Garmin 305/405 vs Polar RS800SD/G3: Does anyone have experience/opinions on these watches?
710262
I bought a Polar RS800sd about a year ago after I got sick of my (2nd) Nike+ losing data after a run. The polar has been great. Simple to use, detailed info, and from what I've seen pretty accurate. I just bought a Garmin 405. Went to the REI garage sale and they had one for only $160. It was that low because someone returned it saying the band was broken. Check it out and it still looked fine, so I bought it just for the sake of getting a new toy. Just did my first run with it, and as of right now, I like the Polar better. I think I'm just used to that technology and am comfortable with it. The garmin doesn't come with any software. you need to download it all off the web, and it's not super simple to find. Polar came with some offline software which I like a lot. Now, I think once I get used to the forerunner, it may grow on me. There have been a LOT of reviews where people think the garmin is the best, and then there's 3rd party apps that let you map where you've ran. Plus, with the 405, I think you can use it for biking right out of the box. no need for a pod or anything.
1992357
I have found mine to be very accurate, although sometimes it will be off usually about a quarter mile for a 10 miles ruen. I think it has more to do with the movement or adjustment of the satelites rather than the watch, since I have noticed on the peaks website that sometimes the course is really off and has me starting out in Lake Erie. There is not really much you can do about it and all brands pretty much use the same gps. If I am running a course for time, I always measure it by my bike or car for better accuracy. I did do a 10 mile race last fall and it showed 10.07 which was very good. Trees and turns or switchbacks can through it off as well. I have found mine to be very accurate, although sometimes it will be off usually about a quarter mile for a 10 miles ruen. I think it has more to do with the movement or adjustment of the satelites rather than the watch, since I have noticed on the peaks website that sometimes the course is really off and has me starting out in Lake Erie. There is not really much you can do about it and all brands pretty much use the same gps. If I am running a course for time, I always measure it by my bike or car for better accuracy. I did do a 10 mile race last fall and it showed 10.07 which was very... » Read More I have found mine to be very accurate, although sometimes it will be off usually about a quarter mile for a 10 miles ruen. I think it has more to do with the movement or adjustment of the satelites rather than the watch, since I have noticed on the peaks website that sometimes the course is really off and has me starting out in Lake Erie. There is not really much you can do about it and all brands pretty much use the same gps. If I am running a course for time, I always measure it by my bike or car for better accuracy. I did do a 10 mile race last fall and it showed 10.07 which was very good. Trees and turns or switchbacks can through it off as well. « Show Less
1992359
I have found mine to be very accurate, although sometimes it will be off usually about a quarter mile for a 10 miles ruen. I think it has more to do with the movement or adjustment of the satelites rather than the watch, since I have noticed on the peaks website that sometimes the course is really off and has me starting out in Lake Erie. There is not really much you can do about it and all brands pretty much use the same gps. If I am running a course for time, I always measure it by my bike or car for better accuracy. I did do a 10 mile race last fall and it showed 10.07 which was very good. Trees and turns or switchbacks can through it off as well.
840653
I'm fairly confident there is only one version of the 405. You use it with a HR monitor or without. My 305 strap was 100% compatible.
1447348
Garmin Heart Rate Monitor & Strap for Forerunner 50 305 405 410 610 Edge 305 310XT
1832382
Hello Kim, I have had the Garmin S1 for several weeks now and have enjoyed using it. It has helped my game and gives me all that I need - accurate yardage to the front, center and back of the green. I am about a 17 handicap golfer and I do not need the additional features of the S2 and S3 which provide more information to include distance to hazards on the S3. The S2 is maybe $70 to $80 more than the S1 and the S3 maybe another $100. I need glasses to read the small print and appreciate the S1 with the large display of numbers. I could not effectively use the other models without putting on my reading glasses which I do not want to do while playing golf. I hope that helps - Have fun - Jack
116121
I see it too, but I wasn't sure if it meant "elapsed time" rather than the current time.I've actually heard back from Garmin that, yes, this product tells the current time but will not serve well as a watch due to its inability to put GPS to sleep mode, causing battery drainage in about 8 hours. Forerunner 405, on the otherhand, can put the GPS to sleep, conserve battery and be worn as a wrist watch, albeit a big one.
433834
Don't know, never tried the WIND. The sensor that came with this device is crap. IMO, Polar is a bad product when it comes to batteries and convenient of recharging. You'd have to re-buy the entire sensor if battery runs out. You should be switching to Garmin anyways.
116122
Yes, all Garmins have "current time" as a display option. I wouldn't double the 205 as a watch though because of its size. The 110/210/410 or 405 series would be better.
759354
Hi, regarding the difference I'm not sure but maybe in the main page of polar you can find the differences, sometimes it's just accessories compatibility. http://www.polar.com/uk-en. and for your second question, you need to wear the chest strap because it has the computer that sends the heart rate info to your watch, otherwise the watch wouldn't be able to retrieve the data.
1000798
I have a similar question as Bryon has. I have a Garmin Cycling Heart Rate Monitor (305) and was wondering if I could get by if I bought a running 305 and used my existing strap.
1065293
The fenix 2 pretty much does what the forerunner does plus more. For me, looks better than the Suunto Ambit 2, although they are pretty much the same watch. As a fitness watch garmin does a better job of cataloging your workouts and displaying in various formats. Paired with the HRM it's definitely the way to go.
1020415
thx, I guess i'll stick with 540TM :-) I am upgrading from old Garmin that had no map updates and traffic and hopefully it would be worth it at this price. I did use one of the TOM TOM models (smaller one) for a 2600 miles trip in the west coast and routing was really good.
1001287
I would call garmin cust svc ! They are very helpful .. G2 vision is well worth the investment
2152077
I took back the 301 and got a 401 for the compass. A good decision. With the 401 you get speed, maximum speed and moving averge speed. No calculation needed. Just read the display.
1000796
Just curious, I'm thinking of getting the 305, but I already have a Polar HRM... Did you say that your Polar strap works with your 305? If so, that'd be nice not to have to purchase a second strap.
1076548
As others have answered I would recommend this for both trail running and road races. It is possible that you will lose gps on some of the trails, but that is going to be the case with any gps watch. For OCR's, I have a friend who used this on one and he said it did fine. I think the best match for you would be the 910. If you are looking to stay within a certain price range, the 410 would work, but you may want to consider the 910.