GPS Information

I have had the forerunner 305 for about 6 weeks and am very pleased with it. It is my first GPS watch and has exceeded my expectations. I had read the concerns with the altimeter and agree, it does not provide useful or accurate information so no surprises there. The real issue for me was how well it would measure distance. I have found it to be very accurate and reliable. I have several runs that I have clocked with the car and measuring tools on Google Earth; the Garmin 305 hit my mile split expectations anywhere from spot on to 20-30 feet from what I believed the true splits to be. At the end of the 10 mile run I was also within 20 feet of expectation. So maybe one mile measures a few feet long, another a few feet short, but cumulatively it was right on my prior expectations.

The heart rate monitor does jump around a bit on pulse rate but once I settle into a run it seems more reliable and is certainly useful. I have found that if I put the chest strap on a few minutes before running I don’t get the wild initial readings when I start running.

As to my headline that it has changed the way I run, because the distance measurements are so accurate the Forerunner 305 has freed me from the old measured courses I have run for years. Instead I just take off wherever I feel like going with complete comfort as to splits, pace and distance (and yes, I am one of those who really cares whether I ran 5.00 versus 5.25 miles when calculating my pace). I set the watch to ring at each mile so I can simply glance down and figure my pace. It is also great when traveling as you can run any distance accurately without any planning effort.

I also enjoy downloading data to Sporttracks (third party free software) to see my runs overlayed on a map. Often it maps so accurately it will clearly show which side of the street I ran on and where I crossed from one side to the other. Running has never stopped being fun, but the freedom this device has afforded me has added a new element of enjoyment.

Purchase online at Best Buy

Garmin is one of very few GPS producer to fling units specifically for working and cycling, but fortuitously for fitness buffs, it takes the category badly and offers a solid range of productions that it continually betters. The Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor is positioned just below the new-for-2008 Forerunner 405 in the Garmin line.

Garmin is in general mooted to be the best first-class of GPS for runners and its top-end Forerunner 305 presents why. The Garmin Forerunner 305 provides a complete solution for monitoring, storing, analyzing, and sharing a wide range of workout data. Its built-in GPS capability (including a high-sensitivity receiver that works well even under tree cover or in urban environments) keeps track of where you went, how far, and how fast, with no wires to clutter a bike, and no gadgets to place in a running shoe. The Forerunner 305 includes many customizable features and displays. Its personal computer connectivity grants you upload to computer or online-based digital breeding and route-sharing pricks.

The Forerunner 305 will serve the needs of someone who wants to simply track time, speed, and distance in a basic running or walking program, but it also has enough features to satisfy the most obsessive enthusiast, and is great for someone who needs to share data with a professional trainer or coach.

The 305′s display is all about choices. Using the unit’s relatively easy to learn “mode,” “enter,” and “scroll” buttons, you can partition the display into as few as one large data display, or as many as four. When cycling, for instance, I kept an eye heart rate, current speed and elapsed time.

The unit comes with a wireless heart rate monitor strap, computer docking/charging station, a unattached charger unit, and the Training Center computer software on CD. Setup and installing went swimmingly, but you will exact to spend some time with the manual, and getting accustomed to the button functions.

The Forerunner 305 comes with a data dock that plugs into a computer’s USB port, and this permits you to upload all of your training data into Garmin’s Training Center software, or online to the Motionbased Web site . Storing and analyzing your workout data using these excellent graphing and sharing tools is one of the key benefits of using the 305.

A full set of time, distance, and heart rate zone alerts are completely customizable and will keep you in your desired ranges. You may also vie against a “virtual partner.” Advanced workout options abound.

Garmin Forerunner 305 – GPS Receiver

I have had my Forerunner 305 for a couple of months and I love it. This is the best tool I have ever used for tracking runs with heart rate, mileage, and pace statistics all right there at your finger tips. When you combine this device with the Motionbased web site (free) you really can not beat it. Yes it is expensive but for what it does it really rocks!!!

My experience is that I have no problems connecting to satellites and in fact I can even pick them up when sitting here inside my office. On two occasion since I’ve had the unit I have had to reboot it to get it to find the satellites but other than those two time it always connects within about 15 to 20 seconds. If fact it works so well that I’ve stopped sitting it on the ground and now I just leave it strapped to my arm and let it locate the satellites because it is so quick. As for keeping the GPS siginal I’ve had no problem. I run in the woods under trees and I have yet to lose my GPS signal and when the data is applied to the map functions in Motionbased it is spot on. It is great how well this thing works.

The complaint I have seen several people make about the unit not measuring altitude correctly is mostly resolved by using the Motionbased web site to correct the altitude readings. My unit is always +- 10 feet from one day to the next which is close enough for my purpose.

The one problem I have had (mostly operator error) is that when I’m done running I will press the stop button, the unit confirms the counter has stopped, but on two occasions when I’ve gone to up load the data I found that the Garmin Forerunner 305 kept tracking me all the way home and then kept running even in my house. The end result is that I ended up with about 20 hours of data which was a complete waste and of course had to be discarded as useless. Now I always make sure I turn the unit completely off when I’m done working out so that this does not happen any more. Problem have been solved.

Bottom line is that I’d buy it again with out thinking twice and I’d highly recommend Garmin Forerunner 305 to anyone that is interested in tracking their performance over time. It actually makes working out more fun.