Garmin 305 is perfect for skate skiing. Compared to new GPS watches it is large. Wearing gloves, though rather thin ones, the size of the buttons is an advantage and makes it easier to push the correct one while skating. The menu is simple. The charging dock works well. The large face is easy to see at a glance.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
well, it's good and accurate watch that entitle it's user the ability to keep track of his running and performance . the downside of this watch is it's limited capacity to store data , count steps and sleep duration. the other issue is synchronization with Garmin connect which is big trap and Garmin technical support need a lot of work to fix and update this issue. The watch alert sound is sound able.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I bought the Garmin because I am currently training for my first Marathon, and I'm curious as to what my heart rate is doing. It's my first wrist GPS, so I have not suffered through past technologies and my backround is very shallow. If it is relevant, this one is a refurb that runs flawlessly. The upside: It gets great signal just about everywhere outside. I once left it running in my luggage during a flight to Omaha and it managed to record movement data until the battery died. It reliably shows my drive to the airport, wandering around the airport, and zipping along at 400 mph at 40,000 feet. The software is easy to use, and the docking station makes uploading your data a breeze. It is also pretty darn water resistant, which is a big plus as I've put in about 40 miles in the rain this month. It also seems to be very accurate distance wise, as when my running group compares distances at the end of the run we're typically within a tenth of a mile or so of each other. The downside: It's still a bit bulky. I would also like to have the option of displaying my heartrate more prominently. I also don't particularly like the map contained in the software, but if you're clever you can import it into google earth. Generally I don't because it's time consuming, and I pretty much know where I've been anyway. Overall, the Garmin 305 is a fine product, that I will surely hold onto for years after its successor hits the market.Read full review
My wife had the 305 and she loved it. Last year running the Chicago Marathon she was hit hard by another runner, knocking the Garmin completely off her wrist, and down a storm drain. She was using the quick detach mount system. She runs triathlons and marathons, the reason she likes the 305 is because it works on her bike with the pedal sensor and wheel sensor accessories. She can easily track cadence, etc. Also, the quick detach mount lets her switch easily from the bike to the run. The watch clips onto a mount on the handlebars, and then clips onto the wrist strap. Only takes a second to transition. However! As she knows all too well, if you get hit too hard on the wrist, the 305 can get knocked off. If you are just running, use the standard watch style wrist strap. The Garmin I ordered from Ebay was used, intended as a replacement for the one my wife lost. Garmin has discontinued the 305. The used one ended up not working properly and I had to send it back. Thank you Ebay Buyer Protection! When purchasing a used 305, be very careful that it powers up properly, charges properly, and will run for an acceptable length of time. There are several small holes on the base of the Garmin where the speaker is located. The holes allow the beeps to be heard. They also allow moisture, usually sweat, to infiltrate the unit, which causes corrosion over time. Once the corrosion is bad enough, the battery is compromised. Garmin charges about $80 to recondition the 305. So, beware of the condition of the battery. The unit will power on when it is connected to the charging unit, even though the battery won't actually charge. Make sure it stays on when it is off the charging unit. That was the problem with the used one we got from Ebay. It would power on only when attached to the charger. Other than a minor design flaw they are a great unit.Read full review
I have had my Forerunner 305 for almost 3 weeks now. Previous to this I used a Polar S150 (wired bike mount) for several years and a entry level Polar before that, so I am used to basic heart rate monitor but not advance data recording or GPS. I have tested the Forerunner 305 running, biking and swimming and have been generally very impressed. General: The concept of acquiring satellites before I get going took a little getting used to. After the first couple of times I generally get satellite acquisition within about 30 seconds as long as I am outside or in my enclosed front porch. I set the unit down so that it is completely stationary while acquiring satellites. I get spotty to no reception indoors. The heart rate monitor functions well in comparison to my Polars. I have only had erratic heart readings at the end of one bike ride (fixed by adjusting the strap), which is better performance than I generally would get with the Polars (Except for Swimming, see below). The grade measurements are so erratic as to be totally useless. I have had the grade measurement vary from 8% to 25% back down to 5% within one minute of sustained climbing on the bike. I believe this is due to a poor averaging algorithm (2 point average as opposed to smoother averages involving more points). This is something I intended to test once I figure out how to access the raw data. Data recording is interesting, but is highly dependent on the software used to analyze it. Training center software is decent but unsophisticated (lack of user configurable option is disappointing in a $300+ product). Motion Based has been fun to use, especially the map player. As noted in a previous post of mine errors in distance calculations arise due to Motion Based insistence on connecting erratic track points recorded when you are standing still. Running: To this point I have done about half a dozen runs of 3-3.5 miles each on a couple of different courses. Mostly I run on trails with trees (no real leaves as of yet) with some street and open field running mixed in. Generally in the trees I average an accuracy of about 25 ft, which I consider to be pretty good. The tracks and distances are both reproducible to within this approximate 25 ft range. I have found the “instantaneous” pace to be somewhat erratic but generally within approximately 5% of the short term mean. The auto stop feature (I have it set to stop if pace falls below 30 min mile) working decently on the run but occasionally does not register that I am stopped. Overall I am very excited to easily track my running distance and have a pretty good idea of my pace. Biking: Used for approximately 10 bike rides both on and off road. Despite some concerns that the antenna faces the wrong way when mounted on the handlebars (I mount mine by wrapping the monitor around a piece of foam) I generally get great GPS reception on the bike. Accuracy is generally about 15 ft on open road and 25-30 ft.on trails. The speed and distance seems to be very accurate and the precision (reproducibility) is within 1%. The auto stop feature works extremely well on the bike, starting and stopping the unit within 1 second. The one down side is that the buttons you are most likely to use for cycling are on the side of the unit (the up/down and occasionally the mode button). Swimming: I have only tested in an indoor swimming pool, hoping to be able to record my heart rate. Unfortunately, unlike my Polar S150 the heart rate signal cannot be measurRead full review
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