32 replies to this topic

[Stuart DC]

Anyone heard anything about it?  Bubba is promoting it.  Looks cool but expensive for a watch.

Link here

[yankees06]

I have not been able to find a list of courses!!!  I am ready to buy i just need to see the list first!

[Linkkingx]

I saw it today.  The thing is huge and i cant imagine it being comfortable on the wrist.  I like the idea though.  I'm curious to see the new watch from expresso too.

[ndlax2340]

I saw Bubba promoting this on the Morning Drive, I'm pretty intrigued but I'd like to see it in person before I drop $300 on it. I'm not sure how I'd like playing golf with it on either, it seems pretty big in relation to my Citizen Golf Watch. I'll probably end up with the non-golf version for working out and such and I'll stick with a range finder for the course. We'll see though

[friscoloco]

I just saw the Expresso in the TGW catalog.  Looks pretty slick.  And, $179 isn't a bad price.

[oliversax]

Just saw this review that highlights features that were not apparent from company's website:
http://gps.about.com...ition-Watch.htm

"

The MOTOACTV GPS golf watch syncs wirelessly to a PC, and after your round stats are uploaded to motoactv.com, you can see a virtual representation of your round via satellite view photos, mouse over your ball flight for shot stats, keep your scorecards for future reference, and share your round with friends."

I'm debating on getting this or the new Garmin S3.  Tomorrow is the deadline for the free golf software add on ($50 value), so this Motoactv is only $250 vs S3 $350

Has anyone tried out the Motoactv?  

Edited by oliversax, 16 April 2012 - 02:23 AM.

[sissupr]

I have the motoactv and love it! I used the Garmin approach S1, no comparison. It's comfortable on my wrist... no issues there.

gives you readings to targets, hazards, and obviously to green. battery life is great... just reduce the display brightness and refresh rate and I can get 2 fulls rounds for sure. When I completed the first 18, I had 60% life left. My Garmin watch died about 27 holes...

coolest feature has to be keeping the scores, gir, and sharing cards.

anyway, good stuff... gets 4-5 stars. Only complaint is with a course I was playing didn't have all the hazards listed...

Joe

oliversax, on 15 April 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

Just saw this review that highlights features that were not apparent from company's website:
http://gps.about.com...ition-Watch.htm

"

The MOTOACTV GPS golf watch syncs wirelessly to a PC, and after your round stats are uploaded to motoactv.com, you can see a virtual representation of your round via satellite view photos, mouse over your ball flight for shot stats, keep your scorecards for future reference, and share your round with friends."

I'm debating on getting this or the new Garmin S3.  Tomorrow is the deadline for the free golf software add on ($50 value), so this Motoactv is only $250 vs S3 $350

Has anyone tried out the Motoactv?  

[oliversax]

Thx for the response.  Makes me feel whole lot better about my leap of faith.  I was bit worried the Motoactv would be too big for my small wrists and that there may be glitches in the software.  I just sold my S1 and bought the Motoactv 16GB so that the golf edition upgrade is included.  Guess there's no turning back now.

I will come back to review it for y'all after a few rounds.

sissupr, on 18 April 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I have the motoactv and love it! I used the Garmin approach S1, no comparison. It's comfortable on my wrist... no issues there.

gives you readings to targets, hazards, and obviously to green. battery life is great... just reduce the display brightness and refresh rate and I can get 2 fulls rounds for sure. When I completed the first 18, I had 60% life left. My Garmin watch died about 27 holes...

coolest feature has to be keeping the scores, gir, and sharing cards.

anyway, good stuff... gets 4-5 stars. Only complaint is with a course I was playing didn't have all the hazards listed...

Joe

[golfpros1]

why wouldn't you just have a stand alone device?  do you really need gps on your body for it to be convenient?

i can hear it now, as i talk to my kids,

you know, in my day, we use to have to walk off the yardage....

horror on their faces....

no way dad, how did you know to 1/10 of a yard how far the flag was...

well see, you had to just "feel" the distance.  

rolling eyes... oh my god, like so weird.  whatever.

[oliversax]

If you've never played with a gps watch like an S1, you don't know what you're missing.  I bought the Garmin S1 when it 1st came out -- so easy and helpful, esp. if you're in the trees or adjacent fairway behind a hill with no direct view of the flag to use your laser range finder.  One quick glance at your gps watch and you have dist to the middle of the green.

