Garmin Forerunner 101 Waterproof Running GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Garmin Forerunner 101 is exactly the same as the popular Forerunner 201, with a couple of small changes.Being the case, I won't review the actual product since everything that needs to be said about it's GPS features can be found in the reviews for the Forerunner 201.
The most notable difference with the 101 is that it uses 2 AAA batteries istead of being rechargeable like the 201. At first I thought this was a big detraction to buying it, but it's really not that bad.Battery life is decent, although not as high as with the 201, which gets up to 13 hours of use on a full charge. But if you're not a marathon runner and just run a few miles on your runs, this shouldn't matter much.The only hassle is having the batteries go dead during the middle of a run, which really sucks if you're into knowing exactly how far you've gone. You have to keep an eye on the battery life before going out. The batteries don't really effect the weigh or size of the product though.
The second major difference is that this unit does not interface with your PC.This also isn't too big of a problem because, currently, the Garmin software is really lacking.Hopefully they will improve on it with time, but the PC software is nowhere near as nice as it could be at this stage.You can view a graph of your altitude for your run, and graphs of your pace and speed, and that's about it.Otherwise the software is really crummy.You can't even zoom in on your map like you can with the actual unit.
If you're serious about running, I would highly suggest the Forerunner 201 over this product, mainly because the price difference is so negligible.You can find the 201 for only about $20 more than this model, and the extra money is well worth the rechargeability of the 201 and freedom from the batteries.But if you really can't afford the cost, you're not going to be hurting too much with the 101.

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Product Description:
The Forerunner 101 offers athletes an easy-to-read display and integrated GPS sensor that provides precise speed, distance, and pace data--all in one compact unit that straps to your wrist. It's a lightweight, accurate training assistant with performance tracking, auto-lap, auto-pause and more.
101
201
301 1. Allows you to set up profiles for running, biking, and another sport.
2. Set up workouts with specific durations and targets (speed or heart rate). Speed Pace Distance Calories burned Heart rate Sports profiles¹ Advanced workouts² PC interface
(serial)
(USB) Analyze workout data on PC Size (inches, WxDxH) 3.3 x .9 x 1.7 3.3 x .7 x 1.7 3.3 x .7 x 1.7 Weight (ounces, with batteries) 2.6 2.75 2.75 Batteries 2 AAAs, 15 hours Rechargeable, 15 hours Rechargeable, 14 hours And because it is a high quality Garmin GPS device, you get many of the features GPS users have come to rely on, such as precise latitude, longitude, and altitude data. The Forerunner 101 is easy to use right out of the box and it delivers the benefits of GPS technology.
Although it lacks the rechargeable battery and PC connectivity features of the Forerunner 201, the 101 retains all of the other great features of the 201, at an even more affordable price. The Virtual Partner feature allows you to set your training goal by configuring your Virtual Partner's pace and workout distance. You'll get a graphic perspective of your performance by viewing your pace in relation to your Virtual Partner's pace, so you can always see at a glance if you're keeping up or falling behind.
Almost as important as the training device itself are the accessories to integrate it with your active lifestyle. If you're into cycling, the best way to keep an eye on your GPS while you ride is with a bike mount bracket that straps to the handlebars of your bike, motorcycle, or whatever you're traveling with for easy viewing.
Other Forerunner 101 features:

Mark specific locations, and then look-up and navigate to these points using an electronic map.
Amount of calories burned can be tracked and calculated over the course of a workout.
Lap history--such as lap time, lap distance, and average pace--can be stored for 5000 laps.
Performance data can be automatically archived and calculated to provide an accurate record.
Automated stopwatch provides auto-lap and auto-pause features.
Pace whistle sounds alert when you begin traveling slower or faster than your desired pace.
Time and distance whistles can be set to sound when you reach a specified duration or distance in your workout.

Auto Menu: Timer pauses when you stop running. Auto lap logs your performance over a predetermined distance.

History: Review training history by day or week.

Map: Navigate back to the start or to a stored location.

Virtual Partner: Set time, pace, and distance goals, and train with a "virtual partner."

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Heart Rate Monitor Sensor for Forerunner 50 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this as a replacement for my Garmin 305 and it works great.I was able to get it sync'd to the 305 in about a minute.Shipping was fast, no issues with any part of the purchase.

