Garmin 310xt

tunney

Is anyone else having problems with their 310xt?

Mine acts up as in the below, doesn't store time of day when the unit is powered off.
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?t=716&page=5


Does yours maintain the time of day?

I really really regret buying it.

Krusty_Clown

tunney wrote: »

I really really regret buying it.

€130. Final offer.

happy_73

Don't have that problem with mine, what does happen is that sometimes a run will not be transferred to the PC. Did 6 x 800m on Tues and only 5 made it to the PC - all 6 were on the garmin...

Otherwise very happy with it for the bike and running.

happy_73

Have you the latest firmware on the unit?

scottreynolds

tunney wrote: »

I really really regret buying it.

This is the first time I've been happy with my polar for weeks

tunney

happy_73 wrote: »

Have you the latest firmware on the unit?

Latest firmware. Multiple hard resets done.

Been onto Garmin support : "The Garmin 310xt does not operate in the manner you describe". Eh mine does.

Also looked into the erratic HR readings: "Don't wear non-cotton t-shirts" "Eh its a watch aimed at triathletes, technical fibres and sweat wicking????" "Oh we're heard good reports of people using an electrode gel"

Back to use my S625x with the G1 GPS unit.

I really really really wish I had gotten the Polar RS800CX instead.

KentuckyPete

tunney wrote: »

Is anyone else having problems with their 310xt?

Tunney, I bought mine in August. The major disappointment was when it didn't track swiiming distance (very small print on the leaflet warns you about this). The guy who sold it to me in the shop thought it did swimming distance too and had sold his old Garmin to buy the 310XT. I met him at openwater swim training the following week and he was a bit redfaced

It works fine for me for running and cycling and the transfers are reliable - time of day is stored OK.

Once I was out running and it locked up after about a mile. I had to reset the clock and power down the unit. When I powered up it was OK - the details of that first mile were not transferred.

Where did you buy it? Can you not bring it back to the shop?

Bambaata

i have had the issue with HR but its sorted now. I found that my HR could be at 180 - 210 if i wore a technical T-shirt that had just been washed but if i rub it against metal or use one that that is out of the wash a few days the i don't seem to get the issue with static. Time have always been right for me too

tunney

KentuckyPete wrote: »

Tunney, I bought mine in August. The major disappointment was when it didn't track swiiming distance (very small print on the leaflet warns you about this). The guy who sold it to me in the shop thought it did swimming distance too and had sold his old Garmin to buy the 310XT. I met him at openwater swim training the following week and he was a bit redfaced

It works fine for me for running and cycling and the transfers are reliable - time of day is stored OK.

Once I was out running and it locked up after about a mile. I had to reset the clock and power down the unit. When I powered up it was OK - the details of that first mile were not transferred.

Where did you buy it? Can you not bring it back to the shop?

The shop have already said they would take it back and Garmin have said that its not working as designed. Just annoyed at it being so crap.

Bambaata

not so happy with the 310 today!! Did a 2hr 45min turbo session and allowed the unit to upload. it upload an activity alright but it was opnly about 30 seconds long eventhough i hit 100km on the yoke and had speed, cadence, time and HR the whole way. for some reason it didnt save on the f'n thing!! i pressed stop, it stopped, i reset it to end the activity to upload it but something else obviously happened!!

tunney

One of the advantages of buying locally - its gone back and will hopefully be sorted before the end fo the week. Back to using my Polar S615x with GPS unit, its not bad actually. The 310xt didn't bring much extra to the table. Maybe if it actually worked it would.

tunney

After a few days of the Polar I remember why I got the Garmin. Yes the HR is good but the speed and distance is another story.

Anyways I've always contended that shopping locally was the way to go where possible and particularly for big buys. And there is a reason for this, replacement watch picked up today.

Support the LBS and they'll support you.

mloc123

I was going to start a thread on this but it sorta fits in here...

Are Garmin a better choice? I am looking at a Polar with a gps block or a forerunner 405. Which would people choose? Anyone else used both systems, drawbacks of both? I want something that is watch size which is putting me off the 310xt or 305, but also something with a good HRM.. time spent in zones etc..

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

I was going to start a thread on this but it sorta fits in here...

Are Garmin a better choice? I am looking at a Polar with a gps block or a forerunner 405. Which would people choose? Anyone else used both systems, drawbacks of both? I want something that is watch size which is putting me off the 310xt or 305, but also something with a good HRM.. time spent in zones etc..

I've owned over the years a Timex Bodylink GPS system, a Polar footpod based system, a polar GPS system and a Garmin GPS system and a Garmin footpot based system. I'll knock up a review once I've had my new 310xt for a day or two to test it.

KentuckyPete

mloc123 wrote: »

I was going to start a thread on this but it sorta fits in here...

