Next Generation Forerunner

Today, Garmin official unveiled the next generation Forerunner at the Consumer Electronics Show. Images and chatter of the new sleek design have been on the message boards for more than a month. The word was out when CES blessed it as an honoree for their 2006 Innovation Award.

Now that we are part of the Garmin machine it goes without saying and we’d be crazy not to, but we might as well make it official and spell it out, MotionBased will support the Forerunner 205 & 305. Garmin says units will be available in February, MB support will immediately follow.

We got our first prototypes a few weeks ago, and have been testing in earnest since. Our initial impressions are strong. While most will be struck by the new body style, it’s what’s under the hood that impresses us. After all, it’s all about the data. Right? Like the Edge, Forerunner 205 & 305 have SiRFstarIIITM architecture. That means dramatically improved GPS reception. We’ve subjected our prototypes to GPS torture – Muir Woods tree cover, Skeggs Point canyons, and downtown skyscrapers – and they’ve performed like a champs. We were blown away to see our route up-and-down the isles of our local Best Buy. Check out this run though Muir Woods - the tallest trees on earth

We’ve also been pleased with the heart rate monitor, improved accuracy and softer material than its predecessor. Both the Edge and Forerunner 305’s use the new HRM. The course feature is also new to the Forerunner, (read more about couses - Edge post). Courses enable users to download activities form the MotionBased TrailNetwork or your personal Digest for real time Dot Racing on the device. That’s right, you can race yourself or challenge your friends. Don’t forget, safety first. We don’t need anyone getting hurt our there…

Do yourself a favor, step into the next generation of GPS.

Comments

[Greg]

I am looking for a portable GPS/HR Monitor unit that I can use on both my bike and running. If I could use it for swimming that would be an added bonus. My questions are:

1) For multisport activities which device would work better the Edge 305 or the Forerunner 305?
2) How do the bike features on the Forerunner 305 compare to the Edge 305?
3) Can you use the Cadence option on the Forerunner?
4) Both products state that they meet IEC 60529 IPX7 standards. While I have read the description of this standard I am not really sure how that would translate to actual use. Can you use these devices while swimming (i.e. triathlon swimming not SCUBA diving)?

Thanks

The HR profile from the Ocean View workout above looks pretty herky-jerky. Any comments?

[Mike]

Greg,
You ask some good questions in search of the perfect multi-sport device.
A few thoughts:

1) Forerunner 305 crosses over better, since it can be worn on your wrist for running. While the Edge form factor demands an upper arm strap and you lose sight of the display.

2) Features are similar. Smaller screen, no barometric altimeter, and limited handle bar mounting options are the draw backs of the Forerunner 204 & 305 for cycling.

3) Yes, the Forerunner picks-up and displays cadence. I’m not sure if it's available on both units. Here’s what the Forerunner news release page says, "Speed, heart rate (305 only), cadence, elevation, and pace may be graphed all at once or individually."

4) I forget the exact specs too, but we've had more success with the FR201 and FT201 for swimming. Like the FR205&305 they have contact points with data cradles, rather than mini-USB ports. A zip-lock bag under a swim cap is the safe route and best placement for GPS reception.

Hope this helps,
Mike

[Alma Carnicle]

I own a Forerunner 201. Please keep me informed of the new Edge model as it is released.
Thank you, looking forward to it.

[Aaron]

The HR profile from the Ocean View workout above looks pretty herky-jerky. Any comments?

You are correct. It is a beta unit and that is having problems, but overall the heart rate is superior to any other heart rate monitor I have used. Check out a better example:

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=388736

[Alastair Brown]

Looks great - and do these devices support the Mac?

[George Israel]

I saw the device at CES and looks sweet, I can't wait to take it windsurfing.

[Tom]

I saw Garmin at MacWorld, and MotionBased/Garmin Mac support is the best news I heard at the show. Fantastic! I look forward to buying a 305 as soon as it's ready. Hurry up! Thanks...

[Clark Weber]

Alastair,

Garmin and MotionBased officially announced GPS product support for Mac OS X yesterday. Check out the press release... http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/011006.html

The Forerunner and Edge product lines will be the first to get the love.

[Mark]

Can the Forerunner display my position as a grid reference, like my Geko can? Cant seem to find it looking through the manual.

Mark

[Clark Weber]

The Forerunner does not display lat/lon information. It was primarily designed to track performance and not to be used as a pure navigational tool. At the same time, the device knows your location so why not let you configure it to display that information. I've forwarded your request to the product team.

[Hank]

I have noted a number of merchants are selling a device called the "Forerunner 305 North," usually for about $75 cheaper than the recommended $349 price. The part number of 010-00467-02 is also slightly different from the part number listed on Garmin's web site, 010-00467-00. Does anyone know if this item is different in any way from the Forerunner 305 we've been hearing all the raves about?

[Tommy Yonley]

The Garmin page for the Edge 305 (http://www.garmin.com/products/edge305/) clearly states "Track log: 13,000 track points".

However, Garmin page for the the Forerunner 305, mentions nothing of track logging. However, based on what I read in the manual (page 42), the Forerunner 305 does indeed have thes same data recording capability as the Edge 305 (compare page 62 of the Edge manual to page 42 of the Forerunner manual).

As an athlete, I am very interested in being able to download a log of my speed and my heart rate over time--which it seems is exactly what this unit can do.

Why did I have to spend a bunch of time reading through manuals to figure out such a basic feature of this product; that is, why does Garmin seemingly want to hide this information?