These next generation gps watches have other uses such as dist to fw hazards and score tracker and measure distance for different clubs.  Perfect for the golf geek in me.

golfpros1, on 19 April 2012 - 01:02 AM, said:

why wouldn't you just have a stand alone device?  do you really need gps on your body for it to be convenient?

[dcmidnight]

I'm very interested in something like the S3 because I like the green view. I have run into this a few times with my gps - its hard to know without looking at the green view where the "front" or "back" is on some greens. So I like the addition of that to the S3.

[oliversax]

I just received my Motoactv 16GB golf edition yesterday.  Haven't had a chance to use it yet on the course, which will be tomorrow.  Here are my initial impressions:

Pros-
-Product seems well made, build quality is iphone-esque.  
-Attractive, too, if you don't mind the geeky aesthetics.  Better looking than the Garmin, IMHO.
-screen is dark, but if you want to see the time, just a quick shake of the wrist and the time lights up for 2-3sec.  Or you can press the power button to keep time on for 30 sec.
-phone customer service is excellent, rep. walked me through online registration step by step, emailed me links to additional info, and even offered to send me free grommets to protect device from moisture without my asking.
-touch screen is very responsive, again, iphone-like.
-included wired earphones are comfy and has very good sound quality.
-automatically keeps track of how many calories I burn throughout over a 24hr period and resets at midnight everyday.
-has courses all over the world, not just US, Canada, Europe like the Garmin.  Go to http://skydroid.net/courses.php to see list of courses.

Cons-
-very difficult to buy from brick and mortar store so I could not try it out b/f I ordered item online.  It's sold out everywhere.
-this thing is HUGE.  I don't have big wrists so it's not as comfy as the Garmin.  Watch fits under normal dress shirt sleeve but does not fit under french cuffs well.  Not an everyday watch but I don't think it will hamper my swing in any way.
-setup can be a chore.  To register the Motoactv, I had to go to special page, not regular Motorola product regist page, which was a bit confusing:
https://motorola-glo...istration_en-US
-not a lot of help from registered users forums.  I guess this will get better once more people own it and give feedback.  There is a Motorola rep moderating the forums and offering definite answers here and there, which is nice.
-wireless earphones with heart rate monitor built in has been pulled from the shelves and no re-release date has been set, so if you want to be like Bubba and sport the wireless earphones with the watch, you'll need to be patient.
-to download courses, I needed to set up wifi from private network to device.  For security, Motorola does not allow access to public wifi.  I could not download courses while watch was attached via USB to computer... kinda dumb way to do it.
-the watch has beautiful gorilla glass crystal but the bezel is below the level of the glass and there's not protective cover you can buy for it.  Warranty does not cover breakage.  Read complaint online that some poor girl bumped her watch on her bike and glass chipped.  Garmin watch face is well protected.
-watch not as waterproof as Garmin.  Motoactv's portals for earphones and USB/charger is covered by rubber plugs.  Function buttons are not encased in rubber case like the Garmin either.  Looks like Moto followed design of Nano rather than Garmin.

Will give full review when I play some golf with it or after a few workouts with the heart rate monitor.

sissupr, on 18 April 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I have the motoactv and love it! I used the Garmin approach S1, no comparison. It's comfortable on my wrist... no issues there.

gives you readings to targets, hazards, and obviously to green. battery life is great... just reduce the display brightness and refresh rate and I can get 2 fulls rounds for sure. When I completed the first 18, I had 60% life left. My Garmin watch died about 27 holes...

coolest feature has to be keeping the scores, gir, and sharing cards.

anyway, good stuff... gets 4-5 stars. Only complaint is with a course I was playing didn't have all the hazards listed...

oliversax, on 15 April 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

Just saw this review that highlights features that were not apparent from company's website:
http://gps.about.com...ition-Watch.htm

Edited by oliversax, 21 April 2012 - 12:10 PM.

[melcoeb]

can you keep the 20k courses on the watch (like the Garmin S1), or do you have to download the courses individually? Does it have auto-course recognition?

[oliversax]

Watch does not come with all 20k courses already downloaded.  You have to set up/connect to private wifi network, then you can select course download by state.  I have CA and TX downloaded on mine (as well as a few 100 songs) and still have tons of room on my 16GB golf edition Motoactv (13+GB unused).  Downloading courses is a breeze, all you have to do is go 'settings/courses/select state(s)' via touchscreen on the watch itself and courses will download quite easily and wirelessly in a few minutes.

melcoeb, on 24 April 2012 - 07:53 PM, said:

can you keep the 20k courses on the watch (like the Garmin S1), or do you have to download the courses individually? Does it have auto-course recognition?

