Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor and USB ANT Stick
by Garmin
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Forerunner 50 Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor and USB ANT Stick
Customer Review: great replacement for my old Polar heart rate monitor
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this to replace an old heart rate monitor. I love the wealth of features in the watch, compared to my old watch that just displayed my heart rate. The only downside I've discovered so far is that the heart rate doesn't seem to be picked up by cardio equipment at the gym like with my old monitor. Not a biggie, but nice to see it on the display instead of having to glance at my watch all the time.Customer Review: Usually works but with problematic flaws
Summary: 2 Stars
It should work so I'll save space and not mention what works (as it all should work and Garmin doesn't get bonus points for a product doing what it is supposed to do). The start stop button is on the side (at 3 O'clock position) and frequently it gets pushed by my arm/wristband during a workout so that it stops logging data. Now I have to frequently keep an eye on it to ensure it is running which is annoying not to mention that I lose workout data that I would like to have had logged. Data transfer often doesn't work (admittedly that might have something to do with Vista as well). Stopping and starting the service, rebooting my computer and switching the usb device to different ports is standard fare if you want to get data onto your computer. It will not pick up my heart rate until I am well into the workout (ie sweaty). This is something that is easy to correct by purchasing gel or getting the chest band wet first but this is something I never had to deal with when I used my older polar monitors. I wouldn't buy one again. Customer Review: Don't buy it!
Summary: 1 Stars
I received the FR50 as an Xmas gift. I used it twice between Xmas and surgery in the first week of January. After I was cleared to run again (in March), I had to replace both batteries.
After running with a partner that has a model 305, I realized that I had to calibrate my FR50. It was calculating a route at a distance of 4.2 miles, when I knew that the route was only 3.67 miles. That's not within 10%, which is what is indicated in the user manual. Calibration is a pain, mainly because the controls are not intuitive at all and the user manual sucks. Once I got it calibrated, it measured the same route fairly accurately. But, when I looked at the history page on the display, I discovered that it was storing my training runs using the pre-calibrated distances. So, my 3.67-mile route was being stored at distances ranging from 4.17 to 4.23 miles.
About the batteries...the next time I change the batteries, I'll have to recalibrate...if I'm still using it.
I thought this was going to be an upgrade from a Mio Sport, but it isn't. I'm ready to junk this and go back to the Mio Sport. I can get my distances using a Google mapping tool for runners and log my times using an Excel spreadsheet.
Don't buy this product. The frustration factor is too high for any benefits that you might achieve.
Customer Review: HR Zones lacking
Summary: 1 Stars
Beware -even though it is written that you can progam in HR zones - in fact there is only one zone that you can set. So this monitor is usless if you want to see or you want a record of which HR zones you have have trained in. Because of this I sent mine back. Ended up getting a Sports Instrument 9 (which is sold all over the place for cheap because it is not made anymore) which does have the five zones. Doesn't download to a computer though, so you have to write the data down if you want to keep it.Customer Review: Multiple options for losing your workout data
Summary: 3 Stars
First, some good things. I like Garmin in general. I use their GPS products and they're up to par. But let me describe several incidents with this particular product to give you an idea whether you should get it for yourself.
* It took me multiple attempts to pair the watch with the foot pod. Only after I swapped the batteries between the heart rate monitor and the foot pod did I find out that it came with a dead battery. Not a good out-of-box experience, Garmin.
* The software comes with warnings to NOT insert the USB stick prior to installation. Unfortunately, that is exactly what I did, and it later took me several reboots, and an uninstall-reinstall cycle to get it to work.
* The program for monitoring the USB stick runs continuously after you install it. It eats a good portion of your CPU (I watched it using a special tool and it continuously polls for USB stick data instead). When you exit it, the option "run when Windows starts" is always pre-selected for you. It's as if a web site offered to subscribe you to unwanted e-mails every time you logged out. Is it proper etiquette?
* After a 1.5 hour run, I pressed the Stop button on the watch, which printed the word "stop" on the screen. I didn't exactly have their manual stuffed in my pocket. But with this watch, "stop" is not the right button to press. Instead, I you should hold down the Lap/Reset button for 3 seconds, then press View. If you don't, you will lose your workout data.
* At another time, I ran the Garmin training manager software prior to uploading data. Unfortunately, if you do that, an error message comes up "Since the training manager software is running, your data cannot be imported". And you'll never see your workout again, since it's been deleted from the watch during the download.
After this, ahem, miserable experience, I put the Forerunner 50 away and bought a Suunto T3C. It cost me 3 times as much (they charge $99 just for the PC pod, sold separately), and it only keeps average workout data (it doesn't have a detailed log). And yet, I'm happy with it. Their software is a pleasure to use. It worked straight out of the box, and it doesn't come with a separate "ant monitor". You start up Suunto Training Manager lite, press a button on your watch, and your data is downloaded and displayed.