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Overview
After a trip into the unknown, memories and photos remain – but how do you find your way back to those special places? Celestron's reTrace, the new tracker and digital compass, offers the perfect, user-friendly solution. It allows you to find your way back to any place you have ever visited. The handy instrument works anywhere it can receive a GPS signal.
Whether you want to revisit beautiful and hidden places in the forest that you discovered on a hike, find the right bay or hidden harbour after a boat trip, or simply want to get back to your car or hotel quickly in a foreign city: save an interesting location once and you can find your way back there at any time. What could be easier?
reTrace Deluxe
Just like the more affordable Lite version, the Deluxe version provides important information such as the distance from saved locations (in metres/kilometres or yards/miles) or coordinates and features a powerful SiRFstar III GPS receiver. This makes it quick to determine your location and the device is ready for use in no time. You can switch it off in between uses to save power and don't have to wait long for a GPS signal.
The display has a backlight, so the reTrace also works well at night. Rain is no problem either: the instrument is pressure water jet-proof in accordance with IPX6. A carabiner hook and a soft bag complete the scope of delivery.
The reTrace instruments are powered by two standard AAA batteries (not included). If the power runs out, you can easily find replacements without having to charge rechargeable batteries or resort to special batteries. One set of batteries lasts for approx. six to eight hours of continuous operation, and the charge indicator lets you know in good time when it's time to replace them.
Compared to the Lite version, the Deluxe version offers additional interesting features such as a colour LCD screen and the option to record routes. It also has a mini USB port for data transfer to a PC and displays air pressure, temperature, altitude and the exact time – the latter accurate to the second thanks to GPS satellites.
The reTrace Deluxe displays the information on a colour TFT screen with a diagonal of 46 mm. In trail mode, it also shows the route travelled so far as a "breadcrumb trail" instead of just the direction and distance to the destination, or saves the route. Up to 20 locations can be saved, and you can transfer your saved locations to your PC via the USB cable and view them in Google Maps.
reTrace Deluxe in use
After starting, the colour TFT display of the reTrace Deluxe first shows a digital compass. As with a classic compass, the needle always points north, but you can also display the current coordinates at the touch of a button – i.e. longitude and latitude, which is very practical for geocaching, for example. The exact time (accurate to the second thanks to the GPS satellites) is constantly displayed above the wind rose, as are the number of satellites within range and the battery charge level.
To save an interesting location (POI - Point of Interest) where you are currently located, simply select one of the twenty memory locations in the instrument. So that you don't have to remember the number, you can assign an icon to the location - there are plenty to choose from.
Once you have added a location, the display changes and the compass shows the distance and direction to the saved location. To use the reTrace as a track finder, simply call up one of the "bookmarks" and the instrument will show you the direction arrow and the distance to your destination. The distance is given as a straight line, so depending on the terrain, you may have a slightly longer way to go.
As a special feature, the reTrace Deluxe offers a trail mode. It can be used in two ways. When you go to a saved location, you will see on the display the route you have taken so far and any detours that were necessary (left image). The route is not saved, but is displayed as additional information while you are on the move.
Alternatively, you can also record your route. You can set the time intervals between data points – you can record your location every second or just every hour. This allows you to cover a period of between 14 and 50,000 hours, depending on the desired time resolution.
In trail mode, not only your position and time are recorded, but also the temperature, altitude and air pressure. This allows you to accurately track your route through unfamiliar terrain.
The data obtained is not "locked" in the instrument, but can be used further. Using the USB cable supplied, you can import it into the software (for MS Windows) and display it on Google Maps. This allows you to track your route exactly later on, regardless of whether you were travelling in the city or in the high mountains.
Of course, temperature (in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit), air pressure and altitude (in feet or metres) can also be displayed while on the move. In addition to the current value, the air pressure history is displayed in a clear diagram. The measurement interval can be set to 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes. This gives you a quick overview of whether the air pressure is rising or falling. This can be a valuable indication of a change in the weather, especially when hiking.
Help for geocaching
You can also use the PC software to define new destinations without having to visit them first – ideal for geocaching! All you have to do is find a point on the map in the software, mark it as a destination and transfer it to the instrument. The search function is very helpful here: you can search for a city, a landmark or geographical coordinates, save them as a destination and let the reTrace Deluxe guide you there.
Some examples of how reTrace can be used:
- Find your car in large car parks
- Find your parking space after a hike.
- Help your children find their way home
- Find your favourite campsite or fishing spot
- Find your hotel or restaurant in a foreign city
- Find your way back to the harbour after a boat trip
- Find your favourite spot for bird watching or hunting
- Mark meeting points for get-togethers with your family
- GeoTracking – Record your trekking or hiking tours
- And much, much more!
reTrace Deluxe is a handy GPS device that helps you find your way back and not get lost. Unlike complex GPS devices, the reTrace is user-friendly and easy to use. It requires two AAA batteries.
