Polar G1 GPS Speed and Distance Sensor Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a Polar S725x Heart Rate Monitor user and I've been using the Polar S1 Foot Pod diligently for my runs and walks. I like the light weight feel of the Footpod. After having seen the buzz here about the G1 GPS, I had to give it a shot. Prior to using the s725x, I was actually a Timex Bodylink user. The Bodylink system is a heart rate monitor, speed, distance, and altitude system. I switched over to Polar because heart rate data is more important to me than anything else. Here's my review of the G1:
What you get: G1 GPS Unit, Armband, AA battery, and a nice little storage pouch.
First off, the weight initially feels a little heavy. Compared to the Timex GPS unit, the G1 is just a tad heavier. After having it strapped to my upper arm for a few minutes though, I forgot that it was there. So it's just a matter of getting used to it being there.
Set-up: When I first powered up the unit, the G1 took about three minutes to find a signal.
Now on to accuracy...
TEST #1: I decided to head out to Fort Funston here in San Francisco and take a walk along a path where I know the precise distance. Not only that, but I decided to bring along my Magellan Explorist 210 GPS. This GPS uses the highly accurate WAAS system. The roundtrip distance for the walk is 1.11 miles. There isn't that much tree cover, and when I did pass under a tree canopy, it was only for a distance of 100 feet or so. I didn't experience any loss in signal. At 0.7 miles on my GPS, the Polar G1 started to deviate a little bit. The G1 was reading 0.75. The deviation of 0.05 miles remained at the One Mile mark. But at the end of the walk, my GPS read 1.1 miles while the Polar G1 registered 1.2 miles. Of course, this is without calibration. (I've done this path before to test the S1 Footpod and found the deviation to only be 0.025 miles, so out of the box the S1 was more accurate without calibration.)
One thing I did notice about the G1 is that it seems to sample speed at a rate of about 3 seconds or so. Sometimes it was bang-on with the speed on my GPS, and sometimes it was catching up to it.
TEST #2: Now with the Running Feature calibrated for the deviation, I decided to walk the same path again. The GPS was powered off, then powered on again. It took about 45 seconds to find a signal. This time the measurement came out to just shy of 1.1 miles, so it's pretty close. With a little more calibration, it should be okay.Comparisons to the Timex Bodylink: I've never used a Garmin HRM before, so I can't comment on those, but in comparing this G1 to the Timex GPS sensor, the Timex wins hands down. With the Timex, you get speed, distance, elevation, and logging features. Also, the battery lasts 20+ hours. I figured Polar could have done some forward-thinking with this unit and added some of those features. Perhaps they will when the new rs800cx comes out, or with the new FT series watches. So this is why I only give it 4/5 stars, because it doesn't have as many features as the Timex GPS.
Final Thoughts: I bought the Polar s725x because Polar is the absolute best when it comes to EKG accurate heart rate monitors. For me, my heart and its health is more important than anything else. Every other perk of the technology is just an added bonus. Sure, I do like to log distance and mileage, but when it comes to miles, I'm more interested in 10ths of a mile than anything more accurate than that.
I plan to alternate using the G1 and my S1 Footpod, depending on where I decide to walk or run. I'll use the G1 when I know I'll be in an area with a lot of open space, and the S1 when I know I'll be in an area with a lot of tree-cover.
One more thing about the G1. Now that it's out there, the Polar s625x and the s725x have become true multisport computers. I can now do some crosstraining, like kayaking and inline skating, and have a multitude of data that I can now analyze. For that alone, I think it's worth it.

