Compare Prices: Garmin Forerunner 305 Wrist-Mounted GPS Navigator and Personal Training Device with Heart Rate Monitor

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Garmin Forerunner 305 Wrist-Mounted GPS Navigator and Personal Training Device with Heart Rate Monitor

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On Sale Today!
06th of January 2009

Package Includes: Forerunner 305, Heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, AC charger, PC/USB interface cable, fast start guide, Garmin Training Center CD &, owner's manual

The Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS System combines form and function. This mix running partner and personal trainer is intended for athletes of all levels. It features a high sensitivity GPS receiver, new courses feature, and robust ANT wireless heart rate monitor for best performance. The super sensitive GPS tracks your every move, working on tree covered trails and near tall buildings. The heart device monitors your heart rate, speed, distance, rate and calories burned so you may be able to train smarter, more effectively. These taskmasters will continually push you to do your personal best. Courses feature allows you to download recorded courses and compete against last workouts Auto Pause pauses and resumes training timer GPS features GPS with high Sensitivity SiRFstarIII architecture Wireless communication between system devices via ANT protocol Display SizeWxH 1.3 x 0.8 33 x 20.3 mm Lap Memory 1,000 laps Rechargeable interior lithium ion battery lasts ten hours typical use Waterproof Submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 mins. Alerts Time, distance, rate and heart rate Physical SizeWxHxD 2.1 x. seven x 2.7 53.3 x 17.8 x 68.6 mm Weight 2.72 oz. 77 g

Heart rate monitor features Transmission Range roughly 3m 9.8ft 3V CR2032 battery lasts three years 1 hour per day Physical sizeWxHxD 13.7 x 1.4 x 0.5 348 x 35.6 x 12.7 mm Weight . 74 oz 21 grams

Review:
Just when you thought Garmin had cornered the market on powerful, cheap, and efficient wrist mounted GPS devices, here comes the Forerunner 305. The release of this device is a big achievement from a design and technology perspective. This is not just marketing speak, the Forerunner 305 is the most correct, most dependable wrist mounted performance and GPS tracking tool we have ever tested. Yes, it is that good. While no device this compact can do everything yet, the 305 pushes the boundaries of what is possible from something strapped around your wrist. The 305 model will include wireless heartrate monitoring and it may also be connected to Garmin's wireless bicycle speed and cadence sensor. If you do not need these features, think about the lower priced Forerunner 205.

View Garmin's Forerunner demonstration video.

Choose from twelve data fields to display on the 305's screen. View bigger.

The design cleverly integrates the GPS antenna and aims it towards the sky when you are running or walking. View bigger.

The Virtual Partner function makes your workouts more competitive. View bigger.

Choose from three workout modes that assist you target your training objectives. View bigger.

The 305 features underlying mapping and place marking functions. View bigger.

Design
The 305's design is a radical departure from Garmin's last generation of wrist mounted GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin Forerunner 301. While the 301 delivered correct heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS reception, it did not quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and wearing it was not much different than channel taping a full sized GPS device to your wrist.

Not so with the 305. Garmin's engineers clearly burned the midnight oil and have create a waterproof design that, while surely not as small as a sports watch, feels just as comfy. The curved casing lets the unit's antenna to face the sky when you are running, while the widescreen display is perfectly located for looking at when you need it. And the display surely deserves some kudos. While it is smaller than the display found on last Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering unbelievable clearness and crispness.

Garmin has smartly given the 305 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile feel with good pressure answer. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons, while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and stylish solution is a big improvement over the on occasion confusing button functionality of last Forerunners. View button layout.

The bottom of the 305 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single mini USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your PC. also to data move with the USB cable, you may also charge the 305's implanted lithium ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.

GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 305 is that it features an integrated, high sensitivity SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 305's capability to both track, and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery charge, the tester had the 305 on his wrist and tracked speed and distance with GPS satellites inside three minutes. The next time we used the 305, satellite acquisition was almost instant. A run through concentrated trees did not faze the unit either, tracking stayed true and steady. Performance on a bike was equally remarkable. Whatever witchcraft was cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!

The simple docking cradle makes charging and data connectivity a snap.

While the Forerunner 305 is not billed as a GPS navigation device, it does have some underlying mapping, waypoint marking, and routing potential. also to marking places along your journey, you may be able to zoom in or out of a simple map that displays your current direction and path. there is also a "go to location" feature that routes you back to your starting place, or to any place you defined. Once you defined some number of places, you may be able to save this info as a path, allowing you to travel the same path at some point. As you will see below, the 305's new "Courses" feature gives you new levels of control over how you define your beloved runs and rides.

Training Functions
The 305 is 1st and primary a training tool, and its capability to manage a ton of data types into a user experience that's intuitive and simple is no small feat. Whiz bang technology on the side, if you can not use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it is worthless. When it comes to these factors and here is the take home message on the 305 this device is successful where many other devices fail.

The heart and soul of the 305 may be found on the data screens, which give you real time info about all parts of your workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, like calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, also as many lap and rate modes. The 305 adds the capability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the buy of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you may also track bike performance data.

Thankfully, the device makes it simple to define how much or how little data you want to view throughout a workout. you may be able to arrange the data that is most important to you , then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, inside some minutes of skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you will have your most important data showing just the way you like it. The capability to display heartrate is a big plus, too, as it is a pretty good display of excercise output, exhaustion, and strength level. The 305 has all the heartrate functions you'd expect from a full function monitor, as well as the capability to set target zones and alerts to maximize the usefulness of your workouts.

Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of last Forerunners and they have decided to keep a good thing going with the 305. If you are the type that performs best when you have got a competitor egging you on, you will love this function, as it lets you to set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.

