unit then compares your position from other known positions eg the center of the green to tell you how far away from the object you are. The important thing is that the GPS can only measure distance from where you are to other known/pre-recorded points. It can give you distance for a club hit by remembering where you were when you swung and telling you the distance back to that point.
Pros: no need for line of sight
Can give continuous display of distance
Nothing to point
Cons: only measure know objects
requires courses to be downloaded to the device.
I have a GPS, golf guru. Really enjoy it. It track distance thru the center of the green to the front and back edge along the line from your position. Easy to use, great at tracking stroke distance, continuous display, etc.
I almost would like a rangefinder too. To measure those - I have to hit back onto the fairway, I have a lane, but I don't know how far to the other side of the fairway shots. Or to find a layup spot because I need it now. I played with one in the store. They seem to be pretty steady to me.
Mike Krolewski
wishiwasplaying
New member
skycaddie has now been talking about its next upgrade (which will show better green detail and have scorecards) for about a year - i think it was supposed to be out last fall actually. im losing faith in these guys...anyone have an update on that latest timing?
provisional
Could Care Less
I have had a Sky Caddie for 3 years. I will most likely be purchasing one of those "On Par" units in the next month or so. I figure after I don't pay the renewal fee, and another up grade from Sky Golf, the "On Par" unit will cost me about $270.00. Sky golf claims they use the renewal fee, to keep giving me more courses, and more accurate yardage numbers, that they have to pay someone to actually walk the courses. Problem is, a friend has the "On Par" unit, and it reads the same yardages (+/- 1 yard) as my "Sky Caddie" unit, but does more things, than the Sky Golf unit does. Plus I have been emailing a Mr. Hassell from "On Par", who has been answering all my questions, and has even sent me some attachments showing what their unit can do. 
pjcedog
New member
My Neo is more accurate than any sky caddie readings I have compared it to. Plus the files are mine to keep. It is very basic but it works.
C-Tech
New member
I have the SkyCaddie 2.5 and it gives me good yardage info, great green yardages, and it keeps score as well. I have the latest upgrades installed and they have kept up pretty well with their promises. That said, I am still considering switching to the iPhone app from Golf Logix because of the better screen, better stats downloading, etc. I am just on the verge of switching. The only thing slowing me down is the iPhone battery life. It is a battery hog and I will also need to purchase an auxiliary power pack to really utilize it.
solidkjames
Loves drowning golf balls
I bought the sg5 this year for 300 bucks on ebay. I have to say it is not nearly as nice as the some competitors in the layout but as of right now no one comes close to the number of courses it has. I wish they would hurry up with the green contours and additions as it is the only thing that is keeping me from wanting to switch to on par or another lcd device. Skycaddie is losing ground to some of the cheaper alternatives on a daily basis it seems.
- Admin
- #23
Im with you SKJ,
I have a Skycaddie that I have had for a while now and everytime I review a new device I see that my machine does not add up. Sure they have the most courses, but where we live in FL, most courses are mapped. They lack so many features its scary. Compare this machine to that of the Bushnell XGC Pro, OnPar, UPRO, and what you have is a device that is lacking almost everywhere.
I have a Skycaddie that I have had for a while now and everytime I review a new device I see that my machine does not add up. Sure they have the most courses, but where we live in FL, most courses are mapped. They lack so many features its scary. Compare this machine to that of the Bushnell XGC Pro, OnPar, UPRO, and what you have is a device that is lacking almost everywhere.
JPsuff
Banned
I have a SkyCaddie SG2 and it works fine for me.
No it's not in color, it doesn't keep score and it doesn't keep stats, or make coffee or console me after a poor shot but that's not what I bought it for. What I bought it for was to give me the yardage I need when I need it and it does that just fine.
I honestly don't understand why everyone "needs" all these "apps" to plug unto a computer. I write my score on the scorecard and the only stats I like to keep (and don't even actually "need" to keep) are fairways, greens and putts which I simply represent with a little pencil mark in the upper two corners of the score box and a number in the lower right - as I and millions of other golfers have done for decades.
What I wanted when I purchased my SG2 was to be able to get the yardage I need to the Front, Middle and Back of the green when I need it and from wherever I may be standing and my SG2 does that just fine. It can hold all of the courses I'll ever need to play and I can store out-of-state courses in my computer and load them into my SG2 before I leave for some other locale and that tiresome operation takes all of five minutes.
What other features could I possibly need?
-JP
No it's not in color, it doesn't keep score and it doesn't keep stats, or make coffee or console me after a poor shot but that's not what I bought it for. What I bought it for was to give me the yardage I need when I need it and it does that just fine.
I honestly don't understand why everyone "needs" all these "apps" to plug unto a computer. I write my score on the scorecard and the only stats I like to keep (and don't even actually "need" to keep) are fairways, greens and putts which I simply represent with a little pencil mark in the upper two corners of the score box and a number in the lower right - as I and millions of other golfers have done for decades.
What I wanted when I purchased my SG2 was to be able to get the yardage I need to the Front, Middle and Back of the green when I need it and from wherever I may be standing and my SG2 does that just fine. It can hold all of the courses I'll ever need to play and I can store out-of-state courses in my computer and load them into my SG2 before I leave for some other locale and that tiresome operation takes all of five minutes.
What other features could I possibly need?
-JP
- Admin
- #25
You said it right, it is what YOU need. Others like myself like the other features. I want to be able to keep my score and other stats in this so I dont have to write it down or carry a score card with me to input later. I like that new versions have the ability to track all kinds of information personally as well as it having color and hole lay outs. I love pin point distances so I do not have to rely on people like skycaddie to choose where I should hit the ball when so many other devices have a cursor I can put anywhere on the course and get the distance to that from where I am.
There are lots of great new features that have come out and you obviously do not need them. Others do like myself. I am sick of Skycaddie being last in everything but course numbers. I think these features are great as do most judging how so many other units are being chosen over skycaddie in the last year. But I think it has a lot to do with how often you play as well. You have mentioned that you have not played in about a year so carrying the scorecard around is not a big deal nor is the distances. However people that play frequently might like it.
It comes down to the individual. I cannot wait to have the ability to get a distance to everywhere on a course. To me that is almost as important as distances to the green. Yet skycaddie continues to ignore it.