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Track your speed and distance while wearing a Polar training computer with the Polar G1 GPS sensor. A terrific alternative to the Polar S1 foot pod, the G1 is compatible with the Polar RS200, RS400, S625X, and S725X wrist-top training computers. Once you're wearing the G1, the sensor employs SIRF StarIII GPS technology to measure speed and distance for sports that don't exceed 18.3 miles per hour, such as running, kayaking, cross-country skiing, or recreational inline skating. As the G1 compiles the data, your training computer will do the rest, putting you through the paces on your workout routine.
The easy-to-use, water-resistant sensor calculates its position by measuring the distance between itself and three or more GPS satellites. Note that GPS positioning requires satellite visibility to work, thus it will only work reliably outdoors, and not in valleys between tall trees and buildings. GPS signals also rely on radio frequencies (RF), and therefore won't go through metal or water. The G1, which works with AA batteries, offers a battery life of up to 10 hours in warm conditions or up to 15 hours in low-power mode. The sensor also weighs a lightweight 2.82 ounces.
About Polar The first EKG accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar back in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. The concept of "intensity training" by heart rate swept the athletic world in the '80s. By the 1990s, individuals were looking to heart rate monitors not only for performance training needs, but also for achieving everyday fitness goals. Today, the same concept of heart rate training is being used by world-class athletes as well as everyday people trying to lose weight. Polar is the leading brand among consumers, coaches, and personal trainers worldwide, and the company is committed to not only producing the best products, but also being the leading educator on the benefits of heart-rate-based exercise.

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Polar RS200sd Heart Rate Monitor Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had this watch/foot pod combo for 9 months now and have logged over a thousand miles in that time, so I've come to know this system's ups and downs pretty well by now. I'm happy to report it's mostly ups.
In terms of design, the watch (aka "running computer") is exactly what I've been looking for. It's taken Polar a long time to design a watch I truly like, but they've finally done it. What I like most is that its options are almost completely customizable. During exercise, you can set five different screens with three different lines of output (eg, heart rate, pace, total distance, total time, lap time, calories, etc), which is fantastic. In fact, because I can customize each of the five screens, I find that I can put all the relevant info I need on just two and then toggle back and forth between them while I'm running. You can even set the heart-touch function to change screens for you if you wish (whereby, you bring the watch close to the chest strap and it triggers one of three functions - lap conclusion, back light, or screen view).
Aside from output, the watch also has a host of other great features, including fully customizable workout routines (eg, free, basic, interval, and user-created). What I've done is create "Easy", "Long" and "Fast" routines, each with a different heart rate range so that I can easily monitor my effort without having to think.
The watch also has a "sleep" mode, where you can turn off the watch when not in use to conserve battery power, as well as other key features like a fitness test (which measures your resting heart rate (RHR) and VO2max) and even an event countdown calendar. I now know at any moment how many days I have before the San Francisco Marathon (my first). It's a true motivator and really nice touch. Polar really did think of everything with this watch in terms of design. Perfect.
The foot pod is also well-designed. Physically, it's very sturdy and feels like a smooth round rock you might find at the bottom of a stream. It's actually larger and seemingly heavier than I expected it to be, which concerned me at first, but after attaching it to my shoe, I literally could not tell it was there. As a result, it's the best of both worlds: rock-solid sturdy but unnoticeable while running. Another great feature is that the foot pod will automatically turn off after a certain period of inactivity, again conserving battery power. Great.
Not much to say on the chest strap, except that it's infinitely more comfortable than the previous design and seems to work well (I haven't had the problem of having to clean the contacts before every use as one reviewer mentioned; I merely wet it before starting, and then lightly wash it in warm water when finished).
If design were the only issue, this watch/pod combo would earn six stars from me. However, there are a couple of minor concerns of which one should be aware:
1) It took me a LONG time to calibrate the foot pod. Initially, I did as the manual suggested and ran around a track at a medium pace for 1200 meters (three laps). At that time, the calibration read 1.093, meaning that I was covering 1,093 meters for every 1,000 meters the foot pod was detecting. This is quite a margin of error, especially because Polar stated the foot pod should be 97% accurate right out of the box (implying that any calibration should end up somewhere between 0.970 and 1.030). This clearly was not the case for me. Worse still, the resulting mileages were way off when I actually ran known distances. Thinking hills could affect the calibration, I proceeded to recalibrate on a variety of courses and at varying distances (up to as much as 10K/6.1M). Every time, I got a different reading, ranging from 1.004 to 1.027. Finally, through triangulation and a bit of interpolation, I arrived at a manual calibration of 1.010, and it now seems to be accurate within +/- 2 meters per kilometer. Still not perfect, but certainly closer to the 99% that Polar claims you can achieve with individual calibration.
So, what's the moral of the story? If you only need/want approximations of your running distances, the foot pod is great right out of the box. However, if you're competing and need/want more accuracy and precision, expect to make a concerted effort. Incidentally, I recommend calibrating on courses that most reflect what you normally run and at as long of a distance as you can stand while maintaining good form. Doing so should help improve the accuracy. Also acknowledge the fact that changing shoes and/or courses (eg, from asphalt to grass) will affect the mileage output, thus resulting in the need to recalibrate. Fear not, however, because you'll eventually become more efficient at knowing how to find your best calibration.
2) Another niggle is that the watch freezes up or blanks out from time to time (half dozen times over the past 9 months). This is especially annoying during an important training session because you not only lose that day's data, but also because you have to stop what you're doing to reset it. Unfortunately, you cannot simply remove and replace the power source like you can on other electronic devices (eg, pulling the plug on a computer and then replugging it in to reboot); you have to do a "global reset", which involves pushing all four buttons side buttons simultaneously (not an easy trick for the less dextrous among us). In any event, I have since learned to do a preemptive global reset if I have a race or an important training session ahead of me that day, especially if I haven't had an "episode" in many weeks. The good news is, you don't lose any of the data stored previously thank goodness, just that day's.
3) One final (small) annoyance is with the footpod. It doesn't have a (sufficient?) low battery indicator, so you never know when you'll have to replace it's 2 AAA batteries. If it dies mid-run, you're out of luck. Like with the watch freezing, I change batteries if they've been in more than 20 hours of use and I have a big run ahead of me that day.
In sum, I think this is a fantastically-designed watch with a couple of functionality issues, but none enough to dissuade me from buying it. I absolutely love it and wonder what I did for so long without it. Way to go, Polar!

