GPS Speed & Distance Monitors

Armaghman

Can anyone give me their opinion on using GPS systems such as Timex Ironman watch or Garmin Forerunner in Ireland? Are they accurate? Can they pick up a signal easily?

Which GPS monitor would you recommend? Are they more effective than the Nike Triax V10 system?

Sorry bout all the questions, but I dont have any experience of these devices. And any help you guys can offer would be much appreciated.

bmurphy8177

At present i am using the TIMEX Ironman Triathlon Speed + Distance System. I have to say i love it. Its is very accurate. It acquires a signal very easily.
I cant go out running without mine. I hardly ever notice that i am wearing it.

dermCu

I have a Timex Ironman. Cant say that I use it on every run.
It is quite accurate for some features, I've measured the same distances on maps, in the car and with the Ironman and the three results are always very close.

The average pace is also spot on, makes sense if you can count on the distance being accurate.

The current pace is not so good. I've tried to allow for a lag but it still seems to be all over the place. I'm ok at holding the same pace over a few miles, the readout can swing from 6min/mile to 9.5min/mile regularly when I know that I am consistent at 7min/mile. Not a biggie for me so I dont bother looking at that any more.

To only thing that really annoys me is that it can take a while to pick up a signal. For a while there it was taking between 5-10 mins. Other times it will pick up within a minute or two. Once it locks on it it does not loose the signal unless you are in very dense forest. Have not tried city running with it.

If you are putting in the miles it well worth it.
Hope that helps.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Boru.

I've got the Iornman GPS as well.b I use it myself and with my clients in conjunction witht the Data Recorder. I think its great. I use it for both running an my bike work. That said I have lost the signal a few times when running in areas of dense cover like the park. Still for the most partI think its great.

I have a range of HRM Monitors in Arnotts. If you wnat you can drop by and I can show the system in operation and the data recorder results etc.

Hope this helps.

Boru.

copacetic

another person with the ironman s+d monitor! does everyone have one??
it's pretty good but I hardly ever use mine anymore, too much hassle!
I tend to use the hrm that goes with the watch more often and work out
my running routes online. Only if I really need to get a distance bang
on do I use the gps, as people say above if you start it searching from
somewhere you have never been before it can take a good few mins
to lock on, but otherwise it has been solid and I have been a couple of years.

for an online running distance calc that I have been found to be very accurate
try www.sueandpaul.com/gmapPedometer much, much cheaper!!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

copacetic

found it to be bang on, as long as the run route is on street and you can map
it well. no good for park or off road runs until google gets better sat coverage of
ireland.

i have a bit of trouble with it as it stops good map coverage on the outskirts of
dublin and I can't get one of my runs on it properly, but it is one of the best tools
around i would say..

dermCu

Do you have the 'smoothing' feature on? I don't get that behaviour with mine at all!

Yip, smoothing is turned on, tried turning it off as well, no difference. Maybe it is just my unit!! Any one else experience this?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.