725x only for road use or what?

[Cois]

Okay so on the mud bath of Friday I had a problem with my 725x again.

 

That big red bottom got stuck after I tried to get some mud of my chain.  So in effect the unit hung up.  No data captured for the last 10 km.

 

Now this is the 2nd time it happened so I took the red bottom off.  Now thee is just a nice metal bottom to press if I need to start the unit.

 

So now I decided that I need a Garmin for my MTB and will stick the polar to the road bike.  I also think that polar should place a bit notice on the 725x that it should not get muddy water on the unit so it is not great for MTBiking.

 

Is there anyone else with  problem like this or is it just me?

 

[RickA]

I have a Polar S720 which I use with both my Road and MTB. With the exception of a couple of scratches on the lens (from wiping off mud splatter) I have never had any problems with it on either road or MTB.

 

Last year at the Epic the Polar guys handed out clear plastic stickers which covered the front face of the watch including the red button to provide a bit of protection - they worked very well. Have not seen the stickers since then, but I'm sure it should be possible to do something similar.

 

Good luck

Rick

[Cois]

Gha, sound like you have to wrap it in a condom to keep it mud free.  You just posted that polar knows that you must place a plastic cover over the red bottom to keep it working in muddy conditions. 

Just to give you an idea, I had mud up my nose after the ride.  That might be the reason why it stopped working...

Oh yes and welcome RickA

 

[IanJ]

Cois, I am on my third Garmin 305 in a year. They don't seem to like water either.

 

They always swap them out without an argument but it is the inconvenience of having to wait 3-4 days for them to send a new unit to me.

[Cois]

Oh my goodness.

Okay

Is there any unit out there with the 725X's capability's that can work under water and keep on working if it is -15 degrees outside.  Oh and if there is tons of mud on it, it must keep working.  Is this only a dream or is there a watch / GPS or something out there that can do all this?

 

Oh did I mention that I can get lost on my way home from work?

 

[Guest Big H]

Cois, I bought this in Bloemfontein a few days ago...... I think it was at 360 degrees. Not elegant but it will protect and maybe even keep mud out.

 

[Cois]

Oom how on earth do you get to that red bottom under that thing?

 

 

[Guest Big H]

Die ding is gemaak van sagte silikon. Polar verkoop dit. Dit lyk dalk tappit maar dit werk.

[Delgado]

Those plastic covers were initially made for dive watches and they help magnify the data readout. If you battle to get one try any dive shop and I know Suunto make them available for their Mosquito watches! 

[Cois]

 

Die ding is gemaak van sagte silikon. Polar verkoop dit. Dit lyk dalk tappit maar dit werk.

Ek sal bietjie uitkyk vir een.  Thanks oom H

 

[Johan Bornman]

What Cois described is a classic Polar 720 problem. That one flaws mars an otherwise excellent product that has remained on the market for many, many years without modification. Something to commend in this day and age where yesterday's product is obsolete tomorrow.

 

It's a pity that you took the button off but I understand that you may want to do that in the field. I prefer to take the necessary screwdrivers with me on multi-day rides and just service the watch at night. I doubt that the silicon cover pictured here will help, since it is muddy water, not necessary grit that jams the button.

 

To fix it, open it from the back, shake out the guts, press the button back out from behind and flush with plenty of clean water. Dry the casing with a hairdryer before re-assembling.

 

I wish Polar would redesign that button. It is its organic shape that causes the problem, a flush-fitting square button will work better.

 

You can prevent the problem by wrapping the watch in clingwrap before a wet ride.

Johan Bornman2008-03-25 02:39:29