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Product Description:
Heart Rate Monitor

Wirelessly sends heart rate data to device

Products:

Forerunner® 50

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Garmin Foretrex 401 Waterproof Hiking GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Fantastic - buy one immediately.IMMEDIATELY!!

Much smaller than you may think - fantastic.

GPS speed -- super fast, fantastic.

Display and controls -- absolutely fantastic. As simple as they can possibly be, yet does every single thing you want. See your exact miles/yards walked, exact time (both moving, stopped, average, etc etc etc) and everything else from sunset time to height climbed or whatever.

Battery life, fantastic, 15 to 20 hours.

Works with computers PERFECTLY.If you have basic understanding of computers -- so for example you do know how to "Open A File" -- you will have a ball with this machine:

The 401 is simply a USB hard drive -- just connect it to your laptop using a normal compact USB cable.(They pointlessly give you a cable for free with the 401 package...like you don't have ten laying around already from your video camera, USB drives and everything else.)

So, simply plug in the 401 to your laptop.You will instantly see a file "Current.gpx" GPX is the label for GPS files.

Now, open the file -- so for example launch Google Earth and open your "Current.gpx" file in Google Earth.You will immediately see the track where you walked shown as a blue line on the Google Earth map!!

Or, look on the web for one of the awesome track measuring applets (eg at utrack dot crempa dot net) and get graphs, etc, of your speed and the like.

It literally could not be simpler -- nothing to install, no passwords, nothing.

Once again assuming you "know how to open a file" you will have no problem.

TIP: the 401 uselessly includes a digital COMPASS, as a freebie (much like the digital compass in say an iPhone). Digital compasses are of little or no value; however they use a lot of battery power. Look through the settings and turn OFF the digial compass.

Note that, of course, like any GPS unit, the unit will flawlessly and perfectly show you your heading AS YOU ARE WALKING, using the GPS signals (nothing to do with a magnetic compass).But the actual "digital compass" (i.e., you are sitting by the fire and you want to see which way "North" is) is largely useless (not because of the 401 -- all digital compasses are useless), so just turn it off in settings to save power.

Tip -- if you want rechargeable batteries, buy the terrific LaCrosse smart charger, and some eneloop batteries.

Enjoy your hike!Buy one of these before Garmin changes it to something confusing and not so good.

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Product Description:
Foretrex 401 Portable GPS System

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Garmin Foretrex 101 Waterproof Cycling GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I borrowed a friend's Foretrex 201 on a vacation and was immediately impressed with the ease of use and flexibility in being able to customize the unit to your particular needs.I immediately bought one when I returned!!I preferred the 101 over the 201 due to the fact that since I was camping, recharging was an issue.It is certainly easy enough to carry a few spare AAA's with you.

I customized the screens for my extensive road biking, saved tracks for a variety of trips, especially in areas I am not familiar with, and am able to track my performance with more ease and reliablity than with my hard wired bike tripometer.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen, minor as this is, is multiple odometers as I want to separate my biking miles from my hiking miles.

So as an owner of a Streetpilot III for some years now, I was already a Garmin fan and I would highly recommend the Foretrex and other Garmin products, they are all first rate.

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Product Description:
The Garmin Foretrex 101 wrist-mounted GPS is designed for outdoor, marine, and general enthusiasts who want hands-free navigation in a lightweight, affordable package. At a mere 2.6 ounces, the waterproof device is lighter than most watches, and its wrist-top mount ensures that your hands are unencumbered while you're hiking, mountain biking, or rafting (it even comes with a bike mount for off-road riders). In addition, the user-friendly interface helps make navigation easy, with six dedicated buttons--GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down, and Power--keeping things simple so you don't have to spend more time than necessary plotting your course. Among its essential navigation properties are enhanced GPS accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks, all on an easy-to-read display. Powering the unit is straightforward as well: all it takes is a pair of AAA batteries. This makes it a great fit for users who would rather replace the batteries than recharge the unit in the field. Folks in the other group should opt for the Foretrex 201 as an alternative.
Because the Foretrex 101 is waterproof, it's a natural companion for water sport adventures such as kayaking, canoeing, boating, and sailing. The device even incorporates a sailboat racing timer that lets competitors configure the countdown sequence prior to the start of a race while positioning themselves with the GPS for the best possible tacking location. The countdown is displayed in a large-number format that audibly alerts the user at each phase of the start sequence. Hikers and bikers will also delight in the unit thanks to its TracBack technology, which lets you mark a campsite, go trekking or biking all day, and then follow the electronic "breadcrumb trail" back to camp in time for dinner.
Technical features include 500 waypoints with graphic ID, 20 reversible routes, 10,000 trackpoints, and accuracy to within 15 meters or less in normal GPS mode (3 meters or less when WAAS-enabled). The Foretrex 101 measures 3.3 by 1.7 by 0.9 inches (W x H x D) and includes a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box
Foretrex 101, wrist strap, bike mount, expandable strap, quick-start guide, user's manual.

