I want to change my foreruner 101; they say the new 305 has a stronger signal; can I really get a stronger signal? can I run in a forest?
Thaks for the comments; I would appreciate some link to a good review
Marcial
Mine’s great - much better reception.
Here’s the yahoo group:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/GarminF/
Lots of info and discussion there.
thanks a lot
.
Yep, people are actually getting signals in their homes.
I had the 301 before I bought the 305.
My thoughts on signal strength:
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It takes MUCH longer for me to get a signal lock with the 305. Don’t know why.
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However, once I get the lock, it’s much more reliable than the 301.
I haven’t run in a forest yet, but I have run under moderate tree cover on my running path. It’s urban, so the tree cover is for only a couple of blocks, but the 305 has been loads better than the 301 for this same section.
I ran in British Columbia on trails with very extensive tree cover with no signal drop out. Also, FWIW, it locks on faster than my Timex GPS ever did, except after having traveled hundreds of miles from lock on to lock on (like Ohio to BC).
Spot
I bit the bullet and bought a FR 305 last night at REI. Have been using a 201 for years…along with my IM HRM. The battery on the HRM died, so figured it was time to integrate everything.
Since I had $1XX of dividend, the $350 price didn’t seem too steep. I also bought the Polar handlebar mount (and very glad I did).
Pros -
Reception is MUCH improved as advertised
Able to handle more trackpoints as my rides get long (The Smart feature is very nice)
Form factor - Although still a bit odd on the wrist, much improved IMO. I used to wrap the 201 around the stem, but the 305 works very well with the Polar mount. The charging/upload cradle work great.
HRM integration is very cool…I never had a downloadable HRM before. Lots to learn there…
The “customized” page can handle up to (4) displays. Very cool. Which ones do you guys use? I’m using Time of Day, HR, Avg Speed, Elevation (no need to duplicate the main page)
The USB is WAY zippier to upload to TrainingCenter and to Motionbased than the 201 Serial cable. Able to charge via USB!
Cons
Orientation of screen while on wrist is somewhat awkward (running). An improvement over 201/301, but could have been better on 305.
Watch strap isn’t so comfy (trying out a velcro band on tonight’s run)
Unable to customize more Data screens.
Initial satellite location was painful…over 10 minutes (last night). I thought the unit was defective. For 1st time users…simply charge and then allow to sit outside for 5-10 minutes before you play with it. This morning, the location was very fast…less than 30 seconds.
Elevation gain/loss is extremely optimistic…even with MB’s error correction. Claims my 65 milers this morning had 10,000 feet. I wish!!! Perhaps closer to 6,500.
Haven’t used the Multisport features…and don’t plan on racing with it. But, you never know.
For the cash, I wish a year’s subscription to MB was included. Hoping Garmin joins forces with a power company to offer the Mac-Daddy of cycle-training units in the near future.
Once I lock on to a satelite it works well.
The mileage feature is very accurate,even when running under some heavy tree cover,I never lost a signal.
The minute per mile pace feature doesnt work as well under heavy tree cover.The numbers seem to jump all over the place(for me anyway).
Overall I’m very happy with mine.
altitude will always be the bane of GPS accuracy. You need to be centered between satellites in the same dimensions you expect to be accurate. So to get perfect 2d accuracy, you need 3 equidistant satellites with you at the center. Works out to them being 30* apart from you. How high up they are compared to you matters less then the physical horizontal distance and the spacing from eachother. When you hit 3d acuracy, you need at least 4 satellites and again, they need to be evenly spaced, meaning you’d have to have sattelites in the earth below you to get good 3d lock. So in short, if you are on the surface of the earth, you’re going to have crappy altitude accuracy
I’m in the minority I think, but I find the FR305 satellite reception to be marginal. It’s definitely an improvement over the 201 (which was essentially useless for me), but I regularly lose tracks and MotionBased reports “poor” GPS reception on quite a few of my runs. It’s weird becuase all my running’s on the street, and the sky is often clear of clouds. Must be my section of North Georgia is in a GPS-free zone.
Anyway, most folks seem not to have these problems, so chances are you wouldn’t either. But no guarantees.
I just used my FR305 for the first time today on my ride. Had been using a 301 for the last 2 years and found that the HR monitor worked about 2/3 of the time and the GPS signal would drop under heavy tree and cloud cover. It totally froze on me half way through yesterdays long run and that was all the incentive I needed to buy the new one. I felt a little uneasy dropping more money on a Garmin product but the reviews were good on the 305 and I did find the 301 to be a very useful training tool, bugs and all.
The 305 did not disappoint. It took seconds to lock onto a satellite and from there it never flinched. The HR was solid as well. I like the new design, it looks more like a watch now and doesn’t feel big. I kind of liked the old velcro strap but I’m sure I’ll get use to the new one.
The optional cadence sensor installed easily and worked well.
Off the bike I pressed stop, held the Mode button down and switched to running mode. Pressed start and away I went in “Multisport mode”
If the 305 continues to perform as it did today then I’ll be a happy guy. Actually I won’t be a happy guy until they hurry up and make the MB software Mac compatible, they say they’re working on it but nothing is out yet.
My custom data screens… Biking: Speed/Time/HR Zone/Cadence
Running: Time/Lap Pace/HR Zone/Distance
Cons
Unable to customize more Data screens.
You should be able to customize all three of the primary data screens. I have. The other more specialized screens (virtual partner, multi-sport, etc) can not be customized.
Victor