Edited by oliversax, 25 April 2012 - 07:04 AM.

[oliversax]

Full review of Motoactiv golf 16GB after 1 round:

Pros-
-Screen is easily readable on the course. The red and black colors with white background on the touchscreen is tasteful and highlight parts of the readout that make it easy to read at a glance.  Much better that the monochromatic S1.
-Lots of functionality. After you set up your bag makeup (club + dist), Motoactv can track shot by shot distances throughout the whole round.  Before you hit your ball on teebox/fw/rough/sand, press the start button at top of watch to 'mark your ball.' You then have the option to select the club you're gonna use and where your ball lies (tee/fw/rough sand).  Then repeat at the next shot.  (sometimes I'd forget to mark my ball and had to go back to site of previous shot to record it before I hit my next shot.  I'm not sure how to correct it without physically going back to exact spot because the watch registers each shot via GPS. Record out of sequence can mean you hit a shot backwards!)
-Complete round is uploaded automatically to my Motoactv account online once I got home and it connected to WiFi.  Very cool.
-Motoactv website has a Shot tracker overlay on Google satellite map of the round I just played, marking every shot I hit, club used, distance of shot, and where each ball stopped on the course, all marked in yellow.  Way cool, may be my favorite feature.  It also recorded the routing of my golf cart in red.  haha
-Motoactv shot tracker even measures the elevation changes throughout the round, as well as how many steps and calories you burned.
-Watch was comfy, didn't impede my swing at all.  I wore it on the wrist of my gloved hand so I could use ungloved hand to direct the touchscreen.  I don't know how it works with gloved hand.
-performance was fast.  After setup before the round, I never had to wait for any readouts.
-distances to hazards like water and bunkers were excellent but not much data for doglegs.
-menu interface is relatively intuitive.  Yes, I had to familiarize myself a bit with where some functions/pages are, but it wasn't a crazy labyrinth hidden menu pages.
-I could have just set the watch to 'GPS mode' only and not have to input all that data.  I would still give me dist to front, middle, back, and hazards.

Cons-
-battery life is not gonna make 36 holes possible.  I fully charged the watch overnight, wore it to work in the morning, went to course at 2pm, played 18 in 4 hrs (20% battery left) and by 8pm, only 10% of the battery was left. I even had it set on 'marathon' the slowest refresh setting (every 3 sec).
-Watch is too bulky to wear everyday.  I can't clasp my hands behind my head as I lay back to watch TV, way too bulky.  I could easily do that with the Garmin S1 and never notice any discomfort.
-Having so many capabilities requires some work to input data.  I often had to remind myself to mark my position/input score/# of putts/club used. You can't 'lose yourself in the round' with this watch.
-A running tally of your current score relative to par is not helpful if you're a mental midget like me.  LOL

Summary:
-If you want to totally geek out and get the best GPS watch, this this it.  Remember that it can monitor your heart rate, play music and great for other sports as well. But if you're looking for a golf watch GPS with good battery life (at least 36 holes) and comfy enough to wear everyday, Motoactv just won't do. At $299, for all that this watch does, it's priced right.  Future software refinements will make the Motoactv even better.

As for me, I will keep it for a few more rounds before selling it then replacing it with Bushnell Neo+ or Expresso.  Will not spend $350 for S3 when I can get equivalent functionality for almost 1/2 the price.

oliversax, on 21 April 2012 - 12:07 PM, said:

I just received my Motoactv 16GB golf edition yesterday.  Haven't had a chance to use it yet on the course, which will be tomorrow.  Here are my initial impressions:

Pros-
-Product seems well made, build quality is iphone-esque.  
-Attractive, too, if you don't mind the geeky aesthetics.  Better looking than the Garmin, IMHO.
-screen is dark, but if you want to see the time, just a quick shake of the wrist and the time lights up for 2-3sec.  Or you can press the power button to keep time on for 30 sec.
-phone customer service is excellent, rep. walked me through online registration step by step, emailed me links to additional info, and even offered to send me free grommets to protect device from moisture without my asking.
-touch screen is very responsive, again, iphone-like.
-included wired earphones are comfy and has very good sound quality.
-automatically keeps track of how many calories I burn throughout over a 24hr period and resets at midnight everyday.
-has courses all over the world, not just US, Canada, Europe like the Garmin.  Go to http://skydroid.net/courses.php to see list of courses.

