# Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts



## gaijin

Suunto introduced the AMBIT GPS/ABC watch and now Garmin has introduced their version - the fenix.

What I would like to do is invite you to join me in exploring the various aspects of the Garmin fenix as I find out about its capabilities, features, drawbacks, surprises, etc.

Since I would like to wear the fenix as an everyday watch, the first question that comes up is just how well does it do as a simple digital watch - ignoring for the moment all the other features.

Here is how it arrived today:










The contents are the watch, an AC charger/USB adapter, USB to watch cable, product safety information booklet in 12 languages, and two quick start guides - one in English and one in Spanish:










Deciding to read the booklets later, I turned the watch on, selected English as my language and opted to automatically sync time and date info with the GPS signal:










I was in my office and expected to have to go closer to a window, or even outdoors, to successfully obtain my first cold sync, but before I could even stand up, the watch had sync'd and was displaying correct time and date info:










Honestly, I was amazed. Note in the picture above that the computer display actually reads 18:30 (I was a bit too quick on the trigger taking the picture) which is the same as 6:30 PM shown on the watch. My past experience with GPS units of all types has been that if a unit is a long way from its last sync location, it requires some time to gather satellite info thus making for a longer "Cold" start. Subsequent "Warm" and "Hot" starts take less time because the unit knows generally where it is.

My first Cold start was less than a minute and subsequent Hot starts were virtually instantaneous. All indoors. I am thoroughly impressed.

Before doing anything else, I thought it would be a good idea to fully charge the watch using the supplied AC adapter. So at 6:38 PM with the watch at 52% charge, I started charging:










One hour and 32 minutes later, the watch was fully charged:










Since I like 24-hour time, I then switched the watch over to a 24-hour display:










Then I plugged the fenix into a USB port on my computer and went to the Garmin site to register it and check for any software updates.

The watch looked like this when connected:










And the Garmin site advised me that updates were indeed available:










The updates were for System software and several language options in addition to the language options already in the watch:










Details of the system updates:










The watch updating:










After a couple of minutes:










And the watch was on my wrist:










The display is very easy to read and may get even better once I have a chance to adjust the display contrast.

The stock (Polyurethane?) band is soft, comfortable and is not a dust magnet. The keeper has a lug on its underside which engages the slots in the tail end of the strap so that the keeper stays in place. Lug width is 26mm. The strap is affixed to the watch with two T10 Torx screws which screw into a metal bar in place in the end of the strap. It is a very secure setup. It appears that the metal bar in the end of the strap can easily be removed thus allowing for the easy adaptation to a NATO/Zulu type of strap. Watch for that soon.

There are many main time display options, but note in the picture above that I have chosen continuous display of Hour, Minute, Seconds, Month, Day and Date. All automatically sync'd to the GPS signal.

Other display options include variations on this theme:










And constant display of battery charge and Sunrise data:










There are many more options available - too many to show here.

It's always problematic accurately representing a backlight in a photo, but here is my attempt with the watch in semi-darkness with the backlight off and on:










The watch caseback is pretty straightforward:










It is comfortable on the wrist with no protrusions or irregular surfaces which could cause discomfort.

There are multiple alarms which can be set for one time only or to repeat daily, to alert with a tone, vibration or both. Alerts which tie into the GPS. A programmable alarm based on time until sunset. Interval timers. A countdown timer settable to the second. A stopwatch.

I've only just scratched the surface of the WATCH capabilities of the fenix, and it has every conceivable timing/time feature I can think of.

One last note for those who live in an "odd" time zone - the watch can be set to sync time/date info with the GPS signal, but you can choose to set your time zone manually.

That's all for the first installment. Next I'll start exploring some of the ABC and Fitness/training features of the fenix.

Please feel free to ask any questions or request any pictures that I have not included.

Hope you all enjoy reading about the fenix as much as I enjoy learning and writing about it.

HTH


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## cal..45

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

:-! Very nice and detailed review of the basic functions. I'm looking foward to read and learn more about that Garmin, how much did you pay for it?

cheers


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cal..45 said:


> :-! Very nice and detailed review of the basic functions. I'm looking foward to read and learn more about that Garmin, how much did you pay for it?
> 
> cheers


Thanks. US$399 delivered. Any particular feature you would like to hear about? The menus have seemingly endless depth and I'm uncovering "undocumented performance enhancements" all the time. ;-)


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## Gordon

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Excellent post, thanks! Look forward to the others.


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## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi.
Great start. Sunrise time option for the Time of Day display.... nice!

Since you asked -)), I'll be a little greedy with my list of questions...


Did you order/get a Tempe???? 
Show us EVERYTHING about Navigation. 
How are they 1000 Waypoints managed in the watch (by icon/type/distance/folder/?) 
How many time of day alarms? And how convenient to turn an existing one on/off? 
Any options for Training Intervals - distance/time/mix? 
Can the backlight be continuously on? 
Are their any virtual training partner/racer options? 
Is accuracy/EHPE available during GPS start-up to know how good the signal is. 
GPS on/off 'ultratrac' interval options 
GPS track point and HR/temp recording interval options 
Does the 10k track points really mean a limit of 2h45m at 1/sec? 
Show us your tracks!!! (especially vs a handheld, in deep woods, and while caving) 

OK, I got carried away there...so, it's time to stop.


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## cal..45

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



gaijin said:


> Any particular feature you would like to hear about?


Well, I'm not familiar at all with that model, so I don't know much about the possibilities of it. However since you asked, how strong and useful would you rate the vibration alarm and is it possible to show current time in other modes (stw, cdt for instance)?

cheers


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Before I get to members' requests, let me provide some additional basic information.

The standard strap is very comfortable and quite long:










It easily accommodates my 7 3/4" wrist and looks like an 8" or even a 9" wrist (or equivalent when worn over clothes) would be OK.

Here's a better picture showing the T10 Torx fasteners used to secure the strap and a good view of how the lugs are angled down toward the wrist making the watch rest comfortably on the wrist:










But what if you want to put on other straps?

Here's a picture of what the strap and fasteners look like partially disassembled with the metal hexagonal bar at the end of the strap removed from one side:










It's very easy to disassemble, just unscrew the two Torx fasteners and then push the metal bar out of the strap with a springbar tool or similar.

Reassemble the watch without the strap:










And you are ready for any 26mm NATO/Zulu type strap:










Plenty of room for my Burgundy 5-Ring Zulu type strap from our friends at Panatime (http://www.panatime.com/26bunabanypv.html). ;-)

The hexagonal bar measures 3.33mm at its widest point, so it will be a tight fit in most aftermarket leather or rubber straps - probably not working in some. However, I'm pretty sure that any strap which comes with a strap tube installed would fit if that tube were removed first.

Lug-to-lug dimension measured from outside of lug bars is 57mm.
Case diameter from 12H to 6H is 49.3mm.

More to come.


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cal..45 said:


> Well, I'm not familiar at all with that model, so I don't know much about the possibilities of it. However since you asked, how strong and useful would you rate the vibration alarm and is it possible to show current time in other modes (stw, cdt for instance)?
> 
> cheers


Easy ones first (are you reading this or-watching? ;-)):

The vibration alarm is very strong when the watch is worn in direct contact with your skin - as is the case when using the OEM strap. It is less strong when worn on a Zulu/NATO type strap because the strap causes some separation between the watch and your skin, but still plenty strong enough to be noticed while running or to serve as a wake-up alarm. In fact I used it this morning and it worked very well.

As a side note, I must admit I am not the best judge of audible alarms (too many loud noises in confined spaces under unfriendly circumstances), so it is no surprise I find the audible alarm on the fenix to be weak. I don't think it would serve well as a wake-up alarm or as an activity alarm, but if this is important to you, then I suggest you wait for someone with better hearing than I to report on its efficacy.

It does NOT appear possible to display current time in either the Stopwatch or CDT modes. :-( I'll let you know if I discover otherwise.

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Great start. Sunrise time option for the Time of Day display.... nice!
> 
> Since you asked -)), I'll be a little greedy with my list of questions...
> 
> 
> Did you order/get a Tempe????
> Show us EVERYTHING about Navigation.
> How are they 1000 Waypoints managed in the watch (by icon/type/distance/folder/?)
> How many time of day alarms? And how convenient to turn an existing one on/off?
> Any options for Training Intervals - distance/time/mix?
> Can the backlight be continuously on?
> Are their any virtual training partner/racer options?
> Is accuracy/EHPE available during GPS start-up to know how good the signal is.
> GPS on/off 'ultratrac' interval options
> GPS track point and HR/temp recording interval options
> Does the 10k track points really mean a limit of 2h45m at 1/sec?
> Show us your tracks!!! (especially vs a handheld, in deep woods, and while caving)
> 
> OK, I got carried away there...so, it's time to stop.


Let me give you what I know so far and I'll try to fill in the blanks going forward. If you notice I have missed any of your points when and if I cover that feature in the future, just give me a friendly reminder and I'll try to address it then.

- Yes, I ordered a Tempe, but it has not shipped yet. I have a spot all ready for it on the underside of the brim on my Tilly hat. ;-)

- The time of day alarms feature is really outstanding. I just entered 12 alarms and I could have kept going apparently indefinitely. Very easy to add an alarm. Each alarm can be set to alert only once or daily and can be individually configured to alert with a tone, with vibration or with both tone and vibration. Each alarm is also easily edited, turned on/off or deleted. I can easily see how someone could get totally carried away with this feature.

When any alarm is active it is indicated on the main time display at the top as a small alarm clock icon next to the day:










I need more time for the rest ... ;-)

HTH


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## casiopro

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Fantastic review so far... hooked... can't wait for the next installment! Looks great on nylon.


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



or_watching said:


> Sunrise time option for the Time of Day display.... nice!
> 
> 
> Can the backlight be continuously on?


What I noticed this morning is the Sunrise data on the Time Display changes automatically to Sunset after Sunrise has passed - so it is either the data for the coming Sunrise or the coming Sunset, whichever is appropriate.

Yes, the backlight can indeed be set for continuously on, but it can also do a lot more than that. It can also be set to time out after 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 2 minutes. If the backlight is off, pressing the Light button activates for the specified set time - from the minimum of 15 seconds to the maximum continuously on. If the backlight is on, pressing the Light button immediately cancels whatever time out period is set and turns the backlight off.

The intensity of the backlight in this picture is 30%:










But the intensity can be set from 0% (off) to 100% in 10% increments. At night, 30% is very bright. 100% is like a small flashlight.

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I just found this screen:










Current date at the top with Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, Moonset and Phase of the Moon data. I like it. ;-)

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



or_watching said:


> Is accuracy/EHPE available during GPS start-up to know how good the signal is.


Yes.

The first screen in GPS Tools shows current position (blurred out to protect me from zombies ;-)) with EHPE at the bottom:










The next screen shows the signal strength of up to 12 of the strongest satellites in range:










Bear in mind this is all indoors about 30 feet from the nearest window.

Next screen is a graphic representation of where in the sky those strongest 12 satellites are:










Bringing the watch outside shows an improvement in signal strength:










I have WAAS enabled on my fenix. It can be set to either Enable or Disable. It is unclear at this time whether this has any effect on sensitivity or lockup time.

HTH


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## GhostBear

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Ah, stop it you're killing me! Mine won't be here until at least Monday. :-d

Thank's for posting the strap replacement - I've got a black Zulu awaiting and I was worried about the fit after seeing the weird tapped bar thing in the strap earlier, really glad it's a simple job.

I know it's only been a day but how is it as a wrist watch? Does it feel a bit off for day to day wear? What's the build quality of the case like? Feel sturdy or a bit cheap?

Oh and the Satellite info screens -- Awesome.


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



GhostBear said:


> Ah, stop it you're killing me! Mine won't be here until at least Monday. :-d
> 
> Thank's for posting the strap replacement - I've got a black Zulu awaiting and I was worried about the fit after seeing the weird tapped bar thing in the strap earlier, really glad it's a simple job.
> 
> I know it's only been a day but how is it as a wrist watch? Does it feel a bit off for day to day wear? What's the build quality of the case like? Feel sturdy or a bit cheap?
> 
> Oh and the Satellite info screens -- Awesome.


Monday will be there before you know it. ;-) I'm sure you'll enjoy your fenix.

Just make sure your Zulu strap is 26mm and you'll be fine.

My goal is to wear my fenix as an everyday watch and so far it is serving very well. My guess for the material of the case is glass filled Nylon, but that's only a guess. It is some kind of engineering plastic, though, and feels light but sturdy. The buttons have a very positive feel - hard to describe. Overall impression is one of quality and durability.

HTH


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## Willieboy

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Man, that looks like a fantastic instrument. If I could, I'd like to ask one question. Will the watch measure distance covered while walking? I've seen that several watches can count strides while running, but none seem to address distance covered while on a hike. Thanks in advance.


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Willieboy said:


> Man, that looks like a fantastic instrument. If I could, I'd like to ask one question. *Will the watch measure distance covered while walking?* I've seen that several watches can count strides while running, but none seem to address distance covered while on a hike. Thanks in advance.


Yes. That's what this watch was built for! It uses the GPS satellite system to keep track of distance covered and speed. It uses the GPS system in conjunction with a Barometer to keep track of elevation. It also saves the exact path traveled on a hike as a "breadcrumb" trail that can be followed back to the origin. All these data are saved in the watch and can be downloaded to your computer later for analysis and sharing.

Stay tuned - I'm working up to covering all of that. ;-)

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Some more basic information:

There are five subscreens to the main Time Display screen which are accessed by pressing the Up or Down arrows on the right side of the watch.

The first (going Up) is the World Time screen:










Up to four world times can be selected for display in addition to Local time and date which are always displayed at the top and bottom of the screen. Interestingly, UTC (or GMT for those old schoolers among us) is NOT one of the choices. At first I thought this was exceedingly odd. After all, isn't UTC the most used/referenced time zone of them all? For me, UTC display is essential, so I really thought I had hit my first snag with the fenix.

But as you will note in the photo above, I do indeed have UTC displayed as one of the time zones? How did I do it? I chose the time zone for Iceland, which is one of the choices in the fenix and is the same time zone as UTC and does NOT observe DST. I then renamed the time zone - a great feature - from "Iceland" to "UTC." Any of the time zones you choose to display in the world time screen can be renamed to any combination of 10 alphanumeric characters.

The next screen available is Temp:










I should note that the Temp, Altimeter and Barometer sensors have the option of being "On Demand" or "Always On." The On Demand setting shows only the current value when selected, but saves battery life. The Always On setting shows an historical graph of values as well as the current value but uses slightly more battery life. I have these sensors configured to Always On.

I like the fact that the historical graph of values appears to exhibit a high granularity - i.e. it is easy to see small changes in the values. Also I like the fact that the time scale for the graph is clearly labeled on the bottom as well as the upper and lower observed values over that time. In this case it is a 4 hour graph with a lowest value of 80*F and a highest value of 85*F. You can also choose to display *C if you wish.

Next is the Barometer screen:










Here we can see the atmospheric pressure at Sea Level has been fairly constant over the recorded range as is evidenced by the flat graph. Local "official" pressure is currently 1022mb, so it is tracking pretty well. The pressure can be configured to read "Ambient Pressure" which is the local pressure NOT translated to pressure at Sea Level - sometimes called "Absolute Pressure." Units can be configured to display Inches (Hg), mmHg, Millibars, or Hectopascals.

There is also a setting for the Barometer which can be set to either "Fixed" or "Variable." Mine is currently set to Variable. *I believe that when the Barometer is set to Fixed, the watch will interpret all changes in pressure as changes in Elevation.* [*CORRECTION:* Looks like I had that one exactly backwards. According to the manual, "*Variable* records changes in elevation while you are moving. *Fixed* assumes the device is stationary at a fixed elevation." So being set to Variable can be considered as applicable to "Variable Elevation" situations and being set to Fixed would be applicable to "Fixed Elevation" situations.] However, there is also an "Auto Calibrate" setting for the Altimeter and I am not clear yet how all these work together. Obviously more to come later on this.

The next screen is the Altimeter:










I have mine set to "Auto Calibrate" with units in Feet. You can see it is constant within a few feet over the past 4 hours which is consistent with my activities over that same period of time. Topo elevation for my location is 4552 feet, so it looks good! I have not made any adjustments to either the Baro or Alti values. The Altimeter can also be configured to display in metres.

The last screen is the Compass, but I'll cover more on that later.

HTH


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## cal..45

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Impressive indeed so far |>

cheers


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Willieboy said:


> Man, that looks like a fantastic instrument. If I could, I'd like to ask one question. Will the watch measure distance covered while walking? I've seen that several watches can count strides while running, but none seem to address distance covered while on a hike. Thanks in advance.


Thanks for your patience, sir. I think I have a better answer for you.

I went for a short 1.1 mile test walk this morning to see how the fenix performed.

To address your question directly, while walking one can observe Distance and time in real time:










Not only that, ons can also choose a graphic representation of the walk in progress with a "breadcrumb" trail laid down over the distance already covered and current bearing in the upper left:










Not enough for you? Well, one can also choose to view delta elevation and speed (I was stopped to take the picture so speed is 0.0):










If you want to analyze or share your walk with others, you can connect the fenix to your computer and transfer the walk data into Garmin's Base Camp program. In that program, one can view all the data for the walk:










Look at a graph of Speed and Elevation over Distance for the entire walk:










Even export the walk to Google Earth:










Those much more computer savvy than I (hey, give me a break, at least I learned how to take screen shots and not take pictures of my monitor like I did in my first post ...) can export and play with the data a lot more than this.

Definitely a very cool tool. 

HTH


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## Shocked

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Excellent stuff, thanks for taking the time to share all of this!


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## Willieboy

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Thanks so much for all the data on walking. To be able to capture all that information is excellent. I ordered my Fenix a short while ago.


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## Daniel Buenrostro

Hi, thanks for such an intensive review. I'm a climber and a hiker and this seems like the perfect tool for me. As you can imagine I've also looked at the Suunto Ambit. At least on paper and from online reviews I like the fenix alot better but there is a major concern about it. The ambit is able to download tracks from the internet and guide you. Can this be done with the fenix?


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## or_watching

Hi. 
Good stuff. 
On the watch mini-track, is that the magnetic declination up in the corner?

And I notice a big drop in the altitude in the first few seconds. Any idea whats going on with that? Almost looks like your baro altitude got hijacked by an Auto Cal from the GPS Alt, and then reported the rest of the profile based on pressure changes. Or something.


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## or_watching

Daniel Buenrostro said:


> Hi, thanks for such an intensive review. I'm a climber and a hiker and this seems like the perfect tool for me. As you can imagine I've also looked at the Suunto Ambit. At least on paper and from online reviews I like the fenix alot better but there is a major concern about it. The ambit is able to download tracks from the internet and guide you. Can this be done with the fenix?


Hi. 
There be other options, but the basic outline from the manual is that the Basecamp program on your PC/Mac can import any track or route (kml/gpx). Tracks are convertible into Routes in Basecamp. Routes can then be tranferred into the fenix.


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## Gordon

Good stuff! thanks for all the info.

I'm really warming to the fenix.


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## jimmijames73

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



gaijin said:


> Even export the walk to Google Earth:


Thanks Gaijin for the review, I have been following your updates with interest.

I am impressed with the track from the fēnix, it seems to have plotted directly above the footpath/sidewalk (I am assuming that is where you were walking).

My Ambit provides a slight skew to the right, which I believe is due to wearing the watch on my left wrist and my body shielding GPS signals on the right.

How does the distance from the fēnix compare with that from Google Earth?


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## rd0401

Does anyone know what the screen is made of e.g mineral glass, plastic etc?


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## gaijin

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Good stuff.
> On the watch mini-track, is that the magnetic declination up in the corner?
> 
> And I notice a big drop in the altitude in the first few seconds. Any idea whats going on with that? Almost looks like your baro altitude got hijacked by an Auto Cal from the GPS Alt, and then reported the rest of the profile based on pressure changes. Or something.


Not declination, but current heading:










The 013* indicates that the 12H position on the dial is facing 013* TRUE. I can choose TRUE which automatically corrects with declination based on GPS position, or MAGNETIC which does not factor declination into the heading.

I noticed the altitude drop as well. The last GPS fix I had before this test walk was at home which was a long distance and several thousand feet in elevation different than the start of the track. If you look closely at the bottom of the Google Earth pic you will see the Elevation cited as 2834 Feet. That's quite a bit different from my Home Elevation of 4552 where I had my last fix before the walk. After the first 15 seconds or so of data, the Elevation data is spot on and reflects the minor elevation changes I encountered during my walk.

In order to avoid this kind of erroneous data at the beginning of a track, it would be easy to start up GPS and let a track accumulate for 30 seconds or so until the Elevation stabilized. Then throw that track out and start a new one with the stable Elevation readings. This would only be necessary, however, if the new track was started at a significantly different Elevation than the last track.

HTH


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## gaijin

rd0401 said:


> Does anyone know what the screen is made of e.g mineral glass, plastic etc?


My guess is some kind of acrylic, but I'm not going to try to scratch it just to find out. ;-)

CORRECTION:


or_watching said:


> Hi.
> The fenix overview page at
> garmin.com says, "mineral glass to resist scratching."


Sounds good to me. Mineral glass it is. ;-)

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jimmijames73 said:


> Thanks Gaijin for the review, I have been following your updates with interest.
> 
> I am impressed with the track from the fēnix, it seems to have plotted directly above the footpath/sidewalk (I am assuming that is where you were walking).
> 
> My Ambit provides a slight skew to the right, which I believe is due to wearing the watch on my left wrist and my body shielding GPS signals on the right.
> 
> How does the distance from the fēnix compare with that from Google Earth?


You're welcome. Glad you're enjoying the review.

One of the reasons I chose to walk where I did was so I could determine if the track from the fenix would accurately overlay features in Google Earth. That is, when I walked on the sidewalk would it show me on the sidewalk. And it performed very well!

I was walking this track in a clockwise direction. If you look carefully at the lower right corner of the track, just after I made an acute right turn, there is a slight "blip" just as I reach the first intersection. That's where I stopped and took this picture:










You can see how it correlates very well with the 013* Heading and the breadcrumb trail to that point on the fenix.

Sorry, I don't know how to derive distance from Google Earth ... :-(

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Willieboy said:


> Thanks so much for all the data on walking. To be able to capture all that information is excellent. I ordered my Fenix a short while ago.


You're welcome! Hope you have as much fun with yours as I'm having with mine. ;-)


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## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

How thick is it on your wrist? It's interesting that it doesn't have the antenna lobe like the Ambit. Nice details, thanks!


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## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



gaijin said:


> Sorry, I don't know how to derive distance from Google Earth ...


Hi.
If you have used the BaseCamp View --> Export to Google Earth, then in GE, here's one way. Expand the Basecamp item in GE, >Tracks, >Paths and you'll see the track with the 3-point icon. Select that, and Edit - Show Elevation Profile. Probably there are other ways too. (note the GE Elevation is not going to be the Baro Elevation profile from the watch.)

It ought not be too different than the BaseCamp reported distance. Ultimately it'll be interesting to see how the Watch, BaseCamp, GE, and other programs like SportTracks report distance for any given track.


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## or_watching

rd0401 said:


> Does anyone know what the screen is made of e.g mineral glass, plastic etc?


Hi. 
The fenix overview page at
garmin.com says, "mineral glass to resist scratching."


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## gaijin

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> The fenix overview page at
> garmin.com says, "mineral glass to resist scratching."


Duly noted and corrected. Thanks.


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cobrapa said:


> How thick is it on your wrist? It's interesting that it doesn't have the antenna lobe like the Ambit. Nice details, thanks!


The fenix measures 17.3mm thick. It doesn't feel at all unwieldy, I have several watches that are thicker. ;-)

One thing that helps it feel comfortable on the wrist is the angle of the lugs - they turn down quite dramatically and allow the fenix to hug the wrist.

HTH


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



or_watching said:


> Hi.
> If you have used the BaseCamp View --> Export to Google Earth, then in GE, here's one way. Expand the Basecamp item in GE, >Tracks, >Paths and you'll see the track with the 3-point icon. Select that, and Edit - Show Elevation Profile. Probably there are other ways too. (note the GE Elevation is not going to be the Baro Elevation profile from the watch.)
> 
> It ought not be too different than the BaseCamp reported distance. Ultimately it'll be interesting to see how the Watch, BaseCamp, GE, and other programs like SportTracks report distance for any given track.


Got it!

Fenix data showed 1.1 Miles and GE shows 1.14 Miles. Since the fenix only reports to tenths of a mile, I'd say they are pretty much in agreement.

Here's the screen shot from GE:










Thanks for teaching me how to do that. ;-)

Edit: I just found out how easy it is to port data from Garmin's BaseCamp software over to their Garmin Connect software - simply export/import the track file in .gpx format.

Here's the BaseCamp data for the test walk above in Garmin Connect format:










This confirms that the 1.14 Miles track length reported by GE is EXACTLY the same as the same track length of 1.14 Miles as seen in the more detailed data report in Garmin Connect. Looks like the distance measurement with the fenix is pretty accurate.


----------



## dje_forever

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi,

First of all, thanks a lot for your review and for sharing your impression about the Fenix. I must admit, I was about to buy a Suunto Ambit but now, I am not that sure 

Can't wait your following posts.

Regards,

PS : you seem to have forgotten to hide your coordinates... zombies will finally catch you


----------



## shangrila73

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi Gaijin !!

Thanks for the review. I'm really interested in buying this watch but I have a question related to the tracks that really worries me. Does the Fenix have the possibility to pause and resume tracks? This is an important feature for me since when I go hiking I sometimes stop to take some photos or just to take a short break and I'd like to pause the track saving. Do you know if this is possible or if there is some way to do it?

Thanks for the info.


----------



## mnaranjo

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Thanks for the review.

Can you please weight the fenix with the OEM strap included?
the Ambit is 82g (siver edition)
thanks


----------



## GhostBear

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



shangrila73 said:


> Hi Gaijin !!
> Does the Fenix have the possibility to pause and resume tracks? This is an important feature for me since when I go hiking I sometimes stop to take some photos or just to take a short break and I'd like to pause the track saving. Do you know if this is possible or if there is some way to do it?


Sorry to Hijack Gaijins Q&A but I got mine today too, I haven't had a good chance to play but according to the manual you can stop and start the GPS tracking as well as the watch having an Auto Pause function when it detects you stopping (which can also be turned on and off).

To anyone reading Gaijin's review and thinking maybe, maybe not - I've got to say, I'm already amazed by mine - even simple stuff like the option to change the seconds pip is absolutely brilliant. I think it has made me smile more than any 'real' watch has in a long while of collecting. I think this one is going to live on my wrist for quite a while before I fancy a change. Although I think a 26mm Zulu is a must.


----------



## munchyboy

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

+1 ! I've been playing with mine all weekend. Torn between a Zulu and waiting for the Garmin burnt orange strap - it's actually pretty comfy.

Loading the talkytoaster maps into Basecamp shows that the tracking is pretty good and makes it useable on whatever computer is in front of me. Need to play with the routing and see how that works in real life and I can't wait to get up to the lake district in december and give it a proper workout - hopefully have a tempe by then as well.


----------



## shangrila73

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Thanks a lot Ghostbear for that info. The auto pause function is all I need. All I have to do now is order it and enjoying it !!!


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



shangrila73 said:


> Hi Gaijin !!
> 
> Thanks for the review. I'm really interested in buying this watch but I have a question related to the tracks that really worries me. Does the Fenix have the possibility to pause and resume tracks? This is an important feature for me since when I go hiking I sometimes stop to take some photos or just to take a short break and I'd like to pause the track saving. Do you know if this is possible or if there is some way to do it?
> 
> Thanks for the info.


Pausing tracks is very easy. First option is to configure the fenix to "Auto Pause" which pauses a track in progress if there is no movement. Second option, if not configured to Auto Pause, is to press the lower left button while recording a track and the option to pause the track will be offered. When you want to resume, simply choose "Resume Track" and you're back in business.

HTH

ETA: Sorry, Ghostbear, I posted before reading your excellent response. ;-)


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



dje_forever said:


> Hi,
> 
> First of all, thanks a lot for your review and for sharing your impression about the Fenix. I must admit, I was about to buy a Suunto Ambit but now, I am not that sure
> 
> Can't wait your following posts.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> PS : you seem to have forgotten to hide your coordinates... zombies will finally catch you


Your welcome. Glad you're enjoying the review.

And BTW, they are not my coordinates.  If the zombies go looking there, they'll find a nice public park, but no gaijin. ;-)


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



mnaranjo said:


> Thanks for the review.
> 
> Can you please weight the fenix with the OEM strap included?
> the Ambit is 82g (siver edition)
> thanks


My balance indicates the weight of the fenix with OEM rubber strap (as it comes from the factory) is 82.84 grams.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



GhostBear said:


> Sorry to Hijack Gaijins Q&A but I got mine today too, I haven't had a good chance to play but according to the manual you can stop and start the GPS tracking as well as the watch having an Auto Pause function when it detects you stopping (which can also be turned on and off).
> 
> To anyone reading Gaijin's review and thinking maybe, maybe not - I've got to say, I'm already amazed by mine - even simple stuff like the option to change the seconds pip is absolutely brilliant. I think it has made me smile more than any 'real' watch has in a long while of collecting. I think this one is going to live on my wrist for quite a while before I fancy a change. Although I think a 26mm Zulu is a must.


No hijack at all, GhostBear, feel free to contribute any time. In fact, please add your comments at will as I am by no means the fenix expert, just trying to get the info out.

As comfortable as the OEM rubber strap is, I find mine more comfortable on the Zulu. ;-)

HTH


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



munchyboy said:


> +1 ! I've been playing with mine all weekend. Torn between a Zulu and waiting for the Garmin burnt orange strap - it's actually pretty comfy.
> 
> Loading the talkytoaster maps into Basecamp shows that the tracking is pretty good and makes it useable on whatever computer is in front of me. Need to play with the routing and see how that works in real life and I can't wait to get up to the lake district in december and give it a proper workout - hopefully have a tempe by then as well.


Welcome to the fenix club, munchyboy! Please feel free to contribute comments/questions freely - the more the merrier. ;-)

HTH


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I have a toss-up question to anyone interested enough in the fenix to be reading this thread:

The fenix hs Bluetooth, and Garmin says on their web site that track info can be uploaded to a smart phone from the fenix using Bluetooth. OK, so how, exactly, does one do that? I have an iPhone and suspect that a specific iPhone app is required, but I'm at a loss to figure out exactly how this can be done.

If indeed it is possible, it would be a tremendous feature to be able to upload data to my iPhone while still out in the field and analyze the data on my iPhone without having to wait until I got back in front of my computer.

TIA for any info.


----------



## John Archer

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi Gaijin - This is my first post! I found this thread when it was just a few hours old and have been following it since, so felt it only right to join now to sincerely thank you for all the effort you're putting into this. It's great information, really well presented. I look forward to your updates.

Well, I _did_ have another reason for joining when I did, but timing's everything. I _was_ going to reply to your question about iPhone integration. Just by chance earlier this morning I found a video demonstrating the Fenix connected to a Basecamp app on the iPhone via bluetooth. However, when I went to grab the URL to share here I see that the video's now been pulled. I suspect it was released prematurely. In short though, it was a solid demonstration of the Fenix and iPhone paired via bluetooth. A few bits of functionality were shown, such as renaming a waypoint (which rename's it on the Fenix also) and viewing a track against a hybrid satellite map. It all looked great. I hope the app is released soon.

I hope I can help contribute to the thread and website here and there going forward. In the meantime, thanks again!


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



John Archer said:


> Hi Gaijin - This is my first post! I found this thread when it was just a few hours old and have been following it since, so felt it only right to join now to sincerely thank you for all the effort you're putting into this. It's great information, really well presented. I look forward to your updates.
> 
> Well, I _did_ have another reason for joining when I did, but timing's everything. I _was_ going to reply to your question about iPhone integration. Just by chance earlier this morning I found a video demonstrating the Fenix connected to a Basecamp app on the iPhone via bluetooth. However, when I went to grab the URL to share here I see that the video's now been pulled. I suspect it was released prematurely. In short though, it was a solid demonstration of the Fenix and iPhone paired via bluetooth. A few bits of functionality were shown, such as renaming a waypoint (which rename's it on the Fenix also) and viewing a track against a hybrid satellite map. It all looked great. I hope the app is released soon.
> 
> I hope I can help contribute to the thread and website here and there going forward. In the meantime, thanks again!


You're very welcome - glad you're enjoying the thread. There's lots of other info on the forums as well, so poke around when you get the chance.

Thank you for the heads up about the fenix/Bluetooth/BaseCamp/iPhone video. Sorry to hear it's been pulled, but please keep us posted if you find any more info.


----------



## gaijin

gaijin said:


> Not declination, but current heading:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The 013* indicates that the 12H position on the dial is facing 013* TRUE. I can choose TRUE which automatically corrects with declination based on GPS position, or MAGNETIC which does not factor declination into the heading.
> 
> I noticed the altitude drop as well. The last GPS fix I had before this test walk was at home which was a long distance and several thousand feet in elevation different than the start of the track. If you look closely at the bottom of the Google Earth pic you will see the Elevation cited as 2834 Feet. That's quite a bit different from my Home Elevation of 4552 where I had my last fix before the walk. After the first 15 seconds or so of data, the Elevation data is spot on and reflects the minor elevation changes I encountered during my walk.
> 
> In order to avoid this kind of erroneous data at the beginning of a track, it would be easy to start up GPS and let a track accumulate for 30 seconds or so until the Elevation stabilized. Then throw that track out and start a new one with the stable Elevation readings. This would only be necessary, however, if the new track was started at a significantly different Elevation than the last track.
> 
> HTH


More info on the Heading discussed in my prior post:

When moving, the heading is accurately displayed based on the direction of movement IRRESPECTIVE OF WATCH ORIENTATION. For example, when moving on a heading of 180*, I could be looking at the fenix with the 12H position pointing off at 90* and the heading would still be displayed as 180*.

When movement stops, the heading immediately switches to a heading based on the compass. So when stopped, as the watch is turned, the heading value changes.

When movement resumes, the heading immediately goes back to the direction of movement.

Pretty cool. ;-)

HTH


----------



## submersible

:-! Gaijin, excellent essay and review of the Fenix... a must have even though I already have the Ambit. The GPS time synch and the 4 World Time zones, sunrise moon, tide is good enough to justify another purchase


----------



## Canadian_runner

Just joined to thank you for the informative review. I currently have a garmin 310xt, use it for running/training for marathon and training for ultra (trail an road). I was gonna get the 610 or 910 but the battery is not strong to last and it lacks temperature and quick gps signal. Are you planning to share the fitness features of the watch? I know it does not have foot pod support, but reading one of your reviews, the gps signal is fairly strong indoors, and I am wondering if it can be used on a treadmill for the very cold stormy days and track movement distance.


----------



## gaijin

submersible said:


> :-! Gaijin, excellent essay and review of the Fenix... a must have even though I already have the Ambit. The GPS time synch and the 4 World Time zones, sunrise moon, tide is good enough to justify another purchase


Thanks!No tide info on the fenix, however - still a lot of nice features. ;-)HTH


----------



## submersible

:-!BTW , it appears Radio Control may be passe, GPS is the way to go. even Seiko has just released their new analog GPS Solar watch, the Seiko Astron Press Release | SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION. Even Seiko is going solar in a big way...However I believe the Suunto Ambit and the Fenix are the only two companies right up there in terms of functionality and ruggedness and ultra precision timing. No other watch can perform the way they do. The only Achilles heel for these two instrument watch is the juice.:think: I prefer a tough solar, or if technology allows the nuclear battery, right now still in its infancy, perhaps doable in the future. ( see "A nuclear battery the size of a penny") at A nuclear battery the size and thickness of a penny


----------



## submersible

gaijin said:


> Thanks!No tide info on the fenix, however - still a lot of nice features. ;-)HTH


Ok Thanks, Still good even without the tides !!


----------



## gaijin

Canadian_runner said:


> Just joined to thank you for the informative review. I currently have a garmin 310xt, use it for running/training for marathon and training for ultra (trail an road). I was gonna get the 610 or 910 but the battery is not strong to last and it lacks temperature and quick gps signal. Are you planning to share the fitness features of the watch? I know it does not have foot pod support, but reading one of your reviews, the gps signal is fairly strong indoors, and I am wondering if it can be used on a treadmill for the very cold stormy days and track movement distance.


You're welcome - glad you found the info useful.

The fenix will not yield any good info when used on a treadmill - there is no motion, just standing in one spot, basically. You would need Foot Pod support to use the fenix on a treadmill, and that has not been implemented yet, nor has Garmin even hinted that the Foot Pod will be supported.

I also have the Garmin 310XT and have been downloading its data to Garmin Connect to keep track of training. The fenix does NOT send info to Garmin Connect, it only sends info to Garmin BaseCamp.

Where Garmin Connect is good at supporting training data, BaseCamp is good at supporting Geocaching and hiking data. There is a very different "feel" to BaseCamp than I had experienced with Garmin Connect. If you are contemplating using the fenix for training, you should probably download the BaseCamp software from the Garmin site (it's free) first and see how it handles the data.

I'm going to continue to try to get fenix info into Garmin Connect. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to post them.HTH


----------



## gaijin

gaijin said:


> You're welcome - glad you found the info useful.
> 
> The fenix will not yield any good info when used on a treadmill - there is no motion, just standing in one spot, basically. You would need Foot Pod support to use the fenix on a treadmill, and that has not been implemented yet, nor has Garmin even hinted that the Foot Pod will be supported.
> 
> I also have the Garmin 310XT and have been downloading its data to Garmin Connect to keep track of training. The fenix does NOT send info to Garmin Connect, it only sends info to Garmin BaseCamp.
> 
> Where Garmin Connect is good at supporting training data, BaseCamp is good at supporting Geocaching and hiking data. There is a very different "feel" to BaseCamp than I had experienced with Garmin Connect. If you are contemplating using the fenix for training, you should probably download the BaseCamp software from the Garmin site (it's free) first and see how it handles the data.
> 
> I'm going to continue to try to get fenix info into Garmin Connect. If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to post them.HTH


Major breakthrough. I just found out how easy it is to port data from BaseCamp over to Garmin Connect.

All one has to do is save a track file from BaseCamp in .gpx format and then import that file into Garmin Connect.

Here is my test walk data from above as shown in Garmin Connect:










So now, anyone who has been using Garmin Connect for their training data, can use the data from the fenix and have a seamless transition!

Also, I can now confirm that the 1.14 Miles track length which was reported by Google Earth is EXACTLY the same as the 1.14 Miles track length contained in the data as shown in Garmin Connect format. So it looks like distance measurement with the fenix is very accurate!

HTH


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> Major breakthrough. I just found out how easy it is to port data from BaseCamp over to Garmin Connect.
> All one has to do is save a track file from BaseCamp in .gpx format and then import that file into Garmin Connect.


Hi.
I got the impression (from the manual and video) that the watch can directly create FIT and/or GPX files, and those files will show up in a folder when you connect the watch and it's seen as mass storage device (/mounted volume on a a mac), before even starting Basecamp. Setup > Tracks > Output > GPX/FIT.

Then you can directly select that file for upload to GC. Saving the Import and Export to/from BaseCamp step.

(Anyway, that's how I think it's maybe supposed to work, and maybe someone more familiar with Garmin can clarify if the the FIT format is required to get the HR data)


----------



## gaijin

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> I got the impression (from the manual and video) that the watch can directly create FIT and/or GPX files, and those files will show up in a folder when you connect the watch and it's seen as mass storage device (/mounted volume on a a mac), before even starting Basecamp. Setup > Tracks > Output > GPX/FIT.
> 
> Then you can directly select that file for upload to GC. Saving the Import and Export to/from BaseCamp step.
> 
> (Anyway, that's how I think it's maybe supposed to work, and maybe someone more familiar with Garmin can clarify if the the FIT format is required to get the HR data)


Right you are!

I hooked the fenix up to the computer, opened Garmin Connect, chose "Upload" and it showed the fenix in a dialog box with my upload options. I uploaded the test walk track and this is how it looked in GC:










Interesting that the directly uploaded data includes Temperature data where the data imported using a .gpx file from BaseCamp did not.

My fenix is currently configured to output GPX only. I have no HR data logged yet, but when I do I'll try an upload with just the GPX configuration and another with the GPX/FIT configuration to see what data are included in each.

HTH


----------



## ifarlow

gaijin said:


> Interesting that the directly uploaded data includes Temperature data where the data imported using a .gpx file from BaseCamp did not.


GPX is basic track info only, by design. TCX contains more detailed track info and also includes other data such as heart rate, temperature, etc.


----------



## WirelessAndy

This watch looks fantastic! 

I would love to know if the tiny tic marks for the seconds around the face line up with the two painted orange markers at the 12 and 6 position. 

From the photos, it seems the 12 is slightly off centered. Can you verify? Or my eyes/the photos are playing tricks on me?

Yes, I've got OCD. It's not fun.


----------



## gaijin

WirelessAndy said:


> This watch looks fantastic!
> 
> I would love to know if the tiny tic marks for the seconds around the face line up with the two painted orange markers at the 12 and 6 position.
> 
> From the photos, it seems the 12 is slightly off centered. Can you verify? Or my eyes/the photos are playing tricks on me?
> 
> Yes, I've got OCD. It's not fun.


The tic mark for the seconds is a pair if marks and yes, they line up perfectly with the 12 and 6 positions:



















They also line up with the embossed bars at what would be every hour marker.

If that's not precise enough for you, you can always choose one of the optional time displays like the one in these pictures which also displays the seconds value.

HTH


----------



## John Archer

I have a few questions specific to waypoints that I hope are easy to answer:

1) How are waypoints listed by default? I'm hoping that they're in order of distance, closest first.
2) I see there's an option to search by name ("Spell Search"). Are there other options to search for or otherwise organize waypoints?
3) I saw in one of the Garmin videos that each waypoint is listed by name, and what seems to be relative distance and direction. Do these initial values still prove accurate after pressing "go" and displaying ETE, Distance and ETA on the next screen? That is, do they match?

Thanks!


----------



## gaijin

John Archer said:


> I have a few questions specific to waypoints that I hope are easy to answer:
> 
> 1) How are waypoints listed by default? I'm hoping that they're in order of distance, closest first.
> 2) I see there's an option to search by name ("Spell Search"). Are there other options to search for or otherwise organize waypoints?
> 3) I saw in one of the Garmin videos that each waypoint is listed by name, and what seems to be relative distance and direction. Do these initial values still prove accurate after pressing "go" and displaying ETE, Distance and ETA on the next screen? That is, do they match?
> 
> Thanks!


1- Yes, they are listed by distance, closest first.
2- Not that I can see.
3- Yes, they match. With one minor difference - in the waypoint list a distance may be shown to the hundredths of a mile (e.g. 23.81mi), but on the next screen, distance will be shown only in tenths of a mile (e.g. 23.8mi).

You're welcome!

HTH


----------



## John Archer

gaijin said:


> 1- Yes, they are listed by distance, closest first.
> 2- Not that I can see.
> 3- Yes, they match. With one minor difference - in the waypoint list a distance may be shown to the hundredths of a mile (e.g. 23.81mi), but on the next screen, distance will be shown only in tenths of a mile (e.g. 23.8mi).
> 
> You're welcome!
> 
> HTH


The most important for me was the first, so I'm glad they're displayed in proximity order.

I hope you're getting to have fun with your new watch amidst answering our questions. It's appreciated.


----------



## Birdmanoz

Really like the look of this watch but wanted to know if it has any workout logging / saved history function? If you do a run and want to save when finished can you reset, start a new run and save a second workout without overwriting first? I'd rather be able to review workout history on the watch than login to a web portal.


----------



## museumplanning

Gaijin,
Thank you for the fantastic review ! I have been waiting for the Fenix to come out. What do you think of using the Fenix as a "travel watch?". I travel often, will the Fenix update to a new time zone as you travel (similar to a radio controlled watch)? or do you need to manually update for each new location?

Thank you !


----------



## gaijin

Birdmanoz said:


> Really like the look of this watch but wanted to know if it has any workout logging / saved history function? If you do a run and want to save when finished can you reset, start a new run and save a second workout without overwriting first? I'd rather be able to review workout history on the watch than login to a web portal.


Tracks are saved in the watch until memory is full (oldest tracks are deleted to make room for new ones) or you manually delete them. Details for the saved tracks can be reviewed in the watch, but not all information is available - just a short summary.

Transferring the data to a program which can analyze them, like BaseCamp or GarminConnect, is necessary if you want to review all the data.

HTH


----------



## Birdmanoz

gaijin said:


> Tracks are saved in the watch until memory is full (oldest tracks are deleted to make room for new ones) or you manually delete them. Details for the saved tracks can be reviewed in the watch, but not all information is available - just a short summary.
> 
> Transferring the data to a program which can analyze them, like BaseCamp or GarminConnect, is necessary if you want to review all the data.
> 
> HTH


Thanks for that. What data does the short summary contain? Does it show lap interval times or just total time, total distance, av pace?


----------



## gaijin

museumplanning said:


> Gaijin,
> Thank you for the fantastic review ! I have been waiting for the Fenix to come out. What do you think of using the Fenix as a "travel watch?". I travel often, will the Fenix update to a new time zone as you travel (similar to a radio controlled watch)? or do you need to manually update for each new location?
> 
> Thank you !


If the GPS is turned on, then the fenix will automatically update the time when you enter a new time zone if you have the watch configured to automatically set the time zone.

If the GPS is turned off and you are in a different time zone, the time will not update until you turn GPS on - then it will automatically update the time zone if so configured.

I think it's a great travel watch. Since GPS signals can be received inside an airplane (window seat), just turn on GPS before you land (if you haven't been playing with the cool data you can capture when traveling at 750mph at 35,000 feet ;-)) and your watch will display the correct time for your location.

I think it would be fascinating to travel from Hew York to Tokyo, leave the GPS turned on, and watch all the data update during the trip.

Also, the World Time display makes it easy to keep track of time at home if you set one of the world time cities to one in your home time zone:










The big advantage over a radio-controlled/Atomic watch is the GPS signals are available anywhere on earth at any time of the day or night.

Maybe I've been too subtle - I think the fenix is the perfect travel watch! ;-)

HTH


----------



## Kontek

Excellent review, one of the best I've seen on the web WELL DONE.
I'm very interested to know actually battery life and the power saving modes. I'm wondering if the bread crumbs in power save mode will be enough to guide you back, 1 crumb per min (ultratrac) seems like you'll miss a turn or 2. can you realistically get 2 days ( 6-8 hours walking a day) from having gps on full power. How do you use and find the power options ?

Thanks in advance


----------



## gaijin

Kontek said:


> Excellent review, one of the best I've seen on the web WELL DONE.
> I'm very interested to know actually battery life and the power saving modes. I'm wondering if the bread crumbs in power save mode will be enough to guide you back, 1 crumb per min (ultratrac) seems like you'll miss a turn or 2. can you realistically get 2 days ( 6-8 hours walking a day) from having gps on full power. How do you use and find the power options ?
> 
> Thanks in advance


Thanks!

I haven't purposely run the battery to empty yet, but I can give you an idea of some of the power saving options available on the fenix.

1. If you're not using the watch, simply turn it off.
2. Backlights usually are a large power consumer, so use it sparingly and adjust it to a lower intensity - it can be adjusted from 0%-100% in 10% increments. At night, 10% is still bright enough to easily read all the information on the watch.
3. The ABC functions (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer) can be configured to be "Always On" where data are gathered continuously or "On Demand" where current values only are displayed. When in "On Demand" mode, these functions consume no battery power unless you turn them on.
4. Obviously the GPS consumes power, so if not needed, turn it off.
5. Setup>System>GPS Mode - Choose "Normal" for highest resolution and "UltraTrac" (GPS updates once per minute) for longest battery life.
6. Setup>Tracks>Interval - Choices here are "Most Often," "More Often," "Normal," "Less Often," and "Least Often" when GPS Mode is set to "Normal." When GPS Mode is set to "UltraTrac," the choice is a time which can be set for a minimum of 15 seconds and a maximum of 99Hours, 59Minutes and 59seconds (99:59:59) - default value is 1 minute. I'm not sure yet how these all work together, but obviously less frequent GPS update will save battery life.

I'm sorry, but I'll have to use the fenix more before I can give any more detailed info.

HTH

P.S. Welcome to the forum! ;-)


----------



## Hrti

Nice ongoing review, Gaijin. Your photos of the Fenix are great too 

Could you explain some more regarding different exercise modes? I currently have the Suunto Ambit (and loving it). On the ambit there is the "homescreen" with the three different screens for time, alti/baro and 3D compass. To start an exercise/activity you enter the exercise menu and chose from 10 custom-made exercise modes created on movescount.com (including if the ambit should search for GPS, HR-monitor, and pods. I really fancy this as I can have different data fields etc. pre-programmed for different types of activities. I'm interested in learning about the exercise modes on the fenix, how customizable they are etc.


----------



## John Archer

Is it possible to charge the Fenix while actively using the GPS and recording a track without interruption? For example, a quick charge here and there when possible during a long trip where you would like to have a single track. I think this and any further insights into charging in general might interest others too. Thanks!


----------



## gaijin

John Archer said:


> Is it possible to charge the Fenix while actively using the GPS and recording a track without interruption? For example, a quick charge here and there when possible during a long trip where you would like to have a single track. I think this and any further insights into charging in general might interest others too. Thanks!


Yes. It is definitely possible to charge the fenix while actively using the GPS and recording a track without interruption. Here's a pic of the Status Display after charging was initiated while recording a track:










It shows the GPS status (full 5 bars), battery status, Time and Distance of current active track and a list of options below including Pause Track, Clear Track, and Stop GPS.

The charger does not interrupt the current function of the watch at all and can be stopped/started at will without losing any data or interrupting any ongoing function.

HTH

Edit: Today I'm going to run the fenix to battery depletion from 100% charge. All sensors on "Always On," GPS mode on "Normal," track interval on "Most Often," in other words consuming as much power as possible and see how long the battery lasts under these "worst case" conditions. This should give an idea what the minimum expected battery life should be.


----------



## Amichai

I was ready to buy an Ambit but I like the Fenix the more I read about it. On the Ambit, navigation is done by direction arrow and distance to the next waypoint. It doesn't show an overview of the whole route and your position on it. Does the Fenix do this? Another interesting thing I found was that the river I'm planning to navigate is visible on Movescount (it uses Google Maps) but the river wasn't visible in BaseCamp. Is there anything special one has to do to be able to use the Fenix for marine navigation?


