Anyone any comments about this tool? It seems like it does everything and all for around £160. Just wondered how flexible the data graphing is with the software it comes with and also what the speed display reaction lag is like - I used a Nike Ironman GPS sensor with watch and that reacted much slower than what the documentation stated. Also curious about the altitude accuracy. Would just like some feedback off any fellrunning/cycling users before I splash out..............
Hi Ady,
There's masses of stuff already on here. Click on 'Search' above then enter Forerunner and sift though all the stuff
So there is - must use the search tool more!!!! I will have a good read and then probably head over to eBay - cheers.
Just a quick thought - if, on the odd occasion, you want it to help you with navigation I don't believe it'll give you an OS GB grid ref, although I think it will give you lat & long?
Someone else might confirm that?
FB
I really want it as a training aid & for data analysis as opposed to a navigation tool. I am in the process of accumulating memory maps so will be able to transfer route info onto O/S maps which will have the GB grid refs on for reference. Am trying to find out more about the software that comes with the watch to see if you can put a hyperlink to the memory map route from the speed/pace/heart rate graphed data.Originally Posted by Fat Bloke
Software with the watch isn't great although it does, uniquely, offer the ability to download 'courses' for the virtual training partner whom you can 'race' around the route.
If you use SportTracks (free download) it records everything from the watch and plots it on a google earth type photo. It also allows you to export the gpx file which can then be uploaded to Map-My-Run & Google Earth.
If you also download 'G7towin' you can convert the gpx file to a Memory Map track and upload to Memory Map. If you have a more recent version of Memory Map it may recognise your Garmin and upload the details directly - my 2004 version is too old to do that.
I have edition 5 version 5.1.3 build 716 with the update patches which is the latest version as far as I know so hopefully it will accept the route file from the forerunner. The screen shots I have seen of the graphing software that comes with the watch look good - HR/Pace & distance on 1 graph which is what I am looking for - what does Sports Tracks do better and I thought there was a subscription for the 'premium' Sports Tracks?
Free version of SportTracks is more than enough.
It allows you to export a single gpx file - Garmin software doesn't as far as I can see.
It automatically calculates splits based on distance & time as well as any you record manually. Shows average pace, fastest pace, HR Rates etc etc
Allows you to organise activities by day / week / month / year / Location. Location is good because if you use it as a title for route you run regularly you can see all records of your performance on one screen sort by date or time or any other parameter.
It also has the outstanding benefit of being more stable that Garmin software. Since August 2006 I have been told twice by Garmin Tech Support, to perform a hard reset on the watch because it wouldn't download. A hard reset, of course, deletes all data on the watch. I have also been told to uninstall the software from my PC and delete all the history and other files from it "because sometimes they become corrupt". Throughout these problems my watch downloaded without any problems to SportTracks - which is just as well because the "Garmin solutions" have deleted all my Garmin history.
I was taking backups of the data on my PC but after the files became corrupt the corrupt versions overwrote most of the last good versions. I have older backups but the newer version of the software currently installed won't read them so to read them I need to uninstall the new version reinstall the old one import the backups, upgrade the software and pray it doesn't corrupt my history file again - or I could just use SportTracks instead and use the time saved to go running.
Anyway SportTracks is free - use them both.
Thanks for that, sounds like I am better off using sports Tracks rather than the Garmin software. Would I have to install the Garmin software at all in order to transfer watch data to Sports Tracks or would my PC allow a file transfer from the watch to the desktop and then to Sports Tracks?
Is there any programs out there that would allow data to be transfered between Polar's Precision Performance Software and the garmin software?
I've got 3 years of training in my Polar Calendar, but would quite like to switch to GPS, but not if it means having to have two training calendars.
Ta.
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