[rickpal14]

I am in the market for a GPS and wondering if anyone has used the SG3.5 yet.... I am debating between that and the SG5...

Thanks!

[corky]

It's not out yet is it?

[rickpal14]

Its been out for about a week now... Going to check it out at Golfsmith tomorrow.....

[corky]

oh really..... not a lot of publicity, I've been keeping an eye out for it, last week I even had an online conversation with a Sky Caddie rep said 'I have no information as to it's release date'

anyway, I'd love to know your findings........

[rickpal14]

saw it offerd on Golfsmith.com then I went back yesterday and it was not there anymore.....oh well......looks like I'm getting the SG5!!!

[corky]

I had a look and it says shipping 1st sept.... so not too long to wait.

I can't make my mind up...... 5 or wait for the 3.5...

[carogers1]

Has anyone picked one of these up yet? I am anxious to hear a review on it. I have one being shipped to me, but am unsure whether to keep it or not.

[Golden Eagle Golf]

I been told since December 2008 they would be put in 3-4 weeks every month. Still none to sell. I think the new SGX will be out first. November one with mounds of luck.

[carogers1]

What is the SGX? Any info on it? I have the 3.5 ordered, should I just cancel it?

[stratjb]

Looks like the 3.5 is now available for purchase on skygolf.com. Previously it said "Out of Stock" .

[carogers1]

Yeah, I was told mine will be shipping out the first of next week.....of course, I have been told that before

[corky]

TGW had said shipping on 15th...... now it says shipping soon

[golf_fanatik]

InTheHoleGolf.com apparently has them in stock according to their website. I'd love to see "live" pictures and not just the website renderings.

[carogers1]

Yeah this is getting ridiculous. I mean..this unit was supposed to come out almost a year ago, right? And they are still pushing things back...week by week. I wonder what the hold up is?

[ronbo]

I talked to my Pro at the club I play at yesterday and he said the SG 3.5 that's was to be launched last spring but was push back because the manufacture that supplies parts for this unit, didn't come through in time and Skygolf have out source these parts. And by the time they found one they needed, they decided to upgrade the unit from Black and white to color which also took some time. They were jerked around by this company and were given a number on ship dates that never happened.

My pro has 2 on order and said he has them both sold after taking to the Skygolf Rep. who was in the shop last week to show him the new unit, along with a couple of members. They went out and played nine holes and the feedback he gave me was that the unit might be the best they have out for the price $299.99. He couldn't believe how fast is locked into our club after turning it on and how fast it locked in on distances. The screen is very bright and the same size as the SG 5 and maybe a tad bigger. The only negative he said might the that it takes 3 tripe AAA batteries or rechargeable triple AAA batteries. Both units are suppose be in on Monday and I know one of the members. I will do a follow up post when I see him next to get his feedback.

[rickpal14]

Ronbo,

Thanks for the info...keep us updated!!

[golf_fanatik]

Thanks Ronbo.. Please take pictures if you can. I would have preferred a rechargeable battery like the SG5 but I guess at that point, they wouldn't sell any of the SG5's at $400.

[Stern100]

Go to intheholegolf and enter GOLF10 for a 10% discount. For 269, it's a really good deal compared to the SG5.

[Asleep]

ronbo, on Sep 19 2009, 07:28 AM, said:

...it takes 3 triple AAA batteries...

Color screen with AAA batteries instead of rechargeable........how long will they last?

[rickpal14]

I bit the bullet and just got the SG5 on ebay for $275 delivered.... can't wait to get it out on the course!!

[ronbo]

I got a chance to play with one of the members who ordered an SG 3.5 over the weekend and here is my review from him. He said he loves it! He had an SG 4 and found the 3.5 faster to lock in yardages, brighter screen and battery life was still good after 3 rounds. He plans on using rechargeable's in the unit and keep a spare in his bag. I got to use in for a couple holes and compared it to my SG5 and I have to say, if I didn't already love my 5, I would switch in a heart beat. It's a little lighter, flatter and same screen size, but a hundred dollars less then an SG5.