Cons-
-very difficult to buy from brick and mortar store so I could not try it out b/f I ordered item online.  It's sold out everywhere.
-this thing is HUGE.  I don't have big wrists so it's not as comfy as the Garmin.  Watch fits under normal dress shirt sleeve but does not fit under french cuffs well.  Not an everyday watch but I don't think it will hamper my swing in any way.
-setup can be a chore.  To register the Motoactv, I had to go to special page, not regular Motorola product regist page, which was a bit confusing:
https://motorola-glo...istration_en-US
-not a lot of help from registered users forums.  I guess this will get better once more people own it and give feedback.  There is a Motorola rep moderating the forums and offering definite answers here and there, which is nice.
-wireless earphones with heart rate monitor built in has been pulled from the shelves and no re-release date has been set, so if you want to be like Bubba and sport the wireless earphones with the watch, you'll need to be patient.
-to download courses, I needed to set up wifi from private network to device.  For security, Motorola does not allow access to public wifi.  I could not download courses while watch was attached via USB to computer... kinda dumb way to do it.
-the watch has beautiful gorilla glass crystal but the bezel is below the level of the glass and there's not protective cover you can buy for it.  Warranty does not cover breakage.  Read complaint online that some poor girl bumped her watch on her bike and glass chipped.  Garmin watch face is well protected.
-watch not as waterproof as Garmin.  Motoactv's portals for earphones and USB/charger is covered by rubber plugs.  Function buttons are not encased in rubber case like the Garmin either.  Looks like Moto followed design of Nano rather than Garmin.

Will give full review when I play some golf with it or after a few workouts with the heart rate monitor.

sissupr, on 18 April 2012 - 10:47 AM, said:

I have the motoactv and love it! I used the Garmin approach S1, no comparison. It's comfortable on my wrist... no issues there.

gives you readings to targets, hazards, and obviously to green. battery life is great... just reduce the display brightness and refresh rate and I can get 2 fulls rounds for sure. When I completed the first 18, I had 60% life left. My Garmin watch died about 27 holes...

coolest feature has to be keeping the scores, gir, and sharing cards.

anyway, good stuff... gets 4-5 stars. Only complaint is with a course I was playing didn't have all the hazards listed...

oliversax, on 15 April 2012 - 09:27 AM, said:

Just saw this review that highlights features that were not apparent from company's website:
http://gps.about.com...ition-Watch.htm

[Clark55810]

Hi,

Thought I would provide a quick update on using the MotoActv with the golf gps.

First, I have been an avid GPS user for several years (SkyCaddie, Golf Guru, iPhone, and even a Garmin S1 watch).

I have played five rounds with the MotoActv. I purchased the 8G model just for Golf while the beta software was available for free. As I understand it, I will always have the ability to have the software now that it is installed but you can only get the software after the beta on the 16G model.

That makes no sense to me, since the difference is space for music but I believe Motorola will discontinue the 8G model very soon.

The device itself is pretty nice. I have been wearing as a watch (although it is pretty large) since it takes steps and calories burned everyday. I also have been trying to get out and walk and it does a great job of tracking that while using the GPS.

I have purchase the "watch band" for the device. It is OK. I actually prefer the Garmin S1 for wearing, but you do get used to it.

I get lots of comments on the watch, but I work in IT so everyone knows I like my electronic toys (iPhone, iPad, etc).

The GPS for golf is excellent. It has the Front, Middle, and Back to the green and the ability to have the hazards marked (more about that in a bit). You can load all to courses you want. You select the courses by state, so you only need to download the states you play in or travel to.

All of the downloading/uploading is handled via Wifi, which is part of the device. You only need to connect it to a PC or MAC to install activate the software, load music, and update the software.

Your workouts and scores are uploaded to the Motorola web site where you can review your information.

You can track your scores and putts on the device. You can also track club hit and get a distance on every shot. This is a little puttzy to me, but not to bad. Prior to a shot, you press the "Start" button and it records where you are and you tell it what club you hit. When you get to your ball, you do it again and it tells you the distance from your last shot and asks for your next club. If you don't want to track each club, you can just mark the spot (this is my recommended method).

All the data is uploaded to the Motorola web site. You can see your shots on a map as well as where you walked (via the GPS). It counts steps, miles, round time, and calories for the round. I love this feature since you can really review your round graphically.

One of the things that doesn't work at this time is courses that have more than 18 holes. My normal course has three nines, which are rotated through. Motorola get their courses from SkyDroid (The MotoActv is a Droid device).