----------



## gaijin

Hrti said:


> Nice ongoing review, Gaijin. Your photos of the Fenix are great too
> 
> Could you explain some more regarding different exercise modes? I currently have the Suunto Ambit (and loving it). On the ambit there is the "homescreen" with the three different screens for time, alti/baro and 3D compass. To start an exercise/activity you enter the exercise menu and chose from 10 custom-made exercise modes created on movescount.com (including if the ambit should search for GPS, HR-monitor, and pods. I really fancy this as I can have different data fields etc. pre-programmed for different types of activities. I'm interested in learning about the exercise modes on the fenix, how customizable they are etc.


Glad you're enjoying the review.

One of the biggest differences between the Ambit and the fenix, is all customization of the fenix takes place on the fenix - there is no need to configure a display or performance parameter on a computer and then sync those changes as is the case with the Ambit.

Much like the Ambit, the fenix has a "Home Screen" with 5 selectable screens for World Time, Alti, Baro, Temp, and 3D compass. All 6 screens are cutomizable.

The fenix comes with 8 pre-programmed "Profiles" - Hiking, Running, Cycling, Geocaching, Fishing, Sailing, Aviation, and Mountaineering. Each of these can be renamed to whatever suits your fancy. An apparently unlimited number of additional profiles can be created and named at will.

All parameters set on the fenix, including units of measure, GPS parameters, data screens, HR monitor, Cadence/Pace sensor, Tempe external temperature sensor, etc. are saved in the currently selected profile. Change profiles and you can change the look, feel and performance of the fenix.

When starting an activity/exercise, one first chooses a profile. Each profile has a number of screens which can be configured with 1, 2 or 3 data fields, a map or a graph. There is a plethora of data options for the fields.

Obviously, there must be some practical limit to the number of profiles, number of screens, etc. which can be configured, but it is not possible to determine that without entering configurations until the fenix simply will not accept any more - I have not reached that limit yet.

What I like about being able to configure modes in Movescount with the Ambit is it gives an excellent one page overview of all the settings for a given mode. On the fenix, one has to scroll through the options to check on current settings. One has to weigh this against the ability to make configuration changes in the field, on the fly as with the fenix.

It's hard to answer specifically your question about, "... how customizable they are ..." because so far I have found that everything is customizable.

HTH


----------



## Gordon

I'm really enjoying this ongoing review of the fenix! 
Really appreciate the time and effort you're spending doing this.
Cheers!


----------



## gaijin

Amichai said:


> I was ready to buy an Ambit but I like the Fenix the more I read about it. On the Ambit, navigation is done by direction arrow and distance to the next waypoint. It doesn't show an overview of the whole route and your position on it. Does the Fenix do this? Another interesting thing I found was that the river I'm planning to navigate is visible on Movescount (it uses Google Maps) but the river wasn't visible in BaseCamp. Is there anything special one has to do to be able to use the Fenix for marine navigation?


As to your first question, yes, the fenix does this. That's this screen:










Sorry I don't have a "Live" pic of this feature for you. :-(

I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to your second question.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Gordon said:


> I'm really enjoying this ongoing review of the fenix!
> Really appreciate the time and effort you're spending doing this.
> Cheers!


You're very welcome!


----------



## Rigel

Dear Gaijin, thank you for the excellent review. Can you elaborate on the "basemap", please? What kind of details are included? What is the range of your loaded map? Does it have any data outside of the basemap, about other continents? How many basemaps are there?


----------



## chevilo

Hello,
Note on box or manual, about gps chipset used ?? SirfstarIII, IV, ....
And about GPS+GLONASS, or only GPS ??. The higher satellite number >60, are Glonass.
Regards,


----------



## or_watching

Amichai said:


> Another interesting thing I found was that the river I'm planning to navigate is visible on Movescount (it uses Google Maps) but the river wasn't visible in BaseCamp.


hi. 
Off topic a bit, but if you don't me asking, what portion of what river doesn't show on your Basecamp map? And what map do you have installed on Basecamp.

Maybe someone here can help with that. E.g point to an Open Source map.


----------



## museumplanning

gaijin said:


> If the GPS is turned on, then the fenix will automatically update the time when you enter a new time zone if you have the watch configured to automatically set the time zone.
> 
> If the GPS is turned off and you are in a different time zone, the time will not update until you turn GPS on - then it will automatically update the time zone if so configured.
> 
> I think it's a great travel watch. Since GPS signals can be received inside an airplane (window seat), just turn on GPS before you land (if you haven't been playing with the cool data you can capture when traveling at 750mph at 35,000 feet ;-)) and your watch will display the correct time for your location.
> 
> I think it would be fascinating to travel from Hew York to Tokyo, leave the GPS turned on, and watch all the data update during the trip.
> 
> Also, the World Time display makes it easy to keep track of time at home if you set one of the world time cities to one in your home time zone:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The big advantage over a radio-controlled/Atomic watch is the GPS signals are available anywhere on earth at any time of the day or night.
> 
> Maybe I've been too subtle - I think the fenix is the perfect travel watch! ;-)
> 
> HTH


Gaijin,
Thank you for the reply ! The Fenix does seem like a perfect travel watch. I have been looking at the Citizen Skyhawk and Super Pilot, but the Fenix offers a lot more. In some ways it has too much for me, I am the most interested in simple GPS measuring of running (3-5 miles), the multiple time zones, alarm and the ability to update as traveling.

I try to keep a "low bling factor" when traveling, the Fenix looks big, would you feel comfortable wearing it more remote places? I use a Timex Ironman Triathlon when traveling, can use to time running, has two time zones, multiple alarms and a low bling factor. Thinking of replacing with the Fenix. Was attracted to the Skyhawk, but it has a very high "bling factor".

Would you feel comfortable traveling to remote locations with the Fenix?

Thank you for your recommendations and great review !


----------



## John Archer

Gaijin - Thanks for the very detailed answer to my charging question. It's even the answer I was hoping for! Looking forward to reading further posts in this great thread.


----------



## gaijin

Rigel said:


> Dear Gaijin, thank you for the excellent review. Can you elaborate on the "basemap", please? What kind of details are included? What is the range of your loaded map? Does it have any data outside of the basemap, about other continents? How many basemaps are there?


You're welcome.

There is only one basemap and it covers the whole world. Details are very sparse - limited to major political boundaries (state boundaries in the U.S.) and very large cities. No roads, rivers, etc.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

chevilo said:


> Hello,
> Note on box or manual, about gps chipset used ?? SirfstarIII, IV, ....
> And about GPS+GLONASS, or only GPS ??. The higher satellite number >60, are Glonass.
> Regards,


I can find no info on which GPS chip set is used. Sorry. :-(

It is GPS that is WAAS/EGNOS enabled.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

museumplanning said:


> Gaijin,
> Thank you for the reply ! The Fenix does seem like a perfect travel watch. I have been looking at the Citizen Skyhawk and Super Pilot, but the Fenix offers a lot more. In some ways it has too much for me, I am the most interested in simple GPS measuring of running (3-5 miles), the multiple time zones, alarm and the ability to update as traveling.
> 
> I try to keep a "low bling factor" when traveling, the Fenix looks big, would you feel comfortable wearing it more remote places? I use a Timex Ironman Triathlon when traveling, can use to time running, has two time zones, multiple alarms and a low bling factor. Thinking of replacing with the Fenix. Was attracted to the Skyhawk, but it has a very high "bling factor".
> 
> Would you feel comfortable traveling to remote locations with the Fenix?
> 
> Thank you for your recommendations and great review !


Thank you for the kind words.

The fenix is, after all, a black plastic digital watch. Definitely low key with a "low bling factor." ;-) I have travelled all over the world, nice places and some not so nice. In my opinion, this watch is not one that would attract the unwanted attention of someone interested in doing bad deeds. I would much rather have the fenix on my wrist than a Skyhawk if the objective is to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

John Archer said:


> Gaijin - Thanks for the very detailed answer to my charging question. It's even the answer I was hoping for! Looking forward to reading further posts in this great thread.


Great - glad I could give you what you wanted.

I'll summarize in detail when the charge depletion test is complete, but here are some initial results:

Test started 12:07 100% Charge Level
2 hours later 14:11 91%
3 hours later 15:08 87%
4 hours later 16:18 80%

So, roughly speaking and assuming the percentages are anywhere near correct (we'll find out ;-)), I've used 20% of the charge in 4 hours which would result in a 20 hour battery life to full depletion. The spec is 16 hours, so it's in the ball park. I'm reluctant to draw any conclusions, however, until the end of the test.

HTH


----------



## or_watching

In the realm of anti-bling, if or when I get a fenix I think my first ever "watch mod" would be trying to paint the orange bits and button black. Not a fan of the orange. 

But still need to see one in person to be sure. And no clue how that would work out, but I am sure that WUS is the fount of all such wisdom.


----------



## gaijin

or_watching said:


> In the realm of anti-bling, if or when I get a fenix I think my first ever "watch mod" would be trying to paint the orange bits and button black. Not a fan of the orange.
> 
> But still need to see one in person to be sure. And no clue how that would work out, but I am sure that WUS is the fount of all such wisdom.


The first fenix "Stealth" mod ;-)


----------



## Kontek

gaijin said:


> Great - glad I could give you what you wanted.
> 
> I'll summarize in detail when the charge depletion test is complete, but here are some initial results:
> 
> Test started 12:07 100% Charge Level
> 2 hours later 14:11 91%
> 3 hours later 15:08 87%
> 4 hours later 16:18 80%
> 
> So, roughly speaking and assuming the percentages are anywhere near correct (we'll find out ;-)), I've used 20% of the charge in 4 hours which would result in a 20 hour battery life to full depletion. The spec is 16 hours, so it's in the ball park. I'm reluctant to draw any conclusions, however, until the end of the test.
> 
> HTH


Is this with all the feature turned on including gps (full power) ?.

On a side note i cant stop refreshing your thread


----------



## tordnado

Hi

Great info!

Can you wear the watch while charging? Possibly less comfortable but would it be doable in the situations where really long battery time is needed. I.e. hiking with a solar charger or backup battery.

Thanks!


----------



## gaijin

Kontek said:


> Is this with all the feature turned on including gps (full power) ?.
> 
> On a side note i cant stop refreshing your thread


Yes, the test is being run with all features turned on including GPS "full power."

Specifically, all sensors are configured to "Always On." GPS is configured to "Normal." Track interval is configured to "Most Frequent." This is the highest power consumption mode which Garmin says should yield 16 hours of battery life.

Here's another sneak peak: after 760 minutes (12 Hours 40 Minutes), my fenix is at 28% charge and still going strong. Stay tuned for a nice graphic representation of the depletion test when complete. ;-)

HTH


----------



## gaijin

tordnado said:


> Hi
> 
> Great info!
> 
> Can you wear the watch while charging? Possibly less comfortable but would it be doable in the situations where really long battery time is needed. I.e. hiking with a solar charger or backup battery.
> 
> Thanks!


Possible? Well ... I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. I'm less worried about the watch itself than I am about where one would strap the backup battery/charger. If one is intent on doing this, I would recommend using a NATO/Zulu type strap as this would effectively secure the charging cradle to the fenix.

But remember, when GPS is configured to "UltraTrac" the watch will record a track for up to 50 hours - more than two days of continuous recording. If you really had to keep the watch recording for longer than that, I'd strap it on a charger during rest stops. Recording would continue, but the watch would be off your wrist.

HTH


----------



## tordnado

gaijin said:


> Possible? Well ... I guess anything is possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. I'm less worried about the watch itself than I am about where one would strap the backup battery/charger. If one is intent on doing this, I would recommend using a NATO/Zulu type strap as this would effectively secure the charging cradle to the fenix.
> 
> But remember, when GPS is configured to "UltraTrac" the watch will record a track for up to 50 hours - more than two days of continuous recording. If you really had to keep the watch recording for longer than that, I'd strap it on a charger during rest stops. Recording would continue, but the watch would be off your wrist.
> 
> HTH


Thanks! If Ultra trac is giving good enough distance reading that would be usable solution but I am planning on doing a 24 hour hike with very short breaks, on these breaks I dont want to fiddle with charging but just rest and put a 5 minute timer that wakes me up when its time to go. Hence I would like this possibility. I also want pretty accurate readings so that I know how far I actually walked during these 24 hours. The battery could either be in my jacket inside pocket running trough the sleeve to the watch or strapped on like a watch just next to the Fenix.

Another question: Does it mesure temperature without the external sensor and do you have any idea how it does that? It seems it would show body temp more than sourronding temp? This goes for all watches with internal temperature sensors I guess.

Looking forward to your further updates!


----------



## cobrapa

Remember that battery charge may not be limiting factor. If the track memory fills up, you cannot record more tracks even if you have battery left (or you will overwrite some data, depending on what the watch does.)

Clever Training has stock on the Fenix now in the USA


----------



## gaijin

tordnado said:


> Thanks! If Ultra trac is giving good enough distance reading that would be usable solution but I am planning on doing a 24 hour hike with very short breaks, on these breaks I dont want to fiddle with charging but just rest and put a 5 minute timer that wakes me up when its time to go. Hence I would like this possibility. I also want pretty accurate readings so that I know how far I actually walked during these 24 hours. The battery could either be in my jacket inside pocket running trough the sleeve to the watch or strapped on like a watch just next to the Fenix.
> 
> Another question: Does it mesure temperature without the external sensor and do you have any idea how it does that? It seems it would show body temp more than sourronding temp? This goes for all watches with internal temperature sensors I guess.
> 
> Looking forward to your further updates!


You're welcome!

OK, here's a little guessing on my part that would have to be tested to confirm whether it's true, but if all you are looking for is 24 hours of recording time, I think there's an easy answer.

When GPS is in "Normal" mode, the GPS takes a fix every second. This yields approximately 16 hours of battery life.

When GPS is in "UltraTrac" mode, the GPS takes a fix every minute. This yields approximately 50 hours of battery life.

Remember this screen I encountered during a software update that explained what had been updated?










Note where it says, "Added ability to set UltraTrac update as fast as 15 second intervals. (Battery life varies according to interval)"

So, in Ultratrac mode, we know that when the interval is set to 1 minute the battery life is approx. 50 hours. When the GPS is in "Normal" mode and the GPS interval is 1 second, the battery life is approximately 16 hours.

It does not appear to be a linear relationship between interval and battery life. Therefore, probably, if the interval in UltraTrac mode were set to once every 15 seconds, the battery life would probably be greater than 24 hours.

This would give you the recording time you need and the resolution of one GPS fix every 15 seconds. This configuration should be perfectly acceptable for a walk.

Temperature:

Yes, the fenix measures temperature with its internal sensor and records it with the track data. And yes, as you suspected, body temperature has an affect on this reading so it is not an accurate indication of ambient air temperature. If accurate temperature measurement is important to you, the two options are to either use the Tempe external temperature sensor, or place the watch on your clothing or pack in a location where air can freely circulate around the watch.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

The results are in.

Here is the result of the battery depletion test run on the fenix. The watch was configured for the highest power drain - GPS to Normal, Sensors to Always On and Track Interval to Most Frequent:










The Garmin spec for this configuration is 16 hours and mine shut off after a little more than 17 hours. No data were lost by running the watch until it shut itself down due to low battery.

During the test, I uncovered an "undocumented performance enhancement" in the form of a warning screen that pops up when battery level reaches 20%:










The warning was dismissed by pressing the Select button and no further warnings were evident until the watch shut itself down approximately 3 hours later.

Based on this test, it is safe to assume that the Garmin spec for battery life is reasonable. No surprises.

HTH


----------



## tordnado

"Therefore, probably, if the interval in UltraTrac mode were set to once every 15 seconds, the battery life would probably be greater than 24 hours." I fully understand if you are not interested in doing what I am about to ask but here I go: Could you test batterylife with the above mentioned ultratrac set at 15 seconds? If you dont wanna run a full time test we could interpolate the end result from say a 10 hour test.

Like I said I understand if you dont want to lock of your new toy like that but if you can do it you would make my day!


----------



## gaijin

tordnado said:


> "Therefore, probably, if the interval in UltraTrac mode were set to once every 15 seconds, the battery life would probably be greater than 24 hours." I fully understand if you are not interested in doing what I am about to ask but here I go: Could you test batterylife with the above mentioned ultratrac set at 15 seconds? If you dont wanna run a full time test we could interpolate the end result from say a 10 hour test.
> 
> Like I said I understand if you dont want to lock of your new toy like that but if you can do it you would make my day!


Battery test started with GPS mode set to UltraTrac, Interval to 15 seconds and sensors to Always On.

Started at 08:50 Charge level 100%

It's a very good request. Garmin was accurate with their 16 hour spec for "full power" use, and no reason to doubt their 50 hour spec for UltraTrac at 1 minute interval, but they have published no spec for UltraTrac at 15 second interval. Let's see how long we need to go before we get a good idea of what the total battery life will be. ;-)

I'll keep you posted.

HTH


----------



## avusblue

Gaijin,

This has got to be the most impressive and thorough watch review I've ever read. Extremely well done! Thank you. You are doing a real public service; and no doubt it's going to result in selling quite a few of these! I know I now want one . . . .

Keep up the great work, and thanks again. :-!

Cheers,
Dave


----------



## gaijin

avusblue said:


> Gaijin,
> 
> This has got to be the most impressive and thorough watch review I've ever read. Extremely well done! Thank you. You are doing a real public service; and no doubt it's going to result in selling quite a few of these! I know I now want one . . . .
> 
> Keep up the great work, and thanks again. :-!
> 
> Cheers,
> Dave


Thanks, Dave, for the kind words. Glad you're enjoying the review.

Please remember, my intent is not to sell watches. Everyone has their own important criteria by which they must judge whether any watch is the right one for their specific requirements. All I'm trying to do is get as much information as possible out there so folks can make an educated choice. I know for me, one of the worst feelings is to finally select a watch only to find out after the purchase, "Oh! It doesn't do that?" Just trying to avoid that for others as much as possible.

The journey continues ... ;-)

HTH


----------



## Amichai

avusblue said:


> Gaijin,
> 
> This has got to be the most impressive and thorough watch review I've ever read. Extremely well done! Thank you. You are doing a real public service; and no doubt it's going to result in selling quite a few of these! I know I now want one . . . .
> 
> Keep up the great work, and thanks again. :-!
> 
> Cheers,
> Dave


+1 on that! I was all set to buy the Ambit, & by all set I mean I had one in the cart & was ready to check out. But something told me to do a little more searching on the Fenix and that's when I stumbled on this thread. I think I've made up my mind on the Fenix, but I'm still going to follow this thread a little more before committing. It sure is interesting!


----------



## Ridgeback63

Thank you gaijin,I have just bought one of these and your review is helping me immensely,thanks for going to so much time and trouble.There is only one feature that I wish this watch had and that is the ability to activate the ANT equipped weight scales that I have apart from that this watch is faultless IMHO,this is the best review I have read anywhere.


----------



## Amichai

Oh...and I figured out a way around my map problem - Movescount showed the river I was planning to navigate (it uses Google Maps), but Basecamp didn't. So I created the route in Movescount, exported it as a .KML file and then imported it to Basecamp. Not the most efficient or elegant way, but it worked.


----------



## museumplanning

gaijin said:


> Thank you for the kind words.
> 
> The fenix is, after all, a black plastic digital watch. Definitely low key with a "low bling factor." ;-) I have travelled all over the world, nice places and some not so nice. In my opinion, this watch is not one that would attract the unwanted attention of someone interested in doing bad deeds. I would much rather have the fenix on my wrist than a Skyhawk if the objective is to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
> 
> HTH


Perfect ! Thank you for the answer and wonderful review ! Where did you purchase your watch? Thanks!


----------



## museumplanning

or_watching said:


> In the realm of anti-bling, if or when I get a fenix I think my first ever "watch mod" would be trying to paint the orange bits and button black. Not a fan of the orange.
> 
> But still need to see one in person to be sure. And no clue how that would work out, but I am sure that WUS is the fount of all such wisdom.


or_watching,
Great idea! Love it, as gaijin mentioned a "stealth" mod.


----------



## gaijin

Ridgeback63 said:


> Thank you gaijin,I have just bought one of these and your review is helping me immensely,thanks for going to so much time and trouble.There is only one feature that I wish this watch had and that is the ability to activate the ANT equipped weight scales that I have apart from that this watch is faultless IMHO,this is the best review I have read anywhere.


Thank you. Your kind words are very much appreciated. ;-)

I also wish the fenix had Foot Pod support and could connect wirelessly with my PC using the Garmin Ant Agent - like my 310XT does. Who knows? Maybe in the future. In the meantime, I'm still learning a lot about the fenix's capabilities.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Amichai said:


> Oh...and I figured out a way around my map problem - Movescount showed the river I was planning to navigate (it uses Google Maps), but Basecamp didn't. So I created the route in Movescount, exported it as a .KML file and then imported it to Basecamp. Not the most efficient or elegant way, but it worked.


Good on you! Thanks for sharing that. ;-)


----------



## gaijin

museumplanning said:


> Perfect ! Thank you for the answer and wonderful review ! Where did you purchase your watch? Thanks!


You're welcome!

I purchased mine directly from Garmin U.S.A., but I can also recommend GPScity as a reliable source: Garmin fenix Navigating Wrist-Worn GPS+ABC Watch They also have a lot of good videos of the fenix.

HTH


----------



## Ridgeback63

gaijin said:


> Thank you. Your kind words are very much appreciated. ;-)
> 
> I also wish the fenix had Foot Pod support and could connect wirelessly with my PC using the Garmin Ant Agent - like my 310XT does. Who knows? Maybe in the future. In the meantime, I'm still learning a lot about the fenix's capabilities.
> 
> HTH


It could be a possibility with a new firmware upgrade eh,I forgot about the footpod,thanks


----------



## museumplanning

gaijin said:


> You're welcome!
> 
> I purchased mine directly from Garmin U.S.A., but I can also recommend GPScity as a reliable source: Garmin fenix Navigating Wrist-Worn GPS+ABC Watch They also have a lot of good videos of the fenix.
> 
> HTH


HTH,
Just checked out GPScity, lots of good information. Thank you for best watch review I have ever seen!


----------



## cobrapa

So, can you configure the fenix online? I like that you can do it all on the watch, but for doing a lot of setup, a full computer screen with all the settings in front of you speeds things up (not to mention the up and down screens can drive you batty...)


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> So, can you configure the fenix online? I like that you can do it all on the watch, but for doing a lot of setup, a full computer screen with all the settings in front of you speeds things up (not to mention the up and down screens can drive you batty...)


No, the fenix can only be configured on the watch itself.

In all fairness, though, the menu tree is very intuitive - not difficult to navigate once one understands the overall structure. For example, compared to the Suunto X9/X10 watches, setup is a breeze. ;-)

HTH


----------



## Sedi

Thanks a lot gaijin for the great, great review! I never saw a thread here on Digi&ABC attracting so much attention and new members! Already linked it in the little link-collection I'm trying to build up on top of the page. Keep up the good work! (now I have to think which watches to sell so I can get a Fenix :-d:-d).

cheers, Sedi


----------



## jimmijames73

gaijin said:


> All I'm trying to do is get as much information as possible out there so folks can make an educated choice.


Thanks again Gaijin for the detailed information you have been providing on the fēnix, I have been checking this thread a number of times each day to keep up to date.

I am very tempted to purchase the fēnix (once I have convinced my wife that I really need another GPS watch). My only concern at the moment is that the fēnix is not compatible with Garmin Connect. I saw that there is a work around exporting a GPX file from Basecamp, but this seems to miss the heart rate and temperature data.

I saw a great YouTube clip demonstrating the BaseCamp iPhone app, but unfortunately it seems to have been pulled. From memory it allowed the fēnix to directly upload to the iphone, but I cannot remember if that included heart rate, lap info, etc.

I might wait until this iPhone app is released to confirm the features before purchasing. Does anyone know the likely release date?

Keep up the good work.


----------



## gaijin

Sedi said:


> Thanks a lot gaijin for the great, great review! I never saw a thread here on Digi&ABC attracting so much attention and new members! Already linked it in the little link-collection I'm trying to build up on top of the page. Keep up the good work! (now I have to think which watches to sell so I can get a Fenix :-d:-d).
> 
> cheers, Sedi


Thank you! I'm very encouraged by the participation the thread has, and am very pleased to see all the new members.

I can't wait to see what new tidbit turns up next. ;-)

HTH


----------



## gaijin

jimmijames73 said:


> Thanks again Gaijin for the detailed information you have been providing on the fēnix, I have been checking this thread a number of times each day to keep up to date.
> 
> I am very tempted to purchase the fēnix (once I have convinced my wife that I really need another GPS watch). My only concern at the moment is that the fēnix is not compatible with Garmin Connect. I saw that there is a work around exporting a GPX file from Basecamp, but this seems to miss the heart rate and temperature data.
> 
> I saw a great YouTube clip demonstrating the BaseCamp iPhone app, but unfortunately it seems to have been pulled. From memory it allowed the fēnix to directly upload to the iphone, but I cannot remember if that included heart rate, lap info, etc.
> 
> I might wait until this iPhone app is released to confirm the features before purchasing. Does anyone know the likely release date?
> 
> Keep up the good work.


You're welcome!

The fenix is indeed compatible with Garmin Connect. Here's a duplicate of my post above explaining how I imported data directly into Garmin Connect from the fenix:



gaijin said:


> Right you are!
> 
> I hooked the fenix up to the computer, opened Garmin Connect, chose "Upload" and it showed the fenix in a dialog box with my upload options. I uploaded the test walk track and this is how it looked in GC:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting that the directly uploaded data includes Temperature data where the data imported using a .gpx file from BaseCamp did not.
> 
> My fenix is currently configured to output GPX only. I have no HR data logged yet, but when I do I'll try an upload with just the GPX configuration and another with the GPX/FIT configuration to see what data are included in each.
> 
> HTH


Note that the data directly imported included Temp data. I don't have any heart rate info logged yet to confirm that it will upload to Garmin Connect, but I have no reason to suspect that it won't.

I am also anxiously waiting for more info about the capability to upload data directly to my iPhone. Garmin says it can be done, but I have not seen how yet. :-(

Stay tuned. More coming. ;-)

HTH


----------



## jimmijames73

gaijin said:


> The fenix is indeed compatible with Garmin Connect. Here's a duplicate of my post above explaining how I imported data directly into Garmin Connect from the fenix


Thank you for the clarification, that is great news that you can directly upload to GC. The iPhone app looked very impressive, especially with the Bluetooth connection (i.e. no cables or adapters, etc). I am keeping an eye out on the app store for when it is finally released. I am rapidly running out of excuses not to buy this watch!


----------



## gaijin

tordnado said:


> "Therefore, probably, if the interval in UltraTrac mode were set to once every 15 seconds, the battery life would probably be greater than 24 hours." I fully understand if you are not interested in doing what I am about to ask but here I go: Could you test batterylife with the above mentioned ultratrac set at 15 seconds? If you dont wanna run a full time test we could interpolate the end result from say a 10 hour test.
> 
> Like I said I understand if you dont want to lock of your new toy like that but if you can do it you would make my day!


You asked for it - you got it!

The hypothesis was that by setting the GPS mode to UltraTrac and the Interval to 15 seconds (Sensors stay at the Always On setting) battery life could be extended beyond 24 hours without losing so much detail that it would not be useful for walking.

In my previous battery life test, power consumption was observed to be essentially linear (i.e. power was consumed at the same rate) from 100% to 2% before the watch shut itself off.

I ran a 12 hour test and have projected consumption using a linear trend line.

The results are in! Here's the graph:










After 12 hours power level was still at 53%. Assuming the watch would shut itself off with 2% power remaining, as in the first test, projected battery life for the fenix with GPS set on UltraTrac, Interval set to 15 seconds and Sensors set to Always On is ... wait for it ...

25 Hours 30 Minutes

Looks like it made it! But how is the resolution of the data? Here's the track from BaseCamp:










This is one walk, out and back following the same route (different sides of the same street), with the rest of the time around the house. It's certainly not as smooth as the track generated when the GPS is constantly on (Normal mode), but with the exception of a few minor zigs and zags, it's definitely good enough to serve as a record of where I was.

In UltraTrac mode with the Interval set to 15 seconds, I observed an interesting phenomenon on the home Time screen. Every 15 seconds (coinciding with when GPS was activated for a fix?) the screen would pause for about a second and display this icon in the middle of the screen:










Neither timekeeping accuracy nor any other functions seemed to be affected. It appears the fenix just needed time to complete the instruction set triggered by the GPS fix.

So now it appears we have three battery life times based on configuration:

16 Hours when in Normal GPS mode
25 Hours when in UltraTrac GPS mode with 15 second Intervals
50 Hours when in UltraTrac GPS mode with 60 second Intervals

So, tordnado, what do you think?

HTH


----------



## or_watching

More GPS power cycle interval options: What the doctor ordered.
A graph: Worth a thousand words.


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> It does not appear to be a linear relationship between interval and battery life. Therefore, probably, if the interval in UltraTrac mode were set to once every 15 seconds, the battery life would probably be greater than 24 hours.


Hi.
I plotted your excellent data, and if I did it correctly it does look pretty linear. But as you see it's not a slope of 1, which is maybe what you meant.
I'm thinking the slope is an inverse function of how long the GPS is on each time it tries to get a fix. Meaning that a slope of 0.5 suggests it's on for about 2 seconds. In the real world of a hike in the woods we'd expect (and I've observed on my Ambit) that the GPS *may* take more than the minimum to get a fix. And when the GPS needs to be on longer, then of course the battery life will be decreased.


----------



## tordnado

Thanks alot! That is really great info. Now the only thing keeping me from buying it today is the looks but you cant do much about that I guess. Since its functions are so great for travelling (world time, finding the way back to the hotel and running) and everyday use I would love a titanium watch with a little more "dressed" looks. But I know myself well enough to realise I cant wait for that! But I hope Garmin is reading this so that they do a bit better in that department next time, the Ambit looks a lot better I think. Once again thanks for all the reporting!


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> No, the fenix can only be configured on the watch itself.
> 
> In all fairness, though, the menu tree is very intuitive - not difficult to navigate once one understands the overall structure. For example, compared to the Suunto X9/X10 watches, setup is a breeze. ;-)
> 
> HTH


Hmm, how about waypoints or tracks? I assume these can be pulled in from Basecamp or another map based utility?


----------



## rockduck

how can I change UltraTrack interval settings ? I have done soft upgrade to 2.40 . In Tracks options I can choose Normal, UltraTrack, Demo Mode - I can't find a interval settings in UltraTrack.


----------



## jdengate

rockduck said:


> how can I change UltraTrack interval settings ? I have done soft upgrade to 2.40 . In Tracks options I can choose Normal, UltraTrack, Demo Mode - I can't find a interval settings in UltraTrack.


I've had a fenix for a couple days now. Fun. This isn't all that intuitive, but here's how:
Once GPS mode is set to UltraTrac (Menu > Setup > System > GPS Mode > UltraTrac), you have to change the interval:
Menu > Setup > Tracks > Interval


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Hmm, how about waypoints or tracks? I assume these can be pulled in from Basecamp or another map based utility?


Waypoints, Routes and Tracks can all be set up in BaseCamp and then transferred to the fenix.

Fenix display and performance parameters must be configured on the watch itself.

HTH


----------



## anto1980

Amazing review!!!
How many tracks is able to storage in the memory?


----------



## John Archer

anto1980 said:


> Amazing review!!!
> How many tracks is able to storage in the memory?


Here are a few statistics straight from the Garmin website, including the maximum number of saved tracks (100):


Waypoints/favorites/locations:1000Routes:50Track log:10,000 points, 100 saved tracks
Remember though that you can transfer tracks as needed to/from the watch, so the limitation is only for concurrent tracks on the watch itself. You can have a much larger collection of tracks stored outside the watch. I assume the 100 routes maximum is limited by the maximum number of points as well, but I'm not yet sure. Maybe others can chime in, as I don't yet own the watch myself.

I hope this information helps at least.


----------



## Amichai

Ok guys, I'm really enamored by the Fenix, but I have a SERIOUS problem with the lack of resolution in BaseCamp. It only shows MAJOR roads on the map. Small roads, rivers, creeks, etc. just aren't visible. This makes it extremely painful to try to plan a navigation route. As I've previously noted, I can create a route in Movescount and export it to import into BaseCamp, but it's extremely cumbersome. Especially so if I need to make even the slightest modification to the route. I'd have to modify it in Movescount, re-export and re-import to the Fenix. Does Garmin not have any type of add-on maps to make BasCamp higher resolution? I mean what they give you in BaseCamp is borderline unusable!


----------



## cobrapa

I'm new to Basecamp as well, and went to read up on it based on your post. It looks like it ties to several of Garmin's map products, which you would need to buy to get the detailed maps.

If you happen to have their topo maps already, then that would work for trail mapping. It sounds like their city navigator series works as well. Maybe not the $100 you were planning to spend to get the routes you wanted though...

Does Basecamp download the Fenix map when you first connect it? If so, then you are seeing the limited base map provided by the Fenix.


----------



## or_watching

Amichai said:


> Ok guys, I'm really enamored by the Fenix, but I have a SERIOUS problem with the lack of resolution in BaseCamp. It only shows MAJOR roads on the map. Small roads, rivers, creeks, etc. just aren't visible. This makes it extremely painful to try to plan a navigation route. As I've previously noted, I can create a route in Movescount and export it to import into BaseCamp, but it's extremely cumbersome. Especially so if I need to make even the slightest modification to the route. I'd have to modify it in Movescount, re-export and re-import to the Fenix. Does Garmin not have any type of add-on maps to make BasCamp higher resolution? I mean what they give you in BaseCamp is borderline unusable!


Hi.
Garmin has plenty of maps (topos and roads) and imagery to sell you that you can use with Basecamp. 
Garmin | United States | BaseCamp™
on downloads and DVDs that will will work with Basecamp. Garmin | United States | Maps | On the Trail Maps
There are also free options available through Open Street Maps and places like GPSFileDepot - Free Custom Garmin Maps, Ximage hosting, tutorials, articles and more for your GPSr


----------



## idgsd

First distance measurements test while walking (6km/hr. pace) of the fenix vs. Ambit (the Ambit includes also a previous measurement of the same track). The course is in a relatively flat and open suburban streets. The track was measured in GE at 6.60km (I feel very comfortable with the accuracy). Distance measured results:

1. Etrex-30 handheld GPS - 6.61 km, track fairly smooth and accurate in GE.
2. Ambit (worn as a watch) - 6.74 km, track looks fairly jagged and way off in places in GE.
3. Ambit (inside my pocket with antenna pointing up) - 6.52 km, track reasonably smooth but off the road in places.
4. fenix (worn as a watch) - 6.70 km (on the watch) and 6.62 km (in Garmin Connect), track reasonably smooth but off the road in a few places. 

I love the Ambit, its features and ease of programming (movescount), but am disappointed with its accuracy, especially when worn as a watch. I hope the soon to arrive new firmware improves its track and distance accuracy. 

The fenix is more difficult to program and I am not familiar yet with all the options. The auto start is somewhat problematic since it starts the measurements right after the watch locks to the satellites and tends to leave a short "tail" due to the initial lack of accuracy. I turned off the auto start and programmed the "up" hold button as a start/pause. I allow the GPS few more seconds to improve its initial accuracy before I start the track. I am surprised also to see the difference between the watch measured distance and the one shown in Garmin Connect. I assume that since both are Garmin they use similar distance measurements algorithms.


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> You're welcome.
> 
> There is only one basemap and it covers the whole world. Details are very sparse - limited to major political boundaries (state boundaries in the U.S.) and very large cities. No roads, rivers, etc.
> 
> HTH


Are you sure of this? I thought the basemap was limited to roughly continent (which was one of the reasons why they listed North American, European, and Australian/Asian models of the fenix)?


----------



## Amichai

cobrapa said:


> I'm new to Basecamp as well, and went to read up on it based on your post. It looks like it ties to several of Garmin's map products, which you would need to buy to get the detailed maps.
> 
> If you happen to have their topo maps already, then that would work for trail mapping. It sounds like their city navigator series works as well. Maybe not the $100 you were planning to spend to get the routes you wanted though...
> 
> Does Basecamp download the Fenix map when you first connect it? If so, then you are seeing the limited base map provided by the Fenix.


Looks like you're right. I got frustrated and just called Garmin support and they said for the trail hiking and river navigation I want to do I'd need the TOPO US 24K SouthEast Region DVD - $130! :-| I guess that seals the fate of the Garmin, unless I can find a downloadable copy of that map on the newsgroups - I'm not into spending another $130 for something that comes out of the box with the Suunto. I can get the Suunto for $435 with the heart rate monitor.


----------



## surfmoise

hello amichai

I hesitated to $ 550 !
If you can get it for $ 435, it changes everything. You can give us the benefit of your offer?

regards


----------



## DerSchmitty

New member and new fenix owner...










I had an Ambit for about a month. It drove me crazy that I couldn't pause a workout without screwing up the whole timing of the run. I also never could get used to the antenna lobe. So I ditched it yesterday for the fenix.

Things I like so far:
Normal watch shape - no antenna lobe
Normal watch band that can be swapped later if desired
Garmin Connect is so much faster than movescount it's not even funny
Don't have to be online to change the setting in the watch
Can actually pause a workout without adding a lap and having the timer continue to run in the background
Multiple time zones
Sun/moon set and rise times

Things I don't like so far:
Base camp seems pretty clunky, but I probably just need some time with it
Garmin connect doesn't automatically pull the activity from the fenix
Hate the orange button (notice anything different on my fenix?)
Wish I could invert the display. I think that would really look sweet on this watch.

That's all for now. Thanks for such a great thread. It really helped me decide to make the change and I'm looking forward to hearing more about how folks are maximizing their fenix watches.


----------



## Amichai

surfmoise said:


> hello amichai
> 
> I hesitated to $ 550 !
> If you can get it for $ 435, it changes everything. You can give us the benefit of your offer?
> 
> regards


This is the one I was looking at. I've already contacted the guy to make sure he was an authorized distributor. I'd still buy the Fenix if I could get around the horridness of BaseCamp. Plopping down another $130 for the topo maps and however much extra for a heart rate monitor completely negates the price difference argument for me.
NEW Suunto Ambit Heart Rate Monitor Silver >> $10 INSTANT REBATE << | eBay


----------



## andy from embsay

I've also just bought a Fenix - from a shop in the UK, where i didn't think it was available. I'm a long time garmin user (although pretty cheesed off with them after some pretty poor after-sales service on my Edge 800), and have worn a FR610 for a couple of years. The Fenix isn't quite as "watch-like" as that, but I'm getting used to its chunkiness.

As a runner, I'm not sure which is the best "mode" to use it in for running - I can activate the GPS screen then you get the option to start an activity - but to stop and record laps (assuming you're not auto-lapping - I'm thinking about track sessions here) you have to press the lower rh button for quite a long time, and the GPS recording screen only counts full seconds - whereas the stopwatch function is far more accurate.

Does anyone know the best way to record runs? Should i activate the GPS then switch to stopwatch or do I have to use the simple GPS screen?

Does anyone know


----------



## DerSchmitty

None of my running needs to be timed any more accurately than to the second so I'm just going to use the GPS screen and the lower right button for laps when not utilizing auto-lap. I'll use auto-lap 90% of the time. I don't think the hold down time is inordinately long to record a lap, but again I don't need any kind of split-second accuracy. If you do, I would think you would be correct to start the track and then go to the stopwatch. However, there is no lap storage on the stopwatch or a held and displayed lap time so you may not get what you need there either.


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Are you sure of this? I thought the basemap was limited to roughly continent (which was one of the reasons why they listed North American, European, and Australian/Asian models of the fenix)?


Yes, I am very sure. When I connect the fenix to my PC and boot up BaseCamp, the map it uses is the map in the fenix. This map is called, "Worldwide NR Small Basemap" and I can zoom out to show the entire world. In fact, Garmin Asia and Garmin Europe come as pre-installed Waypoints in the fenix.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Amichai said:


> Ok guys, I'm really enamored by the Fenix, but I have a SERIOUS problem with the lack of resolution in BaseCamp. It only shows MAJOR roads on the map. Small roads, rivers, creeks, etc. just aren't visible. This makes it extremely painful to try to plan a navigation route. As I've previously noted, I can create a route in Movescount and export it to import into BaseCamp, but it's extremely cumbersome. Especially so if I need to make even the slightest modification to the route. I'd have to modify it in Movescount, re-export and re-import to the Fenix. Does Garmin not have any type of add-on maps to make BasCamp higher resolution? I mean what they give you in BaseCamp is borderline unusable!


You could always plan a route using Garmin Connect - the map it uses is very detailed.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Amichai said:


> Looks like you're right. I got frustrated and just called Garmin support and they said for the trail hiking and river navigation I want to do I'd need the TOPO US 24K SouthEast Region DVD - $130! :-| I guess that seals the fate of the Garmin, unless I can find a downloadable copy of that map on the newsgroups - I'm not into spending another $130 for something that comes out of the box with the Suunto. I can get the Suunto for $435 with the heart rate monitor.


Why not try planning a route using Garmin Connect? Map is free and very detailed. ;-)

HTH


----------



## joeS

Amichai said:


> Ok guys, I'm really enamored by the Fenix, but I have a SERIOUS problem with the lack of resolution in BaseCamp. It only shows MAJOR roads on the map. Small roads, rivers, creeks, etc. just aren't visible. This makes it extremely painful to try to plan a navigation route. As I've previously noted, I can create a route in Movescount and export it to import into BaseCamp, but it's extremely cumbersome. Especially so if I need to make even the slightest modification to the route. I'd have to modify it in Movescount, re-export and re-import to the Fenix. Does Garmin not have any type of add-on maps to make BasCamp higher resolution? I mean what they give you in BaseCamp is borderline unusable!


I've been looking at this forum to gather more info on this watch. I come from the Garmin handheld GPS perspective. The saving grace of BaseCamp is the excellent support of Google Earth. It is easy to import/export items created in either place. I've never used the Movescount thing, but I doubt very much that it is better than Google Earth for route planning. Also, I'm not real familiar with them, but I know there are a bunch of online sites/tools that save waypoints, routes, tracks, etc. in GPX format. It's my understanding that the fenix supports GPX (like the Garmin handhelds) so any of those tools would work as well.

Also, I will say that if you can stand the price, Garmin cartography is second to none. Of course you need a product like an outdoor mapping handheld to really take advantage of it in the field.


----------



## Amichai

gaijin said:


> Why not try planning a route using Garmin Connect? Map is free and very detailed. ;-)
> 
> HTH


Ok, I can try that. Where do I get Garmin Connect?

EDIT: I remember this now. GC comes with the Garmin product doesn't it? When I go to connect.garmin.com, it wants me to select the device I have, but I don't know how to try-before-I-buy.


----------



## Amichai

Now I've got it! Garmin Connect is just like MovesCount! THIS is what I've been wanting the Fenix to do! So is it similar to MovesCount, where I would just download the route I create in GC & it downloads to the Fenix directly?

EDIT: I just created a route in GC that I created in MovesCount and it was a lot faster to create in GC. I like that GC also showed elevation information. If this will communicate directly with the Fenix then I've found my solution. Whew! Garmin almost screwed themselves out of a sale by telling me I needed the TOPO product to do this!


----------



## gaijin

.


----------



## pjc3

From all the pics so far the inactive LCD "background" seems very obvious. Is this just a result of the photos or is it that noticeable?


----------



## DerSchmitty

pjc3 said:


> From all the pics so far the inactive LCD "background" seems very obvious. Is this just a result of the photos or is it that noticeable?


It's that noticeable. I've tried to tone it down by adjusting the contrast, but the shadow is always there.


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> Yes, I am very sure. When I connect the fenix to my PC and boot up BaseCamp, the map it uses is the map in the fenix. This map is called, "Worldwide NR Small Basemap" and I can zoom out to show the entire world. In fact, Garmin Asia and Garmin Europe come as pre-installed Waypoints in the fenix.
> 
> HTH


Ah, ok, interesting. Thanks!


----------



## gaijin

The maps that come with the fenix and with BaseCamp are, well, pretty minimal. Not nearly enough detail with which to build a detailed route.

I remembered that I had a City Navigator North America 2008 map on DVD that I used to use with a portable GPS unit from Garmin (the StreetPilot 2610) which I retired a few years ago. So I scrounged up the DVD, loaded it onto my computer, unlocked it through the Garmin MapSource program and, lo and behold, BaseCamp showed the City Navigator map as an option. It has no TOPO information, of course, but as far as other detail it is loaded.

Here's a screen shot of BaseCamp with the City Navigator North America 2008 map data:










HTH


----------



## jbadilla

Hi this thread is great, lots of useful information about this new Garmin Fenix (which I ordered a few days ago), I see the same spirit and interaction of some other forums that exist for other units. (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/) I have been using several Garmin GPS units from way back to the original garmin etrex, back then serial cables were used to transfer data from the GPS to the PC and some special programs were needed that understood the Garmin serial protocol to send waypoints and tracks back and forth. Using newer mapping units such as the Garmin Oregon and Montana, using Basecamp with loaded street or topo maps is one of the more flexibble ways to build tracks to follow later with the gps units. 
For backcountry areas with no coverage available, or other countries, or if you only have paper, pdf, or scanned raster maps for a particular area, you can import them into Basecamp as Custom Maps,
Garmin | United States | Custom Maps then you can draw your tracks over the Custom Maps 
You can find methods to create this kind of maps and see some shared custom maps over this Garmin Forum https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?204-Garmin-Custom-Maps
There is even a new service similar to Garmin Connect called Garmin Adventures Garmin Adventures , this is available from inside the latest Basecamp version as a search Category. Adventures group tracks, waypoints and pictures that can be tranfered to garmin units (including garmin fenix - I suppose pictures are not transfered)
Another good method to "build" tracks, mark waypoints online is Bike Route Toaster: Bike Route Toaster
Finally there are also services such as Wikiloc - GPS trails and waypoints of the World and EveryTrail - Travel Community, iPhone Guides for Sightseeing, Hiking, Walking Tours and more which contain a lot of shared tracks, and are even visible as Gallery Items in Google Earth. you can save this tracks and import them into Basecamp Using Basecamp and Google Earth side by side is very interesting and complementary, since Basecamp has some options to send selected Items in Basecamp to Google Earth, for visualization using their Satellite Imagery. or even playback tracks with 3D orientation as flyovers.
I hope this information may be useful. keep up the great posts.


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> You could always plan a route using Garmin Connect - the map it uses is very detailed.


HI.
I'm checking how this really works. 
I thought GC only exports Map-created items as Courses (e.g. as used by the 910xt), and it's only Tracks/Activities which can can exported as GPX/KML. And I thought the Fenix reads GPX files for Routes, and not Courses

Gaijin, is it that Fenix accepts courses, or that GC can create GPX or something the else the Fenix reads.


----------



## gaijin

or_watching said:


> HI.
> I'm checking how this really works.
> I thought GC only exports Map-created items as Courses (e.g. as used by the 910xt), and it's only Tracks/Activities which can can exported as GPX/KML. And I thought the Fenix reads GPX files for Routes, and not Courses
> 
> Gaijin, is it that Fenix accepts courses, or that GC can create GPX or something the else the Fenix reads.


Oops!

I just tried to create a Route/Course in GC and export it to my fenix, but GC does not recognize the fenix for export. :-(

The fenix is recognized for import into GC - I have done this several times already - but GC will not recognize the fenix for export.

Sorry for the bad info. :-(


----------



## gaijin

jbadilla said:


> Hi this thread is great, lots of useful information about this new Garmin Fenix (which I ordered a few days ago), I see the same spirit and interaction of some other forums that exist for other units. (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/) I have been using several Garmin GPS units from way back to the original garmin etrex, back then serial cables were used to transfer data from the GPS to the PC and some special programs were needed that understood the Garmin serial protocol to send waypoints and tracks back and forth. Using newer mapping units such as the Garmin Oregon and Montana, using Basecamp with loaded street or topo maps is one of the more flexibble ways to build tracks to follow later with the gps units.
> For backcountry areas with no coverage available, or other countries, or if you only have paper, pdf, or scanned raster maps for a particular area, you can import them into Basecamp as Custom Maps,
> Garmin | United States | Custom Maps then you can draw your tracks over the Custom Maps
> You can find methods to create this kind of maps and see some shared custom maps over this Garmin Forum https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?204-Garmin-Custom-Maps
> There is even a new service similar to Garmin Connect called Garmin Adventures Garmin Adventures , this is available from inside the latest Basecamp version as a search Category. Adventures group tracks, waypoints and pictures that can be tranfered to garmin units (including garmin fenix - I suppose pictures are not transfered)
> Another good method to "build" tracks, mark waypoints online is Bike Route Toaster: Bike Route Toaster
> Finally there are also services such as Wikiloc - GPS trails and waypoints of the World and EveryTrail - Travel Community, iPhone Guides for Sightseeing, Hiking, Walking Tours and more which contain a lot of shared tracks, and are even visible as Gallery Items in Google Earth. you can save this tracks and import them into Basecamp Using Basecamp and Google Earth side by side is very interesting and complementary, since Basecamp has some options to send selected Items in Basecamp to Google Earth, for visualization using their Satellite Imagery. or even playback tracks with 3D orientation as flyovers.
> I hope this information may be useful. keep up the great posts.


Welcome aboard, jbadilla!

Sounds like you know your way around the Garmin programs very well. After you receive your fenix, perhaps you could share further information about building detailed routes in BaseCamp for export to the fenix.

All information is appreciated.


----------



## Amichai

gaijin said:


> Oops!
> 
> I just tried to create a Route/Course in GC and export it to my fenix, but GC does not recognize the fenix for export. :-(
> 
> The fenix is recognized for import into GC - I have done this several times already - but GC will not recognize the fenix for export.
> 
> Sorry for the bad info. :-(


Damn it! Yet another roadblock for the Fenix! If I can't export from GC to the Fenix (and therefor have to use a TOPO map) then it kills its advantage! I'm not going to pay extra to export detailed maps to the Fenix when the Ambit will do this already! o|


----------



## pjc3

Amichai said:


> Damn it! Yet another roadblock for the Fenix! If I can't export from GC to the Fenix (and therefor have to use a TOPO map) then it kills its advantage! I'm not going to pay extra to export detailed maps to the Fenix when the Ambit will do this already! o|


I think you probably let the dust settle and see what comes about once there is a decent number on fenix users tinkering with the available resources. My guess is a suitable solution will appear.