He said the unit will be able to show full hole view when it comes out and that's why he didn't get the SG 2.5. Over all, this is a 9 out of 10, only down side is the batteries, no big deal if you ask me.

[MikeMo]

Anyone know what the difference is between this and SG5 besides the fact that the 5 has a rechargeable battery? I was on GPP and Skygolf and it appears that it's actually available now. I have a 5 and I'm wondering why would Skygolf offer a product for $100 less if it basically does the exact same thing? Seems like it would be a huge market killer for it's SG5?

[ronbo]

Quick Answer, The SG 3.5 ONLY does AAA Batteries. No wall plug in to recharge.

[corky]

same screen size in a smaller body though, and no power issues when travelling abroad

[MikeMo]

So why would you pay the extra $100 bucks? For a rechargeable battery? That doesn't seem very smart to me and almost seems like they are trying to phase out the SG5 if that's the only difference.

[RoscoeCoaltrain]

I have an SG5 (thanks wife for Xmas last year) and love it. Here's the thing I must bring up. The way I play is usually in a cart. It's almost mandatory on weekends here in northern CA. When I play I put my skycaddie in the cupholder of the cart. With teh height of the SG5, the screen is above the cupholder and I can easily read the distances. I would be afraid that the 3.5 is shorter and the screen would be blocked. For the walking guys, I imagine it would be a great unit.

Anyway, the skycaddie's are great. Absolutely no regrets. My unit locks on within about 2 minutes after bootup at the course. I have never lost connection or had a ny issues whatsoever. I just wish they would do something with the scorecard feature where it would upload your scores on the website for tracking purposes.

[lopaca]

I was at a golf shop in San Diego this past Monday. They stock all the skycaddie models. When I asked about the 3.5 they just shook their head and said they had no idea when they would be getting any.

[golf_fanatik]

I just bought a SG3.5 at my local shop. It is a little wider than the SG5 but about 1/2" shorter. The unit is all black plastic similar to the SG2.5 without the rubber sides and silver plastic the SG5s have.

The screen size is the same as the SG5 as far as I can tell. Once you put the 3 AAA batteries, the unit feels very solid.

Something that impressed me is that it acquires the satellite signal faster than the SG5 I used to own.. all the other features are the same as the SG5 except the backlight which is turned off automatically after 30 secs like in the SG2.5 (i.e. in the SG5 you could control the backlight time).

Overall, it looks like a pretty good unit. We'll see how long the batteries last but rechargeable batteries are a must on this unit.

[Andy L]

golf_fanatik, on Oct 1 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

..... We'll see how long the batteries last but rechargeable batteries are a must on this unit.

I highly recommend Sanyo eneloop batts. Look on Amazon or similar for them. These are outstanding rechargeable batts. The have plenty of capacity and extremely slow discharge rate when stored unlike many rechargeables. Usually around $20 for 4 with a charger.

[golf_fanatik]

Andy L, on Oct 1 2009, 07:02 PM, said:

golf_fanatik, on Oct 1 2009, 09:49 PM, said:

..... We'll see how long the batteries last but rechargeable batteries are a must on this unit.

I highly recommend Sanyo eneloop batts. Look on Amazon or similar for them. These are outstanding rechargeable batts. The have plenty of capacity and extremely slow discharge rate when stored unlike many rechargeables. Usually around $20 for 4 with a charger.

Thanks.. Do you know if they last a lot longer than the other typical rechargeables? My understanding is that the eneloops are great for their discharge rate but I wonder if the discharge rate is an issue for a gps since I will probably use them within a couple of weeks and discharge them unlike some cameras and remote controls, etc.

I will check amazon..

[78Staff]

Stern100, on Sep 19 2009, 02:22 PM, said:

Go to intheholegolf and enter GOLF10 for a 10% discount. For 269, it's a really good deal compared to the SG5.