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Navman R300 GPS Speed and Distance Sport Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this unit to track how far I travel while walking.The
first unit received had bad segments in the LCD.Amazon
quickly sent another unit that did appear to work.

This unit takes a long time to find sattelites.Several times
it never found ANY, under clear blue sky.It just turned off
after 10 minutes.It would lose signal frequently.

The deal breaker is that when it loses sattelites, it will not account
for distance during the lost signal. Lets say you are walking/running, and the unit is logging distance.For a 10th of a mile, it loses
sattelite.When it gets sattelite back, it starts logging
again from the new point.But it does NOT add the distance
you traveled while the signal was missing.As if I teleported
to the new location.Useless.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Navman R300 GPS Speed and Distance Sport Watch

Product Description:
Designed for runners, cyclists, inline skaters, and other athletes in training, this compact device keeps track of current, average, and maximum speed (kph or miles per hour), distance, pace, lap history (up to 50 laps), calories burned, and even current altitude. The watch straps on comfortably to your arm and, using a technology called "global positioning," gives you precise and up-to-the second readings on a clear and easy-to-read display. To keep you on track, the watch features pace control and a programmable target zone with a built-in alarm to alert you both when you're in and out of your target zone. Fully water-resistant, the R300 also features regular watch functions (date and time), as well as an automatic timer. Included with the watch are an arm strap, user guide, and one AA battery with a 16-hour life.
R300 Features:

Distance run
Current speed / pace
Average speed / pace
Maximum speed / pace
Pace / speed target-zone (with acoustic signal)
Automatic timer
Distance run per lap
Lap history (max. 50)
Calories burned
Current altitude (GPS)
Time (ultra precise GPS satellite atomic time)
Date

R300 Technical Specifications:

Battery life: Up to approximately 16 hrs
Water resistant
Battery indicator
Temperature range: -10°C to +50°C
Dimensions: W x H x D: 79 x 78 x 27 mm
Weight (approximate): 120g (including battery and arm strap)
Speed accuracy: +/- 0.3 km/h
Distance measuring accuracy: +/- 2%

What's in the Box?
R300 Sport.Tool, arm strap, 1 x AA battery, Quick Start Guide, user manual, product registration card
Manufacturer's Warranty
One year
About Navman
Established in New Zealand in 1988, Navman researches, designs, and builds critical navigation technology, including GPS navigation devices, commercial fleet tracking systems, and marine electronics instruments. Employing over 500 staff and with its own manufacturing facilities, Navman products are researched and developed in-house, resulting in high quality navigation systems that are easy to use.

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Magellan Triton 2000 Waterproof Hiking GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Magellan, you need to get your act together.First you taunt us with the long and repeatedly delayed release of this "ultra" handheld GPS Magellan Triton 2000 Handheld Navigation System.Then you insult our intelligence with your useless, uninformed "Tech Support Staff".Finally, when the unit ships, it is only capable of displaying your location on the base map between interstate highways.Where are the street level maps?When will they be available?Useless, Bad deal.What are you guys thinking.
Tip: Call Magellan tech support BEFORE buying their product.
I'm giving mine back.

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Product Description:
The Magellan Triton 2000 is so easy to use that its usermanual may never make it out of the box. It reinvents handheldGPS by combining the world-s first handheld color touch-screeninterface, new Magellan VantagePoint- content managementsoftware, exclusive compatibility with National GeographicTOPO!® maps, and the superior feature set that outdoorenthusiasts need and expect.