----------



## or_watching

Amichai said:


> If I can't export from GC to the Fenix (and therefor have to use a TOPO map) then it kills its advantage! I'm not going to pay extra to export detailed maps to the Fenix when the Ambit will do this already!


Hi.

Just to clarify - we are talking about exporting Routes (GPS coordinates), not maps to the fenix. The fenix will not import any maps, even from Garmin.

On Routes planned in Basecamp, don't give up. There are many free/donation-accepted sources for basecamp compatible maps useful for Route planning.

That's what I use for my detailed topos, and trail overlays.

As far as I know it's not illegal - the sites make their own maps from scratch - just in Garmins format.

It's not as simple as sticking a Garmin DVD in your drive, but many of the items as pretty straightforward down loads. Google your area of interest + " Garmin compatible Topo map"


----------



## WirelessAndy

gaijin said:


> The tic mark for the seconds is a pair if marks and yes, they line up perfectly with the 12 and 6 positions:
> 
> They also line up with the embossed bars at what would be every hour marker.
> 
> If that's not precise enough for you, you can always choose one of the optional time displays like the one in these pictures which also displays the seconds value.
> 
> HTH


Thanks for your response... AND photos!

I've marked up one of the photos (in green). You'll notice the top orange marker doesn't seem to line up between the two "tic" marks, but the bottom one seems to do a better job.

Does this sort of match what you see in real life?


----------



## cpt-caverne01

bonjour à tous

est-il possible de mettre une carte topo dans la fénix?

merci


----------



## gaijin

cpt-caverne01 said:


> bonjour à tous
> 
> est-il possible de mettre une carte topo dans la fénix?
> 
> merci


Non. Ce n'est pas possible. :-(

HTH


----------



## gaijin

WirelessAndy said:


> Thanks for your response... AND photos!
> 
> I've marked up one of the photos (in green). You'll notice the top orange marker doesn't seem to line up between the two "tic" marks, but the bottom one seems to do a better job.
> 
> Does this sort of match what you see in real life?
> 
> View attachment 821598


What I see in real life is tics that line up, due mostly to the fact that I rarely look at my watch from a perfectly perpendicular attitude, and the dial is quite deep which contributes to parallax error when viewing the LCD in relation to the bezel.

But in order to get a better idea of what the alignment really is, I photographed my fenix on a copy stand with a camera that is perfectly aligned with the bed. This eliminates all parallax error.

Here's the photo:










Some misalignment? Sure. Noticeable in real life? Not to me, but you be the judge.

HTH


----------



## cpt-caverne01

Merci gaijin, dommage, c'est un des critères que j'aurai aimé sur cette montre.


----------



## gaijin

I'm working on documenting the fenix menu tree. The menu "map" looks in part like this:










Going through the whole menu of options reveals interesting features like the ability to configure one of the right side buttons to turn the fenix display into a flashlight. ;-) When activated, this feature turns off all display information and turns the backlight on full power.

Does this sound like something you folks would be interested in seeing?

If so, it would be much, much easier if I could simply link to an Excel file instead of posting several separate pictures of the Menu. Can anyone tell me how to do this?

HTH

ETA:
Here is the Menu Map for the Garmin fenix in two formats, Microsoft Excel and Open Document:

Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls

Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods

There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)

HTH


----------



## WirelessAndy

Wow, above and beyond the call of duty! Thank you.


----------



## gaijin

Here is the Menu Map for the Garmin fenix in two formats, Microsoft Excel and Open Document:

Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls

Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods

There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)

HTH


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> Fenix Menu Tree.xlsx
> 
> Please try this link for a download to a partially completed Excel file. If this works, I'll finish off the file and post a new link.


Hi.
I was able to review the tree using the Preview option, and didn't log in (already too many passwords in my head). Looks good.
Must be a labor of love! Very useful too, as least for some of us obsessive folks.

Another WUS option maybe to File-Save As- *.txt in Excel and then upload a text file. Might still be a palatable format. And then perhaps sedi could make it a Sticky link to your upload.

e.g. 
I used Save As... _Text (Tab Delimited) (*.txt)_







becomes this:


----------



## gaijin

Here is the Menu Map for the Garmin fenix in two formats, Microsoft Excel and Open Document:

Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls

Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods

There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)

HTH


----------



## cobrapa

I did it, ordered a Fenix. It arrived yesterday and I got a chance to unbox it this morning. I like it, in general. It's actually thicker by a small amount than the Ambit. I like the mapping, which is why I wanted to try it out. The mini on-watch map track is just neat...


----------



## jbadilla

here is a quick review from Outside magazine: What GPS Watch Should I Buy? | Outside Magazine Gear Guy Outdoor Expert | OutsideOnline.com


----------



## John Archer

jbadilla said:


> here is a quick review from Outside magazine: What GPS Watch Should I Buy? | Outside Magazine Gear Guy Outdoor Expert | OutsideOnline.com


I found that article this morning as well. Brief (three parts so far), but very enjoyable for any one interested in the Fenix. Thanks for sharing the link with everyone. I just wanted to add that there's a link within the article to Garmin Adventures, showing a nice example of what can be done there via BaseCamp. It's the hike described in the article.

Airplane Crash Site | Garmin Adventures


----------



## jbadilla

Publishing Adventures is easy, I went hiking with a group a couple of days before they released Garmin Adventures, I used the recorded track on a handheld GPS and some pictures I took. Within minutes I was able to geotag the pictures in Basecamp and Publish the Adventure
Tarbaca a Palmichal de Acosta | Garmin Adventures
Unlike uploading to garmin connect where heart rate data is shown, it seems adventures retain only elevation data. I wonder if temperature information from units that record this variable is also omitted


----------



## gaijin

Here is the Menu Map for the Garmin fenix in two formats, Microsoft Excel and Open Document:

Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls

Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods

There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)

HTH


----------



## Falconeye75

Hi Gaijin,

Thanks a lot for your review and your huge work about giving us a precise idea about this faboulous watch !!

I have some questions about the watch :

1- Is it compatible with Glonass Satellite ? This will enable not staying a lot of minutes like my 310XT waiting for catching satellites.

2- When we are following a track on the map screen is the 2 bars indicators (seconds markers) are used to indicate if we are on the road or a little on the left or on the right ? It will be great if this "seconds indicator) could be used like a compass to indicate if we are deviating from our course or not, it is the case ? I know that The Suuntio Ambit has this kind of indication to indicate if we have to go on the right or on the left ?

3- Is it possible to have barometer history measures with having all sensors always on ? I would like to use the watch to predict weather time but without having to charge the battery very often.

Thank you very match !!


----------



## or_watching

For the Google Earth fans, here's something else to try...
The fenix GPX file may contain the HR and Temp data, as well (Lat/Long/Elevation), and I *think* if you import them from within Google Earth (Tools/GPS/Import from file), you'll get that additional information into GE. Then it too can be be seen along with the elevation profile. AFAIK, the BaseCamp export to GE only sends out the Lat/Long/Elevation.

Anyway, maybe just another option... since GE is *the* way to really look at your trip in mountainous terrain. Especially if you exaggerate the terrain, to make you local hill look like Mt. Everest.


----------



## gaijin

Falconeye75 said:


> Hi Gaijin,
> 
> Thanks a lot for your review and your huge work about giving us a precise idea about this faboulous watch !!
> 
> I have some questions about the watch :
> 
> 1- Is it compatible with Glonass Satellite ? This will enable not staying a lot of minutes like my 310XT waiting for catching satellites.
> 
> 2- When we are following a track on the map screen is the 2 bars indicators (seconds markers) are used to indicate if we are on the road or a little on the left or on the right ? It will be great if this "seconds indicator) could be used like a compass to indicate if we are deviating from our course or not, it is the case ? I know that The Suuntio Ambit has this kind of indication to indicate if we have to go on the right or on the left ?
> 
> 3- Is it possible to have barometer history measures with having all sensors always on ? I would like to use the watch to predict weather time but without having to charge the battery very often.
> 
> Thank you very match !!


You're very welcome and welcome to WUS!

1- The fenix is WAAS/EGNOS enabled. It is not compatible with the Russian Glonass system. I also have a 310XT and can assure you the lock time for satellites is much faster on the fenix.

2- While navigating, the seconds indicator shows the bearing to the destination. This lets you know if you need to go right or left in order to be "on track."

3- Yes. With the sensors "Always On" battery life is up to 2 weeks. This photo shows the Barometer history at the bottom of the display:










In the photo, history is only 4 hours because the sensor was on for only that amount of time. If the sensors are left on, the history extends up to 24 hours. The time of the history is updated at the very bottom of the display so you always know how much time data are displayed.

Same for Temp history:










And Altimeter history:










HTH


----------



## cpt-caverne01

Bonjour gaijin, je ne peux pas télécharger ton fichier, il m'indique fichier introuvable :think:


----------



## cobrapa

or_watching said:


> For the Google Earth fans, here's something else to try...
> The fenix GPX file may contain the HR and Temp data, as well (Lat/Long/Elevation), and I *think* if you import them from within Google Earth (Tools/GPS/Import from file), you'll get that additional information into GE. Then it too can be be seen along with the elevation profile. AFAIK, the BaseCamp export to GE only sends out the Lat/Long/Elevation.
> 
> Anyway, maybe just another option... since GE is *the* way to really look at your trip in mountainous terrain. Especially if you exaggerate the terrain, to make you local hill look like Mt. Everest.


I just imported a gpx to google earth and it does have the temp data. When clicking on a point it shows temp. My track is on a river, so altitude won't be changing, but when I move across the track, GE shows elevation of 0... 1 and 2 feet, in some locations.


----------



## Falconeye75

Hi Gaijin !!

Thank you very much for all your answers. You are the man who gave life to this wonderful watch !!!!


----------



## ifarlow

cobrapa said:


> It's actually thicker by a small amount than the Ambit.


How did you come to this conclusion? The Ambit is listed at 18.2mm and the fenix at 17mm to 17.8mm (depending on conversion from cm or in).


----------



## cobrapa

ifarlow said:


> How did you come to this conclusion? The Ambit is listed at 18.2mm and the fenix at 17mm to 17.8mm (depending on conversion from cm or in).


Hmm, fair enough. The fenix looks thicker... But when placed side to side, the full depths are almost identical. The Ambit feels slightly slimmer on the wrist because the back of the case is rounded somewhat, and the face is recessed behind the bezel more than the fenix's. On the down side, the Ambit has the antenna lobe, so it is wider vertically.


----------



## Ahg

Falconeye75 said:


> Hi Gaijin !!
> 
> Thank you very much for all your answers. You are the man who gave life to this wonderful watch !!!!





cobrapa said:


> I just imported a gpx to google earth and it does have the temp data. When clicking on a point it shows temp. My track is on a river, so altitude won't be changing, but when I move across the track, GE shows elevation of 0... 1 and 2 feet, in some locations.


Hi Gaijin
as many others in this thread, I was about to buy the Ambit until I red all this nice stuff!
I have the FR305 since long time and love it, but I have the suunto D4 for diving and I love it as well.
....my specific question is, and sorry if it has already been addressed, can I connect the Fenix to the PC and see it as a hard drive, and copy the gpx files both ways, without using any program like Basecamp or GE or Mapsource or others?
thanks a lot in advance


----------



## gaijin

cpt-caverne01 said:


> Bonjour gaijin, je ne peux pas télécharger ton fichier, il m'indique fichier introuvable :think:


You must sign up with a username and password, but it is a free service.

HTH

Edit:

If you are uncomfortable with that, just send me a private message with your e-mail address and I will send you the files by e-mail. ;-)


----------



## gaijin

Falconeye75 said:


> Hi Gaijin !!
> 
> Thank you very much for all your answers. You are the man who gave life to this wonderful watch !!!!


IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Hmm, fair enough. The fenix looks thicker... But when placed side to side, the full depths are almost identical. The Ambit feels slightly slimmer on the wrist because the back of the case is rounded somewhat, and the face is recessed behind the bezel more than the fenix's. On the down side, the Ambit has the antenna lobe, so it is wider vertically.


Just so there is no misunderstanding of the fenix dimensions:

Fenix thickness:










Fenix case diameter without buttons:










Fenix case diameter with buttons:










It's hard to imagine how the Ambit can be considered smaller than the fenix ... ;-)

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Ahg said:


> Hi Gaijin
> as many others in this thread, I was about to buy the Ambit until I red all this nice stuff!
> I have the FR305 since long time and love it, but I have the suunto D4 for diving and I love it as well.
> ....my specific question is, and sorry if it has already been addressed, can I connect the Fenix to the PC and see it as a hard drive, and copy the gpx files both ways, without using any program like Basecamp or GE or Mapsource or others?
> thanks a lot in advance


Well ... the fenix shows up as a drive on my computer (Drive M: in my case):










And all the .gpx files are present in a folder named "GPX", and I could delete, copy, etc. these files; but I don't know if other .gpx files you transferred to the fenix would work. I think you would have to try iy to make sure.

HTH


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> Just so there is no misunderstanding of the fenix dimensions:
> 
> It's hard to imagine how the Ambit can be considered smaller than the fenix ... ;-)
> 
> HTH


As I said, the Ambit feels a little smaller to me (thinner only, the antenna is obviously longer). Have you swapped them on your wrist?

When both put on a flat surface, I can see it's overall height is about 1mm thicker.


----------



## jdengate

An interesting shortcut for creating profiles: Mount the watch as a drive and explore it via your computer to "Garmin >> Profiles >>". In there, you'll find a bunch of .gpf files. Duplicate one and rename it. The .gpf files are basically xml data to hold the settings.

Why do this? Well, in my example, I'm primarily a runner. I made a whole slew of customizations to the Running profile--which will serve me well when I'm running on roads. But, when I'm running on trails, I want to be able to see my elevation on a single screen along with distance and lap pace. So, rather than re-create all those changes, I duped the Running profile, renamed it Trail Run, and then tweaked just the one display screen to show what I want.


----------



## cobrapa

Nice. Did you have to do anything special to have it recognize more profiles other than loading the file on the watch?


----------



## cobrapa

Ahg said:


> Hi Gaijin
> as many others in this thread, I was about to buy the Ambit until I red all this nice stuff!
> I have the FR305 since long time and love it, but I have the suunto D4 for diving and I love it as well.
> ....my specific question is, and sorry if it has already been addressed, can I connect the Fenix to the PC and see it as a hard drive, and copy the gpx files both ways, without using any program like Basecamp or GE or Mapsource or others?
> thanks a lot in advance


Yes... I was curious, so I went to Movescount and exported a Ambit track to gpx. I then copied it to the GPX directory on the fenix over usb. When you disconnect the usb, the fenix looks like it does a partial restart (which took a while this time, probably because my track was over 700k.) But when you look in the track list, there is my movescount move. When I view the map on the fenix, I can see the track.

Very neat!


----------



## cobrapa

Here are some screen shots of the non-fenix gpx track.

The track list, with a foreign (imported Ambit) track








When you select the track, then pick 'View Map', it imports for a little while








Then, it shows you the zoomed out map. You can just see Philadelphia, PA in the right corner of this track.


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Here are some screen shots of the non-fenix gpx track.
> 
> The track list, with a foreign (imported Ambit) track
> 
> When you select the track, then pick 'View Map', it imports for a little while
> 
> Then, it shows you the zoomed out map. You can just see Philadelphia, PA in the right corner of this track.
> View attachment 823187


Now that is very slick!


----------



## or_watching

jdengate said:


> An interesting shortcut for creating profiles: Mount the watch as a drive and explore it via your computer to "Garmin >> Profiles >>". In there, you'll find a bunch of .gpf files. Duplicate one and rename it. The .gpf files are basically xml data to hold the settings.
> 
> Why do this? Well, in my example, I'm primarily a runner. I made a whole slew of customizations to the Running profile--which will serve me well when I'm running on roads. But, when I'm running on trails, I want to be able to see my elevation on a single screen along with distance and lap pace. So, rather than re-create all those changes, I duped the Running profile, renamed it Trail Run, and then tweaked just the one display screen to show what I want.


Actually that's great news! With the seemingly MEGA number of configuration choices in the fenix they really need to make a 'tool' for setting these profiles. Has anyone opened one up, e.g. in Notepad? If it's human readable, like an xml, then a clever programmer should -)) be able to parse it, and with a bit of work, kludge sometihing together. Of course, the ideal would be for Garmin to put the capability in GC and BaseCamp. But who knows. Heck, even my $50 Sharper Image (aka Pyle/Ascen) and my old Timex Run Trainer have *both *in-watch and PC-based profile editing.


----------



## Ahg

cobrapa said:


> Yes... I was curious, so I went to Movescount and exported a Ambit track to gpx. I then copied it to the GPX directory on the fenix over usb. When you disconnect the usb, the fenix looks like it does a partial restart (which took a while this time, probably because my track was over 700k.) But when you look in the track list, there is my movescount move. When I view the map on the fenix, I can see the track.
> 
> Very neat!


Great! Thank you both. This adds thousands of possitive points to the Fenix in the course with the Ambit for me. 
What still keeps me undecided is that Suunto seems to have a much better reputation in software upgrading the watch in the future. Garmin users say that Garmin never puts much effort in upgrading their producs once released. Maybe they got scared by Suunto with the Ambit and they will change attitude??!!


----------



## Ahg

Bizarre!!
It would have been more logical to put in the menu GPS Mode an additional option!
What is then now the difference between selecting the rate at which the GPS takes data and the rate at which the Fenix saves track points into the memory? (I understand those two things are independent?)



jdengate said:


> I've had a fenix for a couple days now. Fun. This isn't all that intuitive, but here's how:
> Once GPS mode is set to UltraTrac (Menu > Setup > System > GPS Mode > UltraTrac), you have to change the interval:
> Menu > Setup > Tracks > Interval


----------



## Falconeye75

Another question about connecting the fenix to a computer. Instead of using the usb cable to connect the fenix to the computer, is it possible to use a bluetooth dongle on the PC and connect the fenix through bluetooth and have it seen as a hard drive and do all exchange between Fenix and PC wirelessly ? It should be great to have all operations without the usb cable like with the 310XT, even if it is not compatible with an Ant+ USB key.

Thanks.


----------



## mariomobiel

On the moment the BT connection is for the upcomming iPhone and iPad app (Iphone 4S and New ipad only) meaby in the futher Basecamp on PC/Mac is supported by BLE. By the way, the the app is rejected by apple, so we need to wait a while, Check DCrainmakers last FB poste on that Welkom bij Facebook - Meld je aan, registreer je of ontdek meer


----------



## ifarlow

Okay, so here are my questions I hope you can answer for me:


Will the fenix collect user data from Garmin Connect like the 910xt will, such as weight, age, heart rate zones, etc.?
Will the fenix accept courses from Garmin Connect?
Will the fenix upload data to Garmin Connect automatically like the 910xt does via the ANT software, or manually through the upload option on Garmin Connect?

Thanks. I'm trying to come to terms with no footpod support, but these questions related to Garmin Connect are important enough that I am deciding between the 910 or the fenix.


----------



## critch

Loving my new Fenix so far. I am curious on how to change the data fields in the "home screen" views of Altimeter, Barometer etc?


----------



## mariomobiel

ifarlow said:


> Okay, so here are my questions I hope you can answer for me:
> 
> 
> Will the fenix collect user data from Garmin Connect like the 910xt will, such as weight, age, heart rate zones, etc.?
> Will the fenix accept courses from Garmin Connect?
> Will the fenix upload data to Garmin Connect automatically like the 910xt does via the ANT software, or manually through the upload option on Garmin Connect?
> 
> Thanks. I'm trying to come to terms with no footpod support, but these questions related to Garmin Connect are important enough that I am deciding between the 910 or the fenix.


1. Yes, it will do that
2. No, it will not accept courses (at the moment)
3. No, not at the moment, u need the data cable for that.


----------



## gaijin

critch said:


> Loving my new Fenix so far. I am curious on how to change the data fields in the "home screen" views of Altimeter, Barometer etc?


Congratulations on your new fenix and welcome to WUS!

Those "Home Screen" data pages are always the same - World Time (if you have selected Alternate Time Zones), Temp, Barometer, Altimeter and Compass.

Each of the screens can be configured, however, as follows:

World Time screen:

*HOME>Clock>Alt. Zones>* From here you can Add Zones (up to 4), Delete Zones, Change Zones and Edit Zone labels

Barometer:

*HOME>Setup>Sensors>Mode>* Here you can choose whether the sensors are Always On and displaying an historical graph of values, or On Demand where the sensors only turn on when you view the page and record no historical values.

Compass:*

HOME>Setup>Sensors>Compass>* Here you can select how the compass is displayed; select a North Reference from True(declination is automatically added based on GPS location), Magnetic(declination is off), Grid or User(where you can manually enter a declination).

Altimeter/Barometer:

*HOME>Setup>Sensors>Altimeter>* Here you can turn Auto Calibration on or off; configure the Barometer plot to Variable (changing altitude), Fixed (fixed altitude) or to display Ambient Pressure instead of pressure corrected to Sea Level, configure the Altimeter plot to display Elevation over Time or Elevation over Distance, and calibrate the Altimeter by entering a reference Altitude.

Altimeter/Barometer/Temp:

*HOME>Setup>Reset>Clear Plots>* Here you can erase all historical plot data displayed when Sensors are configured to Always On and start the plots over again. This is handy when changing locations or starting a new day, trip, etc.

Units used in all displays can be changed at *HOME>Setup>Units*.

HTH


----------



## ifarlow

mariomobiel said:


> 1. Yes, it will do that
> 2. No, it will not accept courses (at the moment)
> 3. No, not at the moment, u need the data cable for that.


Thanks for the info.


----------



## gaijin

Ahg said:


> Bizarre!!
> It would have been more logical to put in the menu GPS Mode an additional option!
> What is then now the difference between selecting the rate at which the GPS takes data and the rate at which the Fenix saves track points into the memory? (I understand those two things are independent?)


Here's my general understanding of how this all works based on my observation so far.

There are two basic settings for the GPS:

*HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>Normal* When set to Normal, the GPS is constantly on. This consumes the most battery life and regardless of Interval settings, the battery life remains a constant 16 hours.

*HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>UltraTrac* When set to UltraTrac, the GPS turns on and off. The default cycle time for this mode is once/minute and results in a battery life of 50 hours. The interval can be shortened to as little as once/15 seconds, but that reduces battery life to an estimated 25 hours based on my testing reported earlier. It is logical to assume that as the Interval is increased from 15 seconds to one minute, battery life is also extended from 25 hours to 50 hours. Further testing is required to determine exactly what the battery life would be at each selected Interval.

There are then multiple settings for "Interval" which determine how often a data set (Track Point, Elevation, Leg Distance, Leg Time, Leg Speed, Leg Course(Heading), Time of Day, Position Coordinates and Temperature) is recorded.

Obviously, the more frequent the Interval, the faster the fenix memory will be filled up. If memory usage is a concern, then a less frequent Interval should be selected.

The more frequent the Interval, the smoother the displayed track will appear.

When in Normal Mode:

*HOME>Setup>Tracks>Method>* Here you can select Auto which records data sets based on movement (more frequently when moving and less frequently when not moving), Distance which records only after a certain distance has been covered, and Time which records a data set only after a certain time has expired.

*HOME>Setup>Tracks>Interval>* Here you can choose from five periods ranging from Least Often to Most Often. Only experimentation will yield how this translates to frequency of data set recording in each of the selected modes - there is no further explanation of this that I can find.

HTH


----------



## Ahg

mariomobiel said:


> 1. Yes, it will do that
> 2. No, it will not accept courses (at the moment)
> 3. No, not at the moment, u need the data cable for that.


Is there the possibility to recall courses from the memory of the Fenix? Can you for example trace back or repeat a course you registered one week ago?


----------



## Ahg

Gaijin
presented like that makes a lot of sense, thanks



gaijin said:


> Here's my general understanding of how this all works based on my observation so far.
> 
> There are two basic settings for the GPS:
> 
> *HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>Normal* When set to Normal, the GPS is constantly on. This consumes the most battery life and regardless of Interval settings, the battery life remains a constant 16 hours.
> 
> *HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>UltraTrac* When set to UltraTrac, the GPS turns on and off. The default cycle time for this mode is once/minute and results in a battery life of 50 hours. The interval can be shortened to as little as once/15 seconds, but that reduces battery life to an estimated 25 hours based on my testing reported earlier. It is logical to assume that as the Interval is increased from 15 seconds to one minute, battery life is also extended from 25 hours to 50 hours. Further testing is required to determine exactly what the battery life would be at each selected Interval.
> 
> There are then multiple settings for "Interval" which determine how often a data set (Track Point, Elevation, Leg Distance, Leg Time, Leg Speed, Leg Course(Heading), Time of Day, Position Coordinates and Temperature.
> 
> Obviously, the more frequent the Interval, the faster the fenix memory will be filled up. If memory usage is a concern, then a less frequent Interval should be selected.
> 
> The more frequent the Interval, the smoother the displayed track will appear.
> 
> When in Normal Mode:
> 
> *HOME>Setup>Tracks>Method>* Here you can select Auto which records data sets based on movement (more frequently when moving and less frequently when not moving), Distance which records only after a certain distance has been covered, and Time which records a data set only after a certain time has expired.
> 
> *HOME>Setup>Tracks>Interval>* Here you can choose from five periods ranging from Least Often to Most Often. Only experimentation will yield how this translates to frequency of data set recording in each of the selected modes - there is no further explanation of this that I can find.
> 
> HTH


----------



## gaijin

Ahg said:


> Is there the possibility to recall courses from the memory of the Fenix? Can you for example trace back or repeat a course you registered one week ago?


Yes, you can recall Tracks that are in the fenix memory. Tracks will stay in memory until you either manually delete them, or they are overwritten with new tracks because the memory is full.

If the track you want is no longer in memory on the fenix, and you saved it in BaseCamp, you can export it from BaseCamp to the fenix.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

Change of pace today - for those who may not have been enamored by the burgundy strap:


----------



## Goose2012

An incredible review Gaijin, thanks for taking the time!
Thanks to your review I had almost settled on the fenix over the ambit, but then saw on the suunto website the proposed firmware updates for the ambit.
Have you, or has anybody else used both and are willing to list a few pros and cons of the two. Do the proposed changes tip the scales in favour of the ambit? 
I would like to use it for trails in different countries, with HR training, accurate GPS and way point tracking being the most NB. Are either of them able to track in the water?
Many thanks again! link to ambit proposed update: Get ready: The Suunto Ambit is about to get even better... | Suunto


----------



## Gready

Hi. First off, thanks for the information.

Got a question regarding the heart rate monitoring, has anyone tried this yet? I'm interested if there is a heart rate only mode to log when training in doors?? I'm fine with no foot pod, but keen to see heart rate and kcal history from an in door session. 

Cheers


----------



## fx17

I'm sure a PC/Web based app could be made to configure the settings and profiles in the Fenix. Geocachers have already done this for Garmin's Oregon and Montana handheld GPS's. It involves a macro for GSAK, found at GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)


----------



## fx17

Does the Fenix have any options to auto-archive tracks? 

Garmin's other hand-held GPS', have the option to automatically archive a track to internal memory, after the 10,000 point tracklog is full. That way, no data is ever lost. I would hope the Fenix has this option, but 20 MB is not much data for a gps these days.


----------



## Larks

Amichai said:


> .... I'd still buy the Fenix if I could get around the horridness of BaseCamp. Plopping down another $130 for the topo maps and however much extra for a heart rate monitor completely negates the price difference argument for me.


Remember that Garmin charges for the maps, which can then be loaded onto 1 GPS device. The fenix isn't able to load a map, so it wouldn't be worth buying these maps, unless you're using them on another device.
As a work around, get the map and unlock codes from somebody with that mapset, so that you can view them on your computer and use them to create the tracks you're looking for, but you won't be able to load them onto a GPS since they will be locked to that person's device.


----------



## mnaranjo

Goose2012 said:


> An incredible review Gaijin, thanks for taking the time!
> Thanks to your review I had almost settled on the fenix over the ambit, but then saw on the suunto website the proposed firmware updates for the ambit.
> Have you, or has anybody else used both and are willing to list a few pros and cons of the two. Do the proposed changes tip the scales in favour of the ambit?
> I would like to use it for trails in different countries, with HR training, accurate GPS and way point tracking being the most NB. Are either of them able to track in the water?
> Many thanks again! link to ambit proposed update: Get ready: The Suunto Ambit is about to get even better... | Suunto


I was in the same situation, in the moment the Fenix was anounced I desestimated the Ambit, just because Tracks support and ANT+ compatibility
But after the Ambit firmwares were anounced, adding support for tracks and ANT+ I directly bought the Ambit because:
- I like it much more aesthetically (The Fenix still looks cheap for me)
- The resolution with tracks will be much better, 120x120 (and covering all the screen) vs 70x70 and only in the central square

I don't have the fenix, but after seeing here pictures, I think I did the correct for me, I don't like the shadows of the center square, radial counters,...the resolution,...

I know the Fenix is more practical (and complicated), can change the strap (I like the OEM ambit more), has BT (I would like it in the Ambit), and vibration alarm (I also would like it in the Ambit)

But for me the quality and finish in a expensive watch that I wear everyday is also important

Hope I have helped you


----------



## Ahg

mnaranjo
I am still doubting
One of the most positive points for me for the Fenix is the .gpx format of the tracks. But I might be overestimating this. I am used with my FR305 and my Garmin Oregon to edit my gpx files with any text editor and move them back and forth from the computer to the device. 
Could you put an example of suunto file for any track so that I can see how it looks like?
Can you see the Ambit as a hard unit in your PC and have access the the files to copy them back and forth, or do you need movescount to "see" the Ambit on a PC?
thanks in advance



mnaranjo said:


> I was in the same situation, in the moment the Fenix was anounced I desestimated the Ambit, just because Tracks support and ANT+ compatibility
> But after the Ambit firmwares were anounced, adding support for tracks and ANT+ I directly bought the Ambit because:
> - I like it much more aesthetically (The Fenix still looks cheap for me)
> - The resolution with tracks will be much better, 120x120 (and covering all the screen) vs 70x70 and only in the central square
> 
> I don't have the fenix, but after seeing here pictures, I think I did the correct for me, I don't like the shadows of the center square, radial counters,...the resolution,...
> 
> I know the Fenix is more practical (and complicated), can change the strap (I like the OEM ambit more), has BT (I would like it in the Ambit), and vibration alarm (I also would like it in the Ambit)
> 
> But for me the quality and finish in a expensive watch that I wear everyday is also important
> 
> Hope I have helped you


----------



## cobrapa

Ahg said:


> Can you see the Ambit as a hard unit in your PC and have access the the files to copy them back and forth, or do you need movescount to "see" the Ambit on a PC?


You need moveslink2 on the PC/MAC, the Ambit does not look like a hard drive when connected to the computer. That is a nice feature of the fenix.

Moveslink2 gives you a local XML data file. You need another program to convert to gpx if you like, or to upload and export as gpx from movescount.


----------



## as4tik

Larks said:


> Remember that Garmin charges for the maps, which can then be loaded onto 1 GPS device. The fenix isn't able to load a map.


We are sure that you can not load the map? In the next topic already even have a photo with a map of two states of USA:
https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/fenix-replacing-fenix-basemap-trail-network-map-750618.html


----------



## Ahg

But an XML file can also be edited with a text editor? So my problem would be to convert it to .gpx to see it for example in GE or in Mapsource, and then convert it back to XML to open it with Movescount and move it back to the Ambit?
Is it possible with the Suunto to use moveslink and/or movescount without being connected to Internet? Can I have all my files in my PC but not somewhere in the net?
Thanks



cobrapa said:


> You need moveslink2 on the PC/MAC, the Ambit does not look like a hard drive when connected to the computer. That is a nice feature of the fenix.
> 
> Moveslink2 gives you a local XML data file. You need another program to convert to gpx if you like, or to upload and export as gpx from movescount.


----------



## Ahg

One more thing, any one can give his personal experience around the rumor that the Ambit would measure the distances short?


----------



## idgsd

Ahg said:


> One more thing, any one can give his personal experience around the rumor that the Ambit would measure the distances short?


My experience with the Ambit for walking (mostly open, flat street walking) has been very consistent and repeatable as follows:

1. When worn as a watch on my wrist, the Ambit measures distance long by about 2%.
2. When carried in my pocket (antenna pointed up), the Ambit measures the distance short by about 1%.

I tried running few times and I think it behaves more like 2. My only explanation for this behavior is that when walking with the watch on my wrist, the antenna tends to point forward (arm down) and then up, thus resulting in a more variable GPS reception accuracy. In fact, the tracks look very "wiggly", with significant and periodic lateral movements. I assume this is the reason for the longer distance measurements. On the other hand, when the watch is carried in my pocket (or while running), the antenna is mostly in the up position and as a result the tracks are smoother, and for whatever reason are measured slighly short. As I mentioned above, these results are very repeatable.


----------



## kevc

gaijin said:


> Change of pace today - for those who may not have been enamored by the burgundy strap:


great info on the fenix, I actually bought both the ambit and the fenix and have settled on the fenix. Quick question, i probably missed it earlier but what type of bands are these and where did you get them

thanks


----------



## gaijin

kevc said:


> great info on the fenix, I actually bought both the ambit and the fenix and have settled on the fenix. Quick question, i probably missed it earlier but what type of bands are these and where did you get them
> 
> thanks


The straps are a 26mm wide, 5-Ring Diver strap. I bought mine here: 26mm Nato Ballistic Nylon PVD Black 5 Ring Strap Heavy Weight Nylon , Heavy Duty Buckle

HTH


----------



## fx17

Larks said:


> Remember that Garmin charges for the maps, which can then be loaded onto 1 GPS device. The fenix isn't able to load a map, so it wouldn't be worth buying these maps, unless you're using them on another device.
> As a work around, get the map and unlock codes from somebody with that mapset, so that you can view them on your computer and use them to create the tracks you're looking for, but you won't be able to load them onto a GPS since they will be locked to that person's device.


you can get FREE MAPS FOR BASECAMP at GPSFileDepot - Free Custom Garmin Maps, Ximage hosting, tutorials, articles and more for your GPSr there are high-res TOPO maps and street maps for the ENTIRE USA. There are also maps for many other countries too. They will all work with basecamp.


----------



## kevc

thanks


----------



## DerSchmitty

Ahg said:


> One more thing, any one can give his personal experience around the rumor that the Ambit would measure the distances short?


My Ambit was spot on for every run I did.


----------



## Falconeye75

gaijin said:


> The straps are a 26mm wide, 5-Ring Diver strap. I bought mine here: 26mm Nato Ballistic Nylon PVD Black 5 Ring Strap Heavy Weight Nylon , Heavy Duty Buckle
> 
> HTH


It is very difficult to find 26mm Nato or Zulu Strap. I am living in France and I don't know where I will buy these straps when I will have my Fenix, even on Ebay 26mm straps are not sold


----------



## as4tik

Gaijin, look for private message, please.


----------



## gaijin

as4tik said:


> Gaijin, look for private message, please.


I received your message and chose not to reply - your request was unacceptable.

Sorry.


----------



## gaijin

Some folks have asked about using the Heart Rate Monitor with the fenix. I paired my Garmin HR belt to the fenix this morning - a painless endeavor - and took a short walk.

All the HR data was recorded along with other track data, and it can be reviewed on the "Graph" data presentation option in BaseCamp:










Seems to work flawlessly with no surprises.;-)

HTH


----------



## as4tik

it is not a problem. Thank you for answer.


----------



## Goose2012

Thanks Mnaranjo for your reply! For me the look of the watch is far less important than the functionality.
I guess that the most important question is which watch and which make has the platform available to improve it with updates, and the company with team with most likelihood to make the improvements.
The Ambit seems to be fairly inaccurate. Which is the best in terms of monitoring training (HR etc.) Does anybody know if tracks can created worldwide, or are they just in US and Europe?
Thanks in advance for


----------



## Ahg

Mnaranjo( or any other Ambit owner)
can you tell me if there is a way to import a track and route in kml or gpx format into the Ambit?
can it be done without Movescount, or, more precisely, without being online?
how many points can have the track?
can I perform a course one day, save the track with the Ambit, see it in Google Earth, make some changes, bring it back to Ambit, and folow the track in the screen to repeat the exercise?
This doubt is actually the only one that prevents me from deciding on the Ambit (I changed opinion three times along the weekend)
Thanks in advance



mnaranjo said:


> I was in the same situation, in the moment the Fenix was anounced I desestimated the Ambit, just because Tracks support and ANT+ compatibility
> But after the Ambit firmwares were anounced, adding support for tracks and ANT+ I directly bought the Ambit because:
> - I like it much more aesthetically (The Fenix still looks cheap for me)
> - The resolution with tracks will be much better, 120x120 (and covering all the screen) vs 70x70 and only in the central square
> 
> I don't have the fenix, but after seeing here pictures, I think I did the correct for me, I don't like the shadows of the center square, radial counters,...the resolution,...
> 
> I know the Fenix is more practical (and complicated), can change the strap (I like the OEM ambit more), has BT (I would like it in the Ambit), and vibration alarm (I also would like it in the Ambit)
> 
> But for me the quality and finish in a expensive watch that I wear everyday is also important
> 
> Hope I have helped you


----------



## gaijin

Goose2012 said:


> Does anybody know if tracks can created worldwide, or are they just in US and Europe?
> Thanks in advance for


Tracks can be created anywhere in the world where one can receive a GPS signal.

If you are on this map, you're "covered:"










HTH


----------



## ifarlow

Another question... I see that there are data fields for the fenix, but the manual doesn't specify what fields are available. Therefore, are any of the following available:


GPS Accuracy
Heart Rate
Training Effect
Sunset
Elevation
Cadence (both running and biking)
Calories
Time
Distance

Thanks again.


----------



## Goose2012

Ha ha, sometimes I wonder!


----------



## gaijin

ifarlow said:


> Another question... I see that there are data fields for the fenix, but the manual doesn't specify what fields are available. Therefore, are any of the following available:
> 
> 
> GPS Accuracy
> Heart Rate
> Training Effect
> Sunset
> Elevation
> Cadence (both running and biking)
> Calories
> Time
> Distance
> 
> Thanks again.


All of the following are available:

ACCURACY
AMB PRESS
ASCENT
AVG ASCENT
AVG CAD
AVG DESCENT
AVG HR
AVG LAP
AVG PACE
AVG SPEED
BAROMETER
BATTERY
BEARING
CADENCE
CALORIES
CMP HDNG
COMPASS
COURSE
DATE
DESCENT
DISTANCE
ELEVATION
FINAL DEST
FINAL DIST
FINAL ETA
FINAL ETE
FINAL VDST
FINAL VSPD
GLIDE RATIO
GPS
GPS ELEVTN
GPS HDNG
GR DEST
GRADE
HEADING
HEART RATE
HR ZONE
LAP ASCNT
LAP CAD
LAP DESCNT
LAP DIST
LAP HR
LAP PACE
LAP SPEED
LAP TIME
LAP TOTAL
LAPS
LLAP ASCNT
LLAP CAD
LLAP DECNT
LLAP DIST
LLAP HR
LLAP PACE
LLAP SPD
LLAP TIME
MAX ASCENT
MAX DESCNT
MAX ELEVTN
MAX SPEED
MAX TEMP
MIN ELEVTN
MIN TEMP
MOV'N AVG
MOV'N TIME
NEXT DEST
NEXT DIST
NEXT ETA
NEXT ETE
NEXT VDST
NONE
ODOMETER
OFF COURSE
PACE
SPEED
STOP 
TIME
STOPWATCH
SUNRISE
SUNSET
TEMP
TIME
TIMER
TO COURSE
TOD
TRACK
DIST
TURN
VERT SPEED
VMG

Download my Fenix Menu Map file (links posted above) and you can view ALL the available Menu options. ;-)

HTH


----------



## or_watching

Ahg said:


> 1. can you tell me if there is a way to import a track and route in kml or gpx format into the Ambit?
> 2. can it be done without Movescount, or, more precisely, without being online?
> 3. how many points can have the track?
> 4. can I perform a course one day, save the track with the Ambit, see it in Google Earth, make some changes, bring it back to Ambit, and follow the track in the screen to repeat the exercise?


Hi. 
In the spirit of Findable Threads, Ambit questions are best asked in the Suunto sub-forum.
1. Yes, Movescount can import kml routes which can then be downloaded to the Ambit. The Ambit v1.5 has waypoint to waypoint bearing navigation.
2. No. You must use Movescount online.
3. The routes must have <=100 (correction: 500) points to import. You can use a tool, like GPSies to convert any kml/gpx to a be <=100 (correction: 500) points.
3. The Ambit itself has a limit of 100 points total for all POIs + Route waypoints. 
4. Yes, you can by following #1 and #3. Movescount can export the track gpx/kml to view/edit it anywhere you like.


----------



## ifarlow

gaijin said:


> All of the following are available:


Very nice. Thanks.


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> All of the following are available:
> 
> ACCURACY
> AMB PRESS
> ASCENT
> .
> .
> .
> DIST
> TURN
> VERT SPEED
> VMG


Garmin!!!!! Where *is* that handy Profile/DataPage editor????


----------



## nboss

Please delete post... :think: Taptalk uploaded it twice... o|


----------



## nboss

Hi There

The Fenix is awesome. I use it for Trailrunning with the garmin HR belt. There could be some bugs:

1) MOV'N TIME: This should show the time in move but it does not; It stops after a few seconds and does not change anymore. I use "auto pause" and MOV'N TIME should show the time i'm moving (that's what i expect). What is the differene to data field TIME, this shows correctly and will pause when i'm stopped.

2) STOP: This should show the time i'm stopped but it does not; It stops after a few seconds and does not change anymore. The TIME works correctly and stops and go on if i move again.

3) AVG HR: This shows strange values. Is this in % (percent)? It shows values at around 80 what could be the % of my max. HR. There is no option for setting the rate in BPS.

4) I have some connection lost to the garmin HR belt. I will observe and report.

5) It's necessary to reset the trip data befor each run when you want to start. I don't want to see the MAX SPEED for example whan i drove to the place by car first. Why does trip data not only aply when tracking is enabled.

6) FIT/GPX: It's confusing that when you use bottom left button that a fit and gpx will be saved and when you save track after gps has ben turned off trough the tracks menu it will save a gpx only. Where is the logic?

7) Why is the track logged when gps is on and no start tracking has been selected. I has disabled Auto start and auto save.

8) Why does the altitude, heart rate, temperature ect has to be reset before you start the trail when you want to see the history from trail only?

Probably my questions are stupid, but i think others will have same questions... ;-)

Is there any description of the data fields? I was playing around with all data field to check out the meaning of them. On other garmin products there is a list with explanation in manual, but not in Fenix manual.

Beside this is really the best watch in marked (I HAD 310, 610, 910, Ambit before)

Thank you very much for this great review.

Regards,
Boss

p.s. I will sell my Ambit ;-)


----------



## mnaranjo

Goose2012 said:


> Thanks Mnaranjo for your reply! For me the look of the watch is far less important than the functionality.
> I guess that the most important question is which watch and which make has the platform available to improve it with updates, and the company with team with most likelihood to make the improvements.
> The Ambit seems to be fairly inaccurate. Which is the best in terms of monitoring training (HR etc.) Does anybody know if tracks can created worldwide, or are they just in US and Europe?
> Thanks in advance for


As I understand in suunto posts, there will be much more improvements in the ambit firmware updates then for garmin devices
I've owned 3 garmin GPSs and updates are just to correct bugs

My ambit is as precise in distances and HR as my garmin edge 705



Ahg said:


> Mnaranjo( or any other Ambit owner)
> can you tell me if there is a way to import a track and route in kml or gpx format into the Ambit?
> can it be done without Movescount, or, more precisely, without being online?
> how many points can have the track?
> can I perform a course one day, save the track with the Ambit, see it in Google Earth, make some changes, bring it back to Ambit, and folow the track in the screen to repeat the exercise?
> This doubt is actually the only one that prevents me from deciding on the Ambit (I changed opinion three times along the weekend)
> Thanks in advance


Nobody knows until the firmware is released at the end of this month
When tracks will be supported
Actually only routes of 100 waypoints are possible
We don't know if the can be gpx or other format, if movescount will be necessary,...

But in November with the new firmware and open source for the users the possibilities will be a lot in customization
Maybe also to see the unit like a HD without movescount


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> In the spirit of Findable Threads, Ambit questions are best asked in the Suunto sub-forum.
> 1. Yes, Movescount can import kml routes which can then be downloaded to the Ambit. The Ambit v1.5 has waypoint to waypoint bearing navigation.
> 2. No. You must use Movescount online.
> 3. The routes must have <=100 points to import. You can use a tool, like GPSies to convert any kml/gpx to a be <=100 points.
> Correction ≤500 waypoints
> 3. The Ambit itself has a limit of 100 points total for all POIs + Route waypoints.
> Correction 500 route waypoints including 100 POIs maximum
> 4. Yes, you can by following #1 and #3. Movescount can export the track gpx/kml to view/edit it anywhere you like.


Had to keep you honest or_watching I have read this thread with interest and I think your table for comparisons is informative and hilarious---good job

In reality these two watches may definitely serve different markets. I especially like the training features of the Ambit, your ability to load a different basemap on the fenix is amazing and likely never to be possible on the Ambit.

I have a question that has not been asked yet (I think) and that revolves around storage capacity. I finally received an answer from Suunto in that 15 at 1 sec fix or 50h at 1 min fix and 10 sec sensors will both fill up the memory storage capacity. Do you have any idea what the storage with sensors running might be on the fenix?

A second question is regarding the altimeter. A friend of mine and I ran a race this last weekend and he recently purchased a fenix. The altimeter on his was off by a lot on ascent/descent compared to my Ambit and I suspect Garmin does not have this quite worked out yet. How do you calibrate the altimeter/barometer? I had the 910XT prior to the Ambit for a short while and never had any reliable altimeter readings as it is calibrated by a known location, which never seemed to work. The ascent/descent and altitude are important to me when in the mountains as they help me gauge time I will spend out as well as identifying true or false summits. Since you had/have an Ambit, do you have a feeling or any tests regarding the fenix altimeter/barometer?


----------



## fx17

mnaranjo said:


> As I understand in suunto posts, there will be much more improvements in the ambit firmware updates then for garmin devices
> I've owned 3 garmin GPSs and updates are just to correct bugs


I have owned Garmin hand-held GPS's for years. In my experience, not only do firmware updates fix bugs, but they also add features. I have seen firmware updates that increase the number of waypoints that can be stored. Recent updates to the Oregon and Montana lines have added new data fields, new features for tracking and tracking back, new feattures for geocaching, as well as support for new ANT+ devices, specifically the Chirp and Tempe. I think there is a very good chance that Garmin will add support for the footpod, as well as other features some users want. From my experience, Garmin will have SEVERAL updates over the next 6 months, not only to fix bugs, but add features


----------



## or_watching

martowl said:


> Had to keep you honest or_watching


 That's always a good thing.



martowl said:


> 3. The routes must have <=100 points to import. You can use a tool, like GPSies to convert any kml/gpx to a be <=100 points.
> Correction ≤500 waypoints


 Right. I knew that.




martowl said:


> 3. The Ambit itself has a limit of 100 points total for all POIs + Route waypoints.
> Correction 500 route waypoints including 100 POIs maximum


I'm sticking with my story... 100 points total. The "Use Route in Ambit" checkboxes are greyed out in my Movescount, with a flyover that says "100 Points of Interest are already in use in the device", when the number of Route points (waypoints) + POI points = 100 in my Ambit



martowl said:


> A friend of mine and I ran a race this last weekend


 Do tell. How'd the big race go?



martowl said:


> he recently purchased a fenix. The altimeter on his was off by a lot on ascent/descent compared to my Ambit and I suspect Garmin does not have this quite worked out yet. How do you calibrate the altimeter/barometer? I had the 910XT prior to the Ambit for a short while and never had any reliable altimeter readings as it is calibrated by a known location, which never seemed to work. The ascent/descent and altitude are important to me when in the mountains as they help me gauge time I will spend out as well as identifying true or false summits. Since you had/have an Ambit, do you have a feeling or any tests regarding the fenix altimeter/barometer?


fenix baro alimeter calibration is (AFAIK) 

GPS auto-cal can be set on/off.
Haven't seen proximity-to-waypoint-defined-elevation calibraton like the 910
Also a "Enter your known altitude." calibration
GPS Elevation is also a data field that can be read.

I've only done a couple out-back runs, and no hikes... and maybe I don't have it all figured out, but for example...
this GC graph is pretty accurate: about 100ft down and back up. (Ambit +82/-108)




​
GC text summary is way different: +371ft/-512ft
Basecamp: summary: +150/-126.
the fenix inwatch "track detail' summary is also wrong: +233/-270
Haven't checked any fenix in-run displayed Ascent/Descent values, yet.

Basecamp graph: shows a hiccup in the first couple seconds, explaining the +150/-126 numbers. I had manually calibrated to 299ft before starting the run. Auto-cal setting was off.














So... hmm.

only Mr. Garmin knows where all these cumulative numbers come from... smoothng/filterng might be part of it... maybe also some GPS-based numbers... I dunno.


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> I'm sticking with my story... 100 points total. The "Use Route in Ambit" checkboxes are greyed out in my Movescount, with a flyover that says "100 Points of Interest are already in use in the device", when the number of Route points (waypoints) + POI points = 100 in my Ambit


Thanks for the info, maybe I am confused on the 100 points. I have been importing using GPS Visualizer. If I restrict to 400 route points I can add 100 Waypoints to those route points. It seemed to me that you can have a number of routes as long as there are 500 route points or less. The spread across the navigation data can only be a total of 100 POIs. It does not matter where those POIs are, either in routes or as individual POIs. That is my experience. Mine will grey out if I have 450 route points and add 51 POIs, if the POIs are at 50 the route can be used in the Ambit, same for 400 route points +100 POIs. I have not found a way to add POIs by importing so I import the route, restricting the points so I can add waypoints. I then add the waypoints in Movescount to the route. I also noted that you need to add one less than the 500 route points as Movescount requires you to "close" the route, adding a waypoint. If I don't do the "close" I cannot add it to the Ambit.



or_watching said:


> Do tell. How'd the big race go?




I learned a lot and dropped at about 60 miles. Running very late at night in subfreezing temperatures when my drop bag was still in front of me was a mistake I won't make again. I also found out I will need a pacer until I really figure out how to do this. A lot different than a 50 miler!