Are Garmin a better choice? I am looking at a Polar with a gps block or a forerunner 405. Which would people choose? Anyone else used both systems, drawbacks of both? I want something that is watch size which is putting me off the 310xt or 305, but also something with a good HRM.. time spent in zones etc..

The 310XT is bigger than a normal watch for sure - I couldn't believe it when I saw it first. However, i weighed it against my "normal" watch and it's way lighter. And the GPS block is built in to the body of the watch - a new development.

It seems from the various threads that the 310XT is a great piece of kit provided you get one that works properly. I haven't used another training watch so I can't compare but for ease of reading, uploads, training diary, mapping, stats etc. I find it great.

Krusty_Clown

There were the same kind of issues with the intial release of the 405, which stabilized eventually. The usual 'rush to market' mentality to meet the demand of all of the 'magpie customers'(of which I am one!).

tunney

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

There were the same kind of issues with the intial release of the 405, which stabilized eventually. The usual 'rush to market' mentality to meet the demand of all of the 'magpie customers'(of which I am one!).

Its like a completely nwe watch now. (Okay it is actually a completely new watch but you know what I mean)

It keeps the time.
The chest strap is a proper one - not a clump of dodgy plastic.
It gets GPS locks in seconds.

NEVER EVER be an early adopter.

Bambaata

Waiting on GPS is a bit of a pain sometimes. sometimes it takes about 20 to 30 seconds, soemtimes a few minutes! does the footpod do away with that requirement? im only really interested in speed, time, HR etc for the first few mins of a run so will the watch merge the two once it does get a GPS lock as in will my data (apart from map details) remain unaffected? Or would my running while it is tryign to get signal mean it might not lock at all?

Its mainly my lunchtime runs which i have the issue with as im tight for time. I can only leave the desk at 1pm and have to get back to it for 2pm (to include shower, getting dressed and grabbign a quick bite) so every second counts!!

tunney

Bambaata wrote: »

Waiting on GPS is a bit of a pain sometimes. sometimes it takes about 20 to 30 seconds, soemtimes a few minutes! does the footpod do away with that requirement? im only really interested in speed, time, HR etc for the first few mins of a run so will the watch merge the two once it does get a GPS lock as in will my data (apart from map details) remain unaffected? Or would my running while it is tryign to get signal mean it might not lock at all?

Its mainly my lunchtime runs which i have the issue with as im tight for time. I can only leave the desk at 1pm and have to get back to it for 2pm (to include shower, getting dressed and grabbign a quick bite) so every second counts!!

reason I got the footpod.It works but battery life is 1/25th of claimed.

Bambaata

tunney wrote: »

reason I got the footpod.It works but battery life is 1/25th of claimed.

might stick it in the Christmas list anyway :P

tunney

tunney wrote: »

reason I got the footpod.It works but battery life is 1/25th of claimed.

Okay since I got my new 310xt yesterday I've done a few runs and I now understand a bit more why people like them.

GPS locks are quicker.
It reads my HR better (not quite Polar but close)
Footpod problem WASN'T battery related but was the wrist wait

My last 310xt was obviously hosed.

RedB

tunney wrote: »

NEVER EVER be an early adopter.

Does that mean I was right to order my new 305 last weekend ?

KentuckyPete

Bambaata wrote: »

Waiting on GPS is a bit of a pain sometimes. sometimes it takes about 20 to 30 seconds, soemtimes a few minutes! does the footpod do away with that requirement? im only really interested in speed, time, HR etc for the first few mins of a run so will the watch merge the two once it does get a GPS lock as in will my data (apart from map details) remain unaffected? Or would my running while it is tryign to get signal mean it might not lock at all?

Its mainly my lunchtime runs which i have the issue with as im tight for time. I can only leave the desk at 1pm and have to get back to it for 2pm (to include shower, getting dressed and grabbign a quick bite) so every second counts!!

I find the 310XT seems to do the GPS locks much quicker if it has been in the location before. I have to travel an awful lot for work and tend to regularly run in new places - new countries even. On the first visit to a city the GPS can take a while but if I return to that location then there's no problem. It looks like you plan on running from the same location every lunchtime so the GPS fix should be instant after the first run -especially since your evening/morning/weekend training is presumably taking place in the same city/town/county.

I'm no expert on GPS satellite orbits but, as far as I know most GPS satellites carry out their geostationary flight path to the south of Ireland - close to the equator. So, don't look for your first signal on the north side of a building - you'll be in satellite shadow. Once the lock is on then you can run on the northside of buildings OK but the first signal lock happens a lot easier if you've a reasonably clear view of the southern sky.

sliksurfer

I'm considering getting myself one of these for Christmas . Is it worth it or is there a polar alternative??? The 310xt is pretty pricey!

mloc123

Does the 310xt with footpod record running cadence? AlsoI presume the new micro footpod fits into Nike+ shoes?

tunney

sliksurfer wrote: »

I'm considering getting myself one of these for Christmas . Is it worth it or is there a polar alternative??? The 310xt is pretty pricey!

