camera digital review Garmin Forerunner Touchscreen Watch Monitor
I'm very happy with this so far. I had a Forerunner 210, which I had some trouble with (just that particular unit was defective). I was within the 30 day return, so returned, and paid the extra $150 to go to the 610. I love the wireless uploads, the touchscreen works great, and the customizable fields and ease of reading data (cant say the same on the 210). The only area I'm the least bit concerned with is the screen itself. I dont only use this watch for running, but also in the gym. I'm afraid that the screen wouldnt hold up if I accidentally hit a machine with it, or raked a dumbell across it. No problems here, just an observation that the screen is big, and seems like it would be fragile to impact (not to worry if you only run or cycle with it). Otherwise, just loving it. Not cheap by any means, but I love being able to track everything I do, and have it automatically upload that data to Garmin Connect. One additional benefit to the foot pod, which I also picked up, is that it adds an extra tracking field for your cadence - even when running outdoors (I was thinking the foot pod was only for indoor use). Highly recommend...
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I bought this Garmin 610 after reaching the end of the frustration line with my Garmin 305. First I worked through several software upgrades trying to get the 305 compatible with my MAC then missed an entire run because of no satellite acquisition on a clear day. The final straw was when the 305 would only power on while attached to the charger.
BalasHapusI ran the first 5 miles of a 14 mile run in the rain and the Garmin 610 was flawless throughout! The watch is so easy to use that I set up the watch without reading one word of the user guide. I used my HR monitor from the Garmin 305 without any issues.
I don't feel like writing a long review but thought an experience with battery life would be helpful to some. I just ran a 50k with vibrate and audio alerts on for each mile split and heart rate monitor going the entire time. It took me 6:03 to complete the 31.5 mile race...I know I'm not fast but at least I did it so BACK OFF. Anyway, I had the battery completely charged and turned it off before I left the house. Just before the race, I turned it on, started the timer at the beginning of the race and when I completed the race (6 hours 3 minutes later), the battery life read 31%. I was quite pleased to read that I most likely would have reached the advertised 8 hour battery life if I needed it. I just thought someone would benefit from knowing that. Have a nice run.
BalasHapusI have had Garmin Forerunner models in the past but nothing beats this. My old watch would take forever to get the signal. Also if i ran the same route, the distances would always be off. First time using the 610, got signal in less than a minute. 2nd time, less than 30 sec. It even comes on in my house now. I also went to a track and the signal took less than a minute. I have mapped out my runs to test the accuracy. 99-100%. Amazing. Can't ask for much more than that. Touch screen takes sometime to get used to, but after a couple of uses it is really easy to use. Vibration alerts are great. With my old watch I sometimes missed the beep, but this one vibrates and beeps so I always know when I have reached a mile or when I am starting up again. All I have to do is plug in the USB and my data is synced online. Less bulky then other models and I can wear it around. Long battery life, you can turn it off or it goes into power save mode after a while. So much great things to say about this watch, haven't had a problem yet. Highly recommend!
BalasHapusI'm very happy with this so far. I had a Forerunner 210, which I had some trouble with (just that particular unit was defective). I was within the 30 day return, so returned, and paid the extra $150 to go to the 610. I love the wireless uploads, the touchscreen works great, and the customizable fields and ease of reading data (cant say the same on the 210). The only area I'm the least bit concerned with is the screen itself. I dont only use this watch for running, but also in the gym. I'm afraid that the screen wouldnt hold up if I accidentally hit a machine with it, or raked a dumbell across it. No problems here, just an observation that the screen is big, and seems like it would be fragile to impact (not to worry if you only run or cycle with it). Otherwise, just loving it. Not cheap by any means, but I love being able to track everything I do, and have it automatically upload that data to Garmin Connect. One additional benefit to the foot pod, which I also picked up, is that it adds an extra tracking field for your cadence - even when running outdoors (I was thinking the foot pod was only for indoor use). Highly recommend...
BalasHapusI bought this watch to replace my Polar F6 and I have not been disappointed.
BalasHapusPros: Easy setup, very quick satellite capture, not too big on wrist, functional touch-screen bezel, large display, easy transfer of data to Garmin, and the myriad of options.
Cons: Heart rate strap is mildly uncomfortable at the attachment point.
GPS issues: I have had zero GPS issues thus far, but will update if I encounter any.
I used to be fit, but then work and age caught up. My wife was getting fit and she uses a basic polar watch which has basic heart rate monitoring capabilities. She was on about the fat burning zone etc. so after some research, I decided to purchase a Garmin 610. Running is my main exercise and I must say the 610 is just perfect for it. I had it for almost 2 months now and so far I'm loving it. The setup was super easy. I basically bought it and was out running the next. The watch is small enough to be able to run comfortably with. I don't even notice the heart rate monitor on me when I'm running. The satellite pickup was really quick. I don't usually have to wait that long. Just walking down the driveway provides it with sufficient time to locate the satellites.
BalasHapusYou can read on the website what data it captures, but I just want to say I love the Garmin Connect website. Uploading the data online and then being able to review it and looking at the calendar view to see how active you are, setting goals gives you a big picture. It helps me keep motivated, and kept me running.
The other thing that I want to say is the battery last for 8 hours. I am a little concerned about this. I didn't really think about it when I bought it, but now that I've had some time with it. I'm thinking of doing a really long hike/run. and the battery might not be able to last the full course. It's something you might want to think about if you need long times, then you might need the 910 or something with a little more battery. There is a external battery pack, but I'm not sure if I can charge it while running and have it capture at the same time.
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