[/QUOTE]


or_watching said:


> fenix baro alimeter calibration is (AFAIK)
> 
> GPS auto-cal can be set on/off.
> Haven't seen proximity-to-waypoint-defined-elevation calibraton like the 910
> Also a "Enter your known altitude." calibration
> GPS Elevation is also a data field that can be read.
> 
> I've only done a couple out-back runs, and no hikes... and maybe I don't have it all figured out, but for example...
> this GC graph is pretty accurate: about 100ft down and back up. (Ambit +82/-108)View attachment 825251​
> GC text summary is way different: +371ft/-512ft
> Basecamp: summary: +150/-126.
> the fenix inwatch "track detail' summary is also wrong: +233/-270
> Haven't checked any fenix in-run displayed Ascent/Descent values, yet.
> 
> Basecamp graph: shows a hiccup in the first couple seconds, explaining the +150/-126 numbers. I had manually calibrated to 299ft before starting the run. Auto-cal setting was off.
> View attachment 825262
> 
> View attachment 825263
> 
> So... hmm.
> 
> only Mr. Garmin knows where all these cumulative numbers come from... smoothng/filterng might be part of it... maybe also some GPS-based numbers... I dunno.


Thanks for the information, you seem always to be a fount of that so anytime I get an extremely rare chance I may take it. I am interested in the fenix but I wish Garmin would put together a training ABC device, it would be great as they have the capability on both sides. IMHO it is a marketing decision and the ability to sell more devices. I sure do like the map options of the fenix but it looks like the training features are similar to the handhelds. HR is recordable and that is about it. Lack of footpod support is an issue too.


----------



## gaijin

mnaranjo said:


> I've owned 3 garmin GPSs and updates are just to correct bugs


There have already been two updates for the fenix:










Some of the changes were bug fixes, but others were enhancements and a couple were brand new features.

I don't see Garmin losing this market just because they don't keep the features/performance up to date. ;-)

HTH


----------



## blasbike

@Gaijin thanks for great review. Garmin should hire you to tell them how to describe a product 

@nboss: Thats quite important info from you. Mostly because you had so many gps watches even Ambit and you still prefer fenix. Fenix is my first gps watch and I wanted a good choice... I think fenix still needs some fixes in software and I want the updates list filled very often Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads

I have 2.40 firmware.
I can confirm problems with connection with HR belt (I use a belt from 305). When riding a bike connection is lost sometimes.
6). How did you recognize a difference between gpx/fit and gpx only on these buttons?
7). Can't confirm that. When GPS started fenix shows speed/pace but not distance and timer is stoped.
8). That should be some setup option. History is good on these I even have seen 48hours history for barometer 

Quite strange is lack information on Details screen for Tracks.
There is ONLY date time, distance, area(??), ascent, descent, max elevation, min elevation.
Where is: total workout time, avg pace/speed, max pace/speed, laps etc? Thats very basic and simple to add. I hope thay will add it in a new soft. Or someday we can hack it somehow...

I think Garmin released fenix quick because of Ambit and thats why the soft is not perfect.


----------



## Ahg

Agree on the idea of Findable Threads, Or_watching. However I think many people are still doubting about Fenix or Ambit, and this Thread open by Gaijin is soooo good that it would be a petty to get out of it!
Can someone confirm/correct?
FENIX:
seen as a hard drive
no need for programs or internet connection to upload/download files
you can download from the PC to the Fenix routes (with up to 1000 waypoints) AND TRACKS (with up to ????? points)
you can navigate using a downloaded route or a track (can someone give more details on these two options, and the differences?)
AMBIT:
navigation onscreen following an uploaded route should be available with next firmware release, but I have not seen any reference to track downloading to the Ambit. Someone knows if it will be possible to download from the PC to the Ambit a track (thousands of points, but how many?) or only routes (=set of POIs connected)
If Moveslink uploads tracks from the Ambit if not connected to Movescount, and waits for a new connection to Movescount to synchronize, where in the computer are those tracks saved waiting for that synchronization? in what format are they?

Thanks in advance for your answers.



or_watching said:


> Hi.
> In the spirit of Findable Threads, Ambit questions are best asked in the Suunto sub-forum.
> 1. Yes, Movescount can import kml routes which can then be downloaded to the Ambit. The Ambit v1.5 has waypoint to waypoint bearing navigation.
> 2. No. You must use Movescount online.
> 3. The routes must have <=100 points to import. You can use a tool, like GPSies to convert any kml/gpx to a be <=100 points.
> 3. The Ambit itself has a limit of 100 points total for all POIs + Route waypoints.
> 4. Yes, you can by following #1 and #3. Movescount can export the track gpx/kml to view/edit it anywhere you like.


----------



## nboss

blasbike said:


> @Gaijin thanks for great review. Garmin should hire you to tell them how to describe a product
> 
> @nboss: Thats quite important info from you. Mostly because you had so many gps watches even Ambit and you still prefer fenix. Fenix is my first gps watch and I wanted a good choice... I think fenix still needs some fixes in software and I want the updates list filled very often Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads
> 
> I have 2.40 firmware.
> I can confirm problems with connection with HR belt (I use a belt from 305). When riding a bike connection is lost sometimes.
> 6). How did you recognize a difference between gpx/fit and gpx only on these buttons?
> 7). Can't confirm that. When GPS started fenix shows speed/pace but not distance and timer is stoped.
> 8). That should be some setup option. History is good on these I even have seen 48hours history for barometer
> 
> Quite strange is lack information on Details screen for Tracks.
> There is ONLY date time, distance, area(??), ascent, descent, max elevation, min elevation.
> Where is: total workout time, avg pace/speed, max pace/speed, laps etc? Thats very basic and simple to add. I hope thay will add it in a new soft. Or someday we can hack it somehow...
> 
> I think Garmin released fenix quick because of Ambit and thats why the soft is not perfect.


Thanks for feedback blasbike:

Point 6:
There are 3 ways to quit a training (depends on settings "auto start", "auto save", "auto pause")
a) Stop GPS, go to tracks, save tracks -> only GPX file will be created (i have selected GPX/FIT in configuration)
b) Use bottom left button and select "save track" -> GPX and FIT files will be crated (thats how it should work with a))
c) Use "auto start", "auto save" -> As soon GPS is stopped GPX and FIT file will be created (thats how it should work)

7) Strange, it's probably related to the fact that i have totally 15 screens with data fields? I use latest firmware 2.4...

8) Yes and NO: History is good as long as possible in general (no tracking mode). But when doing a training i want the history from training only. I want to see altitude for the actual training only, so i can see max/min and the evevation graphics from track only.

Update regarding Point 6:
STOP works ONLY if auto pause is disabled. This seems to be a second data field which couts the time wen you are stopped when track is still on.... Strange thing... 

Regards,


----------



## jipe

Ahg said:


> Can someone confirm/correct?
> FENIX:
> seen as a hard drive
> no need for programs or internet connection to upload/download files
> you can download from the PC to the Fenix routes (with up to 1000 waypoints) AND TRACKS (with up to ????? points)
> you can navigate using a downloaded route or a track (can someone give more details on these two options, and the differences?)


I have a Fenix since Sep 7th and used it several times for cycling and inline skating.

So, I can confirm that you can use it as a hard drive (you can configure the Fenix has hard drive in its menu, if it isn't configured as a hard drive, the device asks you how you want to connect it when you plug the USB plug into your PC).

This is very important because it allows you to copy/paste any file (maps, tracks, routes...) you want anywhere on the Fenix.
Yes you can copy/paste from the PC to the Fenix tracks and routes either as .gpx, either as .fit. You can also copy tracks from your Fenix to your PC either .gpx, either .fit. The advantage of .fit is that it is a binary file much smaller than .gpx or .tcx. But being a binary file, you cannot edit them like you can do with a .gpx of .tcx.

I do not like Basecamp because I have lot of sport training history from Forerunner 201, 305 and 610 and Edge 800 that I want to keep and aren't in Basecamp (Basecamp was made for navigation/outdoor products from Garmin, not for sport products).

I use Sporttracks with my other Garmin sport training devices, so I tried to import from the Fenix directly into Sporttracks (with the Fenix set as Garmin device, not hard drive) but it didn't work, but it works when importing the file (you can directly take it out of te Fenix when it is set as hard drive, no need to copy it elsewhere. For those who don't know it, Sporttracks is a free application running on your PC and storing your data on your PC, no need of an internet connection. Note that the version of Sporttracks I used wasn't the last one, I have now upgraded Sporttracks to the latest release and will try again to directly import from the Fenix.

I also tried to use to use Training Center (the simple application from Garmin for the sport training devices). This one recognizes the Fenix but the direct upload from the Fenix doesn't work. Same as with Sportracks, you can upload the file from the Fenix when mounted as a hard drive. But I had a strange effect: for my first tracks, made with firmware 2.20 I could import either the .fit or the .gpx. But Training Center had problems with the .fit generated after the firmware upgrade to 2.40. It says that the file is empty while the same file can be imported into Sporttracks. No problem with the .gpx even after the update to 2.40.

I have another strange effect that came after the upgrade from 2.20 to 2.40: the tracks made with FW 2.20 aren't listed anymore in the track screen but are still in the memory and can be accessed with the device put as hard drive. When I look into the .fit generated with FW 2.40 I read FIT+ in the header and only FIT in the one generated with FW 2.20 ?

For sending routes to the Fenix, Training Center can do that with the Forerunner 305 for instance but it didn't work with the Fenix.

About adding maps, the behavior of the Fenix (i.e. ability to have several .img maps simultaneously) is very similar to the behavior of the Edge 800 but the Edge has one menu where you can individually enable/disable maps. Of course the BW low resolution screen and the limited amount of internal memory is a limitation and ideally there should be special maps for the Fenix with not too much details to fit to the low resolution of the screen and small internal memory.

Also one word about new features: yes Garmin added features on some of their previous product, especially the most sophisticated ones. I think new features will come, for instance I suspect that there will be BT low power sensors added when they become available, may be BT file transfer. These should come because currently the BT capability of the Fenix is almost unused and if Garmin had no plan to add features, they won't have put BT low power on the device. Using it only to communicate with smartphone and tablet seems to me too limited to justify to implement the BT in the Fenix.

About the HR belt, I used the latest HR from Garmin and it worked well, no loss of connection. I remember that with my Forerunner 305 and its HR belt (which is different), there were sometimes connection losses depending of the position of your arm wrt. the belt (for instance, during inline speed skating, you often put your arm in your back, this caused connection losses with the 305).


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Ahg said:


> One more thing, any one can give his personal experience around the rumor that the Ambit would measure the distances short?


Let me preface this by saying that I'm an Ambit owner who is very happy, but am still intrigued by the Fenix and may give it a try.

I've been using the Ambit for a couple of months now, and I can honestly say that the GPS accuracy has been REALLY good. Running many 
of the same routes that I did with past Garmin forerunner models, I'm getting almost exactly the same distances.

This past weekend I did a long trail run (30 miles) at my "home base" trail network. I know these trails very well and can put together all sorts of loops that I know the distances of. (based 
on my own past runs with Garmins as well as a dozen or so of my running club members who also use garmins.) I pre-planned the run, putting together several loops so I could stop at my car to refuel.

I ended up with 30.06 miles.

So I guess what I'm saying is I don't know if the Garmins or the Ambit are "right", but in my experience so far they are extremely consistent with each other.

I haven't gotten into using routes, tracks and waypoints, so I'll leave that stuff for people who know what they are talking about. 

As far as why I'm considering trying the Fenix....
-Fenix has vibrating alerts. Ambit does not. (I use Auto lap for mile splits and would prefer a vibration to having to hear it beep all day. Not a real big deal though)
-Fenix is cheaper.
-Auto Lap. The Ambit does this weird thing with Auto lap where it adds in laps whenever you pause the exercise. So when you pause, you get partial mile splits instead of the full mile. Forerunners that I've owned in the past do not do this, so I assume that the Fenix doesn't either. (but I'm not 100% sure about that)
-Bluetooth is interesting! (future possibility of uploading to garmin connect through my iPhone?)
-Software. I don't LOVE Garmin Connect, but its decent and it works well. I've had some trouble with Moveslink 2 (the software that uploads from the Ambit to Suunto's Movescount site.) The software regularly crashes on my iMac. Sometimes i'll have to attempt to upload 2 or 3 times before the upload is successful. Since I like to upload after every run, this can get frustrating!
-Sunrise/Sunset data. As a long distance trail runner, I really like this!

Why I'll probably keep the Ambit
-Awesome build quality and reputation. Suunto is a watch company. Garmin is a GPS company. Ambit made in Finland, Fenix made in Taiwan.
-Suunto's publicly said that they will be updating not just firmware, but FEATURES on the Ambit for years to come. So far they have released/announced 3 updates to the feature set.
-It's not a Garmin. (I've been hosed by Garmin a couple of times and don't mind having them lose my business.)
-I find it to be a bit better looking as a day to day watch when I'm not running. I do like the looks of the fenix too though. (I keep thinking of the Fenix as a Jeep Wrangler and The Ambit as a Land Rover.) Aesthetically, its a toss up depending on your style.
-Heart Rate. I have used the Garmin "Premium" strap in the past and it quickly found a home in my night stand drawer. Massive chaffing on long runs, and extremely non-consistent data and connectivity left me very frustrated. The Suunto strap on the other hand has been fantastic! No chaffing at all, even on the longest runs. Data has been very consistent and "believable" if that makes any sense.


----------



## mnaranjo

gaijin said:


> There have already been two updates for the fenix:
> 
> Some of the changes were bug fixes, but others were enhancements and a couple were brand new features.
> 
> I don't see Garmin losing this market just because they don't keep the features/performance up to date. ;-)
> 
> HTH


Hope Garmin changed the update objetives with the fenix

With my FR301 edge305 and edge705, most were bug fix, very few improvements
visual effects, gps fix, some new profiles data...
I only remember as a big improve when they added SDCH support to the Edge705


----------



## DerSchmitty

roots-n-rocks said:


> Let me preface this by saying that I'm an Ambit owner who is very happy, but am still intrigued by the Fenix and may give it a try.
> 
> I've been using the Ambit for a couple of months now, and I can honestly say that the GPS accuracy has been REALLY good. Running many
> of the same routes that I did with past Garmin forerunner models, I'm getting almost exactly the same distances.


This is my experience between the two as well. Nearly exact distance measurements on known routes.



roots-n-rocks said:


> As far as why I'm considering trying the Fenix....
> -Fenix has vibrating alerts. Ambit does not. (I use Auto lap for mile splits and would prefer a vibration to having to hear it beep all day. Not a real big deal though)


I didn't think it would be as big of a deal either until I switched to the fenix. The vibe alert is a *really* nice feature.



roots-n-rocks said:


> -Auto Lap. The Ambit does this weird thing with Auto lap where it adds in laps whenever you pause the exercise. So when you pause, you get partial mile splits instead of the full mile. Forerunners that I've owned in the past do not do this, so I assume that the Fenix doesn't either. (but I'm not 100% sure about that)


This is one of the main reasons I ditched the Ambit. It really screws with your split times on a long run.



roots-n-rocks said:


> -Sunrise/Sunset data. As a long distance trail runner, I really like this!


This and the moon phase information is a very nice add when compared with Ambit. It's nice to have this info when traveling and running in a new spot too.



roots-n-rocks said:


> Why I'll probably keep the Ambit
> -I find it to be a bit better looking as a day to day watch when I'm not running. I do like the looks of the fenix too though. (I keep thinking of the Fenix as a Jeep Wrangler and The Ambit as a Land Rover.) Aesthetically, its a toss up depending on your style.


I found that I just couldn't get used to the antenna tumor on the Ambit. Your Jeep/Land Rover analogy is a good one. I think it's more along the Defender/Range Rover lines. I haven't noticed a significant difference in the build quality between the two. I would, however, like to be able to black out the screen like the Ambit.


----------



## mesteviet

I'm sure this is a dumb question but I can't seem to find an answer for this. Do I want WAAS enabled or disabled? It looks like it would be a good thing but it came to me disabled so I'm not sure. I'm in the US if that makes a difference. Thanks for any help, I'll be sharing my experiences with the Ambit vs the Fenix after a few more runs.


----------



## gaijin

mesteviet said:


> I'm sure this is a dumb question but I can't seem to find an answer for this. Do I want WAAS enabled or disabled? It looks like it would be a good thing but it came to me disabled so I'm not sure. I'm in the US if that makes a difference. Thanks for any help, I'll be sharing my experiences with the Ambit vs the Fenix after a few more runs.


If you are in North America, WAAS will increase the accuracy of the GPS fix, so I don't see any down side to enabling it. I enabled it on my fenix.

See here for more info: http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

HTH


----------



## martowl

roots-n-rocks said:


> Let me preface this by saying that I'm an Ambit owner who is very happy, but am still intrigued by the Fenix and may give it a try.
> 
> As far as why I'm considering trying the Fenix....
> -Fenix has vibrating alerts. Ambit does not. (I use Auto lap for mile splits and would prefer a vibration to having to hear it beep all day. Not a real big deal though)
> -Fenix is cheaper.
> -Auto Lap. The Ambit does this weird thing with Auto lap where it adds in laps whenever you pause the exercise. So when you pause, you get partial mile splits instead of the full mile. Forerunners that I've owned in the past do not do this, so I assume that the Fenix doesn't either. (but I'm not 100% sure about that)
> -Bluetooth is interesting! (future possibility of uploading to garmin connect through my iPhone?)
> -Software. I don't LOVE Garmin Connect, but its decent and it works well. I've had some trouble with Moveslink 2 (the software that uploads from the Ambit to Suunto's Movescount site.) The software regularly crashes on my iMac. Sometimes i'll have to attempt to upload 2 or 3 times before the upload is successful. Since I like to upload after every run, this can get frustrating!
> -Sunrise/Sunset data. As a long distance trail runner, I really like this!
> 
> Why I'll probably keep the Ambit
> -Awesome build quality and reputation. Suunto is a watch company. Garmin is a GPS company. Ambit made in Finland, Fenix made in Taiwan.
> -Suunto's publicly said that they will be updating not just firmware, but FEATURES on the Ambit for years to come. So far they have released/announced 3 updates to the feature set.
> -It's not a Garmin. (I've been hosed by Garmin a couple of times and don't mind having them lose my business.)
> -I find it to be a bit better looking as a day to day watch when I'm not running. I do like the looks of the fenix too though. (I keep thinking of the Fenix as a Jeep Wrangler and The Ambit as a Land Rover.) Aesthetically, its a toss up depending on your style.
> -Heart Rate. I have used the Garmin "Premium" strap in the past and it quickly found a home in my night stand drawer. Massive chaffing on long runs, and extremely non-consistent data and connectivity left me very frustrated. The Suunto strap on the other hand has been fantastic! No chaffing at all, even on the longest runs. Data has been very consistent and "believable" if that makes any sense.


Just wanted to say I agree with you and add that I find the training features on the Ambit great for long distance running. I could not agree with you more on the HR strap. I have worn the Suunto for 16h continuously and not had a problem with chafing. Nice summary.


----------



## mesteviet

gaijin said:


> If you are in North America, WAAS will increase the accuracy of the GPS fix, so I don't see any down side to enabling it. I enabled it on my fenix.
> 
> See here for more info: Garmin | What is WAAS?
> 
> HTH


Thanks, I had actually already read the WAAS site but could not understand why that would be set to Off for units shipped to the U.S. Oh well, thanks for your help.


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> If you are in North America, WAAS will increase the accuracy of the GPS fix, so I don't see any down side to enabling it. I enabled it on my fenix.
> 
> See here for more info: Garmin | What is WAAS?
> 
> HTH


Yes, but... There's always a but, and maybe why Garmin leaves it disabled. There is generally less battery life in units with WAAS enabled*. It would be interesting to see if this is true of the fenix. I haven't seen any recent data on WAAS and battery consumption.

Additionally, WAAS data is only available from two gps satellites, which are in orbit over the equator. They tend to be low in the sky in the USA, especially for northern parts. Unless you have a clear view of the southern horizon, you will often not receive the WAAS signal long enough to acquire correction data.

Maybe Garmin feels that a lot of users will not see a benefit, and they felt there was some power impact, so disabled it for USA units. That's my guess.

(It doesn't look like any of these details are really given in the linked webpage. Silly Garmin.)

*edit: I did a little more searching for details on this. It sounds like with some Garmin units, Garmin says that WAAS 'significantly reduces battery life.' I don't think that's true of all their units though. I've used a Garmin Rino with WAAS in the past. I wouldn't say it cut battery life in half, for example, but don't have any hard numbers.

More discussion about WAAS than you may care to read: http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=207030


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Thanks DerSchmitty and Martowl. It's great to hear what others who use the devices like I do think! 

I've been weighing the pros and cons of these two devices for a while now. (only speculatively on the fenix of course)
Here is what it is boiling down to for me....

Almost all of my concerns, (Auto Lap issue, Problems with uploading, Sunrise/Sunset data, etc..) is fixable with a software upgrade.
Of course that doesn't mean these things will ever actually BE upgraded, but they could be. I'm choosing to base my decision on what CAN'T be upgraded.

Heart Rate Strap -vs- Vibrating Alerts. 

These are the two attributes that are important to me that don't have software upgrade potential.
The Ambit, in my opinion far outperforms the Fenix when it comes to HR monitoring. (and again, I have used the Garmin Premium HR Strap)
In both physical performance (comfort and accuracy), and software features (Recovery Time, Peak Training Effect) the Ambit is the clear winner.
I suppose the release of a better strap by Garmin would change the game here, but I have no reason to think that will happen.
The Fenix has vibrating alerts, (which I have had in the past with the Garmin 310xt), and love.

So the Ambit wins for me. A more sophisticated training tool (HR) is more crucial than the vibrating alerts.

wish I didn't have to choose...


----------



## fredx

martowl said:


> A second question is regarding the altimeter. A friend of mine and I ran a race this last weekend and he recently purchased a fenix. The altimeter on his was off by a lot on ascent/descent compared to my Ambit and I suspect Garmin does not have this quite worked out yet. How do you calibrate the altimeter/barometer? I had the 910XT prior to the Ambit for a short while and never had any reliable altimeter readings as it is calibrated by a known location, which never seemed to work. The ascent/descent and altitude are important to me when in the mountains as they help me gauge time I will spend out as well as identifying true or false summits. Since you had/have an Ambit, do you have a feeling or any tests regarding the fenix altimeter/barometer?


Heh, that friend would be me.  Indeed, as noted, the total ascent/descent was *way* off, as seen in the track I took with my new Fenix during the race:
Run Rabbit Run 100+ miler by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details

After hobbling around for a few days, I got out for my usual morning jog the past few mornings: Green by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details Green, FIT by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details

Both mornings, I ran the exact same loop. As you can see, the ascent/descent for those two are pretty consistent, and quite reasonable (not way off, like the track from the race was). Both of those tracks were uploaded as FIT files, while the race was uploaded as a GPX. That got me thinking that perhaps the GPX files only give GPS elevation, not barometric. So to check, I uploaded this morning's route as a GPX also: Green, GPX by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details Nope, apparently that wasn't the problem.

In summary, I have no idea why the track from the race was so far off. It was done in Ultratrac; perhaps that's the culprit? Dunno...

Meanwhile, I'll point out that the ASCENT data item is totally hosed. It reads silly numbers, even when I haven't started moving yet. Seems to be a Garmin bug. The LAP ASCENT appears fine.

I owned an Ambit for a little while before switching to the Fenix. In my thus-far limited experience, the Ambit's altimeter is substantially better. The Fenix just seems to dither more, obfuscating things like VERT SPEED when going up/downhill on foot (it'll bounce around a lot, whereas the Ambit offered a smoothly-varying reading).

Regardless, I'm very satisfied with the Fenix. For me, it's a great choice.

Cheers,

- Fred


----------



## martowl

fredx said:


> Heh, that friend would be me.  Indeed, as noted, the total ascent/descent was *way* off, as seen in the track I took with my new Fenix during the race:
> Run Rabbit Run 100+ miler by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details
> 
> After hobbling around for a few days, I got out for my usual morning jog the past few mornings: Green by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details Green, FIT by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details
> 
> - Fred


hello Fred. Thanks for being kind enough not to mention you got a lot more data than I did. Guess you found me here. I will have to talk to you more about the fenix. One think I like is using Basecamp to make prospective routes. It is a lot easier than what I did for RRR 100! I may have to try a fenix and then make a decision---I can just hear Jennifer's voice in my head.....another watch!?

Brad


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Yes, but... There's always a but, and maybe why Garmin leaves it disabled. There is generally less battery life in units with WAAS enabled*. It would be interesting to see if this is true of the fenix. I haven't seen any recent data on WAAS and battery consumption.


When I ran my battery consumption tests above, WAAS was enabled on my fenix. With WAAS enabled, it exceeded the spec of 16 Hours when GPS was in Normal mode. If there is any decrease in battery life when WAAS is enabled, then it is not enough to shorten the battery life to less than the specification.



cobrapa said:


> Additionally, WAAS data is only available from two gps satellites, which are in orbit over the equator. They tend to be low in the sky in the USA, especially for northern parts. Unless you have a clear view of the southern horizon, you will often not receive the WAAS signal long enough to acquire correction data.


Here is the WAAS coverage map:










Seems that if you are in North America, you're going to benefit from WAAS.

Here is how it manifests itself on the fenix and how you can tell if you are receiving WAAS correction data:

HOME>Setup>System>WAAS>On

This enables WAAS on your fenix.

Then go to:

HOME>GPS Tools>Satellites(wait for a fix)then scroll up or down until you see this display:










At first, all of the signal strength "boxes" will be plain boxes like satellites number 18 and 22 in the pic. After a while, however, if you are receiving WAAS correction Data, a small letter "D" will be displayed in the upper left corner of the box which denotes correction data for that satellite has been applied.

How do I know the little "D" has anything to do with WAAS? Turn WAAS Off and all the little "D" markers no longer display.

Further, the GPS fix I have shown here was accomplished indoors, in my office, about 30 feet from the nearest window. So I don't think the WAAS data is unusually difficult to receive. Those satellites are probably not as low on the southern horizon as you suspect.



cobrapa said:


> Maybe Garmin feels that a lot of users will not see a benefit, and they felt there was some power impact, so disabled it for USA units. That's my guess.


My guess is that since Garmin ships these all over the world, and since WAAS is only for North America, they felt it was easier to explain to North American users why they should turn ON a feature, than to explain to the rest of the world why they should turn OFF a feature.



cobrapa said:


> (It doesn't look like any of these details are really given in the linked webpage. Silly Garmin.)
> 
> *edit: I did a little more searching for details on this. It sounds like with some Garmin units, Garmin says that WAAS 'significantly reduces battery life.' I don't think that's true of all their units though. I've used a Garmin Rino with WAAS in the past. I wouldn't say it cut battery life in half, for example, but don't have any hard numbers.
> 
> More discussion about WAAS than you may care to read: Should I have WAAS/EGNOS enabled on my GPS ? - Groundspeak Forums


I thought the Garmin explanation was pretty good: Garmin | What is WAAS?

As I see no evidence of reduced battery life in the fenix when WAAS is enabled, I wonder how germane discussion of battery life in other models is.

My conclusion based on observation and use so far is that if you are in North America, there is no downside to enabling WAAS on your fenix.

HTH

Edit to add:

Upon further investigation, WAAS will only work when GPS is in Normal Mode, it will not work when GPS is in UltraTrac mode.

This is evidently the case because in UltraTrac mode, the GPS is not on long enough to acquire the necessary data. It may also be the case that Garmin software will not allow the fenix to attempt to gather WAAS data, even if WAAS is set to Enable, when in UltraTrac mode.

Note: Satellites #48 and #51 are the two satellites transmitting the WAAS data and their corresponding strength bars will never display the "D" symbol.


----------



## blasbike

fredx said:


> Heh, that friend would be me.  Indeed, as noted, the total ascent/descent was *way* off, as seen in the track I took with my new Fenix during the race:
> Run Rabbit Run 100+ miler by fredecks at Garmin Connect - Details
> 
> ...
> 
> In summary, I have no idea why the track from the race was so far off. It was done *in Ultratrac*; perhaps that's the culprit? Dunno...
> 
> Meanwhile, I'll point out that the ASCENT data item is totally hosed. It reads silly numbers, even when I haven't started moving yet. Seems to be a Garmin bug. The LAP ASCENT appears fine.


You can see on that long run that GPS lost signal in one place.
Another is you used Ultratrack and if it was 1min interval thats the source of elevation problem and I guess also problem with distance.
Using Ultratrack with 1min when running is not good idea, you can see there is a lot of shortcuts on the track you linked.

HUGE distance! Maybe Ultratrack 30s would be good on that but not for sure. That was 30hours run! What about Ambit's battery and GPS interval, can we see that track?


----------



## philw

Basecamp app is in the apple app store. Not compatable with iPhone 4 though, only 4s!


----------



## gaijin

philw said:


> Basecamp app is in the apple app store. Not compatable with iPhone 4 though, only 4s!


Thank you for posting that info.

And I can confirm that it is not compatible with my iPhone 4 - that's a significant disappointment. :-(


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Tracy4766 said:


> Thank's for posting the strap replacement - I've got a black Zulu awaiting and I was worried about the fit after seeing the weird tapped bar thing in the strap earlier, really glad it's a simple job.


You're welcome - glad you found the information helpful. ;-)

Post a picture of yours on the black strap when you receive it.


----------



## or_watching

philw said:


> Basecamp app is in the apple app store. Not compatable with iPhone 4 though, only 4s!


Cool. Just loaded it up. Glad to have this first step on the way to SmartPhone and tablet integration.
First impressions:
- Pretty basic functionality.
- Useful for reviewing tracks, routes, waypoints. Existing tracks, WP, etc from the fenix are accurately placed and show nicely.
- Graphs of HR, Elev, Temp, pace. One parameter per graph.
- No route creation (AFAIK).
- Waypoint creation has an error. I created a couple, and they get created offset from the cross hairs, e.g. by 30-400ft on the ones I made. Confirmed in GE, that it's the recorded Lat/Long vs the Apps crosshairs that's broken.
- Data is automatically synched both ways... no dragging, choosing, sending, receiving required. (data only stored in the fenix, nothing stored in the phone after disconnecting)


----------



## Falconeye75

gaijin said:


> Thank you for posting that info.
> 
> And I can confirm that it is not compatible with my iPhone 4 - that's a significant disappointment. :-(


Any idea to install Basecamp mobile on an Iphone 4 (even jailbreak Iphone) ?

Thanks.


----------



## Gunnar9090

My quick thoughts on the fenix (as a road cyclist, triathlete, MTBer and sometimes runner). 

I've been waiting for a waterproof GPS watch for a long time. One with form factor that can be worn as an everyday watch. Fenix fits the bill. I just feel Garmin is really missing a large demographic by ignoring some simple options available on the 910xt. i.e. footpod and power meter capability. Is it just my opinion that the cyclist, triathlete and running community is a larger one than the hiking/outdoor crowd (that the fenix is geared toward)?

I know I'm not the only one that would love to see some of the 910xt features incorporated into a watch with form factor similar to the fenix (or forerunner 110,210 and 610). Most people who enjoy the sports I mention above are also hikers and outdoor enthusiasts and the fenix is very close to satisfying a wider range of people.

The lack of footpod support and power meter capability combined with using Basecamp and not Garmin Connect to upload courses made me make the decision to return the watch to REI. I would consider the Ambit (as I've had Suunto's in the past and liked them) but I rely on Strava.com for training and posting workouts and the work around with the Ambit to get files to Strava is too much. (Plus the price....). So now I'm back to my trusty forerunner 110 for running and Edge 800 for cycling....and hoping there may be some furure updates to make me a believer in the fenix.


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> Cool. Just loaded it up. Glad to have this first step on the way to SmartPhone and tablet integration.
> First impressions:
> - Data is automatically synched both ways... no dragging, choosing, sending, receiving required. (data only stored in the fenix, nothing stored in the phone after disconnecting)


Seriously, you cannot download the data to the phone? This would have been one of my reasons for considering the fenix, to have multiday trips recorded that I could simply download to the phone when the fenix memory is full. I cannot believe it is simply a large screen for the fenix. Does it show the alternate basemap that you added?


----------



## cobrapa

or_watching said:


> Cool. Just loaded it up. Glad to have this first step on the way to SmartPhone and tablet integration.


(about Iphone Basecamp)

So, is it wireless, using bluetooth? That's pretty neat, if so.


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> When I ran my battery consumption tests above, WAAS was enabled on my fenix. With WAAS enabled, it exceeded the spec of 16 Hours when GPS was in Normal mode. If there is any decrease in battery life when WAAS is enabled, then it is not enough to shorten the battery life to less than the specification.


 Hmm, did your test occur in the same office you mention later? See below.



> Here is the WAAS coverage map:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seems that if you are in North America, you're going to benefit from WAAS.


I'm interested in why you think the FAA's flight coverage for WAAS above 200-300ft above ground level for aircraft is applicable to people on the ground? It is true, that in many places with clear view of the horizon, handheld users will get good signal. This does not mean that just as many will have no signal at ground level.


> Here is how it manifests itself on the fenix and how you can tell if you are receiving WAAS correction data:HOME>Setup>System>WAAS>OnThis enables WAAS on your fenix.Then go to:HOME>GPS Tools>Satellites(wait for a fix)then scroll up or down until you see this display:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At first, all of the signal strength "boxes" will be plain boxes like satellites number 18 and 22 in the pic. After a while, however, if you are receiving WAAS correction Data, a small letter "D" will be displayed in the upper left corner of the box which denotes correction data for that satellite has been applied.How do I know the little "D" has anything to do with WAAS? Turn WAAS Off and all the little "D" markers no longer display.Further, the GPS fix I have shown here was accomplished indoors, in my office, about 30 feet from the nearest window. So I don't think the WAAS data is unusually difficult to receive. Those satellites are probably not as low on the southern horizon as you suspect.


I'm surprised, so I tried the same. In my office, I receive no gps signals at all. I did receive WAAS in the office parking lot, fairly strongly. I then left the watch on for the ~10 mile drive home. The WAAS satellite signal was gone shortly after leaving the parking lot. All 'D'ifferential data disappeared within about 5-10 minutes. I did not receive any indication of WAAS over the entire drive home.I'd suggest you try it outside your office in some more real world usage. ;-)


> My guess is that since Garmin ships these all over the world, and since WAAS is only for North America, they felt it was easier to explain to North American users why they should turn ON a feature, than to explain to the rest of the world why they should turn OFF a feature.


While you are technically correct that WAAS is North America only, there are systems in other countries using the same correction technique. I would expect Garmin to support them as well.


----------



## or_watching

cobrapa said:


> (about Iphone Basecamp)
> 
> So, is it wireless, using bluetooth? That's pretty neat, if so.


Yes Bluetooth.


----------



## or_watching

martowl said:


> Seriously, you cannot download the data to the phone? This would have been one of my reasons for considering the fenix, to have multiday trips recorded that I could simply download to the phone when the fenix memory is full. I cannot believe it is simply a large screen for the fenix. Does it show the alternate basemap that you added?


Hi.
Second impressions:
If you've got an iPhone4 or an Android, you aren't missing much really.
After playing with it for a bit , it's really not something that I'll end up using much. As is.

Indeed thinking about a "usage model"
- Data/Track review: Works ok for the very basics. But since there's no cached maps, I can't think of a time/place when I'd need it. 
- Extended outing download (sans PC): Nope. Not as is. Seriously... where's the upload to Garmin Connect, or the "Store Until Later" option.
- Waypoint planning: OK (if the offset problem is fixed). Only when there's a signal.
- Route planning: Not at all.
- In fact, without the fenix connected, there is zero you can do with app. Can't even see a map or Google imagery or create a waypoint. OK, you can read the EULA which is good for laugh and to feel glad that you aren't lawyer who has to write phenomenally contorted sentences for a living. (I'm not slagging off all Lawyers, just those lawyers)

Now if Trimble Navigator starts to support the fenix... then we're talking.


----------



## Falconeye75

It seems that waas is compatible with egnos (same System like waas but in Europe). Since both are compatible, do you know if Fenix can use waas data in Europe ?


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> 
> Now if Trimble Navigator starts to support the fenix... then we're talking.


now your talking, that is the app that replaced my Garmin handheld, the screen on my iPhone is so much better.


----------



## cobrapa

One thing the iPhone app may have shown... The Ascent and Descent data fields are absolute heights, rather than relative, at least in app.

For example, a track that was at river level (so no ascent or descent) has the values:

Ascent: 343.45 ft
Descent: 326.76 ft

These should probably be about 20 ft, accounting for gps / baro error. It looks like they forgot to subtract out the absolute altitude when calculating them.


----------



## gaijin

Falconeye75 said:


> It seems that waas is compatible with egnos (same System like waas but in Europe). Since both are compatible, do you know if Fenix can use waas data in Europe ?


Yes. The fenix is WAAS/EGNOS enabled.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> I'd suggest you try it outside your office in some more real world usage.


I'd suggest you try it outside your car "in some more real world usage." ;-)


----------



## cobrapa

Falconeye75 said:


> Any idea to install Basecamp mobile on an Iphone 4 (even jailbreak Iphone) ?
> 
> Thanks.


It seems odd they would make this restriction. Unless there is some limitation of the bluetooth profiles.

It's not terribly difficult to run a app like that on a jailbroken phone of a different model, although apple does not allow it and of course it violates the user agreement. You would probably need to find a friend with the 4s and the app, so you could pull the binary from them. (This discussion might be against WUS policy, so you may want to go to an iphone jailbreak forum to get more detail.)


----------



## martowl

cobrapa said:


> It seems odd they would make this restriction. Unless there is some limitation of the bluetooth profiles.
> 
> It's not terribly difficult to run a app like that on a jailbroken phone of a different model, although apple does not allow it and of course it violates the user agreement. You would probably need to find a friend with the 4s and the app, so you could pull the binary from them. (This discussion might be against WUS policy, so you may want to go to an iphone jailbreak forum to get more detail.)


I think the problem is the type of Bluetooth. The 4 does not have BTLE, the low energy bluetooth, only the 4S and 5 have this. I suspect that is the reason.


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> I'm interested in why you think the FAA's flight coverage for WAAS above 200-300ft above ground level for aircraft is applicable to people on the ground? It is true, that in many places with clear view of the horizon, handheld users will get good signal. This does not mean that just as many will have no signal at ground level.


The WAAS system has 38 ground stations, some as far North as Alaska, which monitor signals from GPS satellites as well as the Geostationary WAAS satellites. Following from Wikipedia(Wide Area Augmentation System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia):

As with GPS in general, WAAS is composed of three main segments: the Ground segment, Space segment, and User segment.
*
Ground segment*

The ground segment is composed of multiple Wide-area Reference Stations (WRS). These precisely surveyed ground stations monitor and collect information on the GPS signals, then send their data to three Wide-area Master Stations (WMS) using a terrestrial communications network. The reference stations also monitor signals from WAAS geostationary satellites, providing integrity information regarding them as well. As of October 2007 there were 38 WRSs: twenty in the contiguous United States(CONUS), seven in Alaska, one in Hawaii, one in Puerto Rico, five in Mexico, and four in Canada.

Since these ground stations have no trouble receiving the WAAS signals, I don't see why we should have any trouble receiving the WAAS signals on the fenix. The coverage map I posted roughly corresponds to the coverage area of these ground stations. That's why I thought it would be useful.

The geostationary satellites are 22,236 miles above the Earth's Equator. This makes them very visible in the contiguous United States (CONUS). Again, following from Wikipedia (Geostationary orbit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia):

Geostationary satellites are directly overhead at the Equator, and become lower in the sky the further north or south one travels. At high latitudes (near the Earth's poles), they are very low, making communication difficult or impossible due to factors such as atmospheric refraction, Earth's thermal emission, line-of-sight obstructions, and signal reflections from the ground or nearby structures. At latitudes above about 81°, geostationary satellites are below the horizon and cannot be seen at all.

Since CONUS is entirely South of 50°, ground level reception of signals from the geostationary WAAS satellites should not be a problem - barring local environmental/structural barriers which would block any satellite signal, of course.

HTH


----------



## mesteviet

Update: I've updated the watch to 2.60 software and ran the same exact route as before. I've got it saving to GPX/FIT formats. Interval/GPS recording etc. is set to most often in every way possible. Updated #'s are in RED. They look MUCH more accurate so I'm happy with the software update so far. I've got a 50K this weekend that has about 6600ft of elevation gain so I'll report on that Sat night. The elevation charts are from the original runs.

I thought I'd add a quick note on my experience with the Fenix altimeter readings. I am using software version 2.4 and uploading Fit file to Garmin Connect. I have a 7 mile loop that I run quite often that is quick and easy to cram into a busy schedule. When running the same exact loop with the Ambit, it ALWAYS read somewhere between 440 and 500 feet of elevation gain during the run. This same # was reflected on Movescount.

Now, to the Fenix. This is weird stuff. When I started the run in quickly found my accurate current elevation which was awesome because entering it manually on the Ambit is quite annoying to me. So I started on my merry way and about half way through the run I decided to check out the ascent reading and it displayed 2200 feet!!! When I returned home and uploaded to Garmin Connect it read 658 feet with Elevation Correction enabled. With elevation correction disabled, it read 2277 feet. I thought I'd check the watch just to see what it said and in the track history it displayed an ascent of 492 feet which is very accurate! So it appears that the altimeter may be working after all but the #'s displayed on the watch and Garmin Connect are all over the place. Here's a quick summary:

*FENIX Display During Run:*
7.00 Miles
Ascent 2200+
2nd Run
7.07 Miles
Ascent 500ft

*FENIX Track History:*
6.91 Miles
Ascent 492
2nd Run
7.1 Miles
Ascent FIT file doesn't display this

*Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" ENABLED*
6.91 Miles
Ascent 658
2nd Run
7.05 Miles
Ascent 707ft









*Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" DISABLED*
6.91 Miles
Ascent 2277
2nd Run
7.05 Miles
Ascent 499ft








Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled with my initial results. I'm going to run the same exact run tomorrow and see what happens. I'll keep you posted. Below is the Ambit elevation chart.


----------



## jimmijames73

mesteviet said:


> Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled with my initial results. I'm going to run the same exact run tomorrow and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.


What do the elevation profiles look like? The difference could be due to an initial correction to the absolute elevation using the GPS. Check if there is any irregulaity at the start of your run. It is possible the remainder of the profile is ok.


----------



## Joakim Agren

mesteviet said:


> I thought I'd add a quick note on my experience with the Fenix altimeter readings. I am using software version 2.4 and uploading Fit file to Garmin Connect. I have a 7 mile loop that I run quite often that is quick and easy to cram into a busy schedule. When running the same exact loop with the Ambit, it ALWAYS read somewhere between 440 and 500 feet of elevation gain during the run. This same # was reflected on Movescount.
> 
> Now, to the Fenix. This is weird stuff. When I started the run in quickly found my accurate current elevation which was awesome because entering it manually on the Ambit is quite annoying to me. So I started on my merry way and about half way through the run I decided to check out the ascent reading and it displayed 2200 feet!!! When I returned home and uploaded to Garmin Connect it read 658 feet with Elevation Correction enabled. With elevation correction disabled, it read 2277 feet. I thought I'd check the watch just to see what it said and in the track history it displayed an ascent of 492 feet which is very accurate! So it appears that the altimeter may be working after all but the #'s displayed on the watch and Garmin Connect are all over the place. Here's a quick summary:
> 
> *FENIX Display During Run:*
> 7.00 Miles
> Ascent 2200+
> 
> *FENIX Track History:*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 492
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" ENABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 658
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" DISABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 2277
> 
> Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled with my initial results. I'm going to run the same exact run tomorrow and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.


Since the auto-calibration of the altimeter is done using GPS. I think one possible explanation is that you start your activity to fast after the GPS is enabled(GPS devices needs a strong connection to several satellites to record altitudes that are reasonably correct). First manually turn on GPS and then wait a few minutes for the satellite connection to stabilize. Then start your activity and start running. Perhaps this will create a altitude reading inside the watch that is more correct.

It would be nice to see this auto-calibration implemented in a future firmware update of the Ambit.:-!


----------



## cobrapa

Joakim Agren said:


> Since the auto-calibration of the altimeter is done using GPS. I think one possible explanation is that you start your activity to fast after the GPS is enabled(GPS devices needs a strong connection to several satellites to record altitudes that are reasonably correct). First manually turn on GPS and then wait a few minutes for the satellite connection to stabilize. Then start your activity and start running. Perhaps this will create a altitude reading inside the watch that is more correct.
> 
> It would be nice to see this auto-calibration implemented in a future firmware update of the Ambit.:-!


Also, this is one place where WAAS (or other local satellite based correction, SBAS, if you are outside USA) would help. SBAS was developed primarily to improve altitude accuracy of GPS systems for aviation, so if you can get a SBAS/WAAS correction, it will improve your vertical accuracy.

You don't mention which country you are in*mesteviet*, are you in a country with a SBAS system?

(Although in the case you mention, the fenix ascent/descent bug is much larger than any gps error you might have!)


----------



## mesteviet

jimmijames73 said:


> What do the elevation profiles look like? The difference could be due to an initial correction to the absolute elevation using the GPS. Check if there is any irregulaity at the start of your run. It is possible the remainder of the profile is ok.


inserted per your request


----------



## mesteviet

cobrapa said:


> Also, this is one place where WAAS (or other local satellite based correction, SBAS, if you are outside USA) would help. SBAS was developed primarily to improve altitude accuracy of GPS systems for aviation, so if you can get a SBAS/WAAS correction, it will improve your vertical accuracy.
> 
> You don't mention which country you are in*mesteviet*, are you in a country with a SBAS system?
> 
> (Although in the case you mention, the fenix ascent/descent bug is much larger than any gps error you might have!)


I'm in the SF Bay area in California. I had WAAS off since that was the default setting but have since turned it on. As you can see from the elevation charts, it actually looks very similar to the Ambit reading but the final ascent value was way off during the run. The final value on my watch looks good. It's just plain weird. We'll see what run #2 looks like.


----------



## makoworks

I have one question to Fenix users:

I run 3-5 times per week, and go cycling 3-5 times per month. Also, I do some hiking of 4-8 hours in 3-4 months of the year (10-12 times total). I have a Forerunner 610 and want to change it for the Fenix, but I dont want to change if the Fenix is bad for running or cycling. What do you think under your experience about this?

Thanks.


----------



## dani31

Hi Gaijin! Since you kindly answered most questions thrown at you, I'm trying my luck with mine:

What is the altimeter refresh rate? Does it lag? I think about using it while skydiving, maybe you could check it in an elevator.
Is it possible to display the altitude in large characters, like the time?

Thanks a lot!


----------



## jipe

makoworks said:


> I have one question to Fenix users:
> 
> I run 3-5 times per week, and go cycling 3-5 times per month. Also, I do some hiking of 4-8 hours in 3-4 months of the year (10-12 times total). I have a Forerunner 610 and want to change it for the Fenix, but I dont want to change if the Fenix is bad for running or cycling. What do you think under your experience about this?
> 
> Thanks.


I also had a Forerunner 610 (and before a Forerunner 305) and switched to the Fenix.

Why did I switch ? My main reason is because I am also doing hiking and mountaineering this besides inline skating and cycling (no real running) and wanted a sport trainer + ABC watch. I moved from the 305 to the 610 to have a watch I can wear eevryday and use for sport training, i.e. avoid to have two devices.

I bought the 610 early June 2011 and hd recently a problem of corrosion of the back of the watch (the watch was perfectly working, it was only a cosmetic problem, the back became first black, then red on some places). The 610 was exchanged by Garmin for a brand new one (it seems that Garmin changed the back cover and that this corrosion problem that might occur on early models worn everyday doesn't happen anymore) and I took this opportunity to sell this new 610 and buy a Fenix.

How does the Fenix compare to the 610 ?

First, the Fenix is thicker than the 610. This was concern for me to wear it with a long sleeve shirt for instance but in practice it is n of a problem.

For sport training use, there are some features missing on the Fenix, mainly the virtual racer, virtual partner and training effect. But I wasn't using the two first and the third one seems to me useless.

The Fenix has also no touch screen. But the touch screen of the 610 isn't really good. It is nice to switch from one screen to the other but the buttons of the Fenix are as good (and allow to scroll in the two directions) but the touch screen to navigate in the menu's is terrible, you very often select an option instead of scrolling. The activation by touch (iPhone like) causes false activation when you waer a long sleeves shirt. So, the replacement of the touch screen by good old buttons is a plus for me.

The readability of the screen of the Fenix is also better (it is OK on the 610, but better on the Fenix) the mineral glass is also an improvement.

What is a major improvement on the Fenix is the autonomy: 16h with full function (vs. 8h) up to 50h 60s intervals (doesn't exist on the 610), 6 weeks in watch mode (vs. 4 weeks). Moreover I discovered that the auto pause provides further battery savings with full functions on something I didn't notice on the 610. The power management of the Fenix is much more sophisticated than the one of the 610 where you have basically two modes: training mode = 8h, full functions on, watch mode = 4 weeks, almost no functions besides time+date.

Then the Fenix has much more features that don't exist on the 610:
- the watch has much more timimg options, usable in the watch mode, i.e. low power mode.
- the ABC features.
- the navigations features.
- can be connected as a mass storage device.

There is also the BT interface but it is almost unused for the moement (I suspect, more features will come when the BT low energy specification is really frozen and when BT low energy accessories will become available, probably also from Garmin).

For the host SW, no problem to use the Fenix with either Sportracks or Garmin Connect as I did before with the 610.

Now, what I don't like on the Fenix and won't change: that hugly big orange button !

May be one word about the Ambit: why not the Ambit ?

Two main reasons to reject it:
- you need your laptop + internet connection to change any settings of the watch and access the data. Almost no settings changes possible on the watch itself = in the filed when using thw watch = when hiking in the mountains. No stand alone application on the PC like Sporttracks.
- The big antenna. I don't understand why Suunto made such a big antenna. On the Forerunner, the antenna is at the same place but you hardly see and feel it, it is totally embedded in the watch band.


----------



## Larks

as4tik said:


> We are sure that you can not load the map? In the next topic already even have a photo with a map of two states of USA:
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/fenix-replacing-fenix-basemap-trail-network-map-750618.html


If you know how, you can remove the preloaded basemap, and add a VERY limited map of your own (.img file).
But in the generic sense, you cannot add any maps to your fenix.


