Garmin woes

[Unregistered]

I have become less and less enthralled by my Garmin 205. I seem to have considerable problems in maintaining a satellite connection which means that I cannot get any useful information regarding pace etc. During the 16 mile run on Sunday I thought I would give it another chance - sky was bright and clear, the route didn't involve any particularly long distance under trees or beside tall buildings.

It took ages to find a satellite to begin with and I always feel so stupid hanging around outside the front gate glancing furtively at my wrist before starting off. I used to try leaving it in the back garden to start it off and then whizz round the side of the house, but we live in a three story victorian jobby and with the couple of seconds it takes to leg it around the side gate to the road the satellites had flown off and i would have to start again. Sunday was no exception, I kept getting the weak satellite response even when running down a road devoid of trees but with just a tiny passing cloud over head. Is it faulty, or am I too short at a little over 5ft 3ins to wear it? I really wanted some feedback on pace over the longer distance. The route which we roughly estimated to be 16 miles was only measured at something 14.7 miles by the Garmin, but I later measured it both by car and on the OS map with a wheel and using the gmap pedometer (overkill?) and it was at least 16.8.

Should I contact Garmin? The only other similar gps system I know of is on the boat belonging to the dive club that Mr SW is a long time memnber of, that works perfectlly and as soon as it is turned on

[stillwaddler]

was written by me, but somehow the forum didn't recognise me

[Seafront Plodder]

Dear unregistered

If you read the instructions, it clearly states that the product will not work correctly if used by people under 5 foot 5 due to the close proximity to the ground - I suggest you either run with it strapped to the top of your head, or with one arm up, nazi salute stylee.

erm... Or seriously, it does sound faulty. If under a year old, contact the suppliers, otherwise email garmin for advice.

[stillwaddler]

Seriously, someone did recommend that I should wear the garmin on my upper arm to be nearer the sky It's the 201 not the 205 (that was an old car of mine )

I think I will email Garmin, although I have had it since they first released it, just not used it much.

[El Gordo]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, SW.

My Garmin has never given me too hard a time satellite-wise. Could it be a defective unit, as SP suggests? Sounds like it could be, unless there's such a thing as GPS blackspots unconnected with trees/tall buildings.

Don't mean to rub salt in, but I've recently bought one of the new 305s, and so far am very happy with it, even though it struggled to find a satellite at first on a very muggy afternoon in Dusseldorf yesterday.

See what Garmin have to say. A good test might be to try using it in another part of the country.

[suzieq]

I'd be talking to the Garmin people. I'm a little vertically challenged myself and haven't had any problems with it - except going through forest paths, and even then it only cuts out for a second or two.

Suzie

[Sweder]

Personally I advocate the Sundial method. Darned new-fangled gadgets seem to cause no end of trouble. Jeez I remember not so long ago when this infernal machine, automobile I think they called it, came a-snortin' through town, scarin' the children, belchin' smoke and . . .





. . . I'll get me (old) coat . . .


ps: SP, I still have your Garmin :o
I'd have used it with impunity but I can't charge it (or figure out how to read the data).
I'll drop it in one of these days . . .

[stillwaddler]

I'll contact Garmin and see what they say.