Awesome thanks for the heads up, placed an order last night...

[mojo_13]

Just bought one should be here in a few days hopefully. This will be my first GPS so hopefully I got the right one, was looking into the 2.5 but for the extra cash it looked like a good upgrade to go 3.5 especially I figured I would want to upgrade if I got the 2.5 hopefully this one will last me a long while.

[simon_plumb]

Hey mojo_13.

I just took the plunge on a 3.5 too, also my first GPS.

Trialled an SG5 recently and liked how it worked but thought it was just way too big. The 2.5-like size with SG5 features means the 3.5 HAS to be a winner. I hope so anyway....

I downloaded the manual from the skygolf site toady just to ease the wait, think the whole hole view is also a bonus from the SG5.

Would be keen on a black silicone skin but can't seem to find any on the net. Anyone?...

[mojo_13]

simon_plumb, on Oct 6 2009, 02:59 AM, said:

Hey mojo_13.

I just took the plunge on a 3.5 too, also my first GPS.

Trialled an SG5 recently and liked how it worked but thought it was just way too big. The 2.5-like size with SG5 features means the 3.5 HAS to be a winner. I hope so anyway....

I downloaded the manual from the skygolf site toady just to ease the wait, think the whole hole view is also a bonus from the SG5.

Would be keen on a black silicone skin but can't seem to find any on the net. Anyone?...

Thanks for the idea just downloaded the manual too and looked through it. I have never actually seen any of the units in person because the nearest golf shop is over two hours away so it was all strictly on reviews around the web. But from what I hear you are correct in the size and features arena.

Also some sort of skin would be a great way to keep it looking new if you find one let me know.

[78Staff]

simon_plumb, on Oct 6 2009, 03:59 AM, said:

Trialled an SG5 recently and liked how it worked but thought it was just way too big. The 2.5-like size with SG5 features means the 3.5 HAS to be a winner. I hope so anyway....

Received mine today...as for the size comparing to a SG5 it's only marginally "shorter", and a bit wider. Which was a surprise, I had expected it to be smaller, but imo it really is not. Not that it's a bad thing, just surprising.

[simon_plumb]

78Staff, on Oct 7 2009, 12:53 PM, said:

simon_plumb, on Oct 6 2009, 03:59 AM, said:

Trialled an SG5 recently and liked how it worked but thought it was just way too big. The 2.5-like size with SG5 features means the 3.5 HAS to be a winner. I hope so anyway....

Received mine today...as for the size comparing to a SG5 it's only marginally "shorter", and a bit wider. Which was a surprise, I had expected it to be smaller, but imo it really is not. Not that it's a bad thing, just surprising.

Interesting comments on the size. Weird how just from pics we all expect it to be a lot smaller than the 5!

Any chance of an in-hand pic 78Staff? And I don't suppose you've had chance to hit the course yet have you?

[golf_fanatik]

Agree that it is wider and slightly shorter than the SG5, HOWEVER, it is much thinner at only 0.8 in. To make, that made a difference.

Overall, I agree that the SG3.5 is comparable to the SG5 in size.

[teeituphigh]

I just got an SG5 from work to demo tomorrow and am considering buying one but i am unsure whether or not you have to pay each year just to download courses. Its a bit confusing!

[golf_fanatik]

teeituphigh, on Oct 8 2009, 10:19 AM, said:

I just got an SG5 from work to demo tomorrow and am considering buying one but i am unsure whether or not you have to pay each year just to download courses. Its a bit confusing!

Yes, you have to pay annual fees to keep the downloaded courses.. think of it as "renting" the course information. If your membership expires, you can only use it with the courses you map yourself (up to 5 I believe).

There are other units that do not have annual memberships or you can buy the course and you own it.

[rickpal14]

Simon..... I just got my black silicone skin today. Found it on eBay... $19...... Fits perfect.. too bad I had just come back from 18 this morning!!! It feels alot better then the leather case that came with my package.