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SPOT Personal Tracker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Please ignore the comments about Globalstar service below, he has no clue about this product. Globalstar is having problems with its duplex service S-band amplifiers which only affects two-way traffic. I should know I have a Globalstar satellite phone. SPOT uses the L-Band uplink (simplex modem) which is used to track trucks etc. this network is running at full efficiency.I have this product and it works better than my expectations. About this product: it is not a personal locator beacon and if you wish to use this solely for emergencies, I would recommend another product. A true personal locator beacon because it works in all conditions and all-terrain (I also own one by ACR). SPOT needs to have an uninterrupted view to the satellite. In other words in heavy canopy this product does not work very well but in broken canopy or in the open this product works great (samething is true with my handheld GPS). I use this product to communicate with family and friends on my progress when backpacking, biking, or just out and about. I do use this product in heavy canopy areas and send a signal when I cross a road or powerline crossing. I still carry my personal locator beacon for real emergencies but this product helps in non-emergency situations.For more operational details you can download the manual at www.findmespot.com

My cell phone doesn't work when I'm away from cell towers or underwater while scuba diving nor in caves. Similarly SPOT will not work if it cannot contact the satellite. As with all communication devices, they all have limits and parameters that they operate in. You should know this before buying any product like this.

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Product Description:
Give your loved ones full peace of mind when you're on the mountain with the Spot Satellite Messenger. Whether you're just checking in, allowing others to track your progress, or calling for help, Spot gives you a vital line of communication with friends and family when you want it, and emergency assistance when and where you need it. Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message. Unlike personal locator beacons, however, Spot does more than just call for help. The SpotChecking feature, for example, lets you notify your SpotTeam--the friends and family you've chosen as your contacts--and tell them all is well, notify them of your location, or save waypoints so you can review your route at a later date. You can also activate the SpotCasting feature to let friends and family follow your progress in real time (every 10 minutes). Anyone with access to your account information can log on and view your route, complete with virtual views provided by Google Maps. SpotCasting is a terrific feature for mountain climbers looking to celebrate their accomplishments with their loved ones.
The most important feature, however, is Spot's ability to call 911 in the event of a life-threatening or other critical emergency. Once activated, Spot will acquire your exact coordinates from the GPS network, and then send that location along with a distress message to a GEOS International Emergency Response Center every five minutes until cancelled. The Emergency Response Center will then notify the appropriate emergency responders based on your location and personal information. Responders may include local police, the highway patrol, the Coast Guard, an embassy or consulate, or other emergency response and search-and-rescue teams. Even if Spot can't acquire its location from the GPS network, it will still attempt to send a distress signal--without your exact location--to the Emergency Response Center, which will still notify your emergency contacts of the signal and continue to monitor the network for further messages.
Spot works around the world, including in virtually all of the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia, and portions of South America, Northern Africa, and Northeastern Asia. And provided you're in a good coverage area, Spot offers a 99 percent probability of sending a successful message within 20 minutes. As a result, Spot is ideal for anyone with a taste for outdoor adventures, including boaters, kayakers, sailboarders, archaeologists, skiers, climbers, pilots, business travelers, snowshoers, and just about anyone else.
Spot requires two AA lithium batteries, with a battery life of up to one year in standby mode, 14 days in SpotCasting mode, or 7 days in 911 mode. And thanks to the water-resistant housing (safe in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes), you needn't worry about using Spot in adverse conditions. Spot measures a compact 2.75 by 4.38 by 1.5 inches (W x H x D), weighs 7.37 ounces, and carries a one-year limited warranty.
Communication Functions:

Spot employs a GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, then sends its location to the recipient of your choice, complete with a link to Google Maps and a pre-programmed message.
Alert 9-1-1 dispatches emergency responders to an exact location
Ask for Help sends a request for help to friends and family with your location
Check In lets contacts know where you are and that you are okay
Track Progress sends and saves your location and allows others to track your progress using Google Maps

Battery Life:

Power ON, unused: Approximately 1 year
SPOT casting continuous tracking mode: Approximately 14 days
9-1-1 mode: Up to 7 consecutive days
HELP mode: up to 1900 messages
SPOT check OK up to 1900 messages

Specifications:

Weight: 7 ounces
Waterproof to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
Operating Temperature: -40ºF to +185ºF
Operating Altitude: -300 feet to +21,300 feet
Humidity and Salt Fog Rated

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