Which Garmin, if any.

[Graham Breeze]

I've had the 205 twice!! the battery connections eventually disintegrate, Garmin will repair but it costs around the 50 quid mark.

I don't know what you mean by "battery...disintegrate" but to be fair to Garmin you actually get a NEW Garmin for the £50 you pay. I have done this when the battery life started reducing (which happens to every rechargeable battery sooner or later) on a 305 I had.

[Hes]

My 405cx is really good but one criticism is that the battery life is a bit rubbish if you do long distance stuff. Mine is currently about 7 hours (it is almost 2 years old and I run 4-5 times a week so it's had a lot of use). I also noticed that mine lasted a good few miles less than Stolly's when we were doing the Pembrokeshire Coast Path but his was a bit newer. I changed the plastic strap to the fabric one and that fits my skinny wrists much more comfortably. I've fallen on it a couple times and it is a bit scuffed and the light doesn't seem to work any more but other than that, it does the job. The heart rate monitor (which I haven't used for months) has been through the wash (and in several bogs) a couple times and it still works!

I like the fact that I can wear my 405 as a watch and not look too stupid :wink:

[Latege]

It perhaps doesn't matter to many people on this forum, but it's worth knowing Garmin no longer supply/support their Training Centre (pc software). With newer devices you now have to upload all your data to their web-based Garmin Connect to get a look at it. I may have to switch to Polar next time.

[Martyn P]

My 405cx is really good but one criticism is that the battery life is a bit rubbish if you do long distance stuff. Mine is currently about 7 hours (it is almost 2 years old and I run 4-5 times a week so it's had a lot of use). I also noticed that mine lasted a good few miles less than Stolly's when we were doing the Pembrokeshire Coast Path but his was a bit newer. I changed the plastic strap to the fabric one and that fits my skinny wrists much more comfortably. I've fallen on it a couple times and it is a bit scuffed and the light doesn't seem to work any more but other than that, it does the job. The heart rate monitor (which I haven't used for months) has been through the wash (and in several bogs) a couple times and it still works!

I like the fact that I can wear my 405 as a watch and not look too stupid :wink:

The 405cx is the posh version of the bog-standard 405 like mine isn't it Hes? I wonder what the difference is? Battery life is one, obviously. I've never got 7 hours out of the thing.

[tele]

It perhaps doesn't matter to many people on this forum, but it's worth knowing Garmin no longer supply/support their Training Centre (pc software). With newer devices you now have to upload all your data to their web-based Garmin Connect to get a look at it. I may have to switch to Polar next time.

Sportstracks is better than training centre and free

[Latege]

Sportstracks is better than training centre and free

Thanks, I'd looked at CrossTrak but that's not compatible with Gramin devices. I'll take a closer look at this.

[IainR]

not the 405.. its shit..

[Ady]

not the 405.. its shit..

Agreed, the 405 is crap. Mine used to go haywire if i didn't lock the bezel in wet weather! It eventually started to mist up inside with condensation, I would set off up Snowdon or similar in warmish weather and get to the cold summit to find it all steamed up! I had to open it up a couple of times to dry it out and eventualyy some contacts inside corroded away rendering it useless. I bought a 305 off ebay, a backward step I thought but I much prefer it to the 405!

[IainR]

Agreed, the 405 is crap. Mine used to go haywire if i didn't lock the bezel in wet weather! It eventually started to mist up inside with condensation, I would set off up Snowdon or similar in warmish weather and get to the cold summit to find it all steamed up! I had to open it up a couple of times to dry it out and eventualyy some contacts inside corroded away rendering it useless. I bought a 305 off ebay, a backward step I thought but I much prefer it to the 405!

Yeah the bezzle doesn't work when wet.. I was using it in TX in humidity and trying to change the settings when sweating doing a track session was impossible... similarly on a dark track and trying to turn on the light.. nice idea, developed in an office.. never field tested by runners..

And yes I'd go back to the 305.. the 405 is small.. great battery life.. but as a training aid fails..

[Graeme]

305 all the way, everyone I know who has a 405 wants a 305