Garmin 310XT Swimming Fix?

KentuckyPete

Was just uploading the new firmware to the Garmin when I saw the following:

"Changes made from version 2.70 to 2.90:
- Implemented swim code that corrects distance values on open water swims. The distance is not displayed in real-time, but updates when the stop or lap button is pressed. This feature can be enabled only in 'Other' sport by going to Settings > Other Settings > Swim > Enabled ? Yes.
- Fixed issue with unit freezing during a manual or automatic lap.
- Fixed issue with GPS speed readings lagging by about 5 seconds.
- Fixed issue with unit lock-up when resetting an activity in 'Other' sport.
- Fixed issue with 'Back to Start' where start and end points were being left out.
- Improvements to dropping track points around turns.
- Fixed issue with repeated display of initial wheel calibration banner when using wheel power.
- Display change in HR value with the HR Recovery message current value.
- Improved power calibration page.
- Implemented smoothing for vertical speed"

Item in bold is a major boost if it works. I've only ever been able to use the device for timing in the water in the past. The distance was always all over the place.

Anyone else tried it yet? Will be doing a lake swim in the morning and will report back on accuracy.

Here's hoping

mloc123

Interesting, lemme know how you get on.

kingQuez

Minor tangent ..

I swam with mine for the first time on friday (in a pool, the wall clock was broken so i needed something to time with), and maybe I was just being lazy but it seemed like it caused a lot of drag (down ~4secs over 100m).. i ditched it for the last third of the session and felt like i was back to normal. Couldnt tell whether it was in my head or whether it was really causing drag, what d'ya recon? Im thinking of leaving it on the bike for any races I do now.

Bambaata

i leave mine at the end of the pool and record any set i am doing, afterwards i export the file and edit the distances in wordpad so i then know how far ivce swam and the speed per set. tis handy. looking forward to checking out the above feature too!

tunney

Pretty sure it's only for straight line swims. As in started at pos X, finished at pos Y. Therefore distance swam is the distance between X and Y.

Why oh why would you swim with one of these on? Would you ride with an umbrella up?

mloc123

kingQuez wrote: »

it caused a lot of drag (down ~4secs over 100m)

tunney wrote: »

Why oh why would you swim with one of these on? Would you ride with an umbrella up?

Really? I swim with mine, might try leaving it at the end of the lane tomorrow.

KentuckyPete

Yep - wouldn't wear it in a race, that's for sure. Will use it to measure distances for training purposes.

Took it out this morning on the lake - there's a "standard" shore to shore swim that all the local swimmers (including the group training for the channel) reckon is 400m. The Garmin measured it today at 340m! FFS, no wonder my times had improved so much.

I swam it four times before checking the distance so as to get some sort of average.

Could be down to a number of reasons - not least the arbitrary nature of "shore to shore" after a very dry spring this year.

I'll try it in a few other places - Sandycove has some very set agreed distances and will be a better test.

Won't get it uploaded until I get home tonight so can't report on accuracy against the map.

KentuckyPete

Yep - the mapping looks fairly accurate (although in true Garmin style it had big variations in the altitude).

Will try a few locations before I can vouch for the distance.

AndyC80

kingQuez wrote: »

Minor tangent ..

I swam with mine for the first time on friday (in a pool, the wall clock was broken so i needed something to time with), and maybe I was just being lazy but it seemed like it caused a lot of drag (down ~4secs over 100m).. i ditched it for the last third of the session and felt like i was back to normal. Couldnt tell whether it was in my head or whether it was really causing drag, what d'ya recon? Im thinking of leaving it on the bike for any races I do now.

I place mine in my swim hat for open water swims! Dont use it all in the pool! I put it in my swim hat because:
1) I can receive a perfect signal all the way with an accurate distance on map as a result
2) There is no drag

However, people might think it a bit strange when they see you loading a watch into your swim hat!

redved

KentuckyPete wrote: »

Yep - wouldn't wear it in a race, that's for sure. Will use it to measure distances for training purposes.

Took it out this morning on the lake - there's a "standard" shore to shore swim that all the local swimmers (including the group training for the channel) reckon is 400m. The Garmin measured it today at 340m! FFS, no wonder my times had improved so much.

I swam it four times before checking the distance so as to get some sort of average.

Could be down to a number of reasons - not least the arbitrary nature of "shore to shore" after a very dry spring this year.

I'll try it in a few other places - Sandycove has some very set agreed distances and will be a better test.

Won't get it uploaded until I get home tonight so can't report on accuracy against the map.

Hi Kentucky Pete,

Apologies for dragging this off-thread

I do some of my OW swimming in sandycove. Can you let me know what distances are, what markers to look for etc.
Thanks,
redved

KentuckyPete

redved wrote: »

Hi Kentucky Pete,

Apologies for dragging this off-thread

I do some of my OW swimming in sandycove. Can you let me know what distances are, what markers to look for etc.
Thanks,
redved

No worries redved. I just PM'd you the details.

happy_73

Just updated mine from 2.70 to 2.90 and when you check the version number on the garmin after it updates it says BETA SOFTWARE 2.90!

S

mloc123

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/06/new-garmin-forerunner-310xt-openwater.html

Some testing of the new feature

KentuckyPete

mloc123 wrote: »

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/06/new-garmin-forerunner-310xt-openwater.html

Some testing of the new feature

thanks mloc - great article.
I've tried the new software in open water sea swimmming and it seems fairly accurate. Measured 1.12 miles (close to 1800metres) for the Sandycove "round the island" swim in Cork. That's a swim normally quoted as 1700m on the Sandycove swimmers website but my route was not straight line - I didn't go straight from the last corner back to the slipway. (I didn't hop up on the rocks twice either - that's a slight misalignment between satellite and map view in google I think )



Like yer man says in the article, it's a good start and they are clearly focused on improvements.

Some alarming stuff in there about the securing pin as well. Seems like the quick release is the way to go...