GPS

[BigBoy10]

I would like to buy a GPS/Heart Rate Monitor exc. Any advise on what to buy and waht works best?

 

Been to a few shops but its a lot of sales talk.

[Minion]

How do you plan to use it? Do you plan to use it for navigation or just recording? Are you using it only on your bike? Do you ever intend to get something like a power meter?

 

[Daxiet]

Think about why you would need GPS, because if you REALLY need it, Garmin is possibly the only option.

 

I have plenty complaints with my Garmin, the Cadence/Speed sensor being a fickle as they come. Mine broke after 3 months someone else I bumped into had his die after 1 month. Apparently they are not water resistant, let alone proof. If you can do away with GPS, look at the Polar, it can do altitude and everything else you need besides GPS.

 

[OneMac]

If you want to nonitor fitness, go Polar. If you are on Discovery, you can ger Vitality points when you upload your data.

If you need a GPS go Garmin

[Guest Agteros]

 

You can get a Polar RS800 with an optional external GPS device.. BUT this is quite expensive...

 

Do you need it for cycling only, or are you a multisport athlete?

 

The question as asked.. Fitness monitoring or tracking?

 

The Garmin PC training software is quite horrendous, Polar Protrainer is not... My  info on tracking with Polar is sketchy, however it seems like it can only be overlayed in Google Earth (?) Garmin can be overlayed over their maps.

 

You can use Sporttrack from www.zonefivesoftware.com for Garmin - it is WAAAY better than the Garmin software, you just need to get use to it (everything seems to be hidden somewere initially) - The Polar import for it is not 100% up to scratch yet

 

</2cents>

 

Agteros2009-08-12 12:50:26

[Windbreaker]

 

If you want to nonitor fitness' date=' go Polar. If you are on Discovery, you can ger Vitality points when you upload your data.

If you need a GPS go Garmin

[/quote']Or go Polar and Nokia.

 

[Guest Agteros]

 

If you want to nonitor fitness' date=' go Polar. If you are on Discovery, you can ger Vitality points when you upload your data.

If you need a GPS go Garmin

[/quote']Or go Polar and Nokia.

 

Not Nokia... The phone is too big, and the battery does not last long enough. I've had a N95-1, which I've used with sportstracker, and the accuracy and ability to stayed lock-on is  not up to the same level as the Forerunner 405

 

[EigerSA]

There's also the Mercury 100 Bike/Runner GPS which also overlays on Google Maps and Earth... I think it retails for about R1400.00

[Rob22]

I see very varied replies to your question but I have a Garmin 305 and it works very well. I however use a Polar for HR because I upload to Discovery.

 

But the Garmin is great!!

[BigBoy10]

Hi

 

Thank you for all the replies, I am a bit of a multisport fan, but was hoping I would not have to buy a polar and a Garmin.

 

If you buy both and you cycle will the electronics not get messed up? Will your heart rate still go to the polar and the rest to the garmin?

 

 

[hagar]

705 edge and you can use it to navigate too off the bike !!! have not had a days problem in the year i have had it !!!

[Daxiet]

Polar and Garmin will not interfere with each other, from the Garmin side, you pair the HR and GSC10 with the Garmin device.

 

 

 

Keep in mind the Garmin 305 and 705's have built in batteries and

require charging every 9-12hrs (305 more frequently than 705). Furthermore like any rechargable battery, the battery will degrade over time until one day it hardly lasts. Now I don't know if Avnic can replace the battery, from the sounds of things they don't put any tools to the Garmin devices they sell. I will cross this bridge one day, until then it just is a concern I have.

 

[MCDreyer]

I've got a Polar R800CX Multi. It comes standard with the G3 GPS device and heart rate belt and works perfectly!

 

I use it for triathlon and gives excellent data that you can use for analysis as well as use on Google earth. Battery life of G3 unit is more than 16 hours compared to the 8 hours of the Garmin Forerunner where your watch goes dead also.

 

With the G3 you buy rechargeble batteries for the unit only and I can vouch for a quality unit that works.

 

Problem: it would cost you araound R6,500.

[Minion]

You don't need to buy both a Polar and a Garmin. They each have strengths and weaknesses, so which one you do actually buy depends a lot on how you intend to use it.

[OneMac]

The SportTracks (www.zonefivesoftware.com) software is great with my Garmin 705. At last I can start to track things properly.

Now I would recommend the Garmin 705 (If Descovery Vitality points is not NB)

 

[Justin]

 

 

If you want to nonitor fitness' date=' go Polar. If you are on Discovery, you can ger Vitality points when you upload your data.

 

If you need a GPS go Garmin

[/quote']Or go Polar and Nokia.

Not Nokia... The phone is too big, and the battery does not last long enough. I've had a N95-1, which I've used with sportstracker, and the accuracy and ability to stayed lock-on is? not up to the same level as the Forerunner 405

 

 

 

I use my Nokia N73 with GPS dongle and sportstracker and it lasts very long. Battery has not died on me yet...of the phone or dongle. I use it along with my Polar to get heart rate.