SkyDroid is pretty neat. Users can actually map or correct courses. If you want to add a target or the green is off, you can fix it on their website. It takes a day or so, but the corrections are then sent to Motorola and you just update your courses via the wireless connection. How many times have you wished to add targets (which are something that everyone can use).

Since the MotoActv does support segmented courses, I created the three 18 combos on their web site. I did this on a Tuesday and I was able to download the course on the MotoActv on Thursday. Way cool.

I did have an issue with the device this week. Motorola just updated the software and I think it caused an issue with the wireless network if it can't communicate with the Motorola servers. I talked to Motorola and I might need to send it to get fixed. I don't think it is really a hardware issue, but the device is pretty new and I think Motorola will end up patching it quite a bit.

I will not jump on upgrades quite a quickly moving forward.

Sorry for the long message, but I do like the device really love having the GPS on my arm.

Questions?

Clark

[jumpmanwu]

Thanks Clark.  I'm interested in purchasing either the Motoactv or the Garmin S3.  What are your experiences using it as an everyday watch?  How long is battery life without using the golf gps?  Also since you have had some experience with the S1, would you suggest the Motoactv over the S3?  Thanks in advance!

Clark55810, on 04 May 2012 - 03:36 PM, said:

Hi,

Thought I would provide a quick update on using the MotoActv with the golf gps.

First, I have been an avid GPS user for several years (SkyCaddie, Golf Guru, iPhone, and even a Garmin S1 watch).

I have played five rounds with the MotoActv. I purchased the 8G model just for Golf while the beta software was available for free. As I understand it, I will always have the ability to have the software now that it is installed but you can only get the software after the beta on the 16G model.

That makes no sense to me, since the difference is space for music but I believe Motorola will discontinue the 8G model very soon.

The device itself is pretty nice. I have been wearing as a watch (although it is pretty large) since it takes steps and calories burned everyday. I also have been trying to get out and walk and it does a great job of tracking that while using the GPS.

I have purchase the "watch band" for the device. It is OK. I actually prefer the Garmin S1 for wearing, but you do get used to it.

I get lots of comments on the watch, but I work in IT so everyone knows I like my electronic toys (iPhone, iPad, etc).

The GPS for golf is excellent. It has the Front, Middle, and Back to the green and the ability to have the hazards marked (more about that in a bit). You can load all to courses you want. You select the courses by state, so you only need to download the states you play in or travel to.

All of the downloading/uploading is handled via Wifi, which is part of the device. You only need to connect it to a PC or MAC to install activate the software, load music, and update the software.

Your workouts and scores are uploaded to the Motorola web site where you can review your information.

You can track your scores and putts on the device. You can also track club hit and get a distance on every shot. This is a little puttzy to me, but not to bad. Prior to a shot, you press the "Start" button and it records where you are and you tell it what club you hit. When you get to your ball, you do it again and it tells you the distance from your last shot and asks for your next club. If you don't want to track each club, you can just mark the spot (this is my recommended method).

All the data is uploaded to the Motorola web site. You can see your shots on a map as well as where you walked (via the GPS). It counts steps, miles, round time, and calories for the round. I love this feature since you can really review your round graphically.

One of the things that doesn't work at this time is courses that have more than 18 holes. My normal course has three nines, which are rotated through. Motorola get their courses from SkyDroid (The MotoActv is a Droid device).

SkyDroid is pretty neat. Users can actually map or correct courses. If you want to add a target or the green is off, you can fix it on their website. It takes a day or so, but the corrections are then sent to Motorola and you just update your courses via the wireless connection. How many times have you wished to add targets (which are something that everyone can use).

Since the MotoActv does support segmented courses, I created the three 18 combos on their web site. I did this on a Tuesday and I was able to download the course on the MotoActv on Thursday. Way cool.

I did have an issue with the device this week. Motorola just updated the software and I think it caused an issue with the wireless network if it can't communicate with the Motorola servers. I talked to Motorola and I might need to send it to get fixed. I don't think it is really a hardware issue, but the device is pretty new and I think Motorola will end up patching it quite a bit.

I will not jump on upgrades quite a quickly moving forward.

Sorry for the long message, but I do like the device really love having the GPS on my arm.

Questions?

Clark

[Clark55810]

Good question...

I have the Garmin S1 watch and the MotoActv.

The S1 when used as a watch will last about three or four weeks. You only turn on the GPS when using it for golf. When using it for golf, you can get about 36 holes in prior to recharging it, but it is pretty close. If the round is slow, you may not make the second 18.

