Which Garmin, if any.

Its my birthday soon...and well, i thought id have a think about what i'd fancy.

Ive always wanted to get a nice snazzy garmin so i know how far ive run/got left to go and the climb.
I was tempted to ask for one at christmas but since my knees started i thought sod it im never going to run again for god knows how long and it'll never get used.

I know every man and his dog seems to have one so there should be plenty of advise.

Is the 405 still the most up-to-date?



Flippin expensive bit of kit though:eek:



Or, is there anything else on the market that does the same job.

I've been very happy with my 305. I've yet to be persuaded of the benefits of the 405, other that they look more like a watch.

You can get a 305 for about £110 if you get it from the US via ebay.

Is it the 305 i have? Big with red bits? If so, thats the one you want Al. Good for the bike too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by skennaugh

Is it the 305 i have? Big with red bits? If so, thats the one you want Al. Good for the bike too.

---

Spoken like a true expert :D;)

I got the 305, and from what I can remember from the half dozen times or so I used it before my knees gave in again, it was just the ticket. Comes with HR strap too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by southernsoftie

Spoken like a true expert :D;)

I got the 305, and from what I can remember from the half dozen times or so I used it before my knees gave in again, it was just the ticket. Comes with HR strap too.

---

I usually forget to turn the bloody thing on!

The 405 has a lower battery life, quoted as up to 8 hours. My 205 (the 305 without the heartrate monitor) lasted for 12 and a half hours on a long rainy race last December. So if you like long distance challenges you should perhaps consider that. I find it great for checking your pace and uploading details after training.

I've got the 305 (the block red one!) and chose it over the 405 (the trendier black one!) due to price,bigger display and buttons rather than the touch bezel. The touch bezel on the 405 has caused quite a lot of people issues when either it or you are wet - which lets face it is pretty often, either down to rain or sweat.

Bear in mind the 205 is cheaper and dosent come with a heart rate monitor but you can't add one at a later date so if you defo need one or think you might later go with the 305.

If they ever actually get round to releasing the new 310XT I'll probably buy one and have a 305 to sell on a a bargain price.

Although, the beeper no longer beeps, so if you want a beep then it's not for you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sjedwardz

The touch bezel on the 405 has caused quite a lot of people issues when either it or you are wet - which lets face it is pretty often, either down to rain or sweat.

---

This really is not a problem. The bezel only starts going silly when it's raining hard. You can then lock it by pushing the two buttons on the right.

I'm really pleased with the 405. The battery life is fine.....why would anyone want to be out running for more than eight hours? ;):eek:

The 305 is a good bit of kit in tandem with Memory Maps. OK on the bike for retrospective analysis but not the same as a wired cycle computer for instant speed data. It is a little bulky compared to the 405 but not too over the top.

Seems like the 305 is winning so far.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Al Fowler

Seems like the 305 is winning so far.

---

Get a 205, it's just the same without the HRM, less to worry about;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by merrylegs

Get a 205, it's just the same without the HRM, less to worry about;)

---

How much cheaper though.

I wouldnt mind the HRM actually. Ive heard good things from 'further reading' in college and on t'internet...and word of mouth actually about HRM.:cool:

You may as well have the HRM for the info it gives you Al.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ady In Accy

You may as well have the HRM for the info it gives you Al.

---

Defo.
If it helps me train properly and recover properly then im all for it.

Its the one, Al.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ady In Accy

The 305 is a good bit of kit in tandem with Memory Maps. OK on the bike for retrospective analysis but not the same as a wired cycle computer for instant speed data. It is a little bulky compared to the 405 but not too over the top.

---

... so is it possible to upload a detailed route from MM (or Anquet in my case) to the 305 (or 405)? I do this a lot with my Garmin Etrex HCx Legend (but that's walking kit, not runner friendly although I use it a lot for long distance stuff). Or can you only do 305-to-PC? I've been tempted to get a cheap 305 for a while. Can (or could) get the 305 cheap on Amazon too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RobW

... so is it possible to upload a detailed route from MM (or Anquet in my case) to the 305 (or 405)? I do this a lot with my Garmin Etrex HCx Legend (but that's walking kit, not runner friendly although I use it a lot for long distance stuff). Or can you only do 305-to-PC? I've been tempted to get a cheap 305 for a while. Can (or could) get the 305 cheap on Amazon too.

---

You can upload waypoints but not a detailed route as you can on some of the walking specific GPS devices. I backload data to the PC for analysis in Sportstracks and Memory Maps.