----------



## cobrapa

dani31 said:


> Is it possible to display the altitude in large characters, like the time?











How's this? This is the altitude display, although it does go back to the time display after a bit by default.


----------



## gaijin

dani31 said:


> Hi Gaijin! Since you kindly answered most questions thrown at you, I'm trying my luck with mine:
> 
> What is the altimeter refresh rate? Does it lag? I think about using it while skydiving, maybe you could check it in an elevator.
> Is it possible to display the altitude in large characters, like the time?
> 
> Thanks a lot!


Hi dani!

It is possible to configure one of the Data Pages to display only Elevation:










This "Elevation" uses the Barometer (air pressure) to sense differences in elevation and is much more responsive than the other option "GPS Elevation" which uses GPS and is much less responsive. The Data Page stays visible until you manually change it to something else.

Sorry, no elevators near me, but holding the watch over my head and lowering it to floor level indicates a 7-8 foot drop. The problem is it takes a couple of seconds to register the change. This is very responsive for earthbound activities.

*The fenix is not a professional instrument suitable for skydiving and I cannot recommend you use it for that.*

However, if you just want to have the fenix along for the ride - for fun - I'm sure the resultant data would be great fun to look at later. ;-)

HTH


----------



## format

Great topic! Great service. 

I did my best to read the whole thing and still I didn't find some pictures or info about a particular feature.

1- Track following. You can put a gpx in the fenix and follow it. But what info is displayed while following a track? Is there some kind of alarm if you go outside your path? Can the radius outside path can be customized? I.E. if you go more than X meters off track if notifies you.

I do trail run and most races have the gpx of the track in advance. I need to put the track in my watch and follow it. Not to look at the watch. Maybe a peek now and then but it's of no use to run by looking at a map. The most important feature is the watch having the capability of alerting you if you go off track. 
Usually the track is marked but sometimes there are all sort of problems with the marks. Almost all the times I'm lost it's my fault, talking with other runners.... and oooopsss! we should have turned left a mile ago!

I used the basic FR 405 navigation and it was very good for my need. You could load a track and had just an arrow pointing the correct direction. But the added value was the watch buzzing when you get off track. Then the arrow points the track direction and keeps beeping until you regain the correct path. It's all I need. Garmin stupidly removed the feature in the FR 610. 

Of course the 610 has many more features and is a great training watch but I need this basic track following feature. I didn't see any info regarding track following yet. I imagined in the fenix the radius of warning could be customizable but it's not important. But some kind of alarm is great.

2 - Also I didn't saw how many fields you can split the screen into. The 610 does 4 fields although I only use 3 and several screens. Does it have an auto-scroller between the various fields?

Can you elaborate a bit about those features? Thanks


----------



## makoworks

jipe said:


> I also had a Forerunner 610 (and before a Forerunner 305) and switched to the Fenix.
> 
> Why did I switch ? My main reason is because I am also doing hiking and mountaineering this besides inline skating and cycling (no real running) and wanted a sport trainer + ABC watch. I moved from the 305 to the 610 to have a watch I can wear eevryday and use for sport training, i.e. avoid to have two devices.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your post. It´s easy to use for run? I know that you dont´t run, but which are the parameters that the Fenix give to runners?


----------



## jipe

makoworks said:


> Thanks for your post. It´s easy to use for run? I know that you dont´t run, but which are the parameters that the Fenix give to runners?


Yes, it is easy to use for running, as easy as the 610. Actually, speed outdoor inline skating is very similar to running excepted that you ride much faster and display speed like for cycling instead of pace.

You have the same list of information you can choose from (both devices have a huge list of information yiou can choose from, I found on the Fenix all those I was using on the 610 but I didn't check if they are all present) and you can define yourself how many and waht data pages you want just like on the 610. As said, some advanced features like virtual race, virtual partner and training effect do not exist while you can have the informations provided by the additional sensors (altimeter, barometer, compass) but if you don't want them, you can suppress these pages.

What is also new is that instead of having two pre-defined type of activities (running and cycling), there are many activities pre-defined on the Fenix and you can create yourself new type of activities. For each activity, you cab define yourself all the settings (display pages, used sensors...).

Besides that, since there is no touch, you must use the buttons to scroll between the pages (up and down, I was used to use the "tap" feature to move to the next page, but this works only in one direction) and there are only 3 fields maximum on the screen instead of 4 on the 610.

Another thing I didn't mention, the backligthing of the Fenix is much stronger than the one of the 610 (you can of course program it to reduce its level if you find it too high what will most probably save battery, but on the 610 the maximum is weak).

Yet another difference : the data transfer to the laptop isn't done wireless, it is done by USB while on the 610, the USB is only used for charging (there are 4 contacts for the craddle on the Fenix like on the 305 instead of the 2 = ground and power supply on the 610) and the device is delivered with an ANT+ USB dongle for data transfer. I don't think that it is a drawback, because even if it wireless on the 610, you neverthelessl need to plug a USB device = ANT+ USB dongle to your laptop.

Now wireless data transfer may come with a new SW release: it would be logical that Garmin will use the BT link for data transfer when the BT low energy specifications will be fully finalized.


----------



## dani31

gaijin said:


> This "Elevation" uses the Barometer (air pressure) to sense differences in elevation and is much more responsive than the other option "GPS Elevation" which uses GPS and is much less responsive. The Data Page stays visible until you manually change it to something else.
> 
> Sorry, no elevators near me, but holding the watch over my head and lowering it to floor level indicates a 7-8 foot drop. The problem is it takes a couple of seconds to register the change. This is very responsive for earthbound activities.
> 
> *The fenix is not a professional instrument suitable for skydiving and I cannot recommend you use it for that.*
> 
> However, if you just want to have the fenix along for the ride - for fun - I'm sure the resultant data would be great fun to look at later. ;-)
> 
> HTH


You are absolutely right, all professional skydiving altimeters including automatic activation devices (AAD's) rely on air pressure to calculate elevation.
I use an electronic altimeter which stays in my helmet, has audible alarms for different elevations, logs pretty much everything and downloads it to a specialised software.
What I am looking to replace is a second mechanical altimeter that I wear on my wrist. First, it needs to be easily readable and the picture you provided proves it is.
But the couple of seconds you mentioned could mean 500 ft or more in freefall, so before I jump with the fenix I will investigate that a little more. The interval at which the screen is refreshing is also important, should be no more than a second. I'll do some more homework before buying.

Thanks and enjoy your fenix!


----------



## elfver

When i delete tracks in Fenix (connected with usb) using basecamp, the tracks do not show in left field and no tracks to be found in the fenix.
But if I connect again and download tracks to basecamp the same tracks I deleted shows up, am I doing something wrong?


----------



## Falconeye75

dani31 said:


> You are absolutely right, all professional skydiving altimeters including automatic activation devices (AAD's) rely on air pressure to calculate elevation.
> I use an electronic altimeter which stays in my helmet, has audible alarms for different elevations, logs pretty much everything and downloads it to a specialised software.
> What I am looking to replace is a second mechanical altimeter that I wear on my wrist. First, it needs to be easily readable and the picture you provided proves it is.
> But the couple of seconds you mentioned could mean 500 ft or more in freefall, so before I jump with the fenix I will investigate that a little more. The interval at which the screen is refreshing is also important, should be no more than a second. I'll do some more homework before buying.
> 
> Thanks and enjoy your fenix!


About skydiving, does it mean it is less precise than a foretrex 401 that has skydiving functiion (harp, halo,...) ?
This functiion is very useful for militaries. I hope it Will be included in an update.


----------



## mariomobiel

Software update 2.60 is online, this message is from the Garmin forum.
Please use WebUpdater to download the latest version.

and backup your GPX, Profiles and activity folder, u never know ;-)

------------------------------------------------------Garmin Forum-----------------------------------------------------

We have had many reports of ascent and descent being incorrect. We believe this and many other issues have been resolved. Let us know what you think.


Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.60:
Added review of detailed fitness data when using FIT format. See Tracks>FIT History after saving track data.
Added lap distance for each lap in FIT files.
Added ability to set the notification type for auto pause and auto lap during setup.
Fixed issue with ascent and decent fields.
Fixed issue where invalid heart rate and cadence were shown in FIT files when the sensor was not connected.
Fixed bike cadence reported in FIT files.
Fixed issue with moving time and stopped time.
Fixed elevation over distance plot.
Fixed track distance, moving average, moving time, stopped time, pace and average speed shown in UltraTrac.
Fixed reliability issue with the alarm clock.
Fixed issue where some data fields would update when tracking was paused while GPS was still on.
Fixed issue where FIT files were not written if you saved via the tracks menu and the output method was set to FIT or GPX/FIT.
Fixed issues with editing a proximity alert.
Fixed issue where average heart rate and average cadence values were never reset when clearing the track or resetting trip data.
Fixed issue where incorrect ascent and descent are reported in FIT files on Garmin Connect


----------



## jeremy.parker

Is it possible to see heart rate as a percentage of maximum heart rate?


----------



## Ahg

I have a couple of questions about the use the Fenix gives to the barometer:
I saw somewhere a data field DEPTH. Does that mean that the Fenix detecs when it is under water and converts the increasing pressure into depth information?
And about the way in which the altitude is measured, if there is a data field ALTITUDE and another GPS ALTITUDE, does that mean that you can have one or the other? I thought you could have only one, which was the barometric one corrected by the gps information
Thanks In advance for your thoughts on these issues


----------



## Wysiwysg

Is it possible to record "tracks" indoor? The goal is to get HR data of an indoor session.
I can only save tracks when GPS is on and running. Even in demo mode, I can not save my tracks. Same with firmware 2.60.
Other Garmin products ask after a while if you are indoor. Not the Fenix.
Is that normal or not.
For info Garmin already replaced my first Fenix because of a battery problem (down in 5 minutes).


----------



## mariomobiel

Ahg said:


> I have a couple of questions about the use the Fenix gives to the barometer:
> I saw somewhere a data field DEPTH. Does that mean that the Fenix detecs when it is under water and converts the increasing pressure into depth information?
> And about the way in which the altitude is measured, if there is a data field ALTITUDE and another GPS ALTITUDE, does that mean that you can have one or the other? I thought you could have only one, which was the barometric one corrected by the gps information
> Thanks In advance for your thoughts on these issues


The Depth field is for the Depth of a waypoint (fishing spot) It does not show u diving depth.
Altitude field is the same, for a waypoint altitude. GPS altitude is the field used for GPS hight what comes with your GPS signal.


----------



## DerSchmitty

mariomobiel said:


> Software update 2.60 is online,


Thanks mariomobiel! That update fixed my only complaint. The review of the FIT file now gives elapsed time, calories, avg HR and split/lap times! Awesome update!

ETA: Here's a link to WebUpdater for those who don't already have it. http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27


----------



## mariomobiel

DerSchmitty said:


> Thanks mariomobiel! That update fixed my only complaint. The review of the FIT file now gives elapsed time, calories, avg HR and split/lap times! Awesome update!
> 
> ETA: Here's a link to WebUpdater for those who don't already have it. Garmin: WebUpdater Software Update Collection


Your welcome. Thanks for adding the WebUpdater link, forgot that.

i am happy to, now I live at 11m witch is the correct hight, in stead of -121m ;-)
and in GC I'm no longer running besides my bike (GC showed SPM in stead of RPM)


----------



## Wysiwysg

DerSchmitty said:


> Thanks mariomobiel! That update fixed my only complaint. The review of the FIT file now gives elapsed time, calories, avg HR and split/lap times! Awesome update!
> 
> ETA: Here's a link to WebUpdater for those who don't already have it. Garmin: WebUpdater Software Update Collection


The FIT files are upgading. What about the GPX files? Already perfect? Old technology not up-to-date?


----------



## mesteviet

mariomobiel said:


> Software update 2.60 is online, this message is from the Garmin forum.
> Please use WebUpdater to download the latest version.
> 
> and backup your GPX, Profiles and activity folder, u never know ;-)
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------Garmin Forum-----------------------------------------------------
> 
> We have had many reports of ascent and descent being incorrect. We believe this and many other issues have been resolved. Let us know what you think.
> 
> Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.60:
> Added review of detailed fitness data when using FIT format. See Tracks>FIT History after saving track data.
> Added lap distance for each lap in FIT files.
> Added ability to set the notification type for auto pause and auto lap during setup.
> Fixed issue with ascent and decent fields.
> Fixed issue where invalid heart rate and cadence were shown in FIT files when the sensor was not connected.
> Fixed bike cadence reported in FIT files.
> Fixed issue with moving time and stopped time.
> Fixed elevation over distance plot.
> Fixed track distance, moving average, moving time, stopped time, pace and average speed shown in UltraTrac.
> Fixed reliability issue with the alarm clock.
> Fixed issue where some data fields would update when tracking was paused while GPS was still on.
> Fixed issue where FIT files were not written if you saved via the tracks menu and the output method was set to FIT or GPX/FIT.
> Fixed issues with editing a proximity alert.
> Fixed issue where average heart rate and average cadence values were never reset when clearing the track or resetting trip data.
> Fixed issue where incorrect ascent and descent are reported in FIT files on Garmin Connect


Thanks! This appears to address all of the issues I was having. I appreciate the heads up!


----------



## kl45h

Hi there, an amazing review! Thanks! I'm seriously considering buying one now.
A quick question. Since this does have bluetooth, I was wondering if you could potentially use it to connect the watch to your iphone as use the watch as a bluetooth gps sensor for your iphone/tablet.
I travel between a few countries ever so often, and I usually don't have the ability to get data to use the agps function on my phone. It would be wonderful if I could just use the watch to connect to my iphone and use predownloaded maps to navigate within different cities without needing to pay for new phone SIMS and 3g data especially considering some of the places I visit charge an eye per MB of data!:-d
Thanks again!!


----------



## jimmijames73

mesteviet said:


> inserted per your request


Thanks Mesteviet. The elevation profiles for the fenix (without elevation correction) and for the Ambit seem to closely match (although I am viewing on an iPhone screen). What was the total ascent for the Ambit, was it close to the 492' for the fenix track history?

It looks like you are using a 10 second altimeter recording interval for the Ambit, whereas the interval for the fenix looks like it is less (1 sec?). Not sure if this would account for much of a difference in the total ascent between the watches.


----------



## mesteviet

jimmijames73 said:


> Thanks Mesteviet. The elevation profiles for the fenix (without elevation correction) and for the Ambit seem to closely match (although I am viewing on an iPhone screen). What was the total ascent for the Ambit, was it close to the 492' for the fenix track history?
> 
> It looks like you are using a 10 second altimeter recording interval for the Ambit, whereas the interval for the fenix looks like it is less (1 sec?). Not sure if this would account for much of a difference in the total ascent between the watches.


I don't recall the interval for each watch but I try to have it record as often as possible. The Ambit ascent was 468. I ran today but it was before the new software update. I'll go again tomorrow with the update installed and we'll see how it looks.


----------



## jimmijames73

mesteviet said:


> The Ambit ascent was 468. I ran today but it was before the new software update. I'll go again tomorrow with the update installed and we'll see how it looks.


It is good to see that the difference in the total ascent for the fenix and Ambit was only about 5%. Which watch do you prefer for running?


----------



## jimmijames73

Has any of the fenix owners tried the geocaching features? I am interested in the paperless geocaching, ability to download info from the geocaching website, accuracy of the GPS and compass for locating caches, etc.


----------



## nboss

mesteviet said:


> Thanks! This appears to address all of the issues I was having. I appreciate the heads up!


Wow, all points i have reported have been fixed. I got the feeling that garmin is listening to us regarding the fenix. Unfortunately it was not the case in the past. THX a lot!

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9300 mit Tapatalk 2


----------



## nboss

Hello *jimmijames73*

I use my Fenix for caching and it works great.

*Accuracy:*
Perfect. Response of distance and direction is pretty good even if you move very slow and a few meters only. Compass or second marker shows you the direction, if you are stopped, according to compass direction. Accuracy is probably a little bit less than on my etrex 10 but it could be related to the cloudy skye i had.

*Paperless caching:*
I use the pocket query from geocaching for all the traditional caches around my home location. This are 500 caches, the GPX is abaout 2.5MB size. You can load it by copying it to the garmin mass storage (GPX Directory). After disconnect the watch will reboot an load it (takes about 3 Minutes the first time for the 500 caches). You will have all data available including hints and logs. Readability is very good, you have to scroll a lot by pressing down button. When you have long description sometimes it lags for a few seconds. This could be related to the weak cpu. You have to be patient because reading and changing from logs to description is laggy. You can log your found, it will be stored to the geocache_logs file in root directory.

Probably i could optimize the gpx file a little bit (size, complexity) by use of the GSAK tool for removing unused information, but it works without it.

I don't use the transfer function ore any other tools for geocaching because it works perfect. I update the file echch week, so i'm up to date.

Please feel free to contact me if you need more informations.

Regards,
Nboss

p.s. Got the tempe sensor today


----------



## jimmijames73

nboss said:


> I use my Fenix for caching and it works great.


Hi Nboss,

Thank you for the info on geocaching. That is a great feature being able to upload hundreds of caches to the watch including hints and logs. Handy if you are out and about with a bit of spare time, can use the fenix to grab a couple of nearby caches!


----------



## Ahg

About the ultratrack mode and the time interval setting for gps activation, in sports like mountainering skiing, but certainly for many others, I think more interesting a distance interval than a time interval. It would be quite simple for example to set a 100m distance for gps activation and recording. The delay for next activation would be calculated in a very simple manner from the information of last distance between last two points, and the Fenix would calculate at each point the time for the next gps activation. That would give you a point per minute, for example, uphill, and 4 points per minute downhill. I would just keep a maximum of 1 minute interval for situations where you stop moving.
if we are numerous to consider this interesting, Garmin could think about implementing it.


----------



## theroller1

format said:


> Great topic! Great service.
> 
> I did my best to read the whole thing and still I didn't find some pictures or info about a particular feature.
> 
> 1- Track following. You can put a gpx in the fenix and follow it. But what info is displayed while following a track? Is there some kind of alarm if you go outside your path? Can the radius outside path can be customized? I.E. if you go more than X meters off track if notifies you.
> 
> I do trail run and most races have the gpx of the track in advance. I need to put the track in my watch and follow it. Not to look at the watch. Maybe a peek now and then but it's of no use to run by looking at a map. The most important feature is the watch having the capability of alerting you if you go off track.
> Usually the track is marked but sometimes there are all sort of problems with the marks. Almost all the times I'm lost it's my fault, talking with other runners.... and oooopsss! we should have turned left a mile ago!
> 
> I used the basic FR 405 navigation and it was very good for my need. You could load a track and had just an arrow pointing the correct direction. But the added value was the watch buzzing when you get off track. Then the arrow points the track direction and keeps beeping until you regain the correct path. It's all I need. Garmin stupidly removed the feature in the FR 610.
> 
> Of course the 610 has many more features and is a great training watch but I need this basic track following feature. I didn't see any info regarding track following yet. I imagined in the fenix the radius of warning could be customizable but it's not important. But some kind of alarm is great.
> 
> 2 - Also I didn't saw how many fields you can split the screen into. The 610 does 4 fields although I only use 3 and several screens. Does it have an auto-scroller between the various fields?
> 
> Can you elaborate a bit about those features? Thanks


Just what I was about to ask! Sometimes you get lost in foggy conditions in the mountains and a warning/pointing feature would be great!


----------



## roots-n-rocks

I was looking online at the Fenix manual, and I couldn't find a breakdown of running Features. Could one of you owners throw up a list of all of the available running specific features on the watch? (distance, pace, average pace, pace alarms, HR alarms?)


----------



## gaijin

.


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> I was looking online at the Fenix manual, and I couldn't find a breakdown of running Features. Could one of you owners throw up a list of all of the available running specific features on the watch? (distance, pace, average pace, pace alarms, HR alarms?)


You can review ALL of the fenix Menu options in the two files I have available for download:



gaijin said:


> Here is the Menu Map for the Garmin fenix in two formats, Microsoft Excel and Open Document:
> 
> Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls
> 
> Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods
> 
> There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)
> 
> HTH


HTH


----------



## ubiwan

Hi Gaijin,

Thanks for all the info! Can't wait to get a fenix on my hands, unfortunately its not yet available here. Could you (or some other lucky fenix owner) post one or two profile files from the fenix? I'm assuming this contains all the settings for the fenix? Really nice btw that this allows you to back up your settings, which is not possible on the forerunner series, of which if owned a couple of watches. Real pain when the firmware update removed all user settings...
Anyhow, I would like to study the profile XML files to see which settings they contain and how they are structured. Maybe, if I can find the time, I'll give the development of an editor for the fenix a shot, have to see how much work it would be. Maybe some generic XML editor, possibly combined with a custom fenix-XSD (XML Schema Definition) could work as well. 

Cheers,
Ubiwan


----------



## gaijin

ubiwan said:


> Hi Gaijin,
> 
> Thanks for all the info! Can't wait to get a fenix on my hands, unfortunately its not yet available here. Could you (or some other lucky fenix owner) post one or two profile files from the fenix? I'm assuming this contains all the settings for the fenix? Really nice btw that this allows you to back up your settings, which is not possible on the forerunner series, of which if owned a couple of watches. Real pain when the firmware update removed all user settings...
> Anyhow, I would like to study the profile XML files to see which settings they contain and how they are structured. Maybe, if I can find the time, I'll give the development of an editor for the fenix a shot, have to see how much work it would be. Maybe some generic XML editor, possibly combined with a custom fenix-XSD (XML Schema Definition) could work as well.
> 
> Cheers,
> Ubiwan


All of the settings for the fenix are contained in the Menu Map files I have made available for download:

Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls

Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods

There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)

HTH


----------



## cobrapa

I like the Fenix timer (countdown timer) option under clock, especially with vibration alarm. Has anyone found if it is possible to have more than one? It doesn't seem so to me.


----------



## cobrapa

ubiwan said:


> Could you (or some other lucky fenix owner) post one or two profile files from the fenix? I'm assuming this contains all the settings for the fenix?


Sure. If this violates some license then let me know and I'll remove them.

I've had to change the .gpf extension to .txt for the forum to allow the xml files.


----------



## blasbike

This is super nice that Garmin already made the new update to 2.60 with a lot of fixes.
BUT why the heck they add separete FIT History menu on Tracks?
On standard Track->Details there is still old weird info: - track name(no date!), distance, area, and elevations data. No total time, no avg pace etc.
Ok, now we have new FIT History with SECOND list of tracks and those tracks have only: total time, calories, avg HR and time for each lap. Where is distance, avg pace, speed, split time for lap etc?

Now to see whole info for one track I have to go to two lists and find a track by name(its not sorted by date!).
Having FIT data is good but why doing it that way?

*EDIT: checked FIT History after a NEW workout and there is also: total distance, avg speed, avg pace, all laps with lap time and lap distance*. Still no split times for each lap.


----------



## ubiwan

gaijin said:


> All of the settings for the fenix are contained in the Menu Map files I have made available for download:
> 
> Fenix Menu Map (Excel).xls
> 
> Fenix Menu Map (ODS).ods
> 
> There's lots of interesting stuff buried in the menus, I hope you enjoy browsing. ;-)
> 
> HTH


Thank you, but that is not what I meant. I would like to see an example of the files in the "profiles" folder, that shows up when you connect the fenix to a PC via USB. I read somewhere (this thread?) that there is a profiles folder and that the files in there are in XML format and that they contain the various profile related settings? If so, I think an external editor could be created to edit those files, which would allow you to change the fenix settings from your PC, right?
Besides the profile files, could you maybe also post a screenshot of the file structure with the other files? That would be helpful as well. Maybe there are other files that store the general, non-profile settings? I hope I'm making myself clear this time...


----------



## ubiwan

cobrapa said:


> Sure. If this violates some license then let me know and I'll remove them.
> 
> I've had to change the .gpf extension to .txt for the forum to allow the xml files.


Thanks! Just while I was typing my reply to Gaijin ;-) Do you know if there are other files that contain settings as well?


----------



## martowl

Gunnar9090 said:


> My quick thoughts on the fenix (as a road cyclist, triathlete, MTBer and sometimes runner).
> 
> I would consider the Ambit (as I've had Suunto's in the past and liked them) but I rely on Strava.com for training and posting workouts and the work around with the Ambit to get files to Strava is too much. (Plus the price....). So now I'm back to my trusty forerunner 110 for running and Edge 800 for cycling....and hoping there may be some furure updates to make me a believer in the fenix.


If you use a Mac, rubiTrack will automatically import Suunto .xlm files and export the Suunto data as .tcx. These files export perfectly into Strava. It is a bit more work but not a lot.


----------



## ubiwan

cobrapa said:


> Sure. If this violates some license then let me know and I'll remove them.
> 
> I've had to change the .gpf extension to .txt for the forum to allow the xml files.


I've had a quick look and it turns out all the datafields and other settings are encoded as integers:

<DataPageType>2</DataPageType> <DataPageName>4</DataPageName> -<DataPageField1> <DataPageField>11</DataPageField> <DataPageFieldLabel>0</DataPageFieldLabel> </DataPageField1>

Other than that it seems to be pretty straightforward. However, without a "key" to explain what the numbers stand for, I can not do much. I hope/suspect there are files in the fenix file structure that contain the encoding/meaning. I hope I'm not asking too much, but could you (or someone else) create a zip file of all the files in the fenix directory and post it here (if possible) or PM me? Again, only if it's not too much of a hassle of course. Otherwise I'll have to be patient and wait for my own fenix ;-)


----------



## Wysiwysg

gaijin said:


> You can review ALL of the fenix Menu options in the two files I have available for download:
> 
> HTH


The download page is in Chinese?


----------



## cobrapa

ubiwan said:


> I've had a quick look and it turns out all the datafields and other settings are encoded as integers:
> 
> <DataPageType>2</DataPageType> <DataPageName>4</DataPageName> -<DataPageField1> <DataPageField>11</DataPageField> <DataPageFieldLabel>0</DataPageFieldLabel> </DataPageField1>


Yeah. But there does not appear to be a map file, at least not in the Profiles directory on the device. The translation is probably built in to the code. (This is a rather small cpu. All the display is probably not data driven like you might hope. ;-) )


----------



## gaijin

Wysiwysg said:


> The download page is in Chinese?


No. It is all in English.


----------



## Wysiwysg

gaijin said:


> No. It is all in English.


On 4shared.com? Not for me.
Have U tried using the Fenix Indoor (with no satellite reception at all) ? Can you save a track?
Or maybe it is not possible because we are talking about an OUTDOOR product ;-))


----------



## nboss

Yes, i transferd a pocket query from groub

Gesendet von meinem ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T mit Tapatalk 2


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Ok, I decided that I couldn't fully be satisfied until I tried both the Ambit and the Fenix! I grabbed a Fenix at REI today and it all seems pretty intuitive. The one thing I'm not sure if I have set correctly is the gps recording interval. I think I chose the "running" profile which I'm assuming will give me 1 sec recording intervals. Is that right?
Also, one question regarding elevation gain. Does the barometric altimeter sensor automatically kick on when I'm recording a track? (even if I don't have the sensors set to "always on") in other words, do I have to do something special to make sure I get my total ascent and descent values at the end of my trail run?


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> Ok, I decided that I couldn't fully be satisfied until I tried both the Ambit and the Fenix! I grabbed a Fenix at REI today and it all seems pretty intuitive. The one thing I'm not sure if I have set correctly is the gps recording interval. I think I chose the "running" profile which I'm assuming will give me 1 sec recording intervals. Is that right?
> Also, one question regarding elevation gain. Does the barometric altimeter sensor automatically kick on when I'm recording a track? (even if I don't have the sensors set to "always on") in other words, do I have to do something special to make sure I get my total ascent and descent values at the end of my trail run?


As for your first question, the following is from my post #207 earlier:



gaijin said:


> Here's my general understanding of how this all works based on my observation so far.
> 
> There are two basic settings for the GPS:
> 
> *HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>Normal* When set to Normal, the GPS is constantly on. This consumes the most battery life and regardless of Interval settings, the battery life remains a constant 16 hours.
> 
> *HOME>Setup>System>GPS Mode>UltraTrac* When set to UltraTrac, the GPS turns on and off. The default cycle time for this mode is once/minute and results in a battery life of 50 hours. The interval can be shortened to as little as once/15 seconds, but that reduces battery life to an estimated 25 hours based on my testing reported earlier. It is logical to assume that as the Interval is increased from 15 seconds to one minute, battery life is also extended from 25 hours to 50 hours. Further testing is required to determine exactly what the battery life would be at each selected Interval.
> 
> There are then multiple settings for "Interval" which determine how often a data set (Track Point, Elevation, Leg Distance, Leg Time, Leg Speed, Leg Course(Heading), Time of Day, Position Coordinates and Temperature) is recorded.
> 
> Obviously, the more frequent the Interval, the faster the fenix memory will be filled up. If memory usage is a concern, then a less frequent Interval should be selected.
> 
> The more frequent the Interval, the smoother the displayed track will appear.
> 
> When in Normal Mode:
> 
> *HOME>Setup>Tracks>Method>* Here you can select Auto which records data sets based on movement (more frequently when moving and less frequently when not moving), Distance which records only after a certain distance has been covered, and Time which records a data set only after a certain time has expired.
> 
> *HOME>Setup>Tracks>Interval>* Here you can choose from five periods ranging from Least Often to Most Often. Only experimentation will yield how this translates to frequency of data set recording in each of the selected modes - there is no further explanation of this that I can find.
> 
> HTH


As for your second question, no, you do not have to do anything special to assure recording of ascent/descent values. I'm still experiencing some errors with the ascent value shown on the watch, but the values for ascent/descent shown in BaseCamp track Properties are correct.

HTH


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Gaijin, when I go to HOME>SETUP>TRACKS>METHOD, I only get the "auto" option, I don't have "distance" or "time" as an option. Is that because I have the running profile selected and it's being over-ridden?


----------



## Falconeye75

Do you know if there is Jumpaster functions in this watch like the one on the Foretrex 401 ? This function is very usefull for militaries and it should be a good idea to have it implemented yet or in another version.


----------



## or_watching

ubiwan said:


> I've had a quick look and it turns out all the datafields and other settings are encoded as integers:
> 
> <DataPageType>2</DataPageType> <DataPageName>4</DataPageName> -<DataPageField1> <DataPageField>11</DataPageField> <DataPageFieldLabel>0</DataPageFieldLabel> </DataPageField1>
> 
> Other than that it seems to be pretty straightforward. However, without a "key" to explain what the numbers stand for, I can not do much. I hope/suspect there are files in the fenix file structure that contain the encoding/meaning. I hope I'm not asking too much, but could you (or someone else) create a zip file of all the files in the fenix directory and post it here (if possible) or PM me? Again, only if it's not too much of a hassle of course. Otherwise I'll have to be patient and wait for my own fenix ;-)


I can't see a way to get the decoder between data field name and profile xml number other than brute force (set them all in the watch and the read the gpf). Ditto for page types. I've got the first 10 in a spreadsheet. 99 bottle of beers to go. May be it's time to start a shared doc on Google.

And on the settings, there will be "rules" to follow, like "FileOutputGPX" and "FileOutputFIT" can't both be zero.

I'm a total hack at programming, since my last endeavour was making a tic-tac-toe program on my TRS-80. But off to the used book store I'll go and see what they have for html or vba or something. I taught myself enough VB last month to manipulate the Ambit XML files and generate various subsets of Lat/Long for fun. Old dog, new trick... now I'm feeling _DANGEROUS_!


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> Gaijin, when I go to HOME>SETUP>TRACKS>METHOD, I only get the "auto" option, I don't have "distance" or "time" as an option. Is that because I have the running profile selected and it's being over-ridden?


It's because you have GPS Mode set to UltraTrac. Set GPS Mode to Normal and you will see the distance and time options.

HTH


----------



## roots-n-rocks

gaijin said:


> It's because you have GPS Mode set to UltraTrac. Set GPS Mode to Normal and you will see the distance and time options.
> 
> HTH


Got it. So just to clarify, for accurate trailrunning data, do I NEED to go in and manually change the Method to "time" and Interval to 
00:00:01 in order to have the GPS record every second or will it do that automatically when I choose the "running" profile?

I'm really liking this thing so far, but I have to say, garmin isn't making it easy to understand!

I'd be screwed without this thread!!!


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> Got it. So just to clarify, for accurate trailrunning data, do I NEED to go in and manually change the Method to "time" and Interval to
> 00:00:01 in order to have the GPS record every second or will it do that automatically when I choose the "running" profile?
> 
> I'm really liking this thing so far, but I have to say, garmin isn't making it easy to understand!
> 
> I'd be screwed without this thread!!!


I think you may be chasing a Will o' the wisp, or in other words, over engineering the problem.

All you need for accurate trail running data is to leave the GPS mode in Normal (on all the time), leave the method to Auto and select the "Most Frequent" option in Interval.

You can probably force a data log every second, but I doubt it would be as accurate as a record that logs data every few seconds. The reason I say that is that since the watch is on one's wrist, it moves forward/backward with each stride. Imagine capturing the position of the watch every second. At the beginning of the second the watch could be in a forward position and the next second be in a backward position. The delta position between these two would be quite short and not a true representation of the speed/distance your body is actually covering.

On the other hand, a reading taken every two, three, four or even 5 seconds would tend to null out the positional variations of the watch in relation to the body and result in a more accurate average speed over those intervening seconds.

Before getting all knotted up in "Yes, but ..." thoughts, I suggest you try it set to Normal, Auto, Most Freaquent and see if the results are accurate enough for you. My guess is it will be fine.

HTH


----------



## Perhaps2day

Hi, I recently picked up the fenix after reading this thread and had the opportunity to try it out today on a bike ride. After configuring my "profiles" on the watch I made sure to add a page that had "grade %" on the cycling profile, thinking it would show me the steepness of the path I was on. However, while climbing/cycling up a mountain it remained at 0% the entire time. After looking at this thread and searching google, I couldn't find a way to activate this option. I am hoping that someone has experience and can direct me on how to get the grade % to work. Thanks in advance.


----------



## ubiwan

or_watching said:


> I can't see a way to get the decoder between data field name and profile xml number other than brute force (set them all in the watch and the read the gpf). Ditto for page types. I've got the first 10 in a spreadsheet. 99 bottle of beers to go. May be it's time to start a shared doc on Google.
> 
> And on the settings, there will be "rules" to follow, like "FileOutputGPX" and "FileOutputFIT" can't both be zero.
> 
> I'm a total hack at programming, since my last endeavour was making a tic-tac-toe program on my TRS-80. But off to the used book store I'll go and see what they have for html or vba or something. I taught myself enough VB last month to manipulate the Ambit XML files and generate various subsets of Lat/Long for fun. Old dog, new trick... now I'm feeling _DANGEROUS_!


OK, too bad. I can't help you out since I don't own a fenix yet...Problem with the "brute force" may be that you have to check everything for changes after each firmware update... And don't be so hard on yourself: tic-tac-toe is a very underestimated game ;-) <nerd-alert> Maybe you can hack something so we can play TTT on the fenix! For instance by changing the basemap after each move, with each map representing a game state </nerd-alert> :-d


----------



## roots-n-rocks

gaijin said:


> I think you may be chasing a Will o' the wisp, or in other words, over engineering the problem.
> 
> All you need for accurate trail running data is to leave the GPS mode in Normal (on all the time), leave the method to Auto and select the "Most Frequent" option in Interval.
> 
> You can probably force a data log every second, but I doubt it would be as accurate as a record that logs data every few seconds. The reason I say that is that since the watch is on one's wrist, it moves forward/backward with each stride. Imagine capturing the position of the watch every second. At the beginning of the second the watch could be in a forward position and the next second be in a backward position. The delta position between these two would be quite short and not a true representation of the speed/distance your body is actually covering.
> 
> On the other hand, a reading taken every two, three, four or even 5 seconds would tend to null out the positional variations of the watch in relation to the body and result in a more accurate average speed over those intervening seconds.
> 
> Before getting all knotted up in "Yes, but ..." thoughts, I suggest you try it set to Normal, Auto, Most Freaquent and see if the results are accurate enough for you. My guess is it will be fine.
> 
> HTH


Makes sense! Thanks again!


----------



## roots-n-rocks

ok, i got out for a nice semi-long trail run with the fenix this morning and pretty much loved it!
very comfortable on my wrist. (barely noticed it at all.) love having the vibrating alerts again!

here's a couple of quick questions for anyone who's had a bit more experience with it.

1. Is there any way to change the "distance" display to show to hundredths of a mile after 10 miles? (i.e.- 10.65 miles instead of 10.6 miles)
For some reason, after 10 miles it switches from hundredths to tenths. The Ambit does this too, and it irks me a bit.

2. Saving the track. After finishing, I selected "save track". It took a good 60 seconds or more to save. (with the hashmarks around the watch face showing the progress.
It's no biggie, but that seemed pretty long to me. Is this normal for the fenix? (after 30 seconds or so, I was wondering if something was wrong!)


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> ok, i got out for a nice semi-long trail run with the fenix this morning and pretty much loved it!
> very comfortable on my wrist. (barely noticed it at all.) love having the vibrating alerts again!
> 
> here's a couple of quick questions for anyone who's had a bit more experience with it.
> 
> 1. Is there any way to change the "distance" display to show to hundredths of a mile after 10 miles? (i.e.- 10.65 miles instead of 10.6 miles)
> For some reason, after 10 miles it switches from hundredths to tenths. The Ambit does this too, and it irks me a bit.
> 
> 2. Saving the track. After finishing, I selected "save track". It took a good 60 seconds or more to save. (with the hashmarks around the watch face showing the progress.
> It's no biggie, but that seemed pretty long to me. Is this normal for the fenix? (after 30 seconds or so, I was wondering if something was wrong!)


1. No way I know of to change the display on the watch to hundredths of a mile.

2. That's normal. I suspect if watch output were set to GPX instead of GPX/FIT it might take less time, but it is what it is. I say this because I have my fenix set to output GPX/FIT and when I examine the tracks in BaseCamp, I have found that the fenix is actually saving two tracks, distinguishable by different date formats (same date and time), one which contains HR and Temp data (FIT file) and one which does not (GPX file). Interestingly, very long tracks do not take proportionately longer to save than short tracks - in other words, it won't take 2 minutes to save a 20 mile track if it took 1 minute to save a 10 mile track.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

gaijin said:


> 1. No way I know of to change the display on the watch to hundredths of a mile.


That's a bummer, but certainly nowhere near a deal breaker! Definitely no big deal on the saving track time either. Just wanted to be sure that nothing was wrong with my unit. (no other garmin I've owned takes that long, but there's probably much more data on the fenix, not to mention the two file types.)

Ran a course today that has been wheel measured by race organizers to 12.5 miles. My old garmin measured the course as 11.6 last year. Many other runners have claimed similar results on their devices. The fenix recorded it to exactly 12.5! A good vote of confidence for me for the distance accuracy.

Is there any way for a non-savy computer guy like me to look at the raw data for the track? (maybe in some sort of spreadsheet for that would show a time-stamp for each time the gps records data?

Is this a basecamp thing?


----------



## roots-n-rocks

roots-n-rocks said:


> Is there any way for a non-savy computer guy like me to look at the raw data for the track? (maybe in some sort of spreadsheet for that would show a time-stamp for each time the gps records data?
> 
> Is this a basecamp thing?


Nevermind! figured it out! (or at least I figured out how to do it in base camp)


----------



## Gunnar9090

mesteviet said:


> I thought I'd add a quick note on my experience with the Fenix altimeter readings. I am using software version 2.4 and uploading Fit file to Garmin Connect. I have a 7 mile loop that I run quite often that is quick and easy to cram into a busy schedule. When running the same exact loop with the Ambit, it ALWAYS read somewhere between 440 and 500 feet of elevation gain during the run. This same # was reflected on Movescount.
> 
> Now, to the Fenix. This is weird stuff. When I started the run in quickly found my accurate current elevation which was awesome because entering it manually on the Ambit is quite annoying to me. So I started on my merry way and about half way through the run I decided to check out the ascent reading and it displayed 2200 feet!!! When I returned home and uploaded to Garmin Connect it read 658 feet with Elevation Correction enabled. With elevation correction disabled, it read 2277 feet. I thought I'd check the watch just to see what it said and in the track history it displayed an ascent of 492 feet which is very accurate! So it appears that the altimeter may be working after all but the #'s displayed on the watch and Garmin Connect are all over the place. Here's a quick summary:
> 
> *FENIX Display During Run:*
> 7.00 Miles
> Ascent 2200+
> 
> *FENIX Track History:*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 492
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" ENABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 658
> View attachment 827271
> 
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" DISABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 2277
> View attachment 827272
> 
> 
> Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled with my initial results. I'm going to run the same exact run tomorrow and see what happens. I'll keep you posted. Below is the Ambit elevation chart.
> View attachment 827279


I just finished a 40 mile ride today using my Fenix and Edge 800. Elevation correction was disabled in Garmin Connect for both devices and I have the latest 2.60 software on the Fenix.

Here's the GC Fenix file: 
by at Garmin Connect - Details

And the Edge 800 File also from GC:
by at Garmin Connect - Details

I was also riding with 2 others on the same loop. One had a Edge 500 the other a Edge 705 and these devices were within 100 or so feet of my Edge 800 elevation gain data (2,592' on the 800). My Fenix showed 3,320' elevation gain.

Both units were started at the same time....I gave the units about 60 seconds to start before I was off on the ride. Both units had acquired sats in about 10 seconds.

Anyone else having issues like this? This is reminiscent of my Garmin 910xt issues I had when comparing elevation data with other units....


----------



## Gunnar9090

Gunnar9090 said:


> I just finished a 40 mile ride today using my Fenix and Edge 800. Elevation correction was disabled in Garmin Connect for both devices and I have the latest 2.60 software on the Fenix.
> 
> Here's the GC Fenix file:
> by at Garmin Connect - Details
> 
> And the Edge 800 File also from GC:
> by at Garmin Connect - Details
> 
> I was also riding with 2 others on the same loop. One had a Edge 500 the other a Edge 705 and these devices were within 100 or so feet of my Edge 800 elevation gain data (2,592' on the 800). My Fenix showed 3,320' elevation gain.
> 
> Both units were started at the same time....I gave the units about 60 seconds to start before I was off on the ride. Both units had acquired sats in about 10 seconds.
> 
> Anyone else having issues like this? This is reminiscent of my Garmin 910xt issues I had when comparing elevation data with other units....


.....ohhh. And I just uploaded the ride to Basecamp from the Fenix and Basecamp shows the elevation gain to be more like the Edge 500, 705 and 800 readings at 2,921'. Whats up with that? Why is it so differnent from Garmin Connect to Basecamp?


----------



## roots-n-rocks

gaijin said:


> On the other hand, a reading taken every two, three, four or even 5 seconds would tend to null out the positional variations of the watch in relation to the body and result in a more accurate average speed over those intervening seconds.
> 
> Before getting all knotted up in "Yes, but ..." thoughts, I suggest you try it set to Normal, Auto, Most Freaquent and see if the results are accurate enough for you. My guess is it will be fine.
> 
> HTH


Hey gaijin,
So after getting out for a good long run with lots of twists and turns, and having a look at the data line by line (ok, not every line!) in BaseCamp, I think I've figured out what's probably best for me. I think your suggestion above (AUTO/MOST FREQUENT) is a very good one (for most normal, non-anal people!  ). I tried those settings today.

The data shows that the GPS in Auto/Most Frequent was recording anywhere from 1s to 20s intervals with most of them being around 6 or 7 seconds. I also had a chance to look at some of the files from my old Garmin 310xt. Looks like 310xt must set the recording interval by default to 1 second. I think the Ambit's high frequency setting is every second as well. I think I'm going to split the difference and take your advice of a 2 or 3 second recording interval. The randomness of the AUTO/MOST FREQUENT setting just unnerves me. (especially when the intervals are closer to 20 seconds!)
I'm sure Garmin has some nice formula worked out where the GPS takes your course into account when selecting intervals (saving battery power in the process), but I think I just feel better with the guaranteed short interval recording.

but knowing me, I'll probably change my mind again tomorrow!!


----------



## Gunnar9090

Thanks martowl. Good idea. I actually use Rubitracks on my mac....but not recently....never thought of importing data that way. And besides....I re-purchased the Fenix 2 days ago to give it another shot so the Ambit is not in my future plans....yet. (Jury is still out with me on the Fenix).


----------



## DerSchmitty

blasbike said:


> Still no split times for each lap.


I get lap split times on my FIT review. TRACKS>FIT HISTORY>then select track. It's all there including splits.


----------



## cobrapa

About long track saves...



gaijin said:


> 2. That's normal. I suspect if watch output were set to GPX instead of GPX/FIT it might take less time, but it is what it is. I say this because I have my fenix set to output GPX/FIT and when I examine the tracks in BaseCamp, I have found that the fenix is actually saving two tracks, distinguishable by different date formats (same date and time), one which contains HR and Temp data (FIT file) and one which does not (GPX file). Interestingly, very long tracks do not take proportionately longer to save than short tracks - in other words, it won't take 2 minutes to save a 20 mile track if it took 1 minute to save a 10 mile track.


Does the same with just GPX selected. Just seems to take a while.

Here's the crazy one... If you try to delete a track, it has to load it first! That's just silly. So to delete, it can take 30sec to a minute to load, then it says 'do you want to delete?' Hahaha. No, I want to shoot something at that point.


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> About long track saves...
> 
> Does the same with just GPX selected. Just seems to take a while.
> 
> Here's the crazy one... If you try to delete a track, it has to load it first! That's just silly. So to delete, it can take 30sec to a minute to load, then it says 'do you want to delete?' Hahaha. No, I want to shoot something at that point.


I just deleted 22 tracks from my fenix in less than 2 seconds, but I had to connect to my PC and use BaseCamp.;-)

In BaseCamp, simply select "Internal Storage" in the upper part of the left hand pane and all the tracks, waypoints, etc. stored on the fenix will show up in the lower pane. Select everything you want to delete, right click and select "delete" and in a flash they're all gone.

If you had downloaded the items you deleted earlier, then they will still be in the "My Collection" area and can be exported back to the fenix if you so desire.

So unless you have to delete on the fenix, and I can't imagine a scenario where this would be the case, it's much faster to do it in BaseCamp.

HTH


----------



## Falconeye75

Hi,

What is your feedback as using the Fenix as a daily watch ? I am a little affraid of the battery life and I would like to know how long it can last with Barometer always on and not using the GPS. Can it last 6 weeks ? What are your feedback about it ?

Is it possible to change the battery of the watch ? What will it happen when the battery will show some weakness after 3 or 4 years ? Can we change the battery, or will it go to rubbish ?

Thanks.


----------



## blasbike

DerSchmitty said:


> I get lap split times on my FIT review. TRACKS>FIT HISTORY>then select track. It's all there including splits.


There is no total time for each lap.
I run to the top of a hill, hit lap and run back. I have auto lap for 1km.
Then how much time it took to get to the top?
There is no info in fenix, no info in Garmin Connect, no info in BaseCamp, no info in Sporttrack.
What's about that?


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> So unless you have to delete on the fenix, and I can't imagine a scenario where this would be the case, it's much faster to do it in BaseCamp.


Are you sure you don't work for Garmin? :-d

So, fenix can do all settings and configuration on the watch, and that is a good thing, but you can't imagine wanting to delete a track on the watch? That's pretty silly.


----------



## blasbike

cobrapa said:


> Are you sure you don't work for Garmin? :-d
> 
> So, fenix can do all settings and configuration on the watch, and that is a good thing, but you can't imagine wanting to delete a track on the watch? That's pretty silly.


I agree, I don't know why fenix loads(and deletes) a track so long, the same with saving a track. 305 does the same much faster. Maybe fenix has slow CPU to save some battery?
I also don't understand how it's possible they added the new feature FIT History as a separate tracks list. There is no map and no delete function. How to delete a FIT?
Now I have to go to two places to see track details and list of tracks is not even sorted by date.

What is missing is activity type. A profile has no activity type. Then I upload a track and have to select an activity afterwards.
After 3 months I wont remember what was that rollerskating or cycling, hiking or mountaineering?

For me current fenix software is still beta and has no strong connection with any desktop(BaseCamp) or online software(Garmin Connect).
On this field Ambit and movescount looks much better.

I think hunter or fisherman might not be a runner and that market don't need GC or BaseCamp.
But mountaineer trains like a "normal" runner thus they probably be happy for training and mountaineering watch in one device.
Now it's only hiking/hunting/mountaineering watch with no support on the software side.


----------



## andysiu

Did anyone experience elevation problem about the Fenix?

The elevation reading on my Fenix is weird. It suddenly resets to the starting level.

I tested it with elevator. I was on G/F and take lift to 10/F. The reading on watch reflected actually elevation promptly. However, when I reached 10/F and rested for a couple of minutes, the watch showed a loading sign and the elevation reset to the G/F reading afterward. Then I checked and found the barometer was changed instead. I tried and this symptom occurs in both firmware 2.4 and 2.6.


----------



## jipe

andysiu said:


> Did anyone experience elevation problem about the Fenix?
> 
> The elevation reading on my Fenix is weird. It suddenly resets to the starting level.
> 
> I tested it with elevator. I was on G/F and take lift to 10/F. The reading on watch reflected actually elevation promptly. However, when I reached 10/F and rested for a couple of minutes, the watch showed a loading sign and the elevation reset to the G/F reading afterward. Then I checked and found the barometer was changed instead. I tried and this symptom occurs in both firmware 2.4 and 2.6.


We

Well, a barometric altimeter actually measure air pressure and there is always an uncertainty between a change of atmospheric pressure and a change of altitude (actually, it can also be a temperature change but this a detected with the internal temperature sensor to make a temperature compensated barometric altimeter). To make a decision if it is a real atmospheric pressure change (change of weather conditions) or a change in altitude, some additional information is needed. Some watches look at the time, i.e. a fast variation of pressure is considered as a change of altitude because weather doesn't change that fast but this method fails if you move into a pressurized enclosure like an airplane for instance. With an internal GPS you can also look at the position, i.e. if the position doesn't change, it must be a change of atmospheric pressure.

With your elevator test, your position didn't change and I guess this is the reason why the Fenix decided that it was an atmospheric pressure change and not an altitude change ?

Now an even clever method is to combine everything: barometer, GPS position and altitude (but this one needs some time to be accurately measured), speed of pressure change...


