New garmins

opus · 16-09-2013 2:13pm #1

Replacements for the 210 & 610 according to DCR's site, I like the wifi addition to the 620 but seeing as it's a good bit lighter am wondering what the battery will be like...

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/09/garmins-running-watches.html

MisterDrak · 16-09-2013 3:42pm

Sh1t, just got a new 610 last week !

BeepBeep67 · 16-09-2013 4:22pm

opus wrote: »

Replacements for the 210 & 610 according to DCR's site, I like the wifi addition to the 620 but seeing as it's a good bit lighter am wondering what the battery will be like...

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/09/garmins-running-watches.html

Says 10hrs (not final) in the review

Krusty_Clown · 16-09-2013 5:09pm

Hallelujah... USB uploads instead of ANT+. It's funny how taking something away is often considered an upgrade! Looks good, but sadly won't be on my shopping list for another 4/5 years.

overpronator · 16-09-2013 5:27pm

220 looks like it will have just about everything most runners would really need. I wonder how much north of 200 quid that one will cost?

sconhome · 16-09-2013 5:27pm

I like the features of the HRM-run.

A lot of the advanced HR features and recovery are similar to what Polar have been offering for the past while, but they look so much better here in Garmin.

I'm impressed!!

Technique · 16-09-2013 6:49pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCgYr-8ffNY

rom · 16-09-2013 9:13pm

amphkingwest wrote: »

I like the features of the HRM-run.

A lot of the advanced HR features and recovery are similar to what Polar have been offering for the past while, but they look so much better here in Garmin.

I'm impressed!!

amphking boards discount ?

sconhome · 16-09-2013 9:51pm

rom wrote: »

amphking boards discount ?

It'd be nice if it could be swung alright.

(put me down for one of those!)

You all know the Irish bar for pricing is already relatively high on these things, but as soon as I get prices confirmed & can work something out I will.

sconhome · 17-09-2013 10:16am

Technique wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCgYr-8ffNY

Changes everything.

Oh, Polar, Polar, Polar you fell asleep.

opus · 17-09-2013 11:23am

BeepBeep67 wrote: »

Says 10hrs (not final) in the review

Like for laptops I never believe the published figures so I'd guess ~8-9h or so. The combo of HRM/footpod looks good & the 620 has some impressive features but think I'll be sticking with my 310 for the next while.

sconhome · 17-09-2013 2:17pm

amphkingwest wrote: »

Changes everything.

Oh, Polar, Polar, Polar you fell asleep.

Nope I was wrong, new Polar product announced today

Polar Loop

www.polarloop.com

Garmin are quaking in their boots

plodder · 17-09-2013 4:03pm

WiFi uploads are a huge improvement though. Makes those awful Ant usb sticks redundant at last.

Krusty_Clown · 17-09-2013 4:20pm

amphkingwest wrote: »

Nope I was wrong, new Polar product announced today

Polar Loop

www.polarloop.com

Garmin are quaking in their boots

*shudder*.

nerraw1111 · 17-09-2013 5:42pm

These watches sound fantastic. I still use the 305 and have no real reason up update. I’m almost sold on the 220.

The polar bracelet looks hideous.

mithril · 17-09-2013 10:19pm

The biggest problem I have had with all Garmin watches -and I now have bought 3 over the years - is the quality of the heart rate monitor. Not sure why they struggle so badly with a basic task of producing accurate data when Polar have managed it for years.
Will be interesting to see whether they have finally fixed this with their new strap. Otherwise, building advanced analytics for VO2 calculation etc. on top of a very shaky foundation is not going to add much value.

I need the long battery life and the map functionality for ultra running so will be waiting for the successor to the 910XT (expected in the Spring) before even considering an upgrade.

antomagoo · 17-09-2013 10:38pm

I'll be holding off upgrading from the 305. A lot of nice features on both watches

sconhome · 18-09-2013 9:46am

mithril wrote: »

The biggest problem I have had with all Garmin watches -and I now have bought 3 over the years - is the quality of the heart rate monitor. Not sure why they struggle so badly with a basic task of producing accurate data when Polar have managed it for years.
Will be interesting to see whether they have finally fixed this with their new strap. Otherwise, building advanced analytics for VO2 calculation etc. on top of a very shaky foundation is not going to add much value.

Looking at these watches my gut feeling is that they (Garmin) have upped their game dramatically. To the point that Garmin is just the name on the box, they don't even look like something the Garmin designers would concieve of.

I would think through buy-outs and aquisitions there is now enough technical specialisation in the product components to put the issues of old behind them.

I agree re the HR strap especially, its attrocious & uncomfortable to boot, fingers crossed it's as good as expected.

Krusty_Clown · 18-09-2013 10:48am

amphkingwest wrote: »

Looking at these watches my gut feeling is that they (Garmin) have upped their game dramatically. To the point that Garmin is just the name on the box, they don't even look like something the Garmin designers would concieve of.

I would think through buy-outs and aquisitions there is now enough technical specialisation in the product components to put the issues of old behind them.

I agree re the HR strap especially, its attrocious & uncomfortable to boot, fingers crossed it's as good as expected.

Apart from the poor HRM though, the other issue is the poor standard of QA/testing. The first 6-8 months after official product release should realistically be called a beta-period. The more features they add, the more they stand to get wrong. Take a look at the Garmin forums for the first 2-3 months after a product release. It's an absolute horror-show. But yeah, the FR10 seems to have come from left-field in terms of Garmin design, and they seem to be continuing that trend.