Polar RS800. Its more expensive though.

catweazle

delighted so far with my 310, if you look for it from Israel on ebay you will get it for around 240, fairly quick delivery and he has excellent feedback

tunney

catweazle wrote: »

delighted so far with my 310, if you look for it from Israel on ebay you will get it for around 240, fairly quick delivery and he has excellent feedback

And give the higher than normal percentage of dud units, you're screwed if you do this and get one.

catweazle

Tunny while I respect your opinion on triathlon matters you seem to be a complete know it all on everything, can you show me evidence of the higher frequency of dud 310xts coming from these places. You yourself purchased in Ireland and got a dud.

Why is the purchaser screwed, the seller has 100% feedback, offers a one year warranty on all purchases and was extremely helpful on my purchase. I have been buying off ebay for years and would not purchase without the research being made.

Krusty_Clown

catweazle wrote: »

Tunny while I respect your opinion on triathlon matters you seem to be a complete know it all on
everything, can you show me evidence of the higher frequency of dud 310xts coming from these places. You yourself purchased in Ireland and got a dud.

Why is the purchaser screwed, the seller has 100% feedback, offers a one year warranty on all purchases and was extremely helpful on my purchase. I have been buying off ebay for years and would not purchase without the research being made.

A stupid and uninformed comment from you.

I think Tunney was suggesting that there are a large amount of dud units in general, and if you happen to get one of these from your eBay dealer (who may be the most honest man on earth) that you will experience the difficulties that he didn't, when he bought from his local bike shop, as he was able to make an immediate exchange.

From my own experience, Garmin support is first rate, when you can get hold of them and will have no trouble replacing any item. Sure, you may have to wait a week or two, but in my view it's worth the risk.

catweazle

Ah Krusty after me calming down and editing my stupid comment at the end you go and put it back in again

uglyjohn

this is so confusing! i have been offered one of these as a birthday present but i cant decide which one i should get. it really doesnt help that the internet here is painfully slow.

ok so...
long term i really want to get into tris so i want to get one that suits that too. i was looking at the 310xt, but it looks pretty bulky and someone said it doesnt tell speed or dist while swimming. that seems strange if its marketed for multisports. is it just not really sensitive over a 25 or 50m pool with all the arm swinging going on? what i mean is....does it work in open water swimming? what does it actually do while you are swimming? im lucky enough to live near a 50m outdoor pool at the moment but when i move back to dublin and have to go back to cramped small indoor pools i'd like to be able to do some open water swimming and it would be great to record distance for that.

how does it compare to the 405? if the 310xt is useless in the water does it make sense to just use the 405 for the bike and run? is it ok on the bike with a 405 or will it mess up all the records if i use it for both? does it have a multisport mode like the regular 305 does?

aaahhhh so confused!!! i dont want to get something and then find its useless when i start training for my first tri.

ahem* any advice would be greatly appreciated.

mloc123

mloc123 wrote: »

Does the 310xt with footpod record running cadence? AlsoI presume the new micro footpod fits into Nike+ shoes?

Bump, anyone know? Google has no answers for me.

KentuckyPete

uglyjohn wrote: »

this is so confusing! i have been offered one of these as a birthday present but i cant decide which one i should get. it really doesnt help that the internet here is painfully slow.

ok so...
long term i really want to get into tris so i want to get one that suits that too. i was looking at the 310xt, but it looks pretty bulky and someone said it doesnt tell speed or dist while swimming. that seems strange if its marketed for multisports. is it just not really sensitive over a 25 or 50m pool with all the arm swinging going on? what i mean is....does it work in open water swimming? what does it actually do while you are swimming? im lucky enough to live near a 50m outdoor pool at the moment but when i move back to dublin and have to go back to cramped small indoor pools i'd like to be able to do some open water swimming and it would be great to record distance for that.

how does it compare to the 405? if the 310xt is useless in the water does it make sense to just use the 405 for the bike and run? is it ok on the bike with a 405 or will it mess up all the records if i use it for both? does it have a multisport mode like the regular 305 does?

aaahhhh so confused!!! i dont want to get something and then find its useless when i start training for my first tri.

ahem* any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It definitely does NOT do the swimming mapping or distance. I tried swimming with it on my arm and got more than double the actual distance (which means I broke the world record for 1500m ). I tried it around my ankle (less movement) and go confused results too. Some lads recommend wearing it under your hat but that's a bit risky IMO. In all other respects it's an excellent piece of kit - it does have a multisport mode.

Bambaata

its the only Garmin that is properly water prrof i believe. the 405 and its new version are basically splash proof which doesnt hold up if you get it water damaged while swimming (could be wrong there but i think thats the case).