----------



## Gunnar9090

BTW. Regarding temperature on the Fenix without using the separate Tempe pod....I was able to compare my edge 800 temperature data with the Fenix (on my wrist) during my 40 mile bike ride (see the GC data on page 24) and was pleasantly surprised to see very similar temperature readings and average between the two. Hiking or running the temperature is elevated on the Fenix, but while cycling (probably because of speed) the fenix has very realistic temperature readings.


----------



## andysiu

jipe said:


> We
> 
> Well, a barometric altimeter actually measure air pressure and there is always an uncertainty between a change of atmospheric pressure and a change of altitude (actually, it can also be a temperature change but this a detected with the internal temperature sensor to make a temperature compensated barometric altimeter). To make a decision if it is a real atmospheric pressure change (change of weather conditions) or a change in altitude, some additional information is needed. Some watches look at the time, i.e. a fast variation of pressure is considered as a change of altitude because weather doesn't change that fast but this method fails if you move into a pressurized enclosure like an airplane for instance. With an internal GPS you can also look at the position, i.e. if the position doesn't change, it must be a change of atmospheric pressure.
> 
> With your elevator test, your position didn't change and I guess this is the reason why the Fenix decided that it was an atmospheric pressure change and not an altitude change ?
> 
> Now an even clever method is to combine everything: barometer, GPS position and altitude (but this one needs some time to be accurately measured), speed of pressure change...


I think so. But I just found that I cannot trust the reading. Because I got this result at one of my workout...









This workout is an outdoor hike. I calibrated the elevation twice during the workout. And I got 3 flat lines...


----------



## gaijin

cobrapa said:


> Are you sure you don't work for Garmin? :-d
> 
> So, fenix can do all settings and configuration on the watch, and that is a good thing, but you can't imagine wanting to delete a track on the watch? That's pretty silly.


No, I don't work for Garmin. ;-)

Maybe I expressed myself poorly. Tracks will automatically be deleted from the watch as memory becomes full, so there is no need to delete tracks on the watch to make room for new ones. I suppose if one wanted to delete some tracks to assure that others were not automatically deleted AND there was no access to a computer AND the track that would be saved was not previously saved in BaseCamp AND it had to be done right away ... then the 30 seconds or so it takes to delete a track on the watch could be a real hassle.

HTH


----------



## format

Gaijin, my question got buried under dozens of posts. Can you answer please?



format said:


> Great topic! Great service.
> 
> I did my best to read the whole thing and still I didn't find some pictures or info about a particular feature.
> 
> 1- Track following. You can put a gpx in the fenix and follow it. But what info is displayed while following a track? Is there some kind of alarm if you go outside your path? Can the radius outside path can be customized? I.E. if you go more than X meters off track if notifies you.
> 
> I do trail run and most races have the gpx of the track in advance. I need to put the track in my watch and follow it. Not to look at the watch. Maybe a peek now and then but it's of no use to run by looking at a map. The most important feature is the watch having the capability of alerting you if you go off track.
> Usually the track is marked but sometimes there are all sort of problems with the marks. Almost all the times I'm lost it's my fault, talking with other runners.... and oooopsss! we should have turned left a mile ago!
> 
> I used the basic FR 405 navigation and it was very good for my need. You could load a track and had just an arrow pointing the correct direction. But the added value was the watch buzzing when you get off track. Then the arrow points the track direction and keeps beeping until you regain the correct path. It's all I need. Garmin stupidly removed the feature in the FR 610.
> 
> Of course the 610 has many more features and is a great training watch but I need this basic track following feature. I didn't see any info regarding track following yet. I imagined in the fenix the radius of warning could be customizable but it's not important. But some kind of alarm is great.
> 
> 2 - Also I didn't saw how many fields you can split the screen into. The 610 does 4 fields although I only use 3 and several screens. Does it have an auto-scroller between the various fields?
> 
> Can you elaborate a bit about those features? Thanks


----------



## gaijin

format said:


> Gaijin, my question got buried under dozens of posts. Can you answer please?


The only one I can answer is #2:

You can split the data page screen into 1, 2 or 3 fields. There is apparently no limit to the number of data pages you can have. There is no "auto-scroller" function between data pages.

HTH


----------



## or_watching

gaijin said:


> The only one I can answer is #2:
> 
> You can split the data page screen into 1, 2 or 3 fields. There is apparently no limit to the number of data pages you can have. There is no "auto-scroller" function between data pages.
> 
> HTH


Hi.
I got up to 19 pages (I think), and when I added the next one, it didn't actually stick. Did you get more than that? (Not that too many folks would want that many!)


----------



## format

Guess I'll have to wait for somebody to load a track, follow it, and make a wrong turn to see what the fenix does. And check to see if there is some kind of alarm. It must have one. From my point of view its a basic thing... but with Garmin.... we never know...


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Hey all,

Does anyone have a clear explanation for the discrepancies between the data we see on the Fenix vs what we see on the computer when 
the files are transferred? At first I thought is was just FIT files vs GPX files, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday's run showed me a distance of 15.9 miles on the watch itself when I stopped and saved the track. Then in Basecamp, the distance was 15.7 miles. When I put the run on Garmin Connect I get the 15.91 that the watch originally showed. 
What really boggles my mind though is that when I upload the files to Strava, I get 15.7 again regardless of whether I upload the FIT file or the GPX file. (I tried them both!)
I would expect some variations between different garmin units, but I'm a little shocked that one unit (latest and greatest by the way), can't make up it's mind!

WTF is going on with this? Is this a bug that will likely be fixed soon?

I love all of the wonderful features of the Fenix, but accurate reliable distance and pace information are paramount to me! The watch is useless without it.

Anybody have any gut feelings about this?


----------



## joeS

roots-n-rocks said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Does anyone have a clear explanation for the discrepancies between the data we see on the Fenix vs what we see on the computer when
> the files are transferred? At first I thought is was just FIT files vs GPX files, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday's run showed me a distance of 15.9 miles on the watch itself when I stopped and saved the track. Then in Basecamp, the distance was 15.7 miles. When I put the run on Garmin Connect I get the 15.91 that the watch originally showed.
> What really boggles my mind though is that when I upload the files to Strava, I get 15.7 again regardless of whether I upload the FIT file or the GPX file. (I tried them both!)
> I would expect some variations between different garmin units, but I'm a little shocked that one unit (latest and greatest by the way), can't make up it's mind!
> 
> WTF is going on with this? Is this a bug that will likely be fixed soon?
> 
> I love all of the wonderful features of the Fenix, but accurate reliable distance and pace information are paramount to me! The watch is useless without it.
> 
> Anybody have any gut feelings about this?


Speculation, as I haven't pulled the trigger on a fenix yet:

15.7 is the straight-line distance between points.
15.9 is the accumulated distance the unit calculated along the way.

This FIT format must have a way to save the total distance as a field in the format?? If so, it would be up to the application (i.e. Garmin Connect) to read this out and display it rather than the calculated straight-line distance between points. Pretty cool BTW if that is the case.

I would play with the track settings if you don't like this discrepancy (you need more track log points to be dropped). Once per second is the extreme route. I like the Garmin auto set of 'most often' on my outdoor handhelds...


----------



## roots-n-rocks

joeS said:


> Speculation, as I haven't pulled the trigger on a fenix yet:
> 
> 15.7 is the straight-line distance between points.
> 15.9 is the accumulated distance the unit calculated along the way.
> 
> This FIT format must have a way to save the total distance as a field in the format?? If so, it would be up to the application (i.e. Garmin Connect) to read this out and display it rather than the calculated straight-line distance between points. Pretty cool BTW if that is the case.
> 
> I would play with the track settings if you don't like this discrepancy (you need more track log points to be dropped). Once per second is the extreme route. I like the Garmin auto set of 'most often' on my outdoor handhelds...


Thanks! that makes sense!

I used the "Auto" GPS setting with "Most Frequent" set as the interval for that 15.9 mile run. 
I'm heading out on a run in a few minutes (for a much shorter run). This time I'll set it to record every second. (like all of my past GPS running watches have done in the past by default)

I'll report back after uploading the new run.

Thanks again!


----------



## elfver

elfver said:


> When i delete tracks in Fenix (connected with usb) using basecamp, the tracks do not show in left field and no tracks to be found in the fenix.
> But if I connect again and download tracks to basecamp the same tracks I deleted shows up, am I doing something wrong?


updated my Fenix but still the same problem, so when I connect to basecamp and select the garmin unit upper left corner, all tracks (gpx/fit) I ever recorded shows up. No tracks to find when you enter track in the watch.

When you enter track and do not have old or current track, you can't se fit history.

I would like to know how to delete tracks, fit history.

Elfver


----------



## jipe

roots-n-rocks said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Does anyone have a clear explanation for the discrepancies between the data we see on the Fenix vs what we see on the computer when
> the files are transferred? At first I thought is was just FIT files vs GPX files, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday's run showed me a distance of 15.9 miles on the watch itself when I stopped and saved the track. Then in Basecamp, the distance was 15.7 miles. When I put the run on Garmin Connect I get the 15.91 that the watch originally showed.
> What really boggles my mind though is that when I upload the files to Strava, I get 15.7 again regardless of whether I upload the FIT file or the GPX file. (I tried them both!)
> I would expect some variations between different garmin units, but I'm a little shocked that one unit (latest and greatest by the way), can't make up it's mind!
> 
> WTF is going on with this? Is this a bug that will likely be fixed soon?
> 
> I love all of the wonderful features of the Fenix, but accurate reliable distance and pace information are paramount to me! The watch is useless without it.
> 
> Anybody have any gut feelings about this?


This isn't special to the Fenix. I always had this kind of differences with all other GPS I have/had.

These differences comes from the fact that some PC application compute the total distance from the recorded trackpoints while others use the total distance information provided by the watch.

To delate tracks on the Fenix, the easiest way is to connect it as hard drive and directly delete the files (.gpx and/or .fit) of the tracks you want to remove.


----------



## Gunnar9090

roots-n-rocks said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Does anyone have a clear explanation for the discrepancies between the data we see on the Fenix vs what we see on the computer when
> the files are transferred? At first I thought is was just FIT files vs GPX files, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday's run showed me a distance of 15.9 miles on the watch itself when I stopped and saved the track. Then in Basecamp, the distance was 15.7 miles. When I put the run on Garmin Connect I get the 15.91 that the watch originally showed.
> What really boggles my mind though is that when I upload the files to Strava, I get 15.7 again regardless of whether I upload the FIT file or the GPX file. (I tried them both!)
> I would expect some variations between different garmin units, but I'm a little shocked that one unit (latest and greatest by the way), can't make up it's mind!
> 
> WTF is going on with this? Is this a bug that will likely be fixed soon?
> 
> I love all of the wonderful features of the Fenix, but accurate reliable distance and pace information are paramount to me! The watch is useless without it.
> 
> Anybody have any gut feelings about this?


I haven't noticed the issues you've had with distance....or I just haven't looked that closely since .1 or .2 difference in distance is no biggie for me. What does bother me is the elevation gain differences. I mentioned my 40 mile bike ride a few pages back and now just returned from a 3.5 mile hike and used my garmin fit app with my Xperia Active phone (it has a barometric altimeter) and my Fenix. 575' gain for the Fenix and my Garmin Fit app showed 445'. Both downloads had elevation correction enabled.

Weird thing with Strava too.....elevation gain on Strava shows 275' with Garmin Fenix.....what's up with that?


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Gunnar9090 said:


> I haven't noticed the issues you've had with distance....or I just haven't looked that closely since .1 or .2 difference in distance is no biggie for me. What does bother me is the elevation gain differences. I mentioned my 40 mile bike ride a few pages back and now just returned from a 3.5 mile hike and used my garmin fit app with my Xperia Active phone (it has a barometric altimeter) and my Fenix. 575' gain for the Fenix and my Garmin Fit app showed 445'. Both downloads had elevation correction enabled.
> 
> Weird thing with Strava too.....elevation gain on Strava shows 275' with Garmin Fenix.....what's up with that?


Yeah, I know what you mean. Tried another run tonight with the GPS set to record data every second. There were still some differences between Strava and Garmin Connect data though. The differences were smaller, but the run was substantially shorter too.

I'm going to assume that the most accurate data is going to be from Garmin Connect. (not saying that's a smart assumption, but I have to guess that their software is made to read these files with the most accuracy)

I'm hoping that these issues will clear up one way or another over the next couple of weeks. (software updates and the ever expanding knowledge base on threads like this!)

I don't have a lot of experience with Altimeters, so I'll decline to comment on the issues there.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

joeS said:


> Speculation, as I haven't pulled the trigger on a fenix yet:
> 
> 15.7 is the straight-line distance between points.
> 15.9 is the accumulated distance the unit calculated along the way.
> 
> This FIT format must have a way to save the total distance as a field in the format?? If so, it would be up to the application (i.e. Garmin Connect) to read this out and display it rather than the calculated straight-line distance between points. Pretty cool BTW if that is the case.
> 
> I would play with the track settings if you don't like this discrepancy (you need more track log points to be dropped). Once per second is the extreme route. I like the Garmin auto set of 'most often' on my outdoor handhelds...


tonight's short 4.5 mile run didn't give me enough of a sample to see if the shorter recording interval fixed the issue. I'm running in a trail marathon on sunday, so 
I should get a good feeling for it after that run.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

looking at the line by line data from my run tonight, it looks like the track started recording about 30 seconds before I started running.
Does the track start recording as soon as a GPS signal is acquired? I assumed that it didn't start until you press and hold the "up arrow" button on the upper right of of the watch face.
The manual is kind of wishy washy on this. It just says...

Select Orange Key > Select Start GPS > wait while device locates satellites > walk around to record track

Does this mean that if I press "start GPS" while I'm tying my shoes, filling water bottles, putting on bug spray, etc, that the track will start recording my run as soon as 
it fixes on satellites? I would have thought that it would wait for me to hit "start"


----------



## gaijin

roots-n-rocks said:


> I would have thought that it would wait for me to hit "start"


If you have "Auto Start" enabled, tracking starts as soon as satellites are acquired.

HTH


----------



## roots-n-rocks

hmmm. nope, auto start isn't enabled.
i'll keep an eye on it and figure it out.


----------



## Perhaps2day

Is anyone else experiencing the Grade % showing up as 0 while cycling or climbing? I can't figure out how to get it work. I e-mailed the garmin support but they where less then helpful. I love the watch but this grade % is driving me crazy. Please help!!!!


----------



## Gunnar9090

gaijin said:


> If you have "Auto Start" enabled, tracking starts as soon as satellites are acquired.
> 
> HTH


.....but it will go directly to "Auto Pause" If you aren't moving.....


----------



## macleod1979

Thanks for the tips, I was having the same issue.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Gunnar9090 said:


> .....but it will go directly to "Auto Pause" If you aren't moving.....


my auto pause isn't on either. ( i keep it off because I like to keep track of my total time including refueling breaks, etc.)
I suspect that i'm just misinterpreting the data.

i can't imagine that the default is to just start recording a workout without pressing start.


----------



## kevc

gaijin said:


> The straps are a 26mm wide, 5-Ring Diver strap. I bought mine here: 26mm Nato Ballistic Nylon PVD Black 5 Ring Strap Heavy Weight Nylon , Heavy Duty Buckle
> 
> I tried to install band and had an issue. When yu remove the stock band. After i remove the two screws and take off the band, is the pin just stuck in the old band and need to be forced out or do i need to buy pins? Maybe a dumb question but i just did not want to ruin the original band by forcing the pin out if i am not supposed to
> 
> thanks


----------



## cobrapa

roots-n-rocks said:


> my auto pause isn't on either. ( i keep it off because I like to keep track of my total time including refueling breaks, etc.)
> I suspect that i'm just misinterpreting the data.
> 
> i can't imagine that the default is to just start recording a workout without pressing start.


I think it is. I choose the profile sailing, and logging seems to start as soon as you 'start gps'. Although it may be different for the profile you choose? What profile are you running with?


----------



## or_watching

Perhaps2day said:


> Is anyone else experiencing the Grade % showing up as 0 while cycling or climbing? I can't figure out how to get it work. I e-mailed the garmin support but they where less then helpful. I love the watch but this grade % is driving me crazy. Please help!!!!


Hi.
Grade seems to always show 0 on my watch. I'd say it's not supposed to do that. I didn't try any variety of other settings, just a basic outing with tracking on.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

cobrapa said:


> I think it is. I choose the profile sailing, and logging seems to start as soon as you 'start gps'. Although it may be different for the profile you choose? What profile are you running with?


I'm using the Running profile.


----------



## gaijin

kevc said:


> gaijin said:
> 
> 
> 
> The straps are a 26mm wide, 5-Ring Diver strap. I bought mine here: 26mm Nato Ballistic Nylon PVD Black 5 Ring Strap Heavy Weight Nylon , Heavy Duty Buckle
> 
> I tried to install band and had an issue. When yu remove the stock band. After i remove the two screws and take off the band, is the pin just stuck in the old band and need to be forced out or do i need to buy pins? Maybe a dumb question but i just did not want to ruin the original band by forcing the pin out if i am not supposed to
> 
> thanks
> 
> 
> 
> Simply push the pin out of the band. Here's a picture:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you ever want to put that band back on the watch, simply re-insert the pin in the band.
> 
> Nothing is damaged by removing or re-inserting the pin.
> 
> HTH
Click to expand...


----------



## gaijin

Perhaps2day said:


> Is anyone else experiencing the Grade % showing up as 0 while cycling or climbing? I can't figure out how to get it work. I e-mailed the garmin support but they where less then helpful. I love the watch but this grade % is driving me crazy. Please help!!!!


Yes. Grade always shows 0% on mine. Grade is accurately recorded when the track properties are examined in BaseCamp, but it always shows 0% on the fenix.

HTH


----------



## Trails

gaijin said:


> No, I don't work for Garmin. ;-)
> 
> Maybe I expressed myself poorly. Tracks will automatically be deleted from the watch as memory becomes full, so there is no need to delete tracks on the watch to make room for new ones.
> 
> HTH


I have found that when the active track data fills up the unit starts to dump the oldest data into GPX files found in the Garmin\GPX\Archive\ folder. They also show up on the unit in the tracks menu under an archive item. So even though the watch deleted the track from the current track it saved the older data off so it isn't lost. Once the mass storage drive is full and the current track is full I image you would start to lose data if you didn't delete some of these files.


----------



## elfver

gaijin said:


> No, I don't work for Garmin. ;-)
> 
> Maybe I expressed myself poorly. Tracks will automatically be deleted from the watch as memory becomes full, so there is no need to delete tracks on the watch to make room for new ones. I suppose if one wanted to delete some tracks to assure that others were not automatically deleted AND there was no access to a computer AND the track that would be saved was not previously saved in BaseCamp AND it had to be done right away ... then the 30 seconds or so it takes to delete a track on the watch could be a real hassle.
> 
> HTH


HTH, I have access to a computer (mac) and basecamp installed and I can't delete data from Fenix. So every time I connect Fenix to the computer all data ever recorded are displayed in basecamp. please help me.

/elfver


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Question about the 10,000 track point limit. What does this mean?
Does this mean that if I have the fenix set to record data every second that the unit will only record my run for 10,000 seconds? (just over 2 hours and 45 mins)


----------



## mesteviet

mesteviet said:


> Update: I've updated the watch to 2.60 software and ran the same exact route as before. I've got it saving to GPX/FIT formats. Interval/GPS recording etc. is set to most often in every way possible. Updated #'s are in RED. They look MUCH more accurate so I'm happy with the software update so far. I've got a 50K this weekend that has about 6600ft of elevation gain so I'll report on that Sat night. The elevation charts are from the original runs.
> 
> I thought I'd add a quick note on my experience with the Fenix altimeter readings. I am using software version 2.4 and uploading Fit file to Garmin Connect. I have a 7 mile loop that I run quite often that is quick and easy to cram into a busy schedule. When running the same exact loop with the Ambit, it ALWAYS read somewhere between 440 and 500 feet of elevation gain during the run. This same # was reflected on Movescount.
> 
> Now, to the Fenix. This is weird stuff. When I started the run in quickly found my accurate current elevation which was awesome because entering it manually on the Ambit is quite annoying to me. So I started on my merry way and about half way through the run I decided to check out the ascent reading and it displayed 2200 feet!!! When I returned home and uploaded to Garmin Connect it read 658 feet with Elevation Correction enabled. With elevation correction disabled, it read 2277 feet. I thought I'd check the watch just to see what it said and in the track history it displayed an ascent of 492 feet which is very accurate! So it appears that the altimeter may be working after all but the #'s displayed on the watch and Garmin Connect are all over the place. Here's a quick summary:
> 
> *FENIX Display During Run:*
> 7.00 Miles
> Ascent 2200+
> 2nd Run
> 7.07 Miles
> Ascent 500ft
> 
> *FENIX Track History:*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 492
> 2nd Run
> 7.1 Miles
> Ascent FIT file doesn't display this
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" ENABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 658
> 2nd Run
> 7.05 Miles
> Ascent 707ft
> 
> View attachment 827271
> 
> 
> *Garmin Connect "Elevation Correction" DISABLED*
> 6.91 Miles
> Ascent 2277
> 2nd Run
> 7.05 Miles
> Ascent 499ft
> View attachment 827272
> 
> 
> Needless to say, I'm less than thrilled with my initial results. I'm going to run the same exact run tomorrow and see what happens. I'll keep you posted. Below is the Ambit elevation chart.
> View attachment 827279


I've updated my post with results after the 2.60 software update for anyone interested.


----------



## or_watching

Here's another bone pile of elevation numbers to ponder. If you are into pondering such things.
(Personally I don't really care too much when I'm street running... because post-run DEM elevation correction is fine. But out on a hike, I'd like to know how to interpret the watch data)

Fenix: GPS Auto, Track: Normal, Baro: Variable. FW 2.60.
Ambit: 1s GPS, 1s data. FW: 1.50.
Reset both watches to the same Elevation (299ft) at the start of the run.
Route is out and back. So the Asc and Dsc should match. (My best estimate (topo/GE) is approx 150ft)


Observed fenix Asc displays +40 Asc in the first 0.7 miles of the run is is all flat/slightly down. Fenix elevation step size = 1ft. 
Ran over to and 0.7miles around a flat high school track. (probably the flattest place I'll be able to find.
Observed fenix Elevation/Asc/Descent changing while running around the track: very approximately Ascent changed at a rate of 40ft/mile
Observed Ambit did not change altitude/Asc while running around the track.. Ambit elevation step size = 3 or 4 ft (1meter internally) 
Imported into ST with Elevation smoothing disabled: 
The profiles profiles are very similar, ignoring the step size granularity. Red = Ambit, Blue = Fenix






​

Fenix AscAmbit AscFenix DescAmbit Desc Ambit LogBook
(=Movescount)
151-171 Fenix Track Detail267-285 Base Camp (GPX)237-255 Garmin Connect (FIT)318-335EC Disabled Garmin Connect (FIT)141-174EC EnabledSportTracks
140
289
-140
-308
Fenix .GPX. Smoothing off.
"Ascending zones". Ignores "flat zones"
SportTracks
140
-148
Fenix .FIT. Smoothing off.
Watch Display
????I forget. :-(. But see Note1 above.


My thoughts


Fenix's 1ft elevation granularity leads to 'noise' and the watch unnecessarily counts it toward Asc and Descent. 
The underlying baro elevation readings on the two watches are basically the same (aside from the step size differences) 
Both watches logged some elevation changes while running on a flat track. Hmm, surprising. 
The Ambit Asc/Dsc in-watch data was more believable during the run than the fenix's. 
The watch's Elev numbers during the run were ~comparable 
Really strange (to me) that the ST fenix import (unsmoothed) generated smaller values than anything else. 

If/when I get a chance I'll count up the point-by-point data from the GPX and XML files myself.

Movescount graph: Flat track portion is minutes 35 to 42





​
Basecount Zoom in on 0.7miles portion of run on flat track.





​


----------



## kevc

thanks very much


----------



## roots-n-rocks

cobrapa said:


> I think it is. I choose the profile sailing, and logging seems to start as soon as you 'start gps'. Although it may be different for the profile you choose? What profile are you running with?


I must have just mis-interpreted the data from the run yesterday. (I guess).
I did a quick test today. Hit "start gps" (in my car) in the parking lot. Waited for satellites to acquire, waited about 60 secs, and then got onto the highway without (holding the upper right button) to start recording the track. After being on the highway for another minute or so I started recording (hold upper right), drove for a half mile or so, then paused (hold upper right again)

Anyway....
Line by line data shows me moving at about 70 feet per second right from the first data line.

So I guess you DO have to hit start. (at least in the running profile) Don't know what happened yesterday! (first 30 or so data lines show me moving "0 feet" even though I started recording the track right when I started running.)

Maybe it was a satellite fix thing.

I suspect this won't be the last time I have to deal with some user error!


----------



## nsw

so the only way to stop an activity, eg. run. is to press the orange button> save track? how does one start the recording anyway?


----------



## roots-n-rocks

nsw said:


> so the only way to stop an activity, eg. run. is to press the orange button> save track? how does one start the recording anyway?


Nope. You can press and hold the upper right Button to start and pause the run.


----------



## Perhaps2day

Thank you Gaijin, and or_watching! I thought I was going crazy. I hope they get this fixed soon!


----------



## nsw

roots-n-rocks said:


> Nope. You can press and hold the upper right Button to start and pause the run.


thanks


----------



## anditirol

i got my fenix yesterday 
When i upload some tracks to the watch, one track will not be displayed on the watch. If i upload an other track to the watch, an other track will not be displayed, the former missing will be displayed... And also if i record a gpx track, an other will disapear and the missing will be displayed... 

everyone else observed this bug?


----------



## andy from embsay

After a week or so with it, I'm not sure the fenix is a "runners watch" (not that it's necessarily marketed as such, but that's one of my activities).

I think the stop/start/lap thing is too clunky - I went to the track last night and decided to acquire satellites then use the "stopwatch" function, assuming it would record the track, but unless I did something wrong it doesn't do it (it's just possible I forgot to store it), so that means the GPS track screen is the only way to record a running track, which is pretty clunky.

Is anyone else using it for running and storing laps etc? I've also found it impossible to get it into Garmin Connect so my other activity diary (Rubitrack) doesn't show lap splits at all, so I just end up with a run with fast bits and slow bits.


----------



## todo

or_watching said:


> Here's another bone pile of elevation numbers to ponder. If you are into pondering such things.
> (Personally I don't really care too much when I'm street running... because post-run DEM elevation correction is fine. But out on a hike, I'd like to know how to interpret the watch data)
> 
> Fenix: GPS Auto, Track: Normal, Baro: Variable. FW 2.60.
> Ambit: 1s GPS, 1s data. FW: 1.50.
> Reset both watches to the same Elevation (299ft) at the start of the run.
> Route is out and back. So the Asc and Dsc should match. (My best estimate (topo/GE) is approx 150ft)
> 
> 
> Observed fenix Asc displays +40 Asc in the first 0.7 miles of the run is is all flat/slightly down. Fenix elevation step size = 1ft.
> Ran over to and 0.7miles around a flat high school track. (probably the flattest place I'll be able to find.
> Observed fenix Elevation/Asc/Descent changing while running around the track: very approximately Ascent changed at a rate of 40ft/mile
> Observed Ambit did not change altitude/Asc while running around the track.. Ambit elevation step size = 3 or 4 ft (1meter internally)
> Imported into ST with Elevation smoothing disabled:
> The profiles profiles are very similar, ignoring the step size granularity. Red = Ambit, Blue = Fenix
> View attachment 831119
> ​
> 
> Fenix AscAmbit AscFenix DescAmbit Desc Ambit LogBook
> (=Movescount)151-171 Fenix Track Detail267-285 Base Camp (GPX)237-255 Garmin Connect (FIT)318-335EC Disabled Garmin Connect (FIT)141-174EC EnabledSportTracks140289-140-308Fenix .GPX. Smoothing off.
> "Ascending zones". Ignores "flat zones"SportTracks140-148Fenix .FIT. Smoothing off.Watch Display????I forget. :-(. But see Note1 above.
> 
> My thoughts
> 
> 
> Fenix's 1ft elevation granularity leads to 'noise' and the watch unnecessarily counts it toward Asc and Descent.
> The underlying baro elevation readings on the two watches are basically the same (aside from the step size differences)
> Both watches logged some elevation changes while running on a flat track. Hmm, surprising.
> The Ambit Asc/Dsc in-watch data was more believable during the run than the fenix's.
> The watch's Elev numbers during the run were ~comparable
> Really strange (to me) that the ST fenix import (unsmoothed) generated smaller values than anything else.
> 
> If/when I get a chance I'll count up the point-by-point data from the GPX and XML files myself.
> 
> Movescount graph: Flat track portion is minutes 35 to 42View attachment 831108
> ​
> Basecount Zoom in on 0.7miles portion of run on flat track.View attachment 831113
> ​


Great job or_watching. Thank you very much for the post!!!


----------



## avishahar1

hi.
how do you start/stop or lap on the fenix when starting a run?
thanks


----------



## roots-n-rocks

avishahar1 said:


> hi.
> how do you start/stop or lap on the fenix when starting a run?
> thanks


Press and hold upper right hand button to start or pause the run. Press and hold lower right to lap.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

andy from embsay said:


> After a week or so with it, I'm not sure the fenix is a "runners watch" (not that it's necessarily marketed as such, but that's one of my activities).
> 
> I think the stop/start/lap thing is too clunky - I went to the track last night and decided to acquire satellites then use the "stopwatch" function, assuming it would record the track, but unless I did something wrong it doesn't do it (it's just possible I forgot to store it), so that means the GPS track screen is the only way to record a running track, which is pretty clunky.
> 
> Is anyone else using it for running and storing laps etc? I've also found it impossible to get it into Garmin Connect so my other activity diary (Rubitrack) doesn't show lap splits at all, so I just end up with a run with fast bits and slow bits.


Completely agree with the clunkiness issues. I'm hoping all these issues are bugs and will be smoothed over in the next few weeks.

As far as Garmin Connect, it's actually very easy to upload. Just do it from Garmin Connect. Use the "upload" button up in the upper right hand side. Assuming your fenix is plugged in via USB, GC will see it and ask of you want to upload new activities. All your splits should be there. (assuming they were recorded!)


----------



## cobrapa

anditirol said:


> i got my fenix yesterday
> When i upload some tracks to the watch, one track will not be displayed on the watch. If i upload an other track to the watch, an other track will not be displayed, the former missing will be displayed... And also if i record a gpx track, an other will disapear and the missing will be displayed...
> 
> everyone else observed this bug?


I have only tried one imported track... I am curious about this bug though. On the watch, I had to pick a track to display before it would show me the map. Are you saying that if you load two tracks, then select one and pick show map, that it displays the wrong track map?

I can try that and see. I have not seen anything like that yet.


----------



## anditirol

cobrapa said:


> I have only tried one imported track... I am curious about this bug though. On the watch, I had to pick a track to display before it would show me the map. Are you saying that if you load two tracks, then select one and pick show map, that it displays the wrong track map?
> 
> I can try that and see. I have not seen anything like that yet.


No. Let's say i upload track1, track2 and track3 on the device. in the list i can only select track2 and track3, track1 i can't select because it's not in the track list. 
When i upload track4 to the divece, track1 is in the track list afterwards, maybe track3 is missing. In mass storage mode i can see all tracks in the finder or in basecamp.


----------



## cobrapa

Oh, wow, that is pretty odd. I can try that as well.


----------



## DWJ-MN

I've had the fenix for a week now and love it. I've used it primarily for running and stand up paddle boarding. I also have a 910xt, but over all prefer the form factor of the fenix because I travel a lot and its the only watch I need. 

I'm curious how long it takes everyone to acquire satellites? The first few days I had the fenix it only took 15-20 seconds. However, now it takes over 5 minutes. I've used the watch in Minnesota and Illinois with the same results. As a comparison my 910xt only takes about 10 seconds in both locations. 

I know there are a lot of variables related to this. It did seem to slow down after the first firmware update. I seem to recall that the file that contains the satellite history can get bloated and slow... Anyone know which file this is and if it can be deleted to be rebuilt? Other thoughts?


----------



## avishahar1

tnks a lot


----------



## avishahar1

roots-n-rocks said:


> Press and hold upper right hand button to start or pause the run. Press and hold lower right to lap.


tnks a lot


----------



## avishahar1

roots-n-rocks said:


> Press and hold upper right hand button to start or pause the run. Press and hold lower right to lap.


thank you.
on what mode do U preform your run?


----------



## Trails

roots-n-rocks said:


> Question about the 10,000 track point limit. What does this mean?
> Does this mean that if I have the fenix set to record data every second that the unit will only record my run for 10,000 seconds? (just over 2 hours and 45 mins)


Yes it will only record the 10,000 points in the unit at a time, but when it gets full it will automatically save your data out to a gpx file in the archive folder and then continue recording more data. It will do this until the mass storage drive is full. Depending on how much free space you have is how long it will continue to record your data. If this happens a bunch though when you get back to the computer you will have a bunch of separate files you will have to piece back together.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

avishahar1 said:


> thank you.
> on what mode do U preform your run?


I use the running profile. I've been playing around with different data intervals, but haven't figured out what's best for me yet.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Trails said:


> Yes it will only record the 10,000 points in the unit at a time, but when it gets full it will automatically save your data out to a gpx file in the archive folder and then continue recording more data. It will do this until the mass storage drive is full. Depending on how much free space you have is how long it will continue to record your data. If this happens a bunch though when you get back to the computer you will have a bunch of separate files you will have to piece back together.


Well that's a bummer. Is it just me or does that seem to be a real strike against the Fenix for marathoners and ultrarunners? I mean, we want the most frequent recording interval for accuracy, especially on the trails. I set mine to one second Recording intervals. I assume that's going to give me the most accuracy since that's what all of the forerunners have as their default. (Or least the higher end forerunners do.)

A couple of weeks ago I did a 30 mile run (six hours) with my Ambit and had no problems at all. Does anyone know what accounts for this difference between the two units?


----------



## Trails

roots-n-rocks said:


> Well that's a bummer. Is it just me or does that seem to be a real strike against the Fenix for marathoners and ultrarunners? I mean, we want the most frequent recording interval for accuracy, especially on the trails. I set mine to one second Recording intervals. I assume that's going to give me the most accuracy since that's what all of the forerunners have as their default. (Or least the higher end forerunners do.)
> 
> A couple of weeks ago I did a 30 mile run (six hours) with my Ambit and had no problems at all. Does anyone know what accounts for this difference between the two units?


Does the ambit put 20,000 points in a single file? Does it have a limit?


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Trails said:


> Does the ambit put 20,000 points in a single file? Does it have a limit?


I'm not sure. I looked at the specs on the Ambit but couldn't find anything.


----------



## avishahar1

tnks a lot


----------



## or_watching

Trails said:


> Does the ambit put 20,000 points in a single file? Does it have a limit?


Hi.
Somewhere I think I read that the Ambit would hold 15 or 16hr at 1 second intervals. I know it's been asked several times at Suunto.com Ambit Q&A. Implying >50,000 datapoints. I don't know if that includes HR and pod data as well. Since the Ambit has a circular memory it could be easily figured out by looking at all the files in the watch Logbook and adding up how many datapoints are in each. An interesting academic exercise.

I did this test: https://www.watchuseek.com/f233/about-ambit-distance-calculation-720824-2.html#post5298784
and let the battery run out. (Battery maybe wasn't quite full when I started)

The single (32MB) xml file generated by the time the battery died had 54,500 1/sec data points (including lat, long, Baro Elev, Temp, Pressure, VSPEED, GPS Elev, and few other items recorded every second).


----------



## roots-n-rocks

Ok, the time it takes to save a track HAS to be a bug! today's 12 mile run to the Fenix over 6 minutes to save!


----------



## roots-n-rocks

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Somewhere I think I read that the Ambit would hold 15 or 16hr at 1 second intervals. I know it's been asked several times at Suunto.com Ambit Q&A. Implying >50,000 datapoints. I don't know if that includes HR and pod data as well. Since the Ambit has a circular memory it could be easily figured out by looking at all the files in the watch Logbook and adding up how many datapoints are in each. An interesting academic exercise.
> 
> I did this test: https://www.watchuseek.com/f233/about-ambit-distance-calculation-720824-2.html#post5298784
> and let the battery run out. (Battery maybe wasn't quite full when I started)
> 
> The single (32MB) xml file generated by the time the battery died had 54,500 1/sec data points (including lat, long, Baro Elev, Temp, Pressure, VSPEED, GPS Elev, and few other items recorded every second).


Hmmm. Someone on another forum mentioned that he (or she) had done a 6+ hour run with the fenix set at 1sec recording intervals with no problems, which doesn't jive with the 10,000 track point limit. Going to give it a shot this weekend and see what happens.


----------



## blasbike

DWJ-MN said:


> I've had the fenix for a week now and love it. I've used it primarily for running and stand up paddle boarding. I also have a 910xt, but over all prefer the form factor of the fenix because I travel a lot and its the only watch I need.
> 
> *I'm curious how long it takes everyone to acquire satellites? The first few days I had the fenix it only took 15-20 seconds. However, now it takes over 5 minutes. I've used the watch in Minnesota and Illinois with the same results. As a comparison my 910xt only takes about 10 seconds in both locations. *
> 
> I know there are a lot of variables related to this. It did seem to slow down after the first firmware update. I seem to recall that the file that contains the satellite history can get bloated and slow... Anyone know which file this is and if it can be deleted to be rebuilt? Other thoughts?


That's strange. I can confirm similar observations after the update to FW 2.60
Looks like it takes longer to acquire GPS signal.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

blasbike said:


> That's strange. I can confirm similar observations after the update to FW 2.60
> Looks like it takes longer to acquire GPS signal.


Running 2.60
Yesterday's run took about 3 minutes to fix on satellites. Today's took about 5 seconds. Beats me.


----------



## blasbike

roots-n-rocks said:


> Running 2.60
> Yesterday's run took about 3 minutes to fix on satellites. Today's took about 5 seconds. Beats me.


It might be something with satellites history.
It just took 5sec too, indoors under the roof and window.
And once again 6sec.


----------



## or_watching

roots-n-rocks said:


> Well that's a bummer. Is it just me or does that seem to be a real strike against the Fenix for marathoners and ultrarunners? I mean, we want the most frequent recording interval for accuracy, especially on the trails. I set mine to one second Recording intervals. I assume that's going to give me the most accuracy since that's what all of the forerunners have as their default. (Or least the higher end forerunners do.)
> 
> A couple of weeks ago I did a 30 mile run (six hours) with my Ambit and had no problems at all. Does anyone know what accounts for this difference between the two units?


Hi.
Yes, I think the 910xt spec says it'll record 42h at 1sec w/HR.
The fenix has the option to select the interval time or distance for recording intervals, so could dial up to your total time with a correspoinding increase in distance between track points. Up to you if having data/HR every 10 ft (e.g. @ 1sec) is important. And there are arguments that a GPS track point every second can result in a longer-than-actual distance, once you start counting up all the left/right offset errors. And it depends on how straight vs. crooked the actual track is (relative to the recording interval distnace). Lots of discussion about this topic on the Ambit and it's "2 x EHPE" distance calc method, vs adding up all the track point segment distnaces. In my amateur opinion no single method will always be best for distance, and in the end it comes down to how accurately each GPS track point was recorded/placed to begin with, then on interval recording choice vs actual track zigzags, then on whatever algorithm is used in the watch (e.g. averaging/filtering or EPE/EHPE) or in SW afterwards.

On the fenix, so far my observation is that "Auto" + "Normal" records data every 10-15 seconds, so that mode would imply 25-35 hours of data. Auto + "More Often" and "Most Often" would obviously be less.

But yeah, I was surprised to see the 10k track point memory spec. Lots of people like lot of data points. If they are auto archived like Trails says, then it's not catastrophic. Time to go test it.


----------



## martowl

Trails said:


> Does the ambit put 20,000 points in a single file? Does it have a limit?


To add or or-watchings post. I did a 50 mile race in the San Juans of Colorado that took me 13 and 3/4h. I used an HR monitor and had the Ambit set on 1 sec recording. When I plugged the watch into the computer I had 9% of my charge left, which would give me about 15h recording all of the data. The Ambit records R-R data, which requires a great deal more capacity than just HR data. Recording R-R data in the Forerunners will reduce the recording capacity. Here is the Movescount move for the race if you would like to see it. The file was rather large at 31 MB.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Yes, I think the 910xt spec says it'll record 42h at 1sec w/HR.
> The fenix has the option to select the interval time or distance for recording intervals, so could dial up to your total time with a correspoinding increase in distance between track points. Up to you if having data/HR every 10 ft (e.g. @ 1sec) is important. And there are arguments that a GPS track point every second can result in a longer-than-actual distance, once you start counting up all the left/right offset errors. And it depends on how straight vs. crooked the actual track is (relative to the recording interval distnace). Lots of discussion about this topic on the Ambit and it's "2 x EHPE" distance calc method, vs adding up all the track point segment distnaces. In my amateur opinion no single method will always be best for distance, and in the end it comes down to how accurately each GPS track point was recorded/placed to begin with, then on interval recording choice vs actual track zigzags, then on whatever algorithm is used in the watch (e.g. averaging/filtering or EPE/EHPE) or in SW afterwards.
> 
> On the fenix, so far my observation is that "Auto" + "Normal" records data every 10-15 seconds, so that mode would imply 25-35 hours of data. Auto + "More Often" and "Most Often" would obviously be less.
> 
> But yeah, I was surprised to see the 10k track point memory spec. Lots of people like lot of data points. If they are auto archived like Trails says, then it's not catastrophic. Time to go test it.


It's funny. I gotten myself so tied up in the details and tech specs of these watches over the last week or so. But during my 2 months using the Ambit, I never once felt the need 
to go onto forums to figure anything out!!

I tried a run with the fenix this past weekend using the "Most Frequent" data recording setting. Looking at the data, I ended up with an average of about 7 second intervals with some longer (up to 20 seconds) and some shorter (down to 1 sec.) There were some variations between the Garmin Connect interpretation of the file (15.91 miles) and the Basecamp version (15.7 miles). Today's run with the data recording set to every second gave me 12.02 miles in Garmin Connect and 12.0 miles in Basecamp. (side note: I think base camp only gives you distance to tenths of a mile, not hundredths, so Basecamp may have read 12.02 and rounded down to 12.0. Not a single one of my Basecamp tracks has had the distance displayed in hundredths, so I assume this is the case.)

The point is that it seems that the higher the data recording frequency, the more (theoretically) accurate the total distance will be. 
Another note: I don't think there is any danger of "backwards recording" because of arm swing while running. My line by line data from todays run shows me moving at about 8 feet per second on average. My arm swing only moves the watch back and forth about 6 inches, so even is successive samples caught my arm swing at opposite extremes, I'd still be about 7.5 feet further down the trail between data points. 
(whew, that was a mouthful!)

Anyway, as for myself, I have zero intention of piecing together files or anything like that. If the 10,000 track point limit does in fact cause the fenix to stop recording and yield multiple files 
that I have to put together myself later, it's a done deal. I'll go back to the Ambit. I'm an aspiring mid to back of the pack ultra-marathoner. Once I've got my device figured out, I JUST WANT IT TO WORK FOR WHAT I DO. without any hassle. I mean jeez, we are talking about $400 and $500 dollar watches here!!

Anyway, as you say, "Time to go test it" and settle the track point thing on Sunday!


----------



## roots-n-rocks

martowl said:


> To add or or-watchings post. I did a 50 mile race in the San Juans of Colorado that took me 13 and 3/4h. I used an HR monitor and had the Ambit set on 1 sec recording. When I plugged the watch into the computer I had 9% of my charge left, which would give me about 15h recording all of the data. The Ambit records R-R data, which requires a great deal more capacity than just HR data. Recording R-R data in the Forerunners will reduce the recording capacity. Here is the Movescount move for the race if you would like to see it. The file was rather large at 31 MB.


wow!! nice job! 13,000 feet of climbing is no joke!! I'm trying my first 50 in a month or so, and I think the total climbing will be about 1500 feet. 

you two guys ( martowl and or_watching ) are making me want to just pack up the fenix and head back to REI to get my Ambit back!
gotta force myself to hold out until after sunday to give it a fair shake though.


----------



## martowl

roots-n-rocks said:


> wow!! nice job! 13,000 feet of climbing is no joke!! I'm trying my first 50 in a month or so, and I think the total climbing will be about 1500 feet.
> 
> you two guys ( martowl and or_watching ) are making me want to just pack up the fenix and head back to REI to get my Ambit back!
> gotta force myself to hold out until after sunday to give it a fair shake though.


Hi roots-nrocks I agree with your earlier post, the watch should just work--I like my Ambit for that reason. I know that at a race I select the exercise (and having them on the computer is not a big deal, once I figured out what I wanted on the watch most of my activities are set) the satellite lock occurs in seconds and I don't have to worry about it. I'm off. I always lock the buttons so when I trip and fall, which inevitably happens, I won't shut the exercise off. When I am finished racing I download the data, that is it. While racing I can scroll screens to see the depressing amount of elevation I have yet to do, knowing I am in only the first 1000" of a 4000' plus climb and wondering if I will be able to start running again when I top out Seriously, I use the elevation data extensively in the watch, more so than distance. I am concerned regarding the poor elevation data readings in the fenix when using. I need to know how much more climbing I have and how much effort that will take.

Other folks here need a watch for different reasons, the fenix may be better for route tracking. The Ambit update (hopefully soon) should put the two watches on a little better parity.

Good luck on your first 50! Which one is it?

Brad


----------



## roots-n-rocks

martowl said:


> Hi roots-nrocks I agree with your earlier post, the watch should just work--I like my Ambit for that reason. I know that at a race I select the exercise (and having them on the computer is not a big deal, once I figured out what I wanted on the watch most of my activities are set) the satellite lock occurs in seconds and I don't have to worry about it. I'm off. I always lock the buttons so when I trip and fall, which inevitably happens, I won't shut the exercise off. When I am finished racing I download the data, that is it. While racing I can scroll screens to see the depressing amount of elevation I have yet to do, knowing I am in only the first 1000" of a 4000' plus climb and wondering if I will be able to start running again when I top out Seriously, I use the elevation data extensively in the watch, more so than distance. I am concerned regarding the poor elevation data readings in the fenix when using. I need to know how much more climbing I have and how much effort that will take.
> 
> Good luck on your first 50! Which one is it?
> 
> Brad


It's the Stone Cat 50 miler in Ipswich MA. mostly rolling, winding single and double track. I think its a good first 50 miler.

Just called REI and they have one Ambit in stock.....


----------



## or_watching

roots-n-rocks said:


> The point is that it seems that the higher the data recording frequency, the more (theoretically) accurate the total distance will be.


Hi. 
Not that this is rocket science or new concept, but your comment finally prompted me to make this diagram that's been in my head a while, and sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. To me anyway. Hey, i've got time to kill today.

And not that I've ever been short of a 1000 words. 

FWIW,


----------



## or_watching

roots-n-rocks said:


> you two guys ( martowl and or_watching ) are making me want to just pack up the fenix and head back to REI to get my Ambit back!


I think of myself as data-driven and didn't think I was pushing either one. But full disclosure, we all know, you never forget your first ABCHRGPS. ;-)
But that could go either way I guess.


----------



## roots-n-rocks

ha! too true I guess!


----------



## roots-n-rocks

or_watching said:


> I think of myself as data-driven and didn't think I was pushing either one. But full disclosure, we all know, you never forget your first ABCHRGPS. ;-)
> But that could go either way I guess.


well, at least the fenix people won't have to deal with me anymore! 
watch out Suunto Forum!


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> I think of myself as data-driven and didn't think I was pushing either one. But full disclosure, we all know, you never forget your first ABCHRGPS. ;-)
> But that could go either way I guess.


I don't think you were pushing either one either You are data driven and I should be as I am a scientist but too busy lately to put the effort you have into the analysis. I will have some time to compare Fred's and my Ambit tracks at 1 min recording in the next couple of days--this has been and is entertaining and educational--keep up the great analyses!


----------



## Joakim Agren

Just a question.

What is R-R data?


----------



## martowl

Joakim Agren said:


> Just a question.
> 
> What is R-R data?


The interval between heartbeats, it is what Suunto first incorporated into its T series devices and licensed by FirstBeat Technologies. It is a measure of the intensity of your workout. Great for my tempo work but not for much of the longer stuff I do, which is why the Ambit has recovery time as well. Without delving into the details of R-R recording in the post you can read about it here.


----------



## or_watching

martowl said:


> The interval between heartbeats, it is what Suunto first incorporated into its T series devices and licensed by FirstBeat Technologies. It is a measure of the intensity of your workout. Great for my tempo work but not for much of the longer stuff I do, which is why the Ambit has recovery time as well. Without delving into the details of R-R recording in the post you can read about it here.


I don't normally look a the R-R graphs, but I do know that it was touted for the t6 series.
The implication is that an elapsed time (in ms) is captured and logged for each beat. And I know that's how the t6 worked. (less time capacity if your HR was higher, aka the memory capacity was listed in terms of 'beats' IIRC). I'll need to dig up some t6 files and confirmed that the logged values are actually times (in ms). (however a quick look at old MC events and and old .sdf shows that when I had 10s invtervals on, the R-R graph points were a single (average?) R-R value every 10 sec, so, hmmm.

(Obviously every HRM has to actually count every beat.)

On the Ambit, the data transferred to Movescount is in the xml file for easy inspection. What is there is a "beat per second" logged every second, which while a reciprocal of the R-R number, doesn't take up more memory as HR increases.

So maybe EPOC, Recovery and the other good stuff can be calculated from either true beat-beat R-R values, or from time-averaged (1s, 10s) R-R values. Or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
Kamikaze asked the question here: Ambit firmware update - Page 2
Searching Ambit Q&A at Suunto.com says the "ambit is just like the t6"

I don't see beat-beat HR variability at Movescount, and that so I'm not sure what to think. I guess now I'll just stop thinking.


----------



## or_watching

martowl said:


> this has been and is entertaining and educational


massively entertaining....


