Garmin Fenix

I am thinking of buying a GPS watch and was originally interested in the Suunto range of watches. But it looks like their software is not as flexible as the Garmin system for sharing data with sites such as Strava and Endomondo.

Garmin have just released the Fenix https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=107272&ra=true and this looks like it has very similar specs to the high end Suunto watches. Anyone seen or know much about this new watch. As I think I am very tempted has it  been officially released in the UK yet?

Oh a like the new watch. Looks like an October release.

Will be watching

Looks like it's for sale in the UK already;

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/code/A3310086?P36=A1B2C3

Found this useful review.

http://adventuregps.net/Garmin-Fenix-vs-Suunto-Ambit-GPS-Watch-Comparison.html

Going to have to treat myself to one of these I think.

What does "GPS mode 16-50 hrs" actually mean? That's what it says on the Cotswold website, and Garmin's stats for it say "up to 50 hours"... Can you set it to check position at longer time intervals to extend the battery life in GPS mode?

rwd: yup, you can set it to track your position every minute and it will last 50 hours(ish), or under normal settings it last 16 hours (ish)

Slightly offthe subject, but I just hope the route options don't cause the shutdowns on this device they do on the supposedly all sining, all dancing, 910xt. I bought that as it did all the GPS running stuff, good battery life, routes, etc.... I'm not bothered about swimming stuff, but the altimeter clinched it for me.

Having used it for awhile it is a great running GPS watch, great features, massive field choice (e.g. gradient, total ascent or descent up to this point in session).

The patch to fix this has recently been released, I've not troed it yet, but really hope it works! I had a 205 previously, which always worked absolutely fine, but I bought that a fair bit of time after release so all the early bugs may have been fixed by then. So, if you buy early, just bare in mind you may have to live through a few bugs!

Drunken Euphoria on tour wrote (see)

...I just hope the route options don't cause the shutdowns on this device they do on the supposedly all sining, all dancing, 910xt.

Would you mind elaborating on the software problems with 910XT, DE, as I'm thinking of moving from the 310 to either the 910 or the Fenix.

Hi Steve, in my own experiance the issues I experianced were shutdowns. I think other people have had other issues, but this was quite a common one. It only seemed to happen when following a course which I'd uploaded so I had the option to follow a "bread-crumb" line on the device (useful for long runs, especially trail/off-road).

I found when I first used the function it caused the device to shutdown. And I wouldn't notice straight away so then lost a few minutes of time and distance logging until I turned it back on. It tended to happen roughly on an hourly basis. If I don't use courses I don't get shutdowns and have used the device for 12, 7, 18 and 13 hours runs recently with no bad behaviour whatsoever. In fact the extra functionality of the device over my previous 205 is great on the run.

2.6 firmware is supposed to fix the courses problem, but I've not tested yet as not had chance to run a set course. Hope to in the next few weekends and will report back here.

I bought one on monday.  Within ten minutes, one of the buttons had dropped off.  It's gone back.

My initial thoughts:

1.  It's enormous.  Seriously.  On the tightest hole, it was still flopping around on my wrist.

2.  It undoubtedly does what it does superbly well.  If you want to know when the tide's right for fishing, it'll tell you.  If you want to time intervals, then not so much. 

I've gone for an edge 800 instead.  I know this is an odd choice, but the fenix was so big I would've had to have carried it in my rucksack and not on my wrist.  Which means I would only have used it for long stuff, where I have a pack.  If I'm sticking the thing in my pack I don't need a wrist strap, why not go for the unit with a big screen and mapping instead? 

For anything else, I'll stick with my 210 - simpler, easier, does everything I need, and doesn't feel like I'm carrying half a brick on my wrist!

In depth review here:

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/10/garmin-fenix-in-depth-review.html

I read that today Doug - has made me think that Suunto Ambit is the way to go for Ultras

I have an Ambit and it's great, I have teeny wrists and it fits fine, I don't think it looks too big although the face is about 1cm thick!!! I have yet to test the full GPS capacity but I did once use it on trekking mode all day and still had loads of battery life left!