Comments on: watch heart rate monitors Important Knowledgebase

By: Skinner

Skinner — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:20:59 +0000

This is a very frustrating gadget. I have gotten most of it's functionality to work, but it has been a challenge, and key pieces remain unworkable. Here are the problems I ran into:

1. It defaulted into Russian. Try doing an initial configuration in Russian. There are no entries in the manuals on how to change the language, and the on-board menu system doesn't help when you can't read it.

2. The quick launch instructions give outdated information--e.g. the URL given to download the software for your PC to work with the watch is completely wrong.

3. I have been unable to get the watch to synch with the foot pod for pacing information etc. They don't work together.

4. The watch still will not synch up with my PC. They sense eachother, communicate initially, attempt to transfer information, then it flashes "Failed." It tries again every couple of minutes they are within range of each other. This is a common problem. If you do a Google search you will find hundreds of others with this problem--with some esoteric solutions that work for some and not for others. None of them work for me.

5. Tech support. Tech support is unresponsive. You can stay on hold for as long as you like, but nobody will ever answer. This is very frustrating.

6. It is hard to read, and hard to manipulate when you are running. Some of the readouts are too small, and the touch dial is difficult to operate, when you are in motion.

7. It is bulky and heavy. I thought it would be thinner and lighter. I was surprised when I put it on. It felt like it was from the 1980s.

Total for the watch, heart monitor, and foot pod was about $450.00. That is a lot of money for a piece of junk, which is what this is when the major functions don't work, the functions that do work are hard to use when you are using it (i.e. when running), and you can't get any help from their support.

By: Feld

Feld — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:06:44 +0000

Quite simply, the heart rate monitor does not work, period. Garmin needs to team with Polar. The GPS functions are great. Now I wear the 405CX on my left wrist and my “old” Polar on my right wrist. When I bought the 405CX from Amazon, I also received “free” a Forerunner 50. It didn’t work. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement. It didn’t work. I gave it to my daughter. It didn’t work for her. Junk. I guess it still works OK as a watch.

By: Allmon

Allmon — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:37:33 +0000

I am not a professional runner but I'd like to practice all type of sports and I was looking for a watch to help me to improve my training sessions.
I found out for a while in the market and finally decided for this and the forerunner 405CX fully set my expectations.
You can program difference type of session and set weekly programs, I'd never loose the GPS signal and it is really accurate in distance as well as heart rate.
I bought the foot pod and now I have excellent tools for in and outdoor.
Garmin online need to improve a little more the web software to get a five stars watch.

By: Kato

Kato — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:09:09 +0000

I agree with the majority of the positive reviews here. In fact I would probably give the 405CX five stars if I owned a PC, but I don't. The device is great as a device and does what it advertises, but if you own a Mac, stay away. I immediately had problems getting the watch to upload its data to the Mac when I got the device three months ago. It would try repeatedly and eventually succeed. Then I installed their upgrade and now it is useless. It has been trying to upload its data for almost a week without success. Three e-mails to Garmin on this have yielded zero responses. They do not post old software versions so reloading the old version is not an option.

I am convinced that they just do not know how to write software and it really shows -no logging of failures, hence no way to diagnose why it won't upload, no feedback mechanism so that failures can be tracked by Garmin in order to improve their software, feature poor interface, etc. Add to this that their web site support requires you to re-enter all of your data even though you are logged in and they have your product information. Garmin may understand GPS, but they don;t get software and they are a long way from understanding what a 21st century web experience should be.

I could sing the praises of the watch's functionality and ergonomics, but what is the point? Without being able to upload your training history, I might as well use a cheap Timex and Google maps to track my training. Find another solution if you own a Mac.

By: Ogles

Ogles — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:01:01 +0000

Excellent product that is all that I hoped for and more! The watch, while a bit large, fits well on my wrist. The display is easy to read, even for those with questionable eye-sight. I love the option of using up to four windows for display and having the flexibility to display various data including time, pace, last lap pace, distance, heartrate, et al. I have been recommending this watch to other runners and the price from Amazon.com was very good. I am starting to monitor my heart rate as a means to gage my workout level. The heart rate monitor, included with the 305, fits well and I forget that I am wearing it. Again, I highly recommend the 305 for those runners who want to improve and track/gage their progress.