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Timex Ironman T5F001 Unisex 100-Lap Target Trainer Heart Rate Monitor Watch Review

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(More customer reviews)Having used numerous HRM watches in the past, this is the best I've used thus far. It has everything you need, from automatic zone calculation to custom zones, to intervals, to lap timers, and it's GPS 3D compatible and shows your speed, distance, altitude, and even predicts your finish time.
I've had no problems with it at all. The signal is clear. As long as you keep the watch within 3 feet of the chest monitor, you won't have any problems.
I think the best feature of the Timex HRM watches though is that both the watch and chest monitor batteries are user-replaceable. It doesn't get any better than that.
If you're serious about getting into shape and like to track your progress over many activities in the day, I'd also recommend getting the Timex Bodylink Data Recorder II. Once you activate the watch and the chest monitor, the Recorder will also start recording signals from the chest monitor (and GPS too if you have). For martial arts practice, I'll activate the chest monitor via my watch, then take my watch off (can't use it during practice) and then activate the Recorder so that I can get accurate readings after my training.
Perhaps the only thing lacking might be a calorie counter, but I've found most calorie counters on HRM watches to be inaccurate.
Highly recommended watch!

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Stylish enough for the weekend warrior yet technical enough for serious athletes, the Timex Ironman Triathlon heart rate monitor (model T5F001) can be worn by both men and women. It features a chest strap heart rate monitor, large 3-line display for easy viewing of your workout data, and a full range of sport timing features. This watch features a silver face, durable black resin strap, and large buttons for easy access to timing functions.
For integrating heart rate monitoring into your training, this watch enables you to track your avareage heart rate and pre-set target heart rate zones with data for time spent within that zone and alarms. It also offers up to four linked interval timers, each with its own target zone, and a recovery timer that measures your heart rate after a timed recovery during or after your workout. Other features include:
5 interval timer workouts with warm-up and cool-down
100-hour chronograph with lap and split, either in large digits
100-lap memory with average heart rate per laps
100-hour, 3-mode countdown timer
5 alarms with daily/weekday/weekend options
2-year battery life

The Indiglo night-light uniformly lights the surface of the watch dial using patented blue electroluminescent lighting technology. It uses less battery power than most other watch illumination systems, enabling your watch battery to last longer. The Night Mode feature allows you to illuminate the Indiglo night-light for 3 seconds with any button press, regardless of the mode or function. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters (165 feet)--suitable for swimming but not for diving. All Timex heart rate monitor sensors have batteries that can be replaced by consumers without requiring them to be returned to the manufacturer.