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> I don't normally look a the R-R graphs, but I do know that it was touted for the t6 series.
> The implication is that an elapsed time (in ms) is captured and logged for each beat. And I know that's how the t6 worked. (less time capacity if your HR was higher, aka the memory capacity was listed in terms of 'beats' IIRC). I'll need to dig up some t6 files and confirmed that the logged values are actually times (in ms). (however a quick look at old MC events and and old .sdf shows that when I had 10s invtervals on, the R-R graph points were a single (average?) R-R value every 10 sec, so, hmmm.
> 
> (Obviously every HRM has to actually count every beat.)
> 
> On the Ambit, the data transferred to Movescount is in the xml file for easy inspection. What is there is a "beat per second" logged every second, which while a reciprocal of the R-R number, doesn't take up more memory as HR increases.
> 
> So maybe EPOC, Recovery and the other good stuff can be calculated from either true beat-beat R-R values, or from time-averaged (1s, 10s) R-R values. Or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
> Kamikaze asked the question here: Ambit firmware update - Page 2
> Searching Ambit Q&A at Suunto.com says the "ambit is just like the t6"
> 
> I don't see beat-beat HR variability at Movescount, and that so I'm not sure what to think. I guess now I'll just stop thinking.


I agree with massively entertaining as well. BTW I have both the Ambit and a T6c. I found the EPOC values and calculated VO2 Max to be in fairly good agreement between the two devices. I have years of accumulated data and enjoy? watching my VO2 max decline over the years. The data are useful for me as I will often run a fairly difficult hill 1500 to 2500' vertical near where I live and occasionally I will feel great. When I check back and examine the data I find that I hit my VO2 max for the year and my perceived effort may have been less as it was a "great" running day. I also use the EPOC/R-R/VO2 max data for my tempo runs to make sure I am improving during my training regimen and not overtraining! The fenix won't let me do this. I also use rubiTrack for data analysis, the version 3 will be amazing, it provides long term training stress, short term stress, training stress balance. I have overtrained before and it is not fun!!!

So for me, and I emphasize that because I need the training information, the Ambit is a great marriage. It may not be the best device for route finding and a true mountaineer may find the fenix better. I will also say that this is the very first time I have not been tempted to take whatever device I have on my wrist off and try the next one. I did that when I owned the T6 and T6c (bought on eBay for $140) trying Garmin 210, 610, 310XT and 910XT, whew! I kept missing the training data the T6c provided. I got so frustrated with the 910XT elevation data problems I returned it to REI when the Ambit was announced, long before it was available. The experience I had with elevation on the 90XT is what made me wary of the fenix. For now I will stay where I am. Other than what is being implemented with the Ambit soon, I would like to be able to use it for mulitiday trips and download data to a temporary storage device. Seems the fenix may be better there and it might never happen with the Ambit. i will have to wait and see...


----------



## Jeremy Hagan

Hi,

I hope to be getting one of these in December. I will use it primarily for data logging while running, walking and riding with HRM, plus navigating during geocaching. I will find it handy to have an accurate GPS on hand when new geocaches get published.

So this brings me to a question. If I want to make a new waypoint while out in the field to navigate to is this possible? On a handheld Garmin you mark a waypoint then edit the coordinates and save it.

Also, I will be using it to trackback when doing off-piste hiking. Does the watch allow you to zoom right in so that you can tell that you are right on the track you want to be on? When off track you may be looking for an animal trail you found on the way out and it could be 10 metres away and you wouldn't be able to see it, so the ability to see that the track is 30 metres one way or the other is important.

Hopefully one of you kind people can respond.

Thanks Gaijin for starting this thread.

Cheers,
Jeremy.


----------



## or_watching

Jeremy Hagan said:


> If I want to make a new waypoint while out in the field to navigate to is this possible? On a handheld Garmin you mark a waypoint then edit the coordinates and save it.


Hi.
Yes. Dead easy. Two button presses (one long, one short) to save it with the default name.
Name and everything can be edited.



Jeremy Hagan said:


> If Also, I will be using it to trackback when doing off-piste hiking. Does the watch allow you to zoom right in so that you can tell that you are right on the track you want to be on? When off track you may be looking for an animal trail you found on the way out and it could be 10 metres away and you wouldn't be able to see it, so the ability to see that the track is 30 metres one way or the other is important.


Yes, you can zoom way in (10m across the screen), and way out (100's of km across the screen), and pan. I'd say pretty well implemented, given it's a watch.


----------



## or_watching

roots-n-rocks said:


> I have zero intention of piecing together files or anything like that. If the 10,000 track point limit does in fact cause the fenix to stop recording and yield multiple files that I have to put together myself later,


Hi.
Here's my 8.5 hour @ 1/sec recording results.
1. Yes, multiple files are made automatically. The "*-Auto" files are 2700 datapoints (45 minutes). 500kB each. No HR data.
2. The final (not named Auto) file was 8700 datapoints. 2000kB.
3. Basecamp: Very easy to Join. The tracks are grouped together, Shift-click the first and and last, then Join is in the Edit menu. Voila. 30748 points. Graphs look good.
4. Garmin Connect. Big goose egg. Navigated to the fenix to upload. I get a big red X Fail. Repeatable even after a couple connects/disconnects. and also this message. 




​ 5. Garmin Connect: Success manually uploading the joined gpx from BaseCamp,.


----------



## shangrila73

or_watching said:


> Hi.
> Here's my 8.5 hour @ 1/sec recording results.
> 1. Yes, multiple files are made automatically. The "*-Auto" files are 2700 datapoints (45 minutes). 500kB each. No HR data.
> 2. The final (not named Auto) file was 8700 datapoints. 2000kB.
> 3. Basecamp: Very easy to Join. The tracks are grouped together, Shift-click the first and and last, then Join is in the Edit menu. Voila. 30748 points. Graphs look good.
> 4. Garmin Connect. Big goose egg. Navigated to the fenix to upload. I get a big red X Fail. Repeatable even after a couple connects/disconnects. and also this message.​ 5. Garmin Connect: Success manually uploading the joined gpx from BaseCamp,.


Thanks or_watching for clearing up my doubts. Just one more thing I'd like to know. I suppose that you had the "Autosave" function activated, hadn't you? If you don't have this function activated, will the Fenix made automatically those *-auto files?


----------



## anditirol

There should be a bug list where we collect the bugs of the watch, i think there are a few... ;-)
Here i started a thread, hopefully the garmin fenix team will see it.. 
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?30909-Garmin-fenix-Bugs-FW-2-60&p=148679#post148679
Or is there a better place for that?

Please report bugs so the watch will be more useful...


----------



## or_watching

anditirol said:


> There should be a bug list where we collect the bugs of the watch, i think there are a few... ;-)
> Here i started a thread, hopefully the garmin fenix team will see it..
> https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?30909-Garmin-fenix-Bugs-FW-2-60&p=148679#post148679
> Or is there a better place for that?
> 
> Please report bugs so the watch will be more useful...


Hi anditrol,
I did start a list here on WUS.
https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/fenix-post-your-bugs-sightings-here-751429.html

I'll include your sightings.


----------



## anditirol

or_watching said:


> Hi anditrol,
> I did start a list here on WUS.
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/fenix-post-your-bugs-sightings-here-751429.html
> 
> I'll include your sightings.


Hi or-watching,

great, thx!!
i will set a link in the garmin forum to your bug list!


----------



## blasbike

Before I stopped GPS when tracking I saw on a map my current breadcrumbs(the dotted one) and my morning run(the solid line).
Thats weird, I didn't see it before and cant replicate.
First image shows the map before I stopped GPS. The upper track is the current one(dotted) and the lower is morning workout.
The second image shows the track on Tracks->Map for just finished workout(dotted on previous image).

Is it a bug or feature?


----------



## cobrapa

Excellent question. I have been seeing odd behavior showing tracks as well. Although maybe it is my own problem with current zoom level. But it seems that I do not always see breadcrumbs. I need to reproduce more while recording tracks and see if I can tell what is happening.


----------



## blasbike

I found out what's going on with a second track visible when tracking is on. That's happen when you set Tracks->Display->Show on any track. That track will show up on a map when tracking.


----------



## cobrapa

blasbike said:


> I found out what's going on with a second track visible when tracking is on. That's happen when you set Tracks->Display->Show on any track. That track will show up on a map when tracking.


Oh, cool, like a background track. Thanks for posting that.


----------



## jbadilla

My Barometer settings are Sensors Always On, Auto Cal On, Baro Plot Amb Press, When I switch to the Barometer Page I get the current reading, but I get no Graph plot, the time scale for temperature and elevation show 4 hours, but in the barometer page the time scale shows 48 hours, and a lower value of 0. Is there a way to "reset" the accumulated data to start the graph again?, If I switch the sensors to on demand and then back to always on, I still get the past data I had


----------



## jbadilla

answering my own question going into Setup / Reset / Clear Plots I was able to clear the data and now the Barometer Graph shows ok!


----------



## or_watching

or_watching said:


> I don't normally look a the R-R graphs, but I do know that it was touted for the t6 series.
> ...
> Or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.


A ha... THAT's what all those "IBI" numbers are at the end of the suunto data files. Every beat's interval. in ms.
Yep, it's in there for the T6 and the Ambit.

Inverse of the HR graph, but 2-3x as many points. And you can see the exact number of skipped beat 'spikes'... not bad.
Thanks martowl for sending me off looking.


----------



## vanisle

Ultra Runners - Please don't leave yet!!!
I have more to add to the discussion, but am short on time right now. 

I was a Garmin 310XT user for 2 years, having logged thousands of kms and many LONG runs. I then got an Ambit in July and have been using it almost exclusively (though I did also wear the 310XT for comparison for a few 50k+ long runs) since then. I have a Fenix on order, and will do extensive comparisons. 

I am actually getting a Fenix because of some issues I have with the Ambit that I will detail later. On the upside, I have a lot of experience with Ambit, including a 50 mile race (Squamish 50). 

I am shocked by all the people who say the Ambit distance is accurate. Once I dump it in Sport Tracks, it is accurate, but when running it is consistently 5% short on trails (less so on open roads). Altimeter VERY reliable. In fact I did 98 laps of a 400m track last weekend and it showed ±0m in elevation change. Right on. 

More later... but lets work together. I admit some of your posts worry me about the Fenix  But the Ambit has a ways to go as well...


----------



## Skeptical

Neat review thread. I am a runner and currently use a Garmin 110 myself. A friend of mine just got the Fenix, and I am jealous of the 50 hour battery. The trail goons have hooked me into running a 60K in March next year, and I will probably wear a G-shock as a backup timer, because I don't trust the 110 to make it.


----------



## martowl

or_watching said:


> A ha... THAT's what all those "IBI" numbers are at the end of the suunto data files. Every beat's interval. in ms.
> Yep, it's in there for the T6 and the Ambit.
> 
> Inverse of the HR graph, but 2-3x as many points. And you can see the exact number of skipped beat 'spikes'... not bad.
> Thanks martowl for sending me off looking.
> View attachment 833724


you are welcome or-watching! That is where the real training data is
I am always surprised when I can point something new out to you.


----------



## format

Still nobody loaded a track to follow and did a wrong turn just to see what the fenix does to alert you?


----------



## Chica9o

format said:


> Still nobody loaded a track to follow and did a wrong turn just to see what the fenix does to alert you?


No, it was one of the first things I tried, but to no avail :-( Not only did it not alert me, but it was also very poor at following the track in a readable fashion (whilst moving). The compass didn't seem to keep up so it was very difficult to see your bearing. I had better luck setting the map view to keep North Up (the map didn't "shake" around as much) during a test walk the following day, but haven't yet tested this feature out on the trails since my first disappointing experience. In any case, no, I didn't see or notice any alerts when veering off path. I'd love to be proven wrong, though (maybe I set it up incorrectly?)


----------



## Falconeye75

Chica9o said:


> No, it was one of the first things I tried, but to no avail :-( Not only did it not alert me, but it was also very poor at following the track in a readable fashion (whilst moving). The compass didn't seem to keep up so it was very difficult to see your bearing. I had better luck setting the map view to keep North Up (the map didn't "shake" around as much) during a test walk the following day, but haven't yet tested this feature out on the trails since my first disappointing experience. In any case, no, I didn't see or notice any alerts when veering off path. I'd love to be proven wrong, though (maybe I set it up incorrectly?)


It's à big issue of this watch is not able to make us following fine a track. i understood by Gaijin that it was possible to follow à track and even to use the seconds indicator as à bearing. If it is not possible or not enough accurate, it is à big mistake from Garmin and we can say goodbye to this product. maybe à video showing this use case could be useful to see How good is the watch to follow tracks.

My feeling is that this watch is too buggy and not enough reliable. It is more a gadget than à tool. I think thé foretrex 401 was more professional, usée by militairy and using very serious functions Like jumpmaster and that thé fenix is too pour to handle.


----------



## jipe

Falconeye75 said:


> It's à big issue of this watch is not able to make us following fine a track. i understood by Gaijin that it was possible to follow à track and even to use the seconds indicator as à bearing. If it is not possible or not enough accurate, it is à big mistake from Garmin and we can say goodbye to this product. maybe à video showing this use case could be useful to see How good is the watch to follow tracks.
> 
> My feeling is that this watch is too buggy and not enough reliable. It is more a gadget than à tool. I think thé foretrex 401 was more professional, usée by militairy and using very serious functions Like jumpmaster and that thé fenix is too pour to handle.


Do you have a Fenix, did you try it yourself or is it just your opinion from reading the posts from Fenix owners ?


----------



## TRUELIGHT

*Mr. gaijin * I registered so I could take a moment to thank you! I'm not that technical when it come to my watch! but I do run a Little  and map my ride say's I cycle on avg 250 mile's a month. But I was looking for a new digital big face watch. Went to the internet found the finex, and your thread! This paragraph caught me,

Since I would like to wear the fenix as an everyday watch, the first question that comes up is just how well does it do as a simple digital watch - ignoring for the moment all the other features.

I went on to read the next 27page's (at that time) bought the fenix on amazon that night! LOVE IT! and having a lot of fun learning how to use
the features, also thanks for the band!


----------



## Joakim Agren

Something strange just happened to this thread, it suddenly went up from 32 to 48 pages and yet no extra posts. I think this thread is becoming to big for the forum to handle!:-d


----------



## allcurious

Have been following this maybe the best ever review forum. Haven't gotten Fenix yet but will most probably get one.

At one point there was much discussion about the total ascent/descent inaccuracies.

Of necessity the cumulative ascent and descent total values are at best indicative rather than exact data. Separating bugs and features by the actual real life measurements is not at all easy, even when the values seem to be way off or inconsistent between different devices and programs. There are various principle, scientific and technological reason for this. If you are interested check :http://adit.fi/baro/


----------



## Falconeye75

jipe said:


> Do you have a Fenix, did you try it yourself or is it just your opinion from reading the posts from Fenix owners ?


It is just m'y opinion by reading posts, i don't have it but thé most important thing for me is to be able to follow à track precisely that is why i was dissapointed by fenix owners


----------



## Falconeye75

TRUELIGHT said:


> *Mr. gaijin * I registered so I could take a moment to thank you! I'm not that technical when it come to my watch! but I do run a Little  and map my ride say's I cycle on avg 250 mile's a month. But I was looking for a new digital big face watch. Went to the internet found the finex, and your thread! This paragraph caught me,
> 
> Since I would like to wear the fenix as an everyday watch, the first question that comes up is just how well does it do as a simple digital watch - ignoring for the moment all the other features.
> 
> I went on to read the next 27page's (at that time) bought the fenix on amazon that night! LOVE IT! and having a lot of fun learning how to use
> the features, also thanks for the band!
> View attachment 834434


I am also interreested by your feedback about using thé fenix as a daily watch, especially about thé battery Life and If it will be possible to change thé battery when it will become less efficient.

Thanks


----------



## jipe

Falconeye75 said:


> I am also interreested by your feedback about using thé fenix as a daily watch, especially about thé battery Life and If it will be possible to change thé battery when it will become less efficient.
> 
> Thanks


Well, it works pretty well as a daily watch with most feature you can expect (several time zones, date, day of the week, stopwatch, timer...).

When I read the thickness in the specs, I was afraid that it would be too thick (I was using a Forerunner 610 previously and the Fenix is 3mm thicker according to the specs) but it was not a problem even with long sleeved shirt.

For the battery life, according to the specs, its 6 weeks in pure watch mode (no activities at all). I own a Fenix since begin of September, i.e. less than 6 weeks and anyway won't stay 6 weeks without using it for any activities so I can't confirm that this value is true. Also, I guess that if you use the back lighting, it will be less than 6 weeks (how much less will depend of how long you keep the back lighting on). What I can say is that the battery charge drop is very slow in watch mode (I put the battery status on the main screen above the time, it is shown as a not very accurate symbol but also as a percentage of full charge like on an iPhone) and I think that the specified 6 weeks is realistic.

On my Forerunner 610, the watch mode battery life specified is 4 weeks and this is true (I tested it once during holidays when I didn't use the watch).

About battery replacement, don't know if it is possible, but I owned several Garmin watches (Forerunner 201, 305, 610 and Edge 800), I used the old one 201 and 305 for many years and there was no noticeable drop of battery life (I sold the 201 to a friend who is still using it and I still use sometimes the 305). Note that I try to recharge my devices only when the battery is almost empty to reduce the number of cycles to the minimum. With the long battery life of the Fenix that doesn't require to recharge it very often, I think there the battery replacement isn't an issue.

I must say that I was very impressed by the battery management of the Fenix, it really saves as much power as possible. For instance, putting Auto Pause on reduces the power consumption during every pause even if the GPS remains on.


----------



## Falconeye75

jipe said:


> Well, it works pretty well as a daily watch with most feature you can expect (several time zones, date, day of the week, stopwatch, timer...).
> 
> When I read the thickness in the specs, I was afraid that it would be too thick (I was using a Forerunner 610 previously and the Fenix is 3mm thicker according to the specs) but it was not a problem even with long sleeved shirt.
> 
> For the battery life, according to the specs, its 6 weeks in pure watch mode (no activities at all). I own a Fenix since begin of September, i.e. less than 6 weeks and anyway won't stay 6 weeks without using it for any activities so I can't confirm that this value is true. Also, I guess that if you use the back lighting, it will be less than 6 weeks (how much less will depend of how long you keep the back lighting on). What I can say is that the battery charge drop is very slow in watch mode (I put the battery status on the main screen above the time, it is shown as a not very accurate symbol but also as a percentage of full charge like on an iPhone) and I think that the specified 6 weeks is realistic.
> 
> On my Forerunner 610, the watch mode battery life specified is 4 weeks and this is true (I tested it once during holidays when I didn't use the watch).
> 
> About battery replacement, don't know if it is possible, but I owned several Garmin watches (Forerunner 201, 305, 610 and Edge 800), I used the old one 201 and 305 for many years and there was no noticeable drop of battery life (I sold the 201 to a friend who is still using it and I still use sometimes the 305). Note that I try to recharge my devices only when the battery is almost empty to reduce the number of cycles to the minimum. With the long battery life of the Fenix that doesn't require to recharge it very often, I think there the battery replacement isn't an issue.
> 
> I must say that I was very impressed by the battery management of the Fenix, it really saves as much power as possible. For instance, putting Auto Pause on reduces the power consumption during every pause even if the GPS remains on.


Thanks a lot Jipe for your precise and clear answers !!!!!
I havé enough informations about the fenix daily watch use.


----------



## la_xen

I have a questions belong the buttons of the garmin fenix. Is the pressure point of all four silver buttons the same? At my garmin fenix the back button and especially the light button has an other pressure point as the up and down buttons. It's less defined without a hard "klick". Is this normal?

Thanks a lot


----------



## jipe

la_xen said:


> I have a questions belong the buttons of the garmin fenix. Is the pressure point of all four silver buttons the same? At my garmin fenix the back button and especially the light button has an other pressure point as the up and down buttons. It's less defined without a hard "klick". Is this normal?
> 
> Thanks a lot


On mine, the four buttons have the same pressure and "klick". The orange button has another shape+color but also the same pressure and "klick",


----------



## anditirol

la_xen said:


> I have a questions belong the buttons of the garmin fenix. Is the pressure point of all four silver buttons the same? At my garmin fenix the back button and especially the light button has an other pressure point as the up and down buttons. It's less defined without a hard "klick". Is this normal?
> 
> Thanks a lot


i do not know if its normal, but my watch has the same characteristics...


----------



## Roblister

I have just joined this forum after a search for more information on the Garmin Fenix. This place seems to have the most comprehensive collection of information.

I didn't think they were available in the UK yet but a clue given by an earlier post in this thread suggested that they were available in the UK after all. I have managed to get one ordered and with a bit of luck may be here tomorrow.
A quick question. Is it possible to configure the main display to show seconds or are you stuck with the moving dots around the bezel to indicate seconds?


----------



## anditirol

Roblister said:


> Is it possible to configure the main display to show seconds or are you stuck with the moving dots around the bezel to indicate seconds?


Yes it is.


----------



## Roblister

anditirol said:


> Yes it is.


Thank's for that. I am sure a few more questions will come to light before it arrives.


----------



## blasbike

jipe said:


> On mine, the four buttons have the same pressure and "klick". The orange button has another shape+color but also the same pressure and "klick",


same here, looks the same and OK.
To test your watch close your eyes, rotate a watch several times and then push buttons to test it


----------



## vanara

Hello,
thank you very much for all these very interesting information .I'm new to this forum and French, so exvcuse me about poor language. I use the fenix for three weeks in trail running and mountaineering. I'm very satisfied but I have some questions.
- I am not satisfied with the vertical speed. with the gps in standard mode, when I go to a regular slope with a constant speed, vertical speed (m / hour) varies greatly. Is it possible to adjust it as an average over the last ten seconds for example ? I think it works like this in suunto, at least on my X10.
- With GPS mode UltraTrack the altitude will be updated at each new point only. Why the operation of GPS (barometric mode) it is dependent on GPS???
-why there is no function you it indoor? why can not I save that activity mode GPS demo is that one forgets from garmin? What is the battery life gps demo mode?
thank you for your forum and your help.


----------



## Doddy

la_xen said:


> I have a questions belong the buttons of the garmin fenix. Is the pressure point of all four silver buttons the same? At my garmin fenix the back button and especially the light button has an other pressure point as the up and down buttons. It's less defined without a hard "klick". Is this normal?
> 
> Thanks a lot


Hi all,

I bought a fenix last Saturday and returned it to the shop 10 minutes later. Found that the button on the top right did not have same satisfying click as the others and had no effect on the screen. The replacement has been fine and in the intervening time, have enjoyed playing with it but am conscious that I have only scratched the surface of what it can do.

This has been a great thread with many useful contributions and certainly contributed to my decision to get a fenix.

Thanks.

David


----------



## shangrila73

Hi again !

Does anybody know in which profile the function "tracback" appears? I'm using the mountaneering profile and last weekend I recorded a track while I was hiking and when I got to the end of the route I saved the track and then I wanted to try the "tracback" function and I couldn't find it. I read the manual and it seems very easy to do it but I haven't succeed.


----------



## anditirol

shangrila73 said:


> Hi again !
> 
> Does anybody know in which profile the function "tracback" appears? I'm using the mountaneering profile and last weekend I recorded a track while I was hiking and when I got to the end of the route I saved the track and then I wanted to try the "tracback" function and I couldn't find it. I read the manual and it seems very easy to do it but I haven't succeed.


It's not in the profile. You find the function in Menu/Tracks/Current/TracBack if you have an active track. When you save a track you lose the option TracBack but you can use the Go feature when you select the saved track.


----------



## shangrila73

anditirol said:


> It's not in the profile. You find the function in Menu/Tracks/Current/TracBack if you have an active track. When you save a track you lose the option TracBack but you can use the Go feature when you select the saved track.


Thanks @anditirol !! That was the problem. I always saved the track and the tracback function didn't appear. An active track means a track that is being recorded, doesn't it?


----------



## gaijin

Roblister said:


> Is it possible to configure the main display to show seconds or are you stuck with the moving dots around the bezel to indicate seconds?


There are several ways to show seconds, here are two:



















HTH


----------



## Roblister

gaijin said:


> There are several ways to show seconds, here are two:
> 
> HTH


Thank's Gaijin that has been very helpful. I did look through the manual that I downloaded from the Garmin site but found it typical Garmin. I have had Garmin GPS's for many years and the handbooks have always been shocking. Most notable is the lack of illustrations. But their aftercare and updates have been second to none in my experience. I hope that addresses a comment I saw earlier in this thread.

My Fenix arrives in the morning.


----------



## anditirol

shangrila73 said:


> An active track means a track that is being recorded, doesn't it?


An active track means a track is recording, yes...


----------



## TRUELIGHT

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012Garmin Fenix In-Depth Review
DC Rainmaker: Garmin Fenix In-Depth Review


----------



## Falconeye75

TRUELIGHT said:


> *WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012*
> 
> *Garmin Fenix In-Depth Review*
> 
> DC Rainmaker: Garmin Fenix In-Depth Review


They are speaking about tons of bugs... Catching satellites can take up to 2 minutes !!!! Even without moving.

I think I will wait a new firmware version before purchasing and especially after being sure problems with buttons are solved on a new hardware version... Hope all these problems will be resolved for Chrsitmas


----------



## Roblister

My Fenix arrived this morning. Everything seems ok so far, the buttons seem fine. It came with 2.30 firmware which I have updated to 2.60 using the webupdater quite painlessly. Only problem I have got so far concerns the strap. I ordered a Nato type strap after reading comments in this thread. I have removed the screws holding the existing strap using a T10 torx driver but cannot remove the bars from the strap. They wont budge. I don't know if they have glued them in for some reason. Is there a technique to removing them or is it just brute force.

I have tried Basecamp Mobile on the iPhone which seems to work fine. It's a bit basic though. I was hoping the mobile version would sync with the desktop version but all it seems to do is act as an extension to the Fenix. Early days I suspect, and the app may have a lot more to give with updates.


----------



## vanisle

Just got my Fenix today and had a fun run with it. Will share some thoughts after a few more outings. Have a few quick questions though...

- How can I change the duration of the history shown for Temperature, Barometer and Altimeter? Two of them show 4 hours, one shows 16... I have sensors all sent to always on. 
- How can I adjust the extra screens that display when in watch mode by pressing the up and down arrows? I have been through all of the menu settings it seems and I can not find it. I don't want to show teperature or barometer... just altitude and compass. 

Some quirks that disappoint, but will test a bit more before I complain too much


----------



## blasbike

There are some promo/info videos by garmin. Just for people who asking basic questions and didn't read the thread:
Garmin | Learning Center | Training Videos | Fenix


----------



## watchita

Followed this tread daily since the beginning, thank you gaijin and all other posters for the useful information you provided.

I am still undecided between Fenix and Ambit myself. After reading DC Rainmaker's review, there is something that is bothering my mind and hope you can help me short this out (I also posted the same question on DC Rainmaker's blog): it is correct my understanding that indoor or in lack of GPS signal Fenix won't record HR data. So if I am running on the treadmill I can see HR data, see the chart on the watch but I can't download the file?

Thank you all Fenix owners for your feedback!


----------



## jbadilla

watchita said:


> Followed this tread daily since the beginning, thank you gaijin and all other posters for the useful information you provided.
> 
> I am still undecided between Fenix and Ambit myself. After reading DC Rainmaker's review, there is something that is bothering my mind and hope you can help me short this out (I also posted the same question on DC Rainmaker's blog): it is correct my understanding that indoor or in lack of GPS signal Fenix won't record HR data. So if I am running on the treadmill I can see HR data, see the chart on the watch but I can't download the file?
> 
> Thank you all Fenix owners for your feedback!


I will try to make a test, I might try setting the watch to demo mode to see if I can start tracking only with the Heart Rate Monitor. speaking of Demo mode I accidentally left the watch on demo mode last night, but with GPS off. the watch battery went down overnight from 80% to 12% and I think this setting was the reason.


----------



## Falconeye75

A great and very interrseting review of the Fenix, especially about battery life :

Garmin f


----------



## Gready

I tried recording HR in gps demo mode and it wasn't recorded. Works fine during workout, average HR, current and cals - although the calculation appeared a bit low against other devices. I had tried gps on with no signal and appeared to show HR fine but cals were 3x what I'd expect. 

Cheers


----------



## roto79

Thanks to all of you guys writing in this thread, it is very helpful!

I have a question regarding normal vs. UltraTrac GPS mode: what is the difference between UltraTrac (1min) and normal GPS with method time set to 1min?


----------



## jbadilla

Garmin just released a new software version 2.70
Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


----------



## andysiu

roto79 said:


> Thanks to all of you guys writing in this thread, it is very helpful!
> 
> I have a question regarding normal vs. UltraTrac GPS mode: what is the difference between UltraTrac (1min) and normal GPS with method time set to 1min?


Base on my experience, two points

Battery life
In UltraTrac mode, GPS switches on every 1min. So it can save some battery.
Normal mode, GPS is always on. So it will use more energy.

Accuracy
In UltraTrac mode, GPS switches on every 1min. The error of position is discrete. So you may get a zigzag line even you are walking a straight line.
Normal mode, GPS is always on. The error is continuous. You should get a smoother line.


----------



## mesteviet

jbadilla said:


> Garmin just released a new software version 2.70
> Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


I know many will complain that Garmin released the Fenix prior to having it completed, but I've been impressed with the quantity and quality of the software updates in just about a month's time. They seem to be really listening to users' complaints/wants and addressing them. Let's hope it continues!


----------



## TRUELIGHT

jbadilla said:


> Garmin just released a new software version 2.70
> Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


My fenix in dashboard state's my unit is up to date, 
Software Version 2.60, (on fenix) anyone other then me dealing with this?


----------



## jbadilla

TRUELIGHT said:


> My fenix in dashboard state's my unit is up to date,
> Software Version 2.60, (on fenix) anyone other then me dealing with this?


You might want to try updating with Garmin Webupdater,

I applied the new version using this method

Garmin: WebUpdater Software Update Collection


----------



## TRUELIGHT

jbadilla said:


> You might want to try updating with Garmin Webupdater,
> 
> I applied the new version using this method
> 
> Garmin: WebUpdater Software Update Collection


Mr. *jbadilla Thank you very much! work like a charm!*


----------



## rustislove

Hello, 

I'm quite new in this forum, but I've been following this thread for several days. The reason is simple, I'd like to buy Fenix too, so I'm curious what's in it, because the user's guide is useless. Thank you all for your tests and comments. First I was impressed with all the features that this Watch has, but after reading every day all the complaints and bugs I'm not so happy anymore :-( But as we can see Garmin is trying to improve the status by new firmwares. 
Maybe they did not know how to equip and properly set this device so they launched it on public to let try and comment by users and then modify upon needs.... I know it's silly.
I had several questions but as time was passing and new comments were coming in, my questions were answered, except one. 

Can anyone from you tell me, what else can be used for charging the watch? Basically everybody uses laptop or wall adapter. But on several days hike there is no laptop neither use of wall adapter. Nowadays I use external battery with micro USB to charge my phone. Is it possible to charge the watch too in that way? Cable is no problem - with some reduction. But the charging current could be a problem. I assume that the watch can handle up 500mA (max. standard USB current). But my battery outputs 800mA and I am about to buy larger external battery for more charging cycles while being in wild. Larger external energy storage usually has even 1A for output which is OK for charging a phone but what about the watch ? I want to be able to charge my phone and the watch several times. 
Of course tech specs say nothing about it, but I wonder. 

I understand that nobody will try to damage their watch, but still ... good to know if...
Fenix is still unavailable in Slovakia so I have couple of weeks to decide for purchase and hopefully wait for more FW improvements.


----------



## rustislove

My suggestion:

It would be really convenient and very useful for many of you to have the feature where the watch would show on the display that your smartphone (in the backpack during hike) has received new SMS, or you have an missed call or something else. Of course this offers a lot of options and I can imagine such feature as fully customizable. For every day wearing this is more than just good to have. These-days-smartphones are growing larger and during some activities they are not always by hand or in the pocket. 
I know that nobody here can do anything about it, but at least an idea goes on public. 

Maybe I should bother somebody in Garmin forum to think over such capability.


----------



## Gready

rustislove said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm quite new in this forum, but I've been following this thread for several days. The reason is simple, I'd like to buy Fenix too, so I'm curious what's in it, because the user's guide is useless. Thank you all for your tests and comments. First I was impressed with all the features that this Watch has, but after reading every day all the complaints and bugs I'm not so happy anymore :-( But as we can see Garmin is trying to improve the status by new firmwares.
> Maybe they did not know how to equip and properly set this device so they launched it on public to let try and comment by users and then modify upon needs.... I know it's silly.
> I had several questions but as time was passing and new comments were coming in, my questions were answered, except one.
> 
> Can anyone from you tell me, what else can be used for charging the watch? Basically everybody uses laptop or wall adapter. But on several days hike there is no laptop neither use of wall adapter. Nowadays I use external battery with micro USB to charge my phone. Is it possible to charge the watch too in that way? Cable is no problem - with some reduction. But the charging current could be a problem. I assume that the watch can handle up 500mA (max. standard USB current). But my battery outputs 800mA and I am about to buy larger external battery for more charging cycles while being in wild. Larger external energy storage usually has even 1A for output which is OK for charging a phone but what about the watch ? I want to be able to charge my phone and the watch several times.
> Of course tech specs say nothing about it, but I wonder.
> 
> I understand that nobody will try to damage their watch, but still ... good to know if...
> Fenix is still unavailable in Slovakia so I have couple of weeks to decide for purchase and hopefully wait for more FW improvements.


Dont hold me to this ;-) but too many amps in an external battery will never damage something plugged into it, as the item, in this case the fenix draws (pulls) the current (amps) from the battery. What will cause damage to both the fenix and the battery is too few amps, overload the battery and under power the watch.

Volts on the other hand Ia different.

Cheers


----------



## jipe

The new v2.70 SW brings major new features including the compatibility with Garmin Connect. This proves that Garmin doesn't only do bug fixes but also feature upgrade for the Fenix.



Garmin said:


> Added ability to import Garmin Connect Courses as tracks for navigation, viewing on map, etc. Plan a course at http://connect.garmin.com/courses.
> Added ability to save FIT track files with more than 10,000 points (now number of points are only limited by memory available on device). Note: Setup>Tracks>Output must be set to 'FIT' only.
> Added Off Course alert (Alerts>Distance>Off Course).
> Added ability to configure the Back button behavior while viewing data pages (Setup>System>Hot Keys>Data Page Back).
> Added ability to set FIT activity type (Setup>Fitness>FIT Activity).
> Added percentage of max heart rate data fields (HR %MAX, AVG HR %, LAP HR %).
> Improved time to save track data. Note: the GPX track format results in large file sizes. For faster save times, additional storage space, and if track navigation, etc. is not required for the track being recorded, please consider setting Setup>Tracks>Output to 'FIT'.
> Improved compatibility of FIT files with some 3rd party websites.
> Improved display of distance data fields to show additional precision after 10 miles/kilometers.
> Improved calculation of ascent/descent data.
> Improved display of speed data field when greater than 100mph/kph.
> Fixed issues with display of grade data field.
> Fixed issues with displaying all tracks in the Tracks list.
> Fixed issues with back button usage in Map pan mode.
> Fixed issues when downloading chirp data.
> Fixed issue with Tone settings not being used properly when displaying the low battery message.
> Fixed issue with backlight that could result in decreased battery life while in watch mode.


----------



## rustislove

Gready said:


> Don't hold me to this ;-) but too many amps in an external battery will never damage something plugged into it, as the item, in this case the fenix draws (pulls) the current (amps) from the battery. What will cause damage to both the fenix and the battery is too few amps, overload the battery and under power the watch.
> 
> Volts on the other hand Ia different.
> 
> Cheers


Well, in other words, I can use whatever external battery I want. I will then look for a battery with standard USB output connector. Once I saw some piece that had about 5500 mAh (maybe on Ebay). That should be sufficient 

Thanks


----------



## MXCHNEY

Rustislove: I just bought my Fenix as a fine supplement to my Garmin Montana 650t. Don't be too worried about the concerns that people raise in this forum. It is quite normal for a forum that the many happy users of devices are more quiet. Besides, Garmin has a good track record for fixes and enhancements. 

Regarding charging, Garmin sells an all-in-one solar charger pack with wall charger, USB PC cable, built-in battery and solar panel. Less than 100$.

Like many others, I have benefited much from this forum. Thanks to all the contributors.


----------



## blasbike

rustislove said:


> Hello,
> Can anyone from you tell me, what else can be used for charging the watch? Basically everybody uses laptop or wall adapter. But on several days hike there is no laptop neither use of wall adapter.


I'm gonna test the watch with solar charger sc-17 Ładowarka solarna SC 17 - SUNEN
No additional cables/adapters are required. The problem is there is no sun here and doesn't look like it will be any time soon...

There is also dedicated Garmin solar charger and I guess they will answer your question https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=86599
They say there it is compatible.


----------



## rustislove

Thanks for the replies. 
I have noticed already earlier, that Garmin has External Power Pack compatible with Fenix, but I'm able to purchase alternative devices under 30 USD. Therefore I was wondering. Garmin does not state power ratings (max. input / output currents). Good manner is to state all relevant information. Anyway, thank you all in advance who will try to charge Fenix from alternative power source and let me know - especially the charging current and duration.

I'm not very much into the solar charging solution. For me is more suitable to charge my devices during the night while sleepover, than during the day. The reason is obviously the time - solar charging is way too slow. 

MXCHNEY: You are probably right. Satisfied users don't need to go to forums


----------



## blasbike

rustislove said:


> ...
> I'm not very much into the solar charging solution. For me is more suitable to charge my devices during the night while sleepover, than during the day. The reason is obviously the time - solar charging is way too slow.
> ...


That's only aplies if you have access to power source at night.
In remote locations there is no power source for days or they are paid per charging hour(charging from another solar source).


----------



## Joakim Agren

blasbike said:


> That's only aplies if you have access to power source at night.
> In remote locations there is no power source for days or they are paid per charging hour(charging from another solar source).


But if you bring with you an external power pack that can already store 5000mAh of power then that is enough to charge the fenix 8-9 times over since the fenix uses a 500mAh Li ion battery. So in that scenario solar charging might not be needed. But of course it can not hurt to have a solar charging capable power pack.

The downside is that although you can get great stamina in the fenix or Ambit by using it with a power pack, they are limited in their logging capability so you can not store all that extra data the extended duration brings with it. It would be great if some Ant+ compatible USB device would be launched, that could offload/download and store data as an assistant to an Ambit or fenix for use in the field where no computer or smart phones are available.


----------



## rustislove

Joakim Agren said:


> The downside is that although you can get great stamina in the fenix or Ambit by using it with a power pack, they are limited in their logging capability so you can not store all that extra data the extended duration brings with it. It would be great if some Ant+ compatible USB device would be launched, that could offload/download and store data as an assistant to an Ambit or fenix for use in the field where no computer or smart phones are available.


For such reason any capable smartphone would be great using Bluetooth. To download data from the watch and thus empty the space. It is not wise to let the phone at home. In case of emergency some phone is life saving. So why not bring smartphone, even if not meant for outdoor.

You are probably right with the solar solution. I should reconsider not buying it. But still, I worry a bit. Wearing it on a backpack during the day to charge it - it smells with damaging the charger in hostile (wild) environment :-/


----------



## jipe

Joakim Agren said:


> The downside is that although you can get great stamina in the fenix or Ambit by using it with a power pack, they are limited in their logging capability so you can not store all that extra data the extended duration brings with it. It would be great if some Ant+ compatible USB device would be launched, that could offload/download and store data as an assistant to an Ambit or fenix for use in the field where no computer or smart phones are available.


This isn't true for the Fenix: it has about 23MB of storage free and a .fit recording I made of a 5 hours activity took only 22KB -> the storage space allows to store about 5000h of .fit activity. The GPX files are much bigger and you should then select to store the .fit only (the .gpx is text file with xml like format while the .fit is a binary file, this explains the size difference).


----------



## rustislove

Does any FIT file content the same as GPX? Only difference is type and hence the size ?

Or each one is used for different type of activity ?


----------



## Ahg

rustislove said:


> Does any FIT file content the same as GPX? Only difference is type and hence the size ?
> 
> Or each one is used for different type of activity ?


I was just wondering about this as well.
Seeing latest 2.7 release and Garmin's recommendation to produce only .fit files, which I have never used before, I have the following questions?
are .fit files more complete than .gpx (temperature readings, heart rate readings)
what sofware do you use to see .fit files?
Are they easily converted into .gpx files?

thanks in advance


----------



## jipe

TRUELIGHT said:


> My fenix in dashboard state's my unit is up to date,
> Software Version 2.60, (on fenix) anyone other then me dealing with this?


Same problem.

Then I tried:


jbadilla said:


> You might want to try updating with Garmin Webupdater,
> 
> I applied the new version using this method
> 
> Garmin: WebUpdater Software Update Collection


But I got an error message saying: "The update file is corrupted"

I use the latest version of WebUpdater !


----------



## ifarlow

jipe said:


> This proves that Garmin doesn't only do bug fixes but also feature upgrade for the Fenix.


The reality isn't that Garmin is adding new features just to be generous... the reality is that Garmin is simply finishing the feature set they originally planned to include but missed because they rushed the fenix to market.


----------



## jipe

Ahg said:


> I was just wondering about this as well.
> Seeing latest 2.7 release and Garmin's recommendation to produce only .fit files, which I have never used before, I have the following questions?
> are .fit files more complete than .gpx (temperature readings, heart rate readings)
> what sofware do you use to see .fit files?
> Are they easily converted into .gpx files?
> 
> thanks in advance


Garmin switched from the .gpx which is a standard format to their proprietary .fit format.

The ,fit contains more information than the .gpx (Garmin put some own stuff in it).

As said, it is binary file while the .gpx is a text file that you can edit/modify with any text editor but its is much smaller.

Another drawback is that Garmin changed the .fit format, for instance on the Fenix, the .fit generated by FW2.20 is different from the .fit generated by FW2.40 which is different from the .fit generated by FW2.60 and it seems the one generated by the new FW2.70 will again be different.

But these differences are small and SportTracks can open and load the .fit from my Edge 800 and all .fit from the Fenix from FW2.20 to FW2.60 (not yet tried the one from FW2.70 because I can't update my Fenix to FW2.70, see previous post). SportTracks has two versions, a free version and one you need to pay for. Actually, even if SportTracks push to buy the full version, the free one does very well the job. SportTracks also allow you to export your activities to .gpx which is a way to convert from .fit to .gpx.

Strange enough, the Garmin application Training Center could only open the .fit from FW2.20 and has problems with the .fit from FW2.40 and FW2.60, let see what happens with the .fit from FW2.70 !


----------



## Ahg

thanks jipe
I am a compulsive user of my forerunner 305 for years and I like a lot Training Center, so it would be great if it could handle the 2.7 Fenix .fit files!! but asking now Garmin to upgrade Training Center might be a los of time!


----------



## Philip Cox

Can Garmin's Basecamp both computer and mobile version read .fit tracks?


----------



## jipe

Ahg said:


> thanks jipe
> I am a compulsive user of my forerunner 305 for years and I like a lot Training Center, so it would be great if it could handle the 2.7 Fenix .fit files!! but asking now Garmin to upgrade Training Center might be a los of time!


You can always upload the .gpx file.


----------



## gaijin

rustislove said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> I have noticed already earlier, that Garmin has External Power Pack compatible with Fenix, but I'm able to purchase alternative devices under 30 USD. Therefore I was wondering. Garmin does not state power ratings (max. input / output currents). Good manner is to state all relevant information. Anyway, thank you all in advance who will try to charge Fenix from alternative power source and let me know - especially the charging current and duration.
> 
> I'm not very much into the solar charging solution. For me is more suitable to charge my devices during the night while sleepover, than during the day. The reason is obviously the time - solar charging is way too slow.
> 
> MXCHNEY: You are probably right. Satisfied users don't need to go to forums


In case the other answers have not already put your mind at ease, here is a picture of the information which is on the USB Wall Charger supplied by Garmin for use with the fenix:










You can see that it is rated for 1.0Amps.

HTH


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> In case the other answers have not already put your mind at ease, here is a picture of the information which is on the USB Wall Charger supplied by Garmin for use with the fenix:
> 
> ....
> 
> You can see that it is rated for 1.0Amps.
> 
> HTH


Thanks :-D !
That is what I was looking for. At least I know what to search ;-)


----------



## jbadilla

Having previously used a Garmin Oregon 450 and (records gpx files) and a Garmin forerunner 110 (records fit files) I can confirm Garmin Basecamp reads both type of files, and once the data is downloaded to Garmin Basecamp, you have the option to export it as gpx file. Heart Rate sampling from the entire track is available in both formats
I think the data I only got from fit files is the calorie count, which was not available on the gpx file. but this could be because the Garmin Oregon being a mapping trail unit and not a fitness unit per se does not make this calculation.
The limitation of only recording fit files on the fenix is that after saving your current track, it just goes to a Fit History Section where the track summary and stats is stored, you cant use the Go / View Map / Reverse etc functions only available in the watch to tracks saved as gpx.



Ahg said:


> I was just wondering about this as well.
> Seeing latest 2.7 release and Garmin's recommendation to produce only .fit files, which I have never used before, I have the following questions?
> are .fit files more complete than .gpx (temperature readings, heart rate readings)
> what sofware do you use to see .fit files?
> Are they easily converted into .gpx files?
> 
> thanks in advance


----------



## jbadilla

One charger such as this : 
Amazon.com: PowerGen Mobile Juice Pack 5200mAh External Battery Pack High Capacity Power Bank Charger 1A output for Apple iPad 2, iPhone 4 4s 3Gs 3G, iPod Touch / Samsung Galaxy S3 S S2 S II, Advance, Galaxy Nexus, Epic 4G / Blackberry Torch Bold Cur
looks like it has enough charging power, maybe even other devices. It is also very affordable.



rustislove said:


> Thanks :-D !
> That is what I was looking for. At least I know what to search ;-)


----------



## shangrila73

I'm trying to upgrade the Fenix with the new firmware 2.70 without success. I plug the Fenix to my computer and the Garmin Plugin Communicator recognises the device but when I go to my dashboard in order to check new updates it says that there's no new firmware available. It's very strange since I didn't have any problem when I upgraded to the 2.60
Does anybody have any clue?

Thanks.

_*Edit: I succeed in upgrading the Fenix using the WebUpdater*_


----------



## blasbike

I've just upgraded to 2.70(from 2.60) with WebUpdater. No problem with that.


----------



## Flying Dutchman

Hello all, 

I'm brand new to GPS watches, Garmin Connect and other software. I'm an avid trail and ultra runner and decided after reading all forums and reviews I could find to buy the fenix over the ambit. I'm encouraged by the past couple of updates (finally more than 10,000 data points, better integration with Garmin Connect) and will probably stick with the Fenix because the Ambit only has a 1 second or 60 second recording option.

Despite reading every page in this discussion, DC rainmaker and other reviews, I'm still stuck on several things. I hope some of you can help answer them. Maybe they are very obvious but I'm at wits end about it.

- in the standard default setting I can right click through time, compass, altimeter, barometer, temperature and alternate time zones. How can I change/customize these? (Can I?) I've tried but can't figure it out. For example, I would like the sun/moon rise/set data and stopwatch to be one of these fields. If not, how can I add the sun/moon page to my running/hiking profile?

- how do I set the Ultra Trac to 15 second (or other increments)? Can't figure that one out, either. This is really important because I'll be running my first 100 miler later this month and a 15 hour finish on normal mode is not going to happen. (or would you suggest keeping it in normal mode but charging the battery along the way with a USB charger?)

- is there a way to change the volume on the alarm clock setting? I recently used it and slept right through it 

- I set an alert for 5% battery life left. I recently ran and the alert went off. Later I learned that it was the default alert at 20%. This tripped me up and I aborted my run reading to save the track because I was afraid to lose all the data. Is there a way to turn off the default battery life alert and just have it on custom?

Thanks!


----------



## Ahg

jbadilla said:


> The limitation of only recording fit files on the fenix is that after saving your current track, it just goes to a Fit History Section where the track summary and stats is stored, you cant use the Go / View Map / Reverse etc functions only available in the watch to tracks saved as gpx.


That is very bad news! Some one nows what are standard sizes for fit and gpx equivalent tracks?
thanks


----------



## jipe

Ahg said:


> That is very bad news! Some one nows what are standard sizes for fit and gpx equivalent tracks?
> thanks


Till now, I always recorded both the .fit and .gpx (I prefer a text file that I can easily edit with a text editor) and when I compare the size of the .fit and .gpx for the same activity, the size of the .gpx is between 10 and 11 times bigger than the size of the .fit what means about 500h of activity recording before the older files are overwritten, not that bad.


----------



## Christobaldo

Hi!

Does anybody know if garmin is producing the "dirty" - orange rubber strap? In the garmin shop i can only see the - not so cool clean orange strap.


----------



## mesteviet

Christobaldo said:


> Hi!
> 
> Does anybody know if garmin is producing the "dirty" - orange rubber strap? In the garmin shop i can only see the - not so cool clean orange strap.


I have the same question. Can't tell if the clean one is the cool one or not...hard to tell.


----------



## beat

jbadilla said:


> I will try to make a test, I might try setting the watch to demo mode to see if I can start tracking only with the Heart Rate Monitor. speaking of Demo mode I accidentally left the watch on demo mode last night, but with GPS off. the watch battery went down overnight from 80% to 12% and I think this setting was the reason.


My Fenix: Battery level went down overnight from 100% to 60% without GPS and sensor on.


----------



## Ahg

jipe said:


> Till now, I always recorded both the .fit and .gpx (I prefer a text file that I can easily edit with a text editor) and when I compare the size of the .fit and .gpx for the same activity, the size of the .gpx is between 10 and 11 times bigger than the size of the .fit what means about 500h of activity recording before the older files are overwritten, not that bad.


That seems more than enough! I red a post where it said that the Gpx files were saved in pieces. Others had the same experience? Does it depend on the auto saving option? Did this change with release 2.70?
And I had a couple of questions about something different:
did some one try the out of track alarm in the latest release? Can you follow an older track, or only a route?
thanks


----------



## anditirol

Ahg said:


> Can you follow an older track, or only a route?
> thanks


Yes i did, the alarm worked really well in track navigation! I does also alarm you in waypoint navigation, thats a bit of a overkill ;-)


----------



## jipe

One more information about the battery life of the Fenix with the new firmware v2,70.

Today, I made a bicycle activity with both the Fenix (GPS on, 1s normal mode) and Edge 800 active. The activity duration was about 4 hours.

When I started, the Fenix battery showed 99% (battery fully loaded Friday afternoon, Fenix used in watch mode since then), this evening, the battery shows 73%. So the consumption was 26% (27% for more than 48h watch mode and 4 hours GPS active).