You can upload routes up to the 100 waypoint limit or convert routes to tracks and then upload them as a Garmin 'course' (CRS) file, which is better in my opinion but needs quite a lot of faffing about to achieve. Overall the 305's got as much functionality as my Garmin GPS60 with the exception that it can't handle OS grid refs and the waypoint limit is lower.

fb

Thanks, that's the impression I'd got :(. For a highly detailed uploaded route I still need to lug my house-brick around then :D. Unless there's some nifty software available but I suspect the chip isn't up to it ... yet.

Quote:

---

For a highly detailed uploaded route I still need to lug my house-brick around then

---

If you do the faffing about bit and upload it as a course, I've successfully loaded 40+ mile routes, and you get a nifty profile screen showing the route in....erm... profile.

fb

This sounds promising, fb. Maybe I should buy one after all. Are we talking 305 or 405? In what software does one faff about?

Oh and well done with the flood wall: the Attenburgers will I trust be suitably grateful :).

Sorry fb, just seen your previous post which seems to have answered my questions before I asked them :o :o :o

I may however need your expertise again sometime :)

Mind you that 100 waypoint limit seems a little severe, and the Etrex isn't that heavy really ...

Have had a 305 for a while - usually used without the HRM (which would no doubt scare me when reviewed after :eek:) - amazed by the quality detail of the routes when downloaded but the altitude figures are rubbish.

Takes a minute or two to log onto sateliites - so before going to the club on Tuesday I left it on top of the car to lock on - and then drove off with it still there - result, a very thin 305:mad: with an interesting screen display:mad::mad:. So... where's cheapest for a new one?

Uploading a route from memory map isn't that difficult. Export it as a .gpx file and then use gpsies.com to convert in to a .crs (course) file which you can easily load onto the device.
You can then choose "do course" and it will show you exactly where to go and warn when you are off the track. Never really used that bit myself as I prefer to see where I'm going and use map and compass which don't require batteries!. I do load checkpoints at key parts of the run though just in case I need help.


If the route is less than 100 points then you can transfer it directly from MM.

Problem being on a mac you can't do any of this! Well I don't think so?

i bought a 305 at start of year

the feedback of data for motivation/continuity of purpose/structure has enabled me to knock 3 mins off my 10k time and even win a 10mTT, and move up in my fell running !

they're ace !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy Wonder

but the altitude figures are rubbish.

---

Yes, I think this is a problem of all GPS watches, not just the 305. I don't use the height gain function on my 305. If you download your route to eg, Anquet or some other mapping software, it gives you much more accurate height information.

I remember on some thread last year, someone said they'd done a 5k run along the tow path of the canal, and the GPS said they'd done a few hundred feet of ascent!

I would say don't bother and spend your money on something else. Why do you need a watch anyway? Is it to know how far you've gone, just work it out on a OS Map... I used to have all the gadgets in the world but have not worn a watch of any description since January and I love it. You feel free, you are no longer dictated to by a stupid computer on your wrist that tells you when you've done your training, let your body tell you when your done... Here's a good example; Mate of mine, hadn't seen him for ages, was down the club a couple of months back just after London Marathon. He said, "hi mate, haven't seen you for a while, I'll jog up the road with you, have a chat. We're in mid conversation when his f##king garmin beeped and he said, "Right I've done my four miles, see you..." and with that he walked back to the car... What's that all about?

Another prime example is that you ask all the Garmin wearers how many miles we've done, and they all give you a different total, even though we've all started at the same place and ran the same route...What's that all about?

What it boils down to is that companies want to make money out of what is essentially a sport where you only really need a pair of shoes, shorts and a T-shirt, of course if you need to train like a madman to shave an extra couple of seconds off your PB, then maybe a watch is for you, personally I will never win a race so from now on I'll just enjoy my runs without beating myself up about time and distance etc and not become a slave to this corperate comercialised world!:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Twister

What it boils down to is that companies want to make money out of what is essentially a sport where you only really need a pair of shoes, shorts and a T-shirt

---

You NEED a T-shirt??????????????? :confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by melbas

The 405 has a lower battery life, quoted as up to 8 hours. My 205 (the 305 without the heartrate monitor) lasted for 12 and a half hours on a long rainy race last December. So if you like long distance challenges you should perhaps consider that. I find it great for checking your pace and uploading details after training.

---

I have the a Timex body link system that has user replaceable batterie,s a single AA battery lasts for twelve hours, therefore after about eleven hours i pop a new one in and carry on (I am partial to a bit of Ultra Running), coupled with the data recorder this gives the facility to download runs to the puter, all the figures shown Altitude etc seem pretty accurate when compared with spot heights and known distances etc.

You can`t (as far as i know) download routes to it but then i don`t want to after all that`s what a map and compass is for.