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S1 Foot Pod and Extra Holder Fork Review

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(More customer reviews)My initial reaction when looking at the S1 Foot Pod was, "No Way". I mean, it looks like some type of fancy pedometer. And I use one, the Omron HJ-112 Digital Premium Pedometer, and I know it's not totally accurate when it comes to distance because it's based on your pre-set stride.
To my surprise, this S1 Foot Pod is very accurate, right out of the box, and without calibration! How do I know? I went for a walk today with the Foot Pod and my Magellan eXplorist 210 Handheld GPS, which has the accurate WAAS system. The discrepancy between the two devices was 0.025 miles. That's very small! And with no calibration? It's even more unbelivable! For me and distance logging, tenths of a mile are all I'm concerned about anyway.
As far as weight, I didn't even notice it. It's very light and I put it on my left foot, which is not my dominant foot. Size-wise, I initially felt a little embarassed because the S1 is just a little bit smaller than a Twinkie, but now it doesn't bother me. It's so light that I don't even notice that it's there.
Battery life is rated at 20 hours.
One word of caution: Just make sure to verify that the unit is off when you're done. Press the red button and hold it down until the green light goes off. And double check it with your Polar watch, just to be sure.
Highly recommended for walkers, joggers, and runners!
---------------
Update: It's one year later and I've got this now calibrated to about 0.015 miles. Just make sure to do your initial calibration on a flat surface with no hills. And it's best to calibrate it every time you switch shoes as well. Overall I'm still very impressed!

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Garmin Forerunner 310XT Waterproof Running GPS With USB ANT Stick Review

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(More customer reviews)I felt compelled to write a review, because I am disturbed with what some other reviewers are publishing. This is the best watch of it's kind I have owned, and as long as a purchaser understands what it does, and it's limitations, I think they will be more than satisfied. It may be that this watch will not meet their needs, but it should not be a cause to deliver a poor rating.
I have owned the Forerunner 305, the 201, the Timex GPS and a Polar, so I have years of experience. Since I do triathlons, I was most looking forward to the waterproof controls, and 20 hour battery. The charger is a bit funky design, but for me it seems to work just fine. My battery has been lasting at least 16 hours--I haven't tested it further before recharging. One issue that I had with the 305 also, though: the watch should be TURNED OFF while you are charging. If not, as soon as you disconnect the charger, since the watch is ON, it will start "discharging" (as it does normally while it is on. I have been caught several times with a depleted battery on my 305 because of this quirk--I think the watches should be programmed to automatically turn themselves off when the charger is connected).
I have used the new watch swimming, biking and running and hiking, and I am pleased with the performance for each sport. One reviewer pointed out that there should be a "swim" mode--I agree, but I think Garmin may have avoided that mode because the GPS does not work well in the water. Several reviewers complained about that, however Garmin does write on their website AND in their manual that the GPS does not work well in the water (I don't know that I would blame that on Garmin--probably the technology is just not there yet--besides, GPS signals do not penetrate water.) In fact, I did NOT get an accurate GPS distance reading for open water swimming, but it did map my COURSE correctly, albeit with a lot of zig-zags (I know I can't swim in a straight line, but I am not THAT bad).
The biking portion works great. The Garmin matches pretty closely with the distance measured on my bike computer (I don't have the Garmin bike sensor--I want that and the quick-release mount for my next birthday). Of course it also tracks speed, altitude, heart rate, etc. (I used the heart monitor strap from my 305).
Running works well also, basically same as biking although I do set up the display screens differently.
Other, useful new features I have noticed:
1. The watch locks onto satellites more quickly than my 305
2. The watch vibrates, although I wonder how this affects battery life. For instance it vibrates every lap (if I set it) so I know I have completed an autolap without having to look at the watch.
3. The software is more refined (lots of small fixes. For instance the settings function lets me know what sport mode I am in--although I think this could still be made easier and less confusing. And the time zone can be put on automatic--I always wondered why they couldn't do this before--the watch knows where it is for gosh sakes. And there are extra custom screens if you want them--statistic hounds take note.)
4. Wireless data upload. Very nice! Their new "Garmin Connect" site is also pretty useful, and the data can be uploaded directly to the Internet.
5. The 310XT is not much smaller or lighter than the 305 (according to the specs), but it FEELS MUCH smaller and lighter.
6. There is a progress bar for the battery charging. I would like to be able to see how much time is LEFT in my battery--I wish Garmin would add this.
In summary, I think this is far and away the best GPS watch Garmin has made, and is especially appropriate for triathletes (despite the swimming issue). You DO need to become accustomed to using the watch. Although I do not think it is hard to use, you SHOULD read the manual. At least you do not have to keep RE-reading the manual like I do for some other gadgets. I do think this watch is way overpriced, but I am a gadget freak, and I'm sure the price will come down over time, like it did for the 305 (which is a great deal, now, btw, if you don't need a 20 hour battery-life and a waterproof stopwatch :)