I use the lap function in the pool to record my distance. Its very handy. i generally lap at every 50m (two laps of the 25m pool) for the warmup/cooldown and at the end of every 400, 300, 200, 100 etc when doing those. helps me see what my times are like if i try change anything etc

tunney

catweazle wrote: »

Tunny while I respect your opinion on triathlon matters you seem to be a complete know it all on everything, can you show me evidence of the higher frequency of dud 310xts coming from these places. You yourself purchased in Ireland and got a dud.

Why is the purchaser screwed, the seller has 100% feedback, offers a one year warranty on all purchases and was extremely helpful on my purchase. I have been buying off ebay for years and would not purchase without the research being made.

Hey buy where you want but the common problems affecting 310xts are (a) it stops telling the time (b) it looses contact regularly with ANT+ sport devises or (c) the screen smashes when dropped less than 1 foot.

I wasn't talking about any particular source of the watches - US, Mainland Europe, UK and Ireland, everywhere.

If someone buys from foreign parts how long to get a replacement? Mine was replaced in one day.(Garmin are replacing without inspecting the above problems).

Now before people take them off their Christmas lists, I'm led to believe that the newer manufacturer units are most robust (and with N=1 I agree ) and I would have to say that the Garmin support is very very good.

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Bump, anyone know? Google has no answers for me.

Yes and yes.

Or wait is this a stupid and uninformed comment? I've only based it on personal experience and manufacturer documentation.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

Yes and yes.

Or wait is this a stupid and uninformed comment? I've only based it on personal experience and manufacturer documentation.

Excellent. cheers

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Excellent. cheers

The cadence feature is very nice I think.

mloc123

That alone sells it to me anyway, as much fun as counting foot stikes is

eoinken

Lots of great insights here but I have one possibly very stupid question. Does anyone ever use it as a watch or just when you are training. I presume the constant recharge is a pain.

mloc123

To follow up on this. I got a 310xt at Christmas... the HRM is driving me nuts now, it had been fine but the strap(soft) seems to go a little crazy sometimes and report 220+ bpm... are all soft straps the same?

KentuckyPete

eoinken wrote: »

Lots of great insights here but I have one possibly very stupid question. Does anyone ever use it as a watch or just when you are training. I presume the constant recharge is a pain.

Yep the recharge means you'd have to plug it in every night and you still wouldn't get the full day out of it.

Plus, although lightweight, this is a big piece of kit - and it's orange and beige - elegant it ain't.

I love it though - it's been of huge benefit to me. Dividing the price by the number of sessions I've used it for, I'm not that far off dipping under the €1 per session mark!

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

To follow up on this. I got a 310xt at Christmas... the HRM is driving me nuts now, it had been fine but the strap(soft) seems to go a little crazy sometimes and report 220+ bpm... are all soft straps the same?

As you are finding out its not a useable HRM.

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

As you are finding out its not a useable HRM.

Yup, I had a cheap Sigma before it never had an issue. I am considering getting an old style hard strap but dunno if its worth a €50 gamble.

Krusty_Clown

KentuckyPete wrote: »

Yep the recharge means you'd have to plug it in every night and you still wouldn't get the full day out of it.

Plus, although lightweight, this is a big piece of kit - and it's orange and beige - elegant it ain't.

I love it though - it's been of huge benefit to me. Dividing the price by the number of sessions I've used it for, I'm not that far off dipping under the €1 per session mark!

I presume you're turning off the GPS, right? Does it not have a standby mode? On the 405 you can get a week out of it in standby mode.

I got the soft HR monitor strap yesterday, and was disappointed to see the exact same HR spikes at the start of every run that I used to get with the old strap (that I sadly left behind in Barcelona). It's a pain in the ass, but I've learned to ignore it. Just disregard your HR Max values, and look at individual splits instead.

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

Yup, I had a cheap Sigma before it never had an issue. I am considering getting an old style hard strap but dunno if its worth a €50 gamble.

No better.

yop

If your selling it let me know I am on the look out for a Forerunner so might be "ebaying" in the next few days as a birthday pressie

mloc123

tunney wrote: »

No better.

:rolleyes: How hard can it be for them to solve this, its not like HRMs are cutting edge technology.

I do like it overall and the HR spikes only happen when running, but it is pretty annoying.

tunney

mloc123 wrote: »

:rolleyes: How hard can it be for them to solve this, its not like HRMs are cutting edge technology.

I do like it overall and the HR spikes only happen when running, but it is pretty annoying.

I got onto support about it.
Seemingly it was my fault for not wearing cotton t-shirts and that technical fibers created static.
And I should be using a electrode gel as well on it.

yop

tunney wrote: »

I got onto support about it.
Seemingly it was my fault for not wearing cotton t-shirts and that technical fibers created static.
And I should be using a electrode gel as well on it.

Lol your kidding!!! Any you should be running into the wind on a full moon