By: Maddocks

Maddocks — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:39:58 +0000

I’ve had my Garmin 305 for about 3 months now, using it primarily as a training tool to get ready for the 2009 San Francisco Marathon. I’ve used it while running, in-line skating & hiking. It’s a great tool to use while you’re training, because you can try different routes without having to “drive” them, to check your running/skating distances. The watch can be modified to display the measurements that are important to you (I’ve set mine up for 1)TIME 2)DISTANCE & 3)HEART RATE). Some reviewers complain about the heart rate display being too small, this is only a problem with the default display, reduce the amount of information and the heart rate will be plenty large (I should know, I’m blind as a bat). Things I didn’t like….DISTANCE output measures long (on long runs, the returns leg says I’ve gone further than when I went out, and my marathon distance ended up displaying 26.7 miles at the finish – this was a real *%#!@# when I expected to be done at 26.2 miles). I also find the watch too large & bulky….. I guess if you want a lot of information displayed, you need a large surface area, still, I find the watch “clunky” (but then, I don’t find Rolexes that attractive). In areas with a lot of cover (trees, buildings, tunnels) the watch will take a while to find itself (I actually couldn’t get it to locate during a hike on Mt Baldy Village Trail until I cleared the trees). Sill, a great training tool and something fun to use on long runs. Recommended!

By: Oh

Oh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:47:55 +0000

Well into my second year with this watch, and I am still crazy about it. Before buying, I really read up on all the leading brands, and they all have their own advantages. This one is well designed, well built, and has never failed me.I would recommend the FR305 for runners who want to plan specific workouts (intervals, tempo runs), or if you are following a training plan. The watch lets you set very specific parameters regarding pace and heart rate. Unlike some other watches, you do need to be your own coach- it's not going to think for you. If you simply want something to tell you your HR, anything will work fine.
As far as the GPS is concerned, I can't recall every losing a signal while outdoors.
I would also suggest buying a good book on training with a monitor. The watch is of little value if you don't know what to do with the data.
The software is excellent for programming workouts. Type it in, hit the send button, and you're good to go. It also lets you create HR zones based on HR reserve or any other HR zones you like. Not glitzy, but extremely versatile!
The Garmin Connect website has been in a transition phase for a long time, so I would not buy it if you're looking for a great online experience. Hopefully, they will get that worked out soon. The old Motion Based site actually worked pretty well, abeit a little slow.
Get lost in the woods? Press the button and it shows you the way back!

By: Blackman

Blackman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:45:24 +0000

I run and bike and this GPS device has been awesome. I am training for a marathon and so I want to keep good records of my running but this also allows me to log my bike miles. The cool thing about is that you can have audible notices chime by either time or specific GPS locations. The buttons are easy to use and have a solid feel so you don't accidentally push something you didn't intend to.

There are a few things that I don't much like:

1) No clock, I have no idea what time it is sometimes when I have been out running a while, it would be great to have a clock screen.

2) Tiny, tiny, tiny font size for the heart rate monitor, too hard to see. Same for the power level.

3) The GPS takes a very, very long time to locate satellites in my Washington, DC area. It takes up to 3 minutes to link much of the time.

4) The included software is very primitive looking. I haven't used it to set running courses and time goals but I will once I get through this season.

Otherwise, for the price I paid, $160, it was well worth it. It is a huge device but, it beats draining the battery on my iPhone while using the MapMyRun App which drains the charge in about two hours, which is awful on long run days.

By: Fitchie

Fitchie — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:12:21 +0000

I bought this because my 201 quit working on me one day. I use the 305 for running, biking and hiking and it does exactly what I want it to do. I hiked Mount Washington NH and the elevation display seemed right on to within a 30 feet. It definitely picks up the GPS signals better than the 201 and I very rarely hit a dead spot. I have had some trouble getting the heart rate monitor to steadily pick up the beat and have not figured out why it works sometimes and not others. I wet it (and me) as it says in the instructions and tightened it etc. so go figure. Overall though I highly recommend it.