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Finally, a GPS-enabled training device that isn't afraid of the water. The rugged Forerunner 310XT is the triathlete's indispensable training tool--a GPS-enabled, swim-proof trainer that tracks bike and run data and sends it wirelessly to your computer. This multi-sport device has up to 20 hours of battery life, tracks distance, pace and heart rate (optional), and goes from wrist to bike in seconds.
Time Your Swim The swim-proof Forerunner 310XT is waterproof to a depth of 50 meters, so you can wear it in the pool or the lake to time your swim. And its slim design and flexible wristband mean Forerunner is easy to wear in any conditions.
Transition Effortlessly When you're ready to jump out of the water and onto the bike, Forerunner 310XT moves easily from wrist to bike with the optional quick release and bike mounts, making the transition between sports effortless. Forerunner 310XT categorizes multisport activities in one workout and can also log transition time in the process, so you can analyze your performance from start to finish.
Collect Workout Data Forerunner 310XT tracks your position precisely with GPS satellite data and records distance, pace, heart rate (optional), power data (from ANT+-enabled third-party power meters) and more. High-sensitivity GPS and HotFix satellite prediction mean Forerunner acquires satellites quickly and tracks your movement even near tall buildings or under tree cover. And using innovative ANT+ wireless technology, Forerunner 310XT connects seamlessly to an optional heart rate monitor, foot pod and cadence sensor.
When paired with the optional wireless heart rate monitor, Forerunner 310XT continuously tracks beats per minute and uses heart rate data in advanced calorie computation. Train in a certain heart rate zone to improve fitness and monitor your level of exertion.
Run, Sync, Store and Share Once you've logged the miles, innovative ANT+ wireless technology automatically transfers data to your computer when Forerunner is in range. No cables, no hookups. The data's just there, ready for you to analyze, categorize and share through our online community, Garmin Connect or our optional Garmin Training Center software. You can even plan workouts on your computer and then send them to your Forerunner.
What's in the Box Forerunner 310XT, USB ANT stick, AC charger, Charging clip, Owner's manual on disk, Quick start guide

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Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Review

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(More customer reviews)I have used this with my Garmin Forerunner 305, Forerunner 50, and Forerunner 405cx. Just wet it with saliva or water before you start, and it accurately and easily tracks your heart rate. The strap that attaches it to your chest is easily adjustable and easily removable. Unlike other products, my heart rate does not "jump around" 10 or 20 beats. The battery lasts a good amount of time and is easily replaceable. This is the best heart rate monitor that I have used, and I prefer it to Polar.

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