The colour screen is an interesting addition and something they could probably do more with (maps, heart rate, target pace zones, etc.). Reminds me of the Leikr Kickstarter project.

lway · 18-09-2013 11:24am

overpronator wrote: »

220 looks like it will have just about everything most runners would really need. I wonder how much north of 200 quid that one will cost?

He lists the General price as $249 which is ~€187 but that's before the distributors add their profit to it.

One thing I dont see listed in the FR220 Available Data Fields is Current Pace, something I always have displayed on my 210 though it does say Speed. Wonder if these are the same thing

.

He does say later that there is nothing missing from the 220 that was on the 210, so i'll wait for the in-depth review first. Hopefully the waterproofing will eliminate the fogging that happens from time to time on my 210.

plodder · 18-09-2013 12:17pm

lway wrote: »

He lists the General price as $249 which is ~€187 but that's before the distributors add their profit to it.

One thing I dont see listed in the FR220 Available Data Fields is Current Pace, something I always have displayed on my 210 though it does say Speed. Wonder if these are the same thing .

He does say later that there is nothing missing from the 220 that was on the 210, so i'll wait for the in-depth review first. Hopefully the waterproofing will eliminate the fogging that happens from time to time on my 210.

Current pace is just "Pace" I think. It's interesting that the 13 fields on the 220 would cover everything I would want. Even my 410 has way more than I'd ever use and I couldn't see myself having much use for fields like "Vertical Oscillation" but maybe someone who is really working on technique would.

Looking at the wifi upload again, it's going to be interesting to see how that works exactly. Potentially (and I'm sure sooner or later watches will do this) it could mean being able to upload directly from the watch to a site like Strava or Garmin connect without needing a PC or device in between. Might be very handy when away from home.

rom · 25-09-2013 11:50am

I am on my third 610 due to rust. Great watch other than that.

tHE vAGGABOND · 25-09-2013 12:58pm

I am on my third 610 due to rust. Great watch other than that.

Yup, the strap on mine is falling apart and the back of it is really badly rusted to the point that I think the charging connectors are hard to engage...

rom · 25-09-2013 2:15pm

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Yup, the strap on mine is falling apart and the back of it is really badly rusted to the point that I think the charging connectors are hard to engage...

Ring them up and they will replace with a newer designed one. I just got it last week for free out of warranty.

Krusty_Clown · 25-09-2013 2:22pm

That sounds a bit crap... Clearly not tested in Irish weather conditions.. Must be using different materials on my 910, as it's spotless (though it's water-proof, which might explain why they'd use different materials).

statss · 25-09-2013 3:05pm

+1 I got a replacement strap for my 610 sent out to me with no hassle at all.

rom · 25-09-2013 10:15pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

That sounds a bit crap... Clearly not tested in Irish weather conditions.. Must be using different materials on my 910, as it's spotless (though it's water-proof, which might explain why they'd use different materials).

They told me I should wipe it down after use ?

average_runner · 26-09-2013 9:09am

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Apart from the poor HRM though, the other issue is the poor standard of QA/testing. The first 6-8 months after official product release should realistically be called a beta-period. The more features they add, the more they stand to get wrong. Take a look at the Garmin forums for the first 2-3 months after a product release. It's an absolute horror-show. But yeah, the FR10 seems to have come from left-field in terms of Garmin design, and they seem to be continuing that trend.

The colour screen is an interesting addition and something they could probably do more with (maps, heart rate, target pace zones, etc.). Reminds me of the Leikr Kickstarter project.

Garmin should probably take the approach of having a user group testing, where a certain group of runners will test the product for 6 months.

lway · 26-09-2013 9:26am

statss wrote: »

+1 I got a replacement strap for my 610 sent out to me with no hassle at all.

Do they do this for Garmin 110 as well ? I know two people whose 110 strap broke lately so i've stopped wearing my 210 as much during the day, or is the 610 strap easier to replace (the 110 and 210 strap and watch body is all one unit). Is it eay to swap out the internals yourself, i'd imagine not if the unit is supposed to be waterproof (or showerproof in the case of the 110/210).

ThisRegard · 26-09-2013 9:34am

average_runner wrote: »

Garmin should probably take the approach of having a user group testing, where a certain group of runners will test the product for 6 months.

I think they do, I remember reading a big article on their facility in the US somewhere which had a load of photos of the facility itself as well as mentions of the local running loops that the employees use for testing, it was probably posted here sometime actually.

edit: here it is, surprisingly easy to find for a change
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/04/scenes-garmin-headquarters.html

It does have this comment though

It’s probably notable that if the weather hadn’t decided to cooperate, Garmin employees still can workout. Downstairs in the basement of the building is a full gym:

So they're both wusses and miss out on vital bad weather testing.

statss · 26-09-2013 10:13am

lway wrote: »

Do they do this for Garmin 110 as well ? I know two people whose 110 strap broke lately so i've stopped wearing my 210 as much during the day, or is the 610 strap easier to replace (the 110 and 210 strap and watch body is all one unit). Is it eay to swap out the internals yourself, i'd imagine not if the unit is supposed to be waterproof (or showerproof in the case of the 110/210).

dunno about other models, but the 610 was easy to swap out.

email is product.support@garmin.com if you want to get in touch with them.

New garmins

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