If you are looking for an complex workout with a range of intervals and intensity levels, or just a fast three mile jog against your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: fast Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A fast workout is just that, set the distance and time, distance and rate, or time and rate of your planned workout and off you go. Interval workouts are just the same, but they let you to add repetitions and rest between them. When you really want to get cool with your exercise, you may be able to step up to advanced workouts, which include objectives for each workout step, also as varied distances, times, and rest periods. you may be able to use the Garmin Training Center software to set up these workouts , then upload them to the device.

PC Connectivity and Software
Garmin was outfitting their devices with USB connectivity for some time now a welcome move for those who fought with serial port connections in the days of yore. Thanks to USB, the 305 integrates seamlessly with the Training Center software and we quickly had workout history uploaded and stored on the PC Sadly, Training Center isn't Mac compatible. Not only does Training Center make it simple to track your performance, you may be able to graph data like heartrate alongside your speed and distance. Over time, this is a good way to view your strength levels increase, and it also helps you see what kinds of workouts are needed to strengthen your weaknesses. for example, if you see your heartrate begin to spike after some distance, you know you have to increase your endurance workouts to train that area of strength.

In a 1st for the Forerunner series, the Training Center software also allows you to define courses on your PC that you may upload to the device. When course info is joint with uploaded workout info, the Forerunner becomes a complete guide, telling you where to go, when to make a turn, and what kind of workout to do when you are on the road or path. Back on the PC, the software's capability to overlay workout data on maps of the course makes it simple to see where the course offers up the tough hills and the easy recuperation spots. Plus, the capability to track historical performance on a given course is a good way to measure your improvement.

The 305 is completely matched with Garmin's MotionBased service, which takes your training to another level by connecting your data with the Internet. While we were not able to use the service, the promise of sharing courses, maps, workouts, and performance data with other users is intriguing. And if you are a serious endurance athlete, you will be happy to know that the 305 is matched with TrainingPeaks.com, an easy to use web established training system intended to help athletes train for any event.

Pros

• Radically new design is better in every way
• Amazing accuracy and fast satellite acquisition time
• So easy to set up and use, you'll really use it

Cons

• No Mac OS compatibility
• Okay, it is bigger than a sport's watch but so more powerful

What's in the Box
Forerunner 305, Garmin Training Center CD ROM, heart rate monitor, docking cradle, expander strap, A/C charger, USB cable, owner's manual, fast start guide.


The replacement to the Garmin Forerunner 301 is here, and it is better than ever. Weighing in at just over 2.5 ounces, the Garmin Forerunner 305 breaks new ground by comfort, style, and performance. Totally redesigned, the 305 gives outdoor athletes and runners real time info about speed, distance, rate, and heart rate on a device that is easy to use and surprisingly compact.

The Forerunner 305 features the powerful new SiRF GPS navigation chip for supreme accuracy, under tree cover and between tall buildings. A coded chest strap heart rate monitor prevents unwanted interference from other devices. View bigger.

The unit's GPS receiver is intended to face towards the sky when you are running.

A more watch like design makes it far easier to use and wear.

Plus, the 305 is engineered to help people train better and smarter. Training helper tools, different distance and time alerts, and bundled Training Center PC software add to make the device an essential part of any athlete's training program.

The 305's digitally coded heart rate monitor which is worn as a chest strap sends heart rate data to the device so you may be able to see if you are training too hard or not hard enough. Alerts for rate, distance, time, and heart rate are available. also, the unit tracks speed, distance, rate, and calories burned. In the meantime, a course feature allows you to race against last runs to improve your time or just compare heart rate and rate data at every point of the way.

The 305's easy to read, 1.3 inch display was integrated into a sleek and stylish form factor that's certainly a step up from the bigger and more cumbersome Forerunner 301 model. Indeed, the 305 looks and wears like a stylish sports watch, and it is more carefully intended to meet the needs of athletes. The design also positions the antenna with an best view of the sky. As an added feature, the case is water tolerant to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes.

Accuracy is the name of the game with the 305. The very more correct GPS antenna and receiver, which uses an advanced SiRF chip, offer much faster satellite acquisition times. Plus, the unit can hold a fix in places never before possible. Gone are the days of losing a fix under tree cover or when running between tall buildings. All of these features add up to far more accuracy in recording and tracking your exercise data. And because the 305 uses GPS to track how far and how fast you are going, you never have to calibrate it. The unit also doubles as a basic navigator. Mark your starting point as a particular place, see your current position on the plotter display, and follow an electronic breadcrumb trail back to your starting point.

The 305 features a USB data connection and docking cradle for downloading your speed, lap, exercise time, and heart rate data into Garmin's Training Center PC software. The unit stores up to 1,000 lap histories, which you may be able to download to your PC for a in depth post workout analysis. Plus, you may be able to create and schedule workouts using the included software and download them to the unit. A rechargeable interior lithium ion battery offers up to ten hours of battery life.

For extra post workout analysis, the 305 is matched with MotionBased software. MotionBased adds a new dimension to training and outdoor strength that makes the analytical parts of a sport more compelling and lots more fun. you may be able to upload data to MotionBased, a Web based application that partnered with Garmin. MotionBased gives in depth analysis of your workouts, also as online mapping and path sharing that will take your training to the next level. MotionBased automatically calculates time, distance, speed, elevation, and heart rate, and it displays this info through meaningful charts, illustrations, reports, and maps. With MotionBased, you may also race many cases of the same path to see how you're improving or to race other members of MotionBased. you may be able to "virtually race" someone you do not know.

If you like the features of the Forerunner 305 but do not need heart rate monitoring, make sure to check out the Forerunner 205.


What's in the Box
Forerunner 305 unit, digital coded heart rate monitor, Training Center CD ROM, A/C charger, PC/USB interface cable, owner's manual, and quick start guide.



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Garmin Forerunner 305:
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