The S1 only gives Front, Middle, Back and no hazards/targets. It also doesn't have the ability to track your score. You can measure your shots and I believe it will track your distance (but I haven't used it for that).

One thing I don't care for on the S1 is the way your clip on the charger. I am sure they did it to keep the device sealed, but it isn't the best method. Reminds me of the SkyCaddie I had.

The MotoActv consumes a lot more battery in daily use. You might get two or three days from a charge. The device is always tracking your steps even when not used as a GPS.

When on GPS, the battery goes down pretty fast. I haven't tried to play 36 holes with it, but I doubt it would last the whole day. 18 holes is no problem. It uses about 50% of the battery, but if you have had it on prior to the round, your battery would already be down some.

The MotoActv has the ability to track your score and putts. It also tracks your path via GPS and is very easy to measure shot length (better than the S1).

I think the S1 is more comfortable to wear, but the MotoActv has better functionality and doesn't bother me when I swing.

Prior to having the S1 and MotoActv, I never wore a watch when golfing. I hated the idea of something on my arm. I did struggle a little getting use to it, but having the distances on my arm really helps my game. I think the biggest thing is that it re-enforces my club selection. I look down, see the yardage, and fire.

I can't comment on the changes on the S3, since I haven't really looked.

I prefer the MotoActv for golf.

Clark

[Clark55810]

One additional comment...

I treat the MotoActv like my iPhone and charge it every night.

Over time, it will shorten the battery due to charging cycles, but I have never keep an iPhone long enough to have that been an issue and I doubt the MotoActv will be any different (since I love my toys).

I also really like that the MotoActv is an MP3 player. I like to practice while listening to music.

I use a set of Motorola bluetooth wireless headset (S9) paired to the MotoActv. Works great!

Clark

[Buzzkill]

Here's my latest review/update for the golf edition unit.  I sold my Garmin S1 which by the way worked great.  I just wanted more information like hazards and such that the Garmin didn't provide - of course they do now with their S3 model.  Anyway, the Motoactv software is a little buggy and when I installed the software to access their site for downloading future courses I'd get annoying messages like "don't disconnect unit or you could lose information" out of nowhere while the unit was still connected.  After the purchase, I found out the golf course information/database originates from Skydroid which looks pretty neat when you visit their site.  You can view a course map and actually modify it to suit your needs like assigning target points for your drives, etc...  The problem I quickly discovered is that Skydroid would have numerous copies of the same course and you wouldn't know for sure what copy you'd get from Motorola since you couldn't download  directly from their site.  I've spoke with both companies and they seem to be pointing the finger at each other and are leaving the consumer hanging at the moment.  Anyway, I think the Motoactv Golf Edition has great potential but they're not there yet.  I'm disappointed in their software, email response or lack of and plus I just noticed they dropped their price by 100 bucks which concerns me.  I'm returning my unit tomorrow and hope some of my information may help you in your decision.  Please feel free to ask questions if you're on the fence about buying one.

[fupresti]

FYI, they just discounted the 16GB golf version to 199.99. Just picked one up on Amazon, but it looks like most vendors are discounting it now.

[JSunGolfPharmD]

I just picked one up.  The Golf Edition vs the 16gb Motoactiv is that the golf edition has software and courses preloded already.  The 16gb you have to software update and load courses before use.  it's $199 vs $196 for the plain motoactiv, $3 more on amazon.

[Buzzkill]

JSunGolfPharmD, on 29 July 2012 - 07:03 PM, said:

I just picked one up.  The Golf Edition vs the 16gb Motoactiv is that the golf edition has software and courses preloded already.  The 16gb you have to software update and load courses before use.  it's $199 vs $196 for the plain motoactiv, $3 more on amazon.

The price is right but the support isn't there.  Hopefully there won't be any issues as far as local courses are concerned.  Go to skydroid.net - they're the source for your courses.

Edited by Buzzkill, 30 July 2012 - 12:27 AM.

[Pexeter]

I just played my first 9 holes with my Motoactv, wow, I really love having yardages on my wrist.  So far Im loving this! Bye Bye Skycaddie

[mwpeters8182]

I played 18 with mine yesterday. I got it for $180 on Amazon a couple weeks back. I much prefer playing with the unit on my wrist than taking my iPhone out in between shots with GolfShot - I don't feel like I'm slowing anyone down that way. The software took a little bit getting used to, but once I figured everything out, things went about smoothly as they  could have. I'll probably continue entering the rounds into golfshot to keep my stats up to date, but I think I'll do all of my scoring on course with the motoactv. I'm very happy with it.