If I merely wanted to know my heart rate and speed during training (my sport is canoing/kayaking), there are tons of cheap GPS's and heartrate monitors that will do the job for ~$75 each on ebay (so $150 would easily buy a setup that gives speed and HR monitoring). Although an all in one wrist unit is cool looking and convenient, I would not pay an extra $200 to get it.

The real reason to get this unit is data logging.

To get a comparable setup (giving both speed and HR data logging), you would need a $230+ HRM (eg. the Polar S610i) and a $130+ GPS (eg. Etrex Legend)--this totals ~$360, which is more than the street price of the Forerunner/Edge 305. So now that the total price is less, all of the extra features, ergonomics, convenience, and coolness make the choice a no brainer.

As far as I am concerned this unit is the ultimate training tool (unless you really need certain esoteric features). My only gripe with it is the battery life. I do ultra endurance racing (the Texas Water Safari) so I will be doing training runs longer than 10 hours, but 99% of people train under 10 hours 99% of the time so it is understandable. (I have an idea about making an external battery pack to charge the unit while paddling--putting everything in a waterproof container of course.)

- TY

[Richard]

The comments about 201-style interfaces and docking stations are a little bothersome to me. One of the things that I absolutely adore about the 301 is that it uses a mini-USB port. This lets me sync activities and charge the device with a standard cable. I use the same cable to sync and charge my celphone and camera, for that matter. Contrast this to the time last year when I was in Germany and my proprietary 201 dock broke - if it wasn't for another hotel guest who also had a 201, I'd been out of luck.

Open standards are good things to use, guys.

[Clark Weber]

Richard,

The Forerunner 205/305 uses the same mini-USB cable to charge and synchronize data between device and computer. However, the 205/305 comes with a mini docking station with that mini-USB plug. You will need to bring that mini dock when traveling which can be pain in the butt. The plus side is that putting the mini-USB slot on the docking station -- the Forerunner just became A LOT more waterproof which was a problem with the older Forerunner 301 model.

[Chelseared]

Are you saying the edge 305 only lasts on the original battery life 10 hours or less? Whats the solution to record all of a 15-20 hour ride? Is there one?

[zsmith]

I have the 201, like the looks of the 205. However, I'm only 15 (male) and I have tiny wrists. Is this going to be too big for me to wear? I usually wear the 201 on my arm (small and weak to), but sometimes on my wrist where it is big.

[zsmith]

Also, is the elevation more accurate in the 205 than 201?

[Clark Weber]

Chelseared,

The latest Garmin fitness devices have the following battery life with typical usage:

Edge 205/305 = 12 hours
Forerunner 205/305 = 10 hours

Garmin is exploring options to add more battery power to the Edge. I don't know the exact solution or timeline. If you are worried about battery life for long rides in excess of 12 hours, you may want to look at other Garmin GPS devices that take alkaline batteries -- (e.g. eTrex Vista CX or Geko 301)

[Clark Weber]

zsmith,

Even though the Forerunner 205/305 looks bulkier than the Forerunner 201/301, it fits snuggly on the wrist. I find it more comfortable than the older models. If it is too big, you can always use the expander strap included in the box and where the device on your upper arm like you're doing now.

In regards to elevation , I've found the Forerunner 205/305 to give better elevation data than the Forerunner 201/301 due to improved GPS reception. That said, elevation data calculated from GPS is far from perfect. For that reason, some Garmin GPS devices use a barometric altimeter to calibrate the GPS elevation.

MotionBased also gives you option to apply MB Gravity to all activities posted to MotionBased which will more times than not clean up your elevation data.

http://clarque.typepad.com/mblog/2005/05/mb_gravity_elev.html

[zsmith66]

ok thanks,

i do use the MB Gravity feature and find it helpful. I was wondering because of the elevation plot on one of the advertisments of the forerunner.

is the expander similar (velcro) to the 201, or is it more of a watch strap? my wrist (left, where I would wear the watch) in a fist similar to while running is only 5 1/2" round, so i'd probably end up with it on my arm unless you think it gets that small

[Clark Weber]

zsmitt66,

It's the same velcro strap as the Forerunner 201/301.

[zsmith]

This is kind of a dumb question, but would you say that Amazon is the most reliable place to get one? Are there any better running websites I should order from? My local running shop doesn't carry the 201's and I don't think they plan on it any time soon. I wouldn't be in a rush to get one but I'm running the Freescale 1/2 Marathon in Austin on the 19th and leave to go there on the 16th. Currently Amazon has the release as Feb. 13th, so if I bought it with next day shipping, would I have a good shot of getting it atleast on the 15th? Is Amazon accurate with their release dates?

Thanks for the help Clark!

(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSQJ8C/ref=pd_kar_gw_1/002-8260150-2944832?%5Fencoding=UTF8&%5Fencoding=UTF8)

[knightowld]

does Garmin develop any new functionality for the TrainingCenter?
The slides on garmins homepage made me think so.

Knightowld

[Bill Johnson]

My sport is Endurance riding (horses). I currently have a 301 with the heart rate strap modified to fit my horse (horse heart rate is an integral part of the sport). We do our rides in backcountry & national forests. My wish list for the *401* includes a backlight, and the ability to download map data into the watch. I would settle for a 5 square mile download, but would prefer more. Has Garmin considered Xd memory cards for data storage? I know there is a waterproof issue, my 301's power cover stopped sealing the second time I used it.

Also, I have built a battery pack for my 301. The hardest part was making a 90 degree mini-usb connector.