Used in conjunction with Tracklogs Timex bodylink does it all including HR wet or dry:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ady In Accy

You NEED a T-shirt??????????????? :confused:

---

Well sometimes....:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fat Bloke

You can upload routes up to the 100 waypoint limit or convert routes to tracks and then upload them as a Garmin 'course' (CRS) file, which is better in my opinion but needs quite a lot of faffing about to achieve. Overall the 305's got as much functionality as my Garmin GPS60 with the exception that it can't handle OS grid refs and the waypoint limit is lower.

fb

---

The waypoint limit on the 205/305 is too low for most stuff, but converting to a garmin .crs file allows well over 1,000 points, I can't remember for certain but think it's something like 3,600, which should get you a very long way. It's been far more than enough for uploading 100 mile cycling routes. The line of the route can be displayed on the screen, the scale altered, and it'll beep when you go off course. It's a basic display but still useful.

It's not too bad getting a route plotted on Memory Map or similar onto the 205/305. Save as a GPX file, then there's several websites you can use to convert to a Garmin .CRS file, or downloadable programs to do it, and once in that form you can upload to the watch.

The 405 is a bit of a backwards step as it doesn't have the map display, all it can do is give bearings and distances between waypoints as far as I know.

The 305 comes with a HRM, and the option of a cadence meter, which the 205 doesn't. I have a 305, and have borrowed a 205, and found the batterly life was better in the 205. Might just be the two specific watches, or maybe the 205 lasts longer without it searching for a HRM signal.

Altitude is fairly accurate for an instant reading, usually within 5 metres either way of where it should be. Unfortunately because it swings from those upper to lower limits all the time it mistakenly adds up lots of ascent. Sporttracks or some sort of mapping software when you get back and download the data get it to a more credible figure.

Garmin Oregon 550T released in the Uk this month....a potenitally cracking piece of kit though I'd like a look up close and personal before I'd part with that sort of cash.

What is wrong with ................ a map, a compass and if you want to get really high tech. a watch??

I've never seen the need for these market created gizmos. You don't really need them. You can now get a decent compass which doubles as a fire lighter in an emergency, a map which you can use to sit on or wipe your arse on at a pinch and a watch, all for under £20.

Fell running is essentially a siimple pastime - let's not over complicate it. And while I'm on me obby orse, lets keep the rules of the game simple aswell.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fudge the Elf

What is wrong with ................ a map, a compass and if you want to get really high tech. a watch??

I've never seen the need for these market created gizmos. You don't really need them. You can now get a decent compass which doubles as a fire lighter in an emergency, a map which you can use to sit on or wipe your arse on at a pinch and a watch, all for under £20.

Fell running is essentially a siimple pastime - let's not over complicate it. And while I'm on me obby orse, lets keep the rules of the game simple aswell.

---

Yes, I agree.

Hmmm. There's nothing wrong with a map and a compass. But I (and many, many others) like the added interest that a gizmo gives me. I like to plan routes at home on an OS map on a computer, upload them and try them out. Conversely, I like to run in an area I've not run before and then download a record of where I've been back to the OS map on the computer.

If you just want to use a map and a compass, fine by me, I don't see any problem.

But I'd appreciate a little reciprocity.

fb

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fudge the Elf

Fell running is essentially a siimple pastime - let's not over complicate it. And while I'm on me obby orse, lets keep the rules of the game simple aswell.

---

What, like only visit checkpoints if you can be bothered.

First person back wins no mater where they have been.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fudge the Elf

What is wrong with ................ a map, a compass and if you want to get really high tech. a watch??

I've never seen the need for these market created gizmos.

---

So you only buy things you NEED and not WANT;);)

I don't NEED one but I really enjoy using mine, plus the fact that it easily logs all of my runs and mileage, it keeps me motivated which is worth the money in my book! I'm quite happy using a map and compass, I did a long event a couple of weeks ago but still wore the garmin for the HRM and analysis (mainly or where I got "mislocated" and had to get back on track !)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Al Fowler

Its my birthday soon...and well, i thought id have a think about what i'd fancy.

Ive always wanted to get a nice snazzy garmin so i know how far ive run/got left to go and the climb.
I was tempted to ask for one at christmas but since my knees started i thought sod it im never going to run again for god knows how long and it'll never get used.

I know every man and his dog seems to have one so there should be plenty of advise.

Is the 405 still the most up-to-date?



Flippin expensive bit of kit though:eek:



Or, is there anything else on the market that does the same job.

---

I've got the Garmin 305 and it does the job. It might be worth having a look at the new Suunto "T" range as a fell runner. Measures distance, heart rate, time etc like the Garmin, but has some of the features of the Suunto Core mountaineering watches i.e. altitude, barometer, compass etc which is useful for fell running and mountain marathons in particular. They're bomb proof too.