[EagleEagleBirdieBirdie]

motoactv

[mizuno8]

Thinking of picking one up. They are 300 in Canada but only 180 in the US.
Will be in the US later this month and thought about picking on up there, but don't know if there are any issues with the unit on buying in the US. (I.e. account registration/downloads/etc. Simliar to the Kindle Fire HD issue between Canada and US).
Also, heard someone say that they were discontinuing the support and product, but no official confirmation. Anyone heard anything?

jumpmanwu, on 08 May 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

Thanks Clark.  I'm interested in purchasing either the Motoactv or the Garmin S3.  What are your experiences using it as an everyday watch?  How long is battery life without using the golf gps?  Also since you have had some experience with the S1, would you suggest the Motoactv over the S3?  Thanks in advance!

Clark55810, on 04 May 2012 - 03:36 PM, said:

Hi,

Thought I would provide a quick update on using the MotoActv with the golf gps.

First, I have been an avid GPS user for several years (SkyCaddie, Golf Guru, iPhone, and even a Garmin S1 watch).

I have played five rounds with the MotoActv. I purchased the 8G model just for Golf while the beta software was available for free. As I understand it, I will always have the ability to have the software now that it is installed but you can only get the software after the beta on the 16G model.

That makes no sense to me, since the difference is space for music but I believe Motorola will discontinue the 8G model very soon.

The device itself is pretty nice. I have been wearing as a watch (although it is pretty large) since it takes steps and calories burned everyday. I also have been trying to get out and walk and it does a great job of tracking that while using the GPS.

I have purchase the "watch band" for the device. It is OK. I actually prefer the Garmin S1 for wearing, but you do get used to it.

I get lots of comments on the watch, but I work in IT so everyone knows I like my electronic toys (iPhone, iPad, etc).

The GPS for golf is excellent. It has the Front, Middle, and Back to the green and the ability to have the hazards marked (more about that in a bit). You can load all to courses you want. You select the courses by state, so you only need to download the states you play in or travel to.

All of the downloading/uploading is handled via Wifi, which is part of the device. You only need to connect it to a PC or MAC to install activate the software, load music, and update the software.

Your workouts and scores are uploaded to the Motorola web site where you can review your information.

You can track your scores and putts on the device. You can also track club hit and get a distance on every shot. This is a little puttzy to me, but not to bad. Prior to a shot, you press the "Start" button and it records where you are and you tell it what club you hit. When you get to your ball, you do it again and it tells you the distance from your last shot and asks for your next club. If you don't want to track each club, you can just mark the spot (this is my recommended method).

All the data is uploaded to the Motorola web site. You can see your shots on a map as well as where you walked (via the GPS). It counts steps, miles, round time, and calories for the round. I love this feature since you can really review your round graphically.

One of the things that doesn't work at this time is courses that have more than 18 holes. My normal course has three nines, which are rotated through. Motorola get their courses from SkyDroid (The MotoActv is a Droid device).

SkyDroid is pretty neat. Users can actually map or correct courses. If you want to add a target or the green is off, you can fix it on their website. It takes a day or so, but the corrections are then sent to Motorola and you just update your courses via the wireless connection. How many times have you wished to add targets (which are something that everyone can use).

Since the MotoActv does support segmented courses, I created the three 18 combos on their web site. I did this on a Tuesday and I was able to download the course on the MotoActv on Thursday. Way cool.

I did have an issue with the device this week. Motorola just updated the software and I think it caused an issue with the wireless network if it can't communicate with the Motorola servers. I talked to Motorola and I might need to send it to get fixed. I don't think it is really a hardware issue, but the device is pretty new and I think Motorola will end up patching it quite a bit.

I will not jump on upgrades quite a quickly moving forward.

Sorry for the long message, but I do like the device really love having the GPS on my arm.

Questions?

Clark

[Buzzkill]

mizuno8, on 17 November 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

Thinking of picking one up. They are 300 in Canada but only 180 in the US.
Will be in the US later this month and thought about picking on up there, but don't know if there are any issues with the unit on buying in the US. (I.e. account registration/downloads/etc. Simliar to the Kindle Fire HD issue between Canada and US).
Also, heard someone say that they were discontinuing the support and product, but no official confirmation. Anyone heard anything?

jumpmanwu, on 08 May 2012 - 11:43 AM, said:

Thanks Clark.  I'm interested in purchasing either the Motoactv or the Garmin S3.  What are your experiences using it as an everyday watch?  How long is battery life without using the golf gps?  Also since you have had some experience with the S1, would you suggest the Motoactv over the S3?  Thanks in advance!

