Tracking – Riding NZ

42 Days until I Start.

Remember back in the 1800s when you pondered over hand-drawn maps by candlelight to get excited about your up-and-coming horse-and-cart journey through the unforsaken lay of the land to get to a better life?

Yeah, me neither.

What about in the mid-late 1900s when you unfolded your Wises Street Map at night, using your Dolphin-style torch to study the printed journey you were about to undertake?

Yeah, now we are talking. You know the Dolphin, right? Heavy AF with those half-flat Eveready batteries.

Oh, and what about, in the 2000s, when you typed into Google Maps your destination address and were shown navigation paths on your 3″ phone screen to see an estimation of your arrival time?

Now, that was a game changer. Mobile phones killed the standalone Navman GPS Market but didn’t kill paper maps. Those damn dead trees won’t die.

My trusty assistant Bob, still uses his NavMan. When getting morning coffee for me. He’s so damn oldskool. Also, that’s his mum’s car. But who am I to judge?

I see in 2023, you can still buy paper maps. From bookshops, places like the Automobile Association, VTNZ, and Service Stations (Those Petrol places where real people use Barrister Style Coffee Machines) 

Do we need paper Maps? You have all the world’s maps on your phone. Then you have Apps that do mapping things.

Why this history lesson about the evolution of Maps? 

Well, Mapping has matured, and we take it for granted. Real-time tracking is the new class of Mapping.

Think: Apple Find My, Android Google Maps tracking, Apple AirTags.

Hey, did you know I can track my Bike? (well, three bikes, actually)

As you can see, I have them hidden in my Walk-in Wardrobe.

Digital Maps are great if your internet connection works. And that only works if your mobile phone has cellular coverage for data.

As I will be riding in and out of coverage, I am deeply concerned for all you stalkers who want to follow my live location. (For safety reasons, of course)

Oh, it is you!

#sneaky

And this is where Satellite tracking comes in.

Fact: The first GPS Satellite went live in 1978 but wasn’t made available to Joe Public until 1983. It spawned a vertical industry market for GPS navigation solutions. Until phones partly disrupted that market. Yet, standalone Global Positioning Satellite tracking devices survived, becoming more industry-specific (think hunting, tramping, climbing – all that adventure stuff – doesn’t always have to be remote)

Coupled with emergency services, these devices can get you to help if you are in “Dire Straits.” (Not Deliver Easy sort of help or the Band)

In a super basic diagram, it works like this.

Then, at your location, all you need is a GPS Transmitter/Receiver.

My Mate Thomas lent me his Garmin InReach Mini. These things can cost upwards of $700 each.

HandCredit: this is the hand of my assistant Bob.

Garmin has 31 Satellites orbiting Earth; if you quickly run outside and look up at the sky now, you won’t see any. (Duh)

And that is because they are roughly about 20’000 km above us. Completing two orbits every 24 hours. (I mean, this is cool stuff, right)

Thomas’s InReach Mini pings a Satellite to pinpoint my location accurately. I can trigger a SOS, and it also supports two-way messaging. Plus, it tells me the time, distance traveled, and my average speed. It has a built-in map, but not so visible on the small screen.

Where the FH am I?

For you stalkers, it also sends out my live location to an online Map.

I have a Map subscription. Therefore, you can cast me to your 75″ TV screen and watch my progress.

Please note: Meeting me with Cider at all my end-of-day destinations will also get you high fives. (Unless you are truly a stalker with malicious intent. Bring a cider anyway)

Now that you have been smacked down with Paper / Digital Map and Global Positioning Satellite, knowledge. - Your life is complete.

You can track me on the Official TA GPS Map on Maprogress. Do note: I will not be active there until the 3rd of Jan 2024.

Find me here:

https://touraotearoa2024.maprogress.com/?bib=D-H

They list the riders in Waves.

I’m in Wave: Other, as I’m rolling early and not in the official race.

As you can see, there are other Crazy’s riding NZ. It’s not just me.

After I’m active on this map, you will see real-time updates.
If I haven’t moved between 10 pm and 7 am, I probably have forgotten to turn it off. Or…

It's good to know "Big Brother" is watching.

I can receive messages directly to the InReach mini through Maprogress messaging system, which you can find under my rider stats. But the best way to interact with me is via Facebook message, Instagram messaging, or old-school text if you have my unlisted phone number. 

Stay tuned. Next week, Im going to dazzle you senseless with all the electronic tech I'm taking for a ride. 

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