Clark55810, on 04 May 2012 - 03:36 PM, said:

Hi,

Thought I would provide a quick update on using the MotoActv with the golf gps.

First, I have been an avid GPS user for several years (SkyCaddie, Golf Guru, iPhone, and even a Garmin S1 watch).

I have played five rounds with the MotoActv. I purchased the 8G model just for Golf while the beta software was available for free. As I understand it, I will always have the ability to have the software now that it is installed but you can only get the software after the beta on the 16G model.

That makes no sense to me, since the difference is space for music but I believe Motorola will discontinue the 8G model very soon.

The device itself is pretty nice. I have been wearing as a watch (although it is pretty large) since it takes steps and calories burned everyday. I also have been trying to get out and walk and it does a great job of tracking that while using the GPS.

I have purchase the "watch band" for the device. It is OK. I actually prefer the Garmin S1 for wearing, but you do get used to it.

I get lots of comments on the watch, but I work in IT so everyone knows I like my electronic toys (iPhone, iPad, etc).

The GPS for golf is excellent. It has the Front, Middle, and Back to the green and the ability to have the hazards marked (more about that in a bit). You can load all to courses you want. You select the courses by state, so you only need to download the states you play in or travel to.

All of the downloading/uploading is handled via Wifi, which is part of the device. You only need to connect it to a PC or MAC to install activate the software, load music, and update the software.

Your workouts and scores are uploaded to the Motorola web site where you can review your information.

You can track your scores and putts on the device. You can also track club hit and get a distance on every shot. This is a little puttzy to me, but not to bad. Prior to a shot, you press the "Start" button and it records where you are and you tell it what club you hit. When you get to your ball, you do it again and it tells you the distance from your last shot and asks for your next club. If you don't want to track each club, you can just mark the spot (this is my recommended method).

All the data is uploaded to the Motorola web site. You can see your shots on a map as well as where you walked (via the GPS). It counts steps, miles, round time, and calories for the round. I love this feature since you can really review your round graphically.

One of the things that doesn't work at this time is courses that have more than 18 holes. My normal course has three nines, which are rotated through. Motorola get their courses from SkyDroid (The MotoActv is a Droid device).

SkyDroid is pretty neat. Users can actually map or correct courses. If you want to add a target or the green is off, you can fix it on their website. It takes a day or so, but the corrections are then sent to Motorola and you just update your courses via the wireless connection. How many times have you wished to add targets (which are something that everyone can use).

Since the MotoActv does support segmented courses, I created the three 18 combos on their web site. I did this on a Tuesday and I was able to download the course on the MotoActv on Thursday. Way cool.

I did have an issue with the device this week. Motorola just updated the software and I think it caused an issue with the wireless network if it can't communicate with the Motorola servers. I talked to Motorola and I might need to send it to get fixed. I don't think it is really a hardware issue, but the device is pretty new and I think Motorola will end up patching it quite a bit.

I will not jump on upgrades quite a quickly moving forward.

Sorry for the long message, but I do like the device really love having the GPS on my arm.

Questions?

Clark

I haven't heard anything but I know I've gotten no answers from them on my concerns about the golf applications.  Software is still goofy and after several months I figured it would have been fixed or a least addressed.

[mizuno8]

Anyone know of any issues with purchasing a unit in the US and exporting it out of the country?
Does it still work?

Also, except for charging it, does it work right out of the box? The reason I'm asking is because I won't have time to set up a MotoID nor will I be at my computer. I would like to be able to use it while on my golf trip without registering and etc.

Edited by mizuno8, 25 November 2012 - 05:44 PM.

[K-Brown]

<sup>i purchased my  motoactv for the running and music  features and the golf was a afterthought. i downloaded the NC courses and gave it a shot. WOW am i impressed. I have not used my callaway upro mx since i have bought the motoactv. I bought the new Motorola HD S11 wireless headphones so now i have no wires in my way when i am running. There is nothing on the market that can do what this watch can. Like others have mentioned i highly recommemend purchashing the watchband.

I keep score of my rounds on my watch and i dont bother with a scorecard anymore. To make the battery last i just simply click the on off button after every shot so the display is not lite up all the time. When i need a yardage i simply hit the button again and it instantly brings my yardage up. By doing this little step i can easily get 36 holes in. Do not leave the display on the whole time in your round because it is not necessary.</sup>