The Edge was fully loaded when the activity started and stopped at the end of the activity. When I plugged it into my computer, the battery indicator showed 75%. So the activity consumption was 25%.

Both devices are specified by Garmin for 16h autonomy with the GPS activated. As you can see, the consumption for the same activity was very close for both unit: only 1% difference (with the Fenix always on in watch mode while the Edge was only powered during the activity).


----------



## or_watching

jipe said:


> One more information about the battery life of the Fenix with the new firmware v2,70.
> 
> Today, I made a bicycle activity with both the Fenix (GPS on, 1s normal mode) and Edge 800 active. The activity duration was about 4 hours.
> 
> When I started, the Fenix battery showed 99% (battery fully loaded Friday afternoon, Fenix used in watch mode since then), this evening, the battery shows 73%. So the consumption was 26% (27% for more than 48h watch mode and 4 hours GPS active).
> 
> The Edge was fully loaded when the activity started and stopped at the end of the activity. When I plugged it into my computer, the battery indicator showed 75%. So the activity consumption was 25%.
> 
> Both devices are specified by Garmin for 16h autonomy with the GPS activated. As you can see, the consumption for the same activity was very close for both unit: only 1% difference (with the Fenix always on in watch mode while the Edge was only powered during the activity).


Hi.
I'm on 2.70.
Today I did had the fenix on for a >5h30m outing and my fenix battery went from 99% to 70%. Also good performance vs. the specs.


----------



## lugui

Hi,

I just have the Fenix for a week and I have upgraded to 2.70. My usage is for jogging. But one thing I find quite annoying is that the GPS Locating took a long time, probably two to three minutes for the start up. Once started up, further start and stop of GPS is instant. 

May I ask if this is normal and is there any way that I can speed up the GPS Locating ?

Thanks

Lugui


----------



## Roblister

It depends on how long you have had the GPS turned off for. If it's a short period of time and the geometry of the satellites hasn't changed much then the acquisition time is quite rapid. But if the GPS has been off a while or you have moved position by a large amount then it takes substantially longer to get a fix. You can help by making sure the watch is still initially and unobstructed giving it the best view of the sky as possible.



lugui said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just have the Fenix for a week and I have upgraded to 2.70. My usage is for jogging. But one thing I find quite annoying is that the GPS Locating took a long time, probably two to three minutes for the start up. Once started up, further start and stop of GPS is instant.
> 
> May I ask if this is normal and is there any way that I can speed up the GPS Locating ?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Lugui


----------



## jipe

lugui said:


> Hi,
> 
> I just have the Fenix for a week and I have upgraded to 2.70. My usage is for jogging. But one thing I find quite annoying is that the GPS Locating took a long time, probably two to three minutes for the start up. Once started up, further start and stop of GPS is instant.
> 
> May I ask if this is normal and is there any way that I can speed up the GPS Locating ?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Lugui


Yes, it is normal, it was the same on my Forerunner 305 and 610.

But strange enough, it is much faster on the Edge 800 than on any Forerunner or than on the Fenix. May be a difference in GPS antenna implementation, I guess that a better antenna with a higher sensitivity or gain will find satellites with a weaker signal faster.


----------



## Falconeye75

It's a big issue if the fix is more than 30 seconds. 1 to 3 minutes is just huge !

I tought Fenix was quicker to fix satellite since it has a SIRstar IV chip. 

Garmin should have implement Glonass acquisition we won't had this problem that we often encounter with Garmin watches !! I don't know why they can't make an efficient epherides table that can forecast the sateliites positions and then having a very quick fix !!

I hope next release will make fix quicker.


----------



## Roblister

Just done a check with my Fenix. I havent used it for three days. Outside with a reasonably clear view of the sky in one direction a fix was obtained in 27 seconds with an accuracy of 23 feet. It may be worth you doing a few more tests Lugui to see if the 2 mins acquisition is consistent.

After turning GPS off, waiting 10 minutes then trying again. Acquisition time was around 3 seconds.


----------



## Falconeye75

Roblister said:


> Just done a check with my Fenix. I havent used it for three days. Outside with a reasonably clear view of the sky in one direction a fix was obtained in 27 seconds with an accuracy of 23 feet. It may be worth you doing a few more tests Lugui to see if the 2 mins acquisition is consistent.


It seems it is more than with an ambit, no ? I often read that the fix with ambit is so fast that you don't have time to read it is fixing. Maybe it is becse it has an outside Antenna...


----------



## Roblister

It could be that the antenna is a factor. I have just tried my Garmin 60CSx and that took 22 seconds and it hasn't been used for at least a month. A 62s took 18 seconds which was used two weeks ago. Both have an externally mounted antenna. But just to confuse the theory my Montana 650 took about 18 seconds. That was last used over 2 weeks ago a thousand miles away in Menorca, and it has an internal antenna.


----------



## Falconeye75

Roblister said:


> It could be that the antenna is a factor. I have just tried my Garmin 60CSx and that took 22 seconds and it hasn't been used for at least a month. A 62s took 18 seconds which was used two weeks ago. Both have an externally mounted antenna. But just to confuse the theory my Montana 650 took about 18 seconds. That was last used over 2 weeks ago a thousand miles away in Menorca, and it has an internal antenna.


Thanks for this comparaison. Maybe it's a firmware issue... Since internal antenna can have good performance. Hope Garmin will improve it. Waiting for the next release to see...


----------



## Roblister

Falconeye75 said:


> Thanks for this comparaison. Maybe it's a firmware issue... Since internal antenna can have good performance. Hope Garmin will improve it. Waiting for the next release to see...


It wouldn't surprise me at all. With the Montana I was an fairly early adopter. The firmware updates were coming thick and fast for a period. Bug fixes and improvements were made all the time. So if there is a problem with the Fenix I feel sure it will be addressed.


----------



## or_watching

Roblister said:


> It could be that the antenna is a factor. I have just tried my Garmin 60CSx and that took 22 seconds and it hasn't been used for at least a month. A 62s took 18 seconds which was used two weeks ago. Both have an externally mounted antenna. But just to confuse the theory my Montana 650 took about 18 seconds. That was last used over 2 weeks ago a thousand miles away in Menorca, and it has an internal antenna.


The downloaded "Satellite Info" (ephemeris) data makes a noticeable (seconds vs 10's of seconds )difference on the Ambit. When it's current within a few days, lock never takes more than a couple seconds with an average sky view.

I see the same instant lock improvement with my other very inexpensive ($50) GPS watch (the Ascen thread)

I have not seen that the fenix gets this data downloaded thru BaseCamp or Garmin Connect. It's SiRFIV so it is possible.

Does Garmin implement this for any of their devices?


----------



## jipe

Roblister said:


> It could be that the antenna is a factor. I have just tried my Garmin 60CSx and that took 22 seconds and it hasn't been used for at least a month. A 62s took 18 seconds which was used two weeks ago. Both have an externally mounted antenna. But just to confuse the theory my Montana 650 took about 18 seconds. That was last used over 2 weeks ago a thousand miles away in Menorca, and it has an internal antenna.


Take into account that all these devices are much bigger than the Fenix and even with an internal antenna, the antenna can be much bigger too.

The same is valid for the Ambit (and the Forerunner 305 and 610) where part of the watch is in a part of the strap.

For the Fenix everything, electronics+antenna is in the watch case, the strap is fully separate (as seen, you can even put other brands straps) and there is no electronics in it.


----------



## Falconeye75

or_watching said:


> The downloaded "Satellite Info" (ephemeris) data makes a noticeable (seconds vs 10's of seconds )difference on the Ambit. When it's current within a few days, lock never takes more than a couple seconds with an average sky view.
> 
> I see the same instant lock improvement with my other very inexpensive ($50) GPS watch (the Ascen thread)
> 
> I have not seen that the fenix gets this data downloaded thru BaseCamp or Garmin Connect. It's SiRFIV so it is possible.
> 
> Does Garmin implement this for any of their devices?


Instead of downloading Ephemeris, The Garmin could calculate (based on the last position) all this ephemeris to enable quick fix. More of this it could be clever also to download ephemeris when it is connected to the computer. It must be easy to have a background service on the computer that detects when the Fenix is connected to the computer and download ephemeris from Internet.

PLEASE GARMIN : implement this function to enable quick fix !!!!


----------



## cobrapa

Falconeye75 said:


> It seems it is more than with an ambit, no ? I often read that the fix with ambit is so fast that you don't have time to read it is fixing. Maybe it is becse it has an outside Antenna...


No, the Ambit is not always fast. I have seen a minute or more for Ambit to get lock, even after a ephemeris download within the last couple days. It is not that common, but it happened a couple times.


----------



## martowl

cobrapa said:


> No, the Ambit is not always fast. I have seen a minute or more for Ambit to get lock, even after a ephemeris download within the last couple days. It is not that common, but it happened a couple times.


i saw this with past firmware but with the current my fix is so fast that it is on by the time I start moving. That included this last week where my position moved 1700 miles from the prior fix. I have not had a slow satellite fix in many weeks.


----------



## Falconeye75

martowl said:


> i saw this with past firmware but with the current my fix is so fast that it is on by the time I start moving. That included this last week where my position moved 1700 miles from the prior fix. I have not had a slow satellite fix in many weeks.


Yes Martowol, it is was i heard about, with the new firmware (1.8.6). I read that the fix was an "instant fix" in just some seconds.


----------



## blasbike

I've turned off Auto Calibration for altimeter and now asc/desc looks much better.
I have calibrated it using elevation - just once.
I don't know why it uses GPS for auto calibration when it has barometer/altimeter.

Anybody can confirm that turing off auto-cal is good idea?


----------



## jipe

A first experience of satellites acquisition with the new firmware 2,70.

Sunday, I did my first activity with FW 2.70 (I could eventually upgrade from 2.60 to 2,70 Saturday) and I had to wait between 30 and 60s for the satellite acquisition. This seems to me normal: I made a firmware upgrade that most probably erased satellites position information in the Fenix.

Today, Tuesday, I made my second activity with FW 2.70 at another place about 60km from the place of Sunday and the satellite acquisition was almost immediate (I could just see the satellite acquisition message screen). Not bad at all, I would say better that what I had usually with my Forerunner 610 in the same conditions.


----------



## or_watching

blasbike said:


> I've turned off Auto Calibration for altimeter and now asc/desc looks much better.
> I have calibrated it using elevation - just once.
> I don't know why it uses GPS for auto calibration when it has barometer/altimeter.
> 
> Anybody can confirm that turing off auto-cal is good idea?


Hi.
AutoCal uses the GPS elevation because baro altimeter drift with the weather. That's the point of auto cal... to use the GPS Elevation value. But GPS elevation values are error prone too.

Generally speaking:
1. First choice: set the elevatio manually when you have a known good source, like a Topo map, or even Google Earth is usually pretty good.
2. Second choice: Use GPS Auto Cal when you don't know the elevation from #1. But note (I think) that it was auto cal your elevation with every GPS lock acquisition - and so if you get a bad GPS elevation, say 50-100m (which can happen), your Elevation will then acquire that error.


----------



## leonh

the new version of basecamp mobile which works with the iphone 4s is now available, it seems ok
a new firmware version 2.7 is also available which may have some! of your desires
leon


----------



## Chica9o

I just wanted to share a very annoying "feature" (huge bug in my opinion): if you have auto alert set (e.g., beep/vibrate every mile), and you wish to pause tracking (e.g., long hold press on the up button) during this time (which happens OFTEN since it's common to stop a run on an even mile), then it will NOT WORK. The only way to get it to work is to either wait until the alert notification goes away (stupid), or to remember to click the up button (or perhaps the return button?) multiple times in order to close the alert notification. I almost never remember to do these frustratingly stupid "pre-steps" leaving me with a track that continues on well after my workout. PLEASE, programmers, in a future release, please give the hot button (long press) precedence so that a runner may intuitively end their gps tracking. Thanks!


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*










Hi guys, this is my first post, and I know is still too early for Christmas but... ...here goes my present to you all:
Using an "USB host" supporting (sorry iGuys ...) Android smartphone (Galaxy Note running Android 4.0.4, Galaxy S2, probably Galaxy S3 also), and a cheap (but hard to find !) micro-USB to USB-female USB host cable, I have full access (at least I see all the files that I see when I connect the Fenix to my WindowsXP desktop PC) to the Fenix contents, so I can copy/backup/restore all/any file to/from either the internal file system (16gb) of my smartphone, or even directly to/from the external/extension (32gb in my case) microSD memory card (sorry iGuys ...).
As a fantastic bonus (and I confess my jaw dropped) the Fenix's battery is charged during the connection time, exactly as when connected to PC.
Since the smartphone has a user replaceable battery (sorry iGuys ...) I can carry as many spare batteries as I want (and as many microSD memory cards as I want) and have LIMITLESS Fenix GPS tracking/logging capability on the go.
Hell, now I can even hide that file with all my passwords in the Fenix ;-)

P.S. - None whatsoever rooting/jailbraking/hacking was ever done on the smartphone: it is running original factory software/O.S. with GSM operator issued OTA O.S. upgrades. No "funny" APP used either, plain standart/original file browser.


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> Hi guys, this is my first post, and I know is still too early for Christmas but... ...here goes my present to you all:


Nice!
Maybe someday Garmin will catch up to you, and make Mobile Basecamp do even some small part of that - like save track.
Passwords hidden in the watch! Nice work Q.

Sincerely,
- Jealous iGuy


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



or_watching said:


> Nice!
> Maybe someday Garmin will catch up to you


No need to wait for Garmin now!
With direct access to the (unencrypted XML text) files any android developer can write an APP for easy track/waypoint managment.
I might soon have a go at this project myself ;-)
As for my Android developer capabilities... check for yourself (my first and only android APP to date).


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> Hi guys, this is my first post, and I know is still too early for Christmas but... ...here goes my present to you all:
> Using an "USB host" supporting (sorry iGuys ...) Android smartphone (Galaxy Note running Android 4.0.4, Galaxy S2, probably Galaxy S3 also), and a cheap (but hard to find !) micro-USB to USB-female USB host cable, I have full access (at least I see all the files that I see when I connect the Fenix to my WindowsXP desktop PC) to the Fenix contents, so I can copy/backup/restore all/any file to/from either the internal file system (16gb) of my smartphone, or even directly to/from the external/extension (32gb in my case) microSD memory card (sorry iGuys ...).
> As a fantastic bonus (and I confess my jaw dropped) the Fenix's battery is charged during the connection time, exactly as when connected to PC.
> Since the smartphone has a user replaceable battery (sorry iGuys ...) I can carry as many spare batteries as I want (and as many microSD memory cards as I want) and have LIMITLESS Fenix GPS tracking/logging capability on the go.
> Hell, now I can even hide that file with all my passwords in the Fenix ;-)
> 
> P.S. - None whatsoever unrooting/jailbraking/hacking was ever done on the smartphone: it is running original factory software/O.S. with GSM operator issued OTA O.S. upgrades. No "funny" APP used either, plain standart/original file browser.


That is a great feature find, I have a Motorola MB632 and can't wait to try this, I am not sure if my phone supports USB host, but I found this ebay cable listing some older Motorola models Micro USB Host OTG Cable 4 Motorola Milestone 3 XT883 Droid Pro XT610 X X2 ES400 | eBay I might give this other listing a try Amazon.com: Zuweiyu USB 2.0 A Female to Micro B Male Adapter Cable Micro USB Host Mode OTG Cable: Cell Phones & Accessories


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> Hi guys, this is my first post, and I know is still too early for Christmas but... ...here goes my present to you all:
> Using an "USB host" supporting (sorry iGuys ...) Android smartphone (Galaxy Note running Android 4.0.4, Galaxy S2, probably Galaxy S3 also), and a cheap (but hard to find !) micro-USB to USB-female USB host cable, I have full access (at least I see all the files that I see when I connect the Fenix to my WindowsXP desktop PC) to the Fenix contents, so I can copy/backup/restore all/any file to/from either the internal file system (16gb) of my smartphone, or even directly to/from the external/extension (32gb in my case) microSD memory card (sorry iGuys ...).
> As a fantastic bonus (and I confess my jaw dropped) the Fenix's battery is charged during the connection time, exactly as when connected to PC.
> Since the smartphone has a user replaceable battery (sorry iGuys ...) I can carry as many spare batteries as I want (and as many microSD memory cards as I want) and have LIMITLESS Fenix GPS tracking/logging capability on the go.
> Hell, now I can even hide that file with all my passwords in the Fenix ;-)
> 
> P.S. - None whatsoever unrooting/jailbraking/hacking was ever done on the smartphone: it is running original factory software/O.S. with GSM operator issued OTA O.S. upgrades. No "funny" APP used either, plain standart/original file browser.


You should may be read the previous posts, you will then find out that storage of activities isn't a real problem on the Fenix as its internal memory is enough for about 5000h of activities with .fit only and 400h with .fit+.gpx. This is enough for most users.

About recharging the Fenix on the go, Garmin has a nice accessory to do that and if you want a cheaper option, any external USB battery for smartphone will also do the job, no need to carry lots of smartphone batteries + a smartphone. This works for Android lovers, iGuys and future Win 8 lovers.


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



jipe said:


> You should may be read the previous posts, you will then find out that storage of activities isn't a real problem on the Fenix as its internal memory is enough for about 5000h of activities with .fit only and 400h with .fit+.gpx. This is enough for most users.
> 
> About recharging the Fenix on the go, Garmin has a nice accessory to do that and if you want a cheaper option, any external USB battery for smartphone will also do the job, no need to carry lots of smartphone batteries + a smartphone. This works for Android lovers, iGuys and future Win 8 lovers.


If someone already has a smartphone such as this and is taking it while in long treks ir travels this is an excelent option to download tracks and send them by email or uploading them and sharing them by dropbox or similar services without having to wait for access to a laptop or computer. There are also many Android offline mapping programs which might be able to read the gpx generated by the fenix for later viewing/modification and transfer back to the fenix.


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*

some example android apps that should read gpx files
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.compegps.twonav
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=menion.android.locus
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androzic
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orux.oruxmaps
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gpsies.android


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



> ... storage of activities isn't a real problem on the Fenix as its internal memory is enough for about 5000h of activities with .fit only and 400h with .fit+.gpx. This is enough for most users. ...


(I did read the whole thread, that is why I end up buying the Fenix)
Then all the users wishing Garmin's Base Camp mobile iOs APP would allow them to store Fenix's tracks localy also missed this bit of info

Ever deleted the wrong track ?... Now you can back them all up before you go on a purging session ;-)
I can imagine so many situations where pairing a smartphone with direct/full read/write access to Fenix's file system would be usefull ...


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I can confirm the Garmin Fenix is readable from a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, using a USB adapter Galaxy TabTM Adapter (USB) (remove 10.1)


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Check out this two apps for Garmin units connected to tablets:
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=sportablette&c=apps


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

If you accept to carry a smartphone with enough batteries, you don't need the Fenix, most smartphones have the GPS and magnetic compass inside and you can find apps doing what the Fenix does and much more. The reason to use something like a fenix is to avoid to take/use a smartphone.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jipe said:


> If you accept to carry a smartphone with enough batteries, you don't need the Fenix, most smartphones have the GPS and magnetic compass inside and you can find apps doing what the Fenix does and much more. The reason to use something like a fenix is to avoid to take/use a smartphone.


Nope, I have a smartphone with a gorgeous 5.3" display, all the GPS and APPs I want, and the reason I bought the Fenix is because I can't use the smartphone (safely) while kayaking, riding my bycicle, motorcicling, hiking, running, climbing, flying my Powered ParaGlider, flying my HangGlider, flying sailplanes, sailing, etc

And yes, I do carry the smartphone with me *on all these situations* for many various reasons:
- call 911 (I have done so once after I crashed, Nokia E90 back then, probably save my life as I was alone).
- call my retrieve/family after I land/arrive.
- take an ocasional picture/video.
- listen to some music on the breaks.
- safety tweet/SMS my current whereabouts & status.
- live broadcast my track (Glympse APP, big BAT sucker, main reason why I need a spare BAT) so that my retrieve can follow me on the ground.
- get the weather forecast for the next day.
- share some previous adventure's/trip's pictures tracks and videos with the day's buddies.
- tent torch light (another BAT sucker).

The smartphone does provide a good plan-B backup for Fenix, with it's colour maps and satelite imagery (if you have coverage), but it has the major disadvantage (besides the poor direct sunlight readability and high intolerance to salt/splashes/drizzle/rain/sand/dust/mud) of forcing you to stop wathever you are doing to hold it with one hand, and tap the screen with the other.
There are nonetheless two activities that are still offlimits for both the Fenix and the smartphone: skydiving & scuba-diving ;-)

So, since I allready carry the Fenix, the smartphone and the spare BAT, now the *only* to-carry-or-not-to-carry decision I have to make is concerning the Fenix USB cable (probably will take it, but leave it in the car/tent, not carry in the back-pack).


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I have been trying to get an answer from Garmin support to the questions below, but they always turn around the questions without giving a straight answer.
Maybe someone has the answers?

1- The watch has two ways of getting altitude readings, barometer and gps. When in auto-calibrate off, I understand that only one of both readings is considered. Do you know which one? When in auto-calibrating on, do you know what kind of corrections are made? in other words what is the algorithm that combines both readings? I don't see how the GPS reading can improve the barometric reading other than telling it not to change because there was no horizontal movement?
2- If I understood well, the 910XT has a feature that allows the altimeter to be automatically (not manually) calibrated to the altitude of saved waypoints when detecting a position close enough to them. I think this is great, and I am asking if they intend to implement this, without any answer.


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Ahg said:


> When in auto-calibrating on, do you know what kind of corrections are made? in other words what is the algorithm that combines both readings? I don't see how the GPS reading can improve the barometric reading other than telling it not to change because there was no horizontal movement?


I can only give a rough answer, not really knowing what Garmin has implemented.

Note that altitude as measured by the barometer is only a relative height. It needs to be referenced to some known altitude. This needs to be redone as the local weather changes barometric pressure. (Weather change will change barometric pressure even at the same altitude...)

Anyway, my simplistic answer is... the gps is used to get an absolute reference for the barometric altimeter. It can also help to reduce weather related changes that are not altitude changes (as you suggest in your second question I quoted.)

Unfortunately, gps altitude error is fairly high as well, so it is kind of a trade off using it to reference the baro altimeter, but is probably the easiest way to get a semi-automatic, somewhat accurate altitude.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cobrapa said:


> ...
> Unfortunately, gps altitude error is fairly high as well, so it is kind of a trade off using it to reference the baro altimeter...


GPS altitude may not be required at all: if the role of the GPS ref is to tell Fenix «Hey, I am back to that spot where last time my user told me the altitude is X, so I will recalibrate my barometric altitude to X again».
If this is the way GPS ref is used for altitude auto-calibration, then one must be carefull not to calibrate it too near to (the base of) a steep cliif we intend to climb or we risk later being on the top of that cliff (only a small horizontal distance from the calibration spot) and, due to GPS *horizontal* positioning error, the Fenix will think it's back to the calibration point and reset the barometric altitude to the one at the bottom of the cliff.


----------



## format

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Finally Garmin answered my question with the 2.7 firmware. A basic but mandatory feature has appeared:

_Added Off Course alert (Alerts>Distance>Off Course).
_
Uaaauu!!! It took some time. The Fenix has just reentered my Christmas gift list. Now I'm waiting for the Ambit upgrade regarding courses.... Let's see what comes around. The problem is, my heart is not big enough for two princesses...


----------



## Philip Cox

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Thanks to this thread I got my Fenix today. Now the rereading of this thread begins.


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I got my Fenix last friday. I have been playing with it quite a lot, but still not able to do a real course to check how it performs. I had however the time to rise some questions:
1- I realized that the barometer figure is a corrected figure to see level. Why Fenix does not show really measured air presure instead of "estimating" what should be see level presure. I live at 1000 meters altitude, and I am used to see 900mbar values, and seeing 1017mbar bothers me!
_EDIT: solved! In the baro. plot menu, choose ambient pressure instead of variable or fixed
now, and in line with or-watching post below, we have to find out if this has an effect with the way in which elevation is measured!_

2-still don't know what is the difference between altimeter calibration on and off. 
3-ultra track has hh:mm:ss as measuring period. I was surprised about this. Does that mean that you can tell Fenix to measure position only once every hour?
4-tracks can have mode automatic, distance or time. what are the differences?

I would appreciate your comments on this from those of you that already are masters on the use of the Fenix.
I will try soon to be able to answer questions to others myself!


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



format said:


> The problem is, my heart is not big enough for two princesses...


Well, Henry VIII had six wives... oh wait, maybe that's not such a good analogy...


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

FYI.
Here's a tidbit posted by a Garmin person at the Garmin Forum site, clarifying somewhat how Baro vs GPS altitude interact with the Fixed/Variable Baro Plot setting. (Already knew that Variable interprets pressure changes are Elevation changes). I believe this comment is indicating how the "Elevation" data field works, not just the "GPS Elevation" field, and not just the Plot itself.

"Some other things to note while you are using the unit. If you are using the setting of "fixed" for the baro plot this will ignore all barometer information when calculating the altitude and force the altitude to be purely based on GPS elevation input. This is because the fixed mode assumes that all pressure changes will be due to weather events and not due to real elevation changes."

https://forums.garmin.com/showthrea...curate-elevation-possible&p=150465#post150465

And in my quick check, that seemed to be the case.


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hey, guys. Today tried to charge the Fenix with BACKUP CHARGER from Varta. Total charge was obtained for 2:46. The following times of charging will attempt to take charge the watch from the same pair of batteries. Let's see how many times it posible from the same one ...
And here's how it looked:


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Does someone know if it is possible to edit the data pages of the Time (those appearing when the gps is off: time, temp, pressure, elevation, heading)
i would like to see for example a barometric plot, but I can see it only within the data pages of one profile, whe gps is on

About Compass, what is the difference between the options auto, on, off?
and in the map menu, go to line, the difference between Course or Bearing?

thanks


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - Used in flight*

Used in flight for the first time
Campinho 2012.10.14 fullscreen map | EveryTrail

Track quite smooth and precise (mode: auto, update rate: 1 fix/sec), elevation plot consistent.
Map page prety useless due to lack of detail of map, low resolution of display, number of button presses required to zoom in/out.
The best thing (for me) is that the bearing indicator is always shown in any page. That, with a customized "ETE+Dist+SPD" page, gives me enough info to manage my flight.


----------



## big_watch

*Garmin fenix - map auto zoom*

I have been playing around with the Fenix (2.70) for a couple of days. One thing that does not seem to work is the auto zoom function. Setup > Map > Auto Zoom : on does not have any effect on the behaviour of the map display. I tried this with and without track/route navigation. The map zoom level never changes. Can anyone confirm this?

thanks


----------



## andysiu

*Re: Garmin fenix - map auto zoom*

Went for a 78km hike. Set the output format to FIT, and the watch can track it without problem
Battery drops to 20% after 13hours, 13/0.8 ~= 16. Pretty close to advertised value
While recording, I connect it to an external battery. The watch can be charged back to 100%. (However, no message/indicator shows that the watch is actually charging)
Then the watch competed its duty for recording the 78km trail. A nice job is done with GPS set to normal mode (Ultratrac mode is a nightmare, totally wrong elevation! Same symptom as in this post).


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - User manual*

User manual


----------



## big_watch

*Re: Garmin fenix - User manual*

As I know that Garmin are watching this thread, I thought I would post a few suggestions for improvements (overall, the fenix is a great watch, I love it):

1. There are a number of fenix users who have successfully installed a supplementary map (gmapsupp.img). At times, it would be nice to be able to switch this map on and off. As of yet there is no menu option for this, it would be nice if Garmin added one.

2. When I ride bicycle, I find it very convenient to follow a track / route that is displayed on the map page. Things would be even better, if one could change easily the map zoom level in order to zoom in at turning points, then zoom out again. At present, this requires (with map displayed): press orange button > scroll down -> press orange button again to confirm zoom function. If the menu that comes up upon pressing the orange button would be slightly changed (first position: zoom, second position: pan), activating the zoom function would require only two consecutive taps on the orange button, which one can do without even looking at the watch.

3. While individual tracks can be prevented from being displayed on the map (Tracks > select track, then press orange button > Display > Hide), there is no option to hide/unhide all tracks that are marked as 'Show' at once.


----------



## anditirol

*Re: Garmin fenix - User manual*



big_watch said:


> 3. While individual tracks can be prevented from being displayed on the map (Tracks > select track, then press orange button > Display > Hide), there is no option to hide/unhide all tracks that are marked as 'Show' at once.


Does hide work on your watch? on mine the track only disappears when i delete the track...


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - Sending and receiving data wirelessly*

Despites the nuvi 3790T being BlueTooth enabled all my attempts to transfer waypoints between the 2 Garmin devices (Fenix/nuvi) failed, could not even see one another in pairing, neither in "send" nor in "receive" mode.
So much for the notion of «garmin compatible device» ...

Edit: could not find any information available about wich bluetooth profiles are supported by both devices.

Edit #2: I think the nuvi is not "bluetooth smart" enough
http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Smart-Logos.aspx
http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-Smart-Devices-List.aspx#SmartReady


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - suggestions for improvements*



big_watch said:


> As I know that Garmin are watching this thread, I thought I would post a few suggestions for improvements (overall, the fenix is a great watch, I love it):
> 
> 1. There are a number of fenix users who have successfully installed a supplementary map (gmapsupp.img). At times, it would be nice to be able to switch this map on and off. As of yet there is no menu option for this, it would be nice if Garmin added one.
> 
> 2. When I ride bicycle, I find it very convenient to follow a track / route that is displayed on the map page. Things would be even better, if one could change easily the map zoom level in order to zoom in at turning points, then zoom out again. At present, this requires (with map displayed): press orange button > scroll down -> press orange button again to confirm zoom function. If the menu that comes up upon pressing the orange button would be slightly changed (first position: zoom, second position: pan), activating the zoom function would require only two consecutive taps on the orange button, which one can do without even looking at the watch.
> 
> 3. While individual tracks can be prevented from being displayed on the map (Tracks > select track, then press orange button > Display > Hide), there is no option to hide/unhide all tracks that are marked as 'Show' at once.


4. After sunset, alerts (proximity/etc) could/should turn the backlight on momentarily.


----------



## big_watch

*Re: Garmin fenix - User manual*



anditirol said:


> Does hide work on your watch? on mine the track only disappears when i delete the track...


Yes it does. At times it behaves inconsistently, though. When GPS is switched off and then on again, individual tracks which I had marked as hidden previously occasionally show up again on the map page. When I then check the entries in the track selection menu, I find that the fenix has reset the display setting of these tracks to 'Show'. Upon setting them to 'Hide', they vanish from the map again. Until next time ...


----------



## Guest

*Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*

After doing 4 sessions/samples of waypoint average, next time I connected the Fenix to BaseCamp I get an "error reading the Garmin/gpx/Waypoints0.gpx file".
I opened it with notepad and I see an absurdly high value for elevation as being the probable cause for this (parsing ?) error.

 <wpt lat="38.xxxxxx" lon="-9.xxxxxx">
 <ele>2499999890505881600000000.000000</ele>
 2012-10-15T21:45:21Z
 <name>Home</name>
 <sym>Residence</sym>
 <type>user</type>
 <extensions>
 <wptx1:WaypointExtension><wptx1:Samples>4</wptx1:Samples>
 <wptx1isplayMode>SymbolAndName</wptx1isplayMode>
 <wptx1:Categories>
 <wptx1:Category>Pessoas</wptx1:Category>
 </wptx1:Categories>
 </wptx1:WaypointExtension>
 </extensions>
 </wpt>


----------



## Joakim Agren

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*



reciprocum said:


> After doing 4 sessions/samples of waypoint average, next time I connected the Fenix to BaseCamp I get an "error reading the Garmin/gpx/Waypoints0.gpx file".
> I opened it with notepad and I see an absurdly high value for elevation as being the probable cause for this (parsing ?) error.
> 
> <wpt lat="38.xxxxxx" lon="-9.xxxxxx">
> <ele>2499999890505881600000000.000000</ele>
> 2012-10-15T21:45:21Z
> <name>Home</name>
> <sym>Residence</sym>
> <type>user</type>
> <extensions>
> <wptx1:WaypointExtension><wptx1:Samples>4</wptx1:Samples>
> <wptx1isplayMode>SymbolAndName</wptx1isplayMode>
> <wptx1:Categories>
> <wptx1:Category>Pessoas</wptx1:Category>
> </wptx1:Categories>
> </wptx1:WaypointExtension>
> </extensions>
> </wpt>


Well I guess we can conclude that Felix Baumgartner is no longer the world record holder for highest elevation. Poor him, his record already broken by you!:-d


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*

When choosing between fit and/or gpx for track recording, aside from having the option to navigate again the recorded track using gpx, I should mention I observed less granularity in the temperature recording on fit files. Take a look at the same track recorded to both gpx (upper ) and fit (lower) when plotting them on Basecamp. (heart rate plot was similar in both files)


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - map auto zoom*



big_watch said:


> I have been playing around with the Fenix (2.70) for a couple of days. One thing that does not seem to work is the auto zoom function. Setup > Map > Auto Zoom : on does not have any effect on the behaviour of the map display. I tried this with and without track/route navigation. The map zoom level never changes. Can anyone confirm this?
> 
> thanks


On my last bike ride I did not keep the Map page too long, but it seemed to me it kept the same zoom level until I manually selected the zoom function and went closer.


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - map auto zoom*

This might be a common or not so common case , I was following a Track that included one small common segment going in before making a loop and coming back later to end elsewhere. 
This garming connect activity link should serve for example:
Promobike Caribe Talamanca 2012 by jbadilla at Garmin Connect - Details
I was following the same track on an Oregon 450 and on the fenix. After I passed the short segment where the in and out segments touch, the Oregon "understood" I was going to keep on the planned track and I didn't want to make a shortcut and go straight to the end without making the long loop. The Fenix however appeared to calculate my remaining distanced as if wanted to take the shortcut and avoid the loop, even 3km going into the forthcoming loop It kept pointing and measuring remaining distance as if prompting to turn back. Only after stopping navigation on the fenix and starting the track navigation again, it began calculating my remaining distance as the Oregon.


----------



## andysiu

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*



jbadilla said:


> When choosing between fit and/or gpx for track recording, aside from having the option to navigate again the recorded track using gpx, I should mention I observed less granularity in the temperature recording on fit files. Take a look at the same track recorded to both gpx (upper ) and fit (lower) when plotting them on Basecamp. (heart rate plot was similar in both files)
> 
> View attachment 849254


In FIT format, temperature is correct to nearest degree.
In GPX format, temperature is correct to nearest 0.1 degree.
I think that's why GPX chart looks better.


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*

Some findings from last night :
Waypoints: if I copy two gpx files with waypoints created with Mapsource, Fenix only sees the waypoints from one of them. I don't understand why, since Fenix is able to see different tracks in different gpx files. It should see the waypoints in different gpx files

Barometer: actually, Fenix allows calibrating only altitude, not air pressure readings (and Garmin never said the contrary)
When you go to the altimeter calibration menu, you can calibrate altitude by two methods: introducing the known elevation, and introducing the normalized see level pressure at that point, which Fenix will translate into an estimated elevation. To my understanding, this normalized pressure issue is of little interest. There is no way someone can have a better estimation for the normalize pressure (different from real pressure) than for the elevation in any location.
What would really be a good thing is that Fenix allows calibrating barometric reading. I looked this morning at home the real barometric reading with Fenix and it said 904 mbar. My Torricelli Barometer at home said 899,5 mbar. Being a Torricelli Barometer, it is a REAL measurement. The mercury column does not lie (its accuracy is the error you might have in measuring its height, which is of tenths of mm), and the translation from Hg mm to mbar is perfectly known. Fenix barometer is a membrane barometer, and this requires calibration, therefore, being able to calibrate this would be a very good point.

EDIT: after writting this, I did some research on pressure conversion units, and conversion from Hg mm to mbar is not that straight forward, as it depends on temperature, latitude and elevation. Once the correction for my house done, I have to add 3,5mbar, which gives me a reading of 903, pretty close to Fenix reading!!

About "Auto Calibration" option, I got the answer from Garmin. ON means the barometric elevation is "calibrated" with the GPS. OFF means barometric elevation works on its own. Now, they refuse to share the algorith the use for that calibration, therefore, no idea if it is worth it or not. I don't see any interest in a GPS calibration other than in two situations: after a long period without moving, only way in which a gps can give reliable elevation readings, and in the known points calibration like the one implemented in the 910XT, which I think is a great idea, but that Fenix seems not to provide


----------



## big_watch

*Re: Garmin fenix - map auto zoom*



jbadilla said:


> On my last bike ride I did not keep the Map page too long, but it seemed to me it kept the same zoom level until I manually selected the zoom function and went closer.


Thank you for your reply. Yesterday I got a report from a guy in another forum who also says that auto zoom does not appear to work. Too bad.


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*

would that be to the nearest degree of the selected units on the watch (degree celsius or fahrenheit) I wonder then if the precision should look better if I had fahrenheit selected...



andysiu said:


> In FIT format, temperature is correct to nearest degree.
> In GPX format, temperature is correct to nearest 0.1 degree.
> I think that's why GPX chart looks better.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*

After I connected my Android smartphone to the Fenix watch for the first time, I have not been able to connect the smartphone to any "power needing" external device: connection to fenix no longer works, fenix is no longer charged by the smartphone, smartphone cannot use/see a pen-drive (pen-drive OK if connected to USB port of PC), smartphone cannot use/see an USB SD card reader (OK if connected to USB port of PC), PC can still see/charge/read/write the Fenix (Fenix USB cable OK), PC can still see/charge/read/write the smartphone (USB data lines on smartphone still OK).
I guess is the "power out" line from the smartphone that got <fried> after feeding/charging the fenix, so beware.
iGuys: you can go lit a candle in honour of Steve Jobs for keeping you safe from these kinds of unrecoverable hardware mishaps ;-)


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> iGuys: you can go lit a candle in honour of Steve Jobs for keeping you safe from these kinds of unrecoverable hardware mishaps ;-)


While your iGuys quotes are cute, I've been tempted to hook the fenix up to a iDevice in host mode just to shush you up. But I really don't want to fry a device like you've fried your non-iDevice. hahaha. Sorry to hear it. ;-)


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



cobrapa said:


> While your iGuys quotes are cute, I've been tempted to hook the fenix up to a iDevice in host mode just to shush you up. But I really don't want to fry a device like you've fried your non-iDevice. hahaha. Sorry to hear it. ;-)


Today, a coleague at work brough his iPad2 with a "SD card + USB female" all-in-one iAdapter thingy. We tried to connect a USB SanDisk microSD card reader and the iPad2 showed the message "insufficient power to provide to external device".
The only USB anything that this person was ever able to successfully connect to his iPad2 + USB/SD iAdapter was a self-powered MIDI music keyboard.
We did NOT tried to connect the Fenix ;-)


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - Waypoint averaging bug*



Ahg said:


> Some findings from last night :
> Waypoints: if I copy two gpx files with waypoints created with Mapsource, Fenix only sees the waypoints from one of them. I don't understand why, since Fenix is able to see different tracks in different gpx files. It should see the waypoints in different gpx files


Actually, it does accept more than one file! What happens is that Fenix only shows the 18 closest waypoints to your current position!!! If I delete one or edit it to push it some hundreds of Kms away, it shows me in the list the next nearest waypoint. Anyone knows why is this or if it can be changed?


----------



## as4tik

Ahg said:


> Actually, it does accept more than one file! What happens is that Fenix only shows the 18 closest waypoints to your current position!!! If I delete one or edit it to push it some hundreds of Kms away, it shows me in the list the next nearest waypoint. Anyone knows why is this or if it can be changed?


 you can use the spell search to find the waypoints that are far away.


----------



## Dsvid9908

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi Gaigin,

I got my fenix for two weeks. It is really a fantastic watch. Here I have a question, may I edit the subscreens of the main Time Display screen? say, add a new data page, delete a data page or edit a page? I know I can do all of these in a profile but all profiles only worked after the GPS is started.


----------



## format

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> After I connected my Android smartphone to the Fenix watch for the first time, I have not been able to connect the smartphone to any "power needing" external device: connection to fenix no longer works, fenix is no longer charged by the smartphone, smartphone cannot use/see a pen-drive (pen-drive OK if connected to USB port of PC), smartphone cannot use/see an USB SD card reader (OK if connected to USB port of PC), PC can still see/charge/read/write the Fenix (Fenix USB cable OK), PC can still see/charge/read/write the smartphone (USB data lines on smartphone still OK).
> I guess is the "power out" line from the smartphone that got <fried> after feeding/charging the fenix, so beware.
> iGuys: you can go lit a candle in honour of Steve Jobs for keeping you safe from these kinds of unrecoverable hardware mishaps ;-)


I guess it would be safe to connect a charged fenix to a smartphone. The fenix battery won't suck any power from the smartphone or it would use residual power since the battery would be already charged.


----------



## Ahg

as4tik said:


> you can use the spell search to find the waypoints that are far away.


Thank you As4tik, I found out that solution yesterday, and is good enough


----------



## as4tik

Ahg said:


> Thank you As4tik, I found out that solution yesterday, and is good enough


We should also bear in mind that at this point that the search would have worked you must type at least three character in spell search.


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Hey, guys. Today tried to charge the Fenix with BACKUP CHARGER from Varta. Total charge was obtained for 2:46. The following times of charging will attempt to take charge the watch from the same pair of batteries. Let's see how many times it posible from the same one ...
> And here's how it looked:


Today I charged second time from the same pair of batteries. The process lasted 2:40.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



format said:


> I guess it would be safe to connect a charged fenix to a smartphone. The fenix battery won't suck any power from the smartphone or it would use residual power since the battery would be already charged.


The thing is, one usualy would want/need to connect the fenix to a smartie after some use, to download tracks (for analisys, cloud-sharing, myGarmin uploading, etc), wich means probably the bat will no longer be fully charged.

Edit: I have tried to connect my fully charged Fenix to my fully charged Android: still no go :-(


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*

Firmware 2.80 was released with new features and fixes:
*Changes made from version 2.70 to 2.80:*


Added ability to configure the Up and Down button behavior while viewing data pages (Setup > System > Hot Keys). 
Added 'Auto Light' feature (Setup > Display > Backlight > Auto Light) with options 'Off', 'After Sunset' and 'Always'. When enabled backlight is automatically activated for key presses, messages, alerts, alarms, and lap banners. 
Added 5 second option for Backlight Timeout. 
Improved logging of track points in timed track method (Setup > Tracks > Method > Time) to allow points to be logged without a GPS position. 
Improved FIT format support. Added markers for start/stop points and current speed/pace for each point. 
Improved responsiveness of Hot Keys during messages, alerts, alarms, and lap banners. 
Fixed potential issue with track log points being recorded when tracking has been paused. 
Fixed potential issue with selecting 'Go' to a chirp location. 
Fixed issue with proximity alerts only showing distance in miles. 
Fixed issue with menu options shown for archive tracks. 
Fixed issue with Demo Mode that could result in decreased battery life while in watch mode. 

Garmin is obviously slowly improving the Fenix, both fixing problems and adding features.

Curious about the next .fit improvement. I must still update my watch and then do an activity to have one .fit generated with firmware 2.80.

With 2.70, the .fit are fully recognized by SportTracks (.fit of all firmware versions from 2.20 to 2.70 are fully recognized by SportTracks).

But still some problems with own Garmin SW Training Center:


Auto import into Training Center doesn't work even if the device is recognized, so the import into Training Center must be done manually.
The last part of the track is lost, .fit generated by firmware 2.70 behave the same as the one generated by firmware 2.60.


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

1. I'm glad that the FW story goes on . I hope that ultimately all bugs are gone after certain time .. :-D

2. Regarding the smartphone <-> Fenix connection what is the current status? I'm a bit confused now. First it was that the connection is operational and not only phone can exchange files but also the phone can charge the watch. After a few days I read that Fenix might broke the phone's power output. So how is that? 
Is the guy still having this problem or is it solved?
Does anyone else have the same problem?

I suppose after all, that it will be better to power the watch, while being in wild, from some external batt. pack than from a phone and damage it. Although it looked like a very useful feature.

I wonder what Garmin has to say about this feature, mhmm.


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi everybody. Does anyone understand how work the alerts "Till Sunset" and "Interval"?
The second question. Vibro anyone work?


----------



## Time_Bandit_8

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi all - I followed this thread for about the first 35 pages ;-) but have not read anything since.... question - is anyone able to load their 24K Topo or other maps directly onto the Fenix? I recall earlier in the thread that the prevailing wisdom said you could not download ANY maps directly to the Fenix.... ?

PS - I have my 24K Topo maps on my Fenix....  but it is probably common knowledge now on how to do that .... right? Granted, I only have a couple of small sections on it since the Fenix is only 24 some MB in memory... but nonetheless they are on there...


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



rustislove said:


> 2. Regarding the smartphone <-> Fenix connection what is the current status? I'm a bit confused now. First it was that the connection is operational and not only phone can exchange files but also the phone can charge the watch. After a few days I read that Fenix might broke the phone's power output. So how is that?
> Is the guy still having this problem or is it solved?


Exactly as you described: 1st time it worked, I snaped the pictures and posted here. Never worked again since then. Don't hook up! You will burn the "power out" line of your smartphone USB circuit.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Hi everybody. Does anyone understand how work the alerts "Till Sunset" and "Interval"?
> The second question. Vibro anyone work?


"Till sunset" alerts you X time before the Sun goes bellow horizon, so you wont get caught out there in the dark.
"Interval" alerts you every X time (every 1h, etc) so you can take a break, report wereabouts by radio, water the dog, etc


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> Exactly as you described: 1st time it worked, I snaped the pictures and posted here. Never worked again since then. Don't hook up! You will burn the "power out" line of your smartphone USB circuit.


have you ruled out The Usb Female to microusb cable might be damaged? and not necesarily the Smartphone? I know the cable is not so easily found but might be worth checking...


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> "Till sunset" alerts you X time before the Sun goes bellow horizon, so you wont get caught out there in the dark.
> "Interval" alerts you every X time (every 1h, etc) so you can take a break, report wereabouts by radio, water the dog, etc


I can not understand what to do to Fenix, for example, called for 10 minutes before sunset. Or that the warning every hour. Does not work. Can I do something wrong?


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> Exactly as you described: 1st time it worked, I snaped the pictures and posted here. Never worked again since then. Don't hook up! You will burn the "power out" line of your smartphone USB circuit.


It is more a problem of the USB power out of the smartphone than an issue on the Fenix USB input. USB specifies a maximum output current (for normal USB connections, there are also high power USB connections and on some desktop, the normal USB port are able to provide more current/power than the USB specifications).

Normally any USB output should comply to that with a limitation + protection on the power output, it is may be not the case on your smartphone but it doesn't mean that it is not the case on other smartphones and that connecting the Fenix to another smartphone will destroy its USB port.

What could also happen is that the current wasn't too high but that, because the Fenix was connected and charging for a long time, some components became too hot and eventually were burn out.

I think that the problem is probably the second one because if the Fenix was taking too much current, there would also be problems with laptops as most laptops have a current limit on their USB and shut down their USB power output if the current is too high with a pop up window warning.

How long was your Fenix connected to the USB of your smartphone ?


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jbadilla said:


> have you ruled out The Usb Female to microusb cable might be damaged? and not necesarily the Smartphone? I know the cable is not so easily found but might be worth checking...


I hope you are right, next week I will try to connect that cable to a Galaxy S2 and read a pen-drive with it.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jipe said:


> How long was your Fenix connected to the USB of your smartphone ?


No more than 15 minutes. When I connected it the fenix BAT was 93% full, I disconnected as soon as it got 100%.
No heat feeling when grabing the smart or the Fenix after disconnect, no burn smell.
Only realised lost functionality when a few days latter I was tryiing for the first time one of the APPs.
Then tried reading a pen: NOGO, usb card reader: NOGO, fully charged Fenix ( I was so relieved it could still charge from PC !) & GalaxyNote & reconnected: NOGO.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Vibro anyone work?


Yes, and being in one's wrist fenix vibro is a lot more noticeable than the vibro of a telephone in your pocket !


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> Yes, and being in one's wrist fenix vibro is a lot more noticeable than the vibro of a telephone in your pocket !


It works very well and I use the vibro for all alarms instead of the sound alarms. You cannot miss the vibro alarm on your wrist while sometimes you don't hear the sound alarm.


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I connect my Fenix to my PC much more often than charging would require, but, unless I am mistaken, there is no way to tell Fenix not to charge while connected to the PC
don't you think it would be interesting to implement this to avoid numerous unnecessary charging cycles of the battery?


----------



## Pelican

Although rechargeable battery types vary, as far as I'm aware, a battery charge cycle is counted from fully drained to full charge; so-called 'top-up' charging has little or no negative impact on battery life (for Li-Ion anyhow). That's why it's best to not completely drain the battery in order to achieve maximum service life, as this minimises no. of full charge cycles. 

P.S. The Fenix seems like nice bit of kit, but, judging from this excellent thread, is FAR too complex for my poor little brain to master. Good luck all you geniuses out there!


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> Yes, and being in one's wrist fenix vibro is a lot more noticeable than the vibro of a telephone in your pocket !


Reciprocum, thank you very much for your reply. Honestly, you make me upset. I was hoping that this is a problem with the firmware and the vibration stopped working at all. I was so glad that my watch was able to remind silent. But vibro have left me. Now, only the simpl audio reminder.


----------



## jipe

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Reciprocum, thank you very much for your reply. Honestly, you make me upset. I was hoping that this is a problem with the firmware and the vibration stopped working at all. I was so glad that my watch was able to remind silent. But vibro have left me. Now, only the simpl audio reminder.


I guess you checked the settings of your Fenix as for most alarms, you can select between none, sound only, sound+vibro, vibro only ?


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jipe said:


> I guess you checked the settings of your Fenix as for most alarms, you can select between none, sound only, sound+vibro, vibro only ?


Yes, jipe, I can choose between sound only, sound + vibro, vibro only. I chose a lot of time in different types of alerts: alarm, alert timer notification point is approached, and others. And when I choose the sound + vibro, then the only sound is. When I select a vibro only then do nothing but pop-up that worked notification.

It turns out only I have a problem. The rest of all the alerts are working correctly.


----------



## blasbike

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

FW 2.80 Sensors Always On problem:
I have only 1min sensors data after update to 2.80. Used to be up to 48 hour on barometer.
Anybody has same problem?

EDIT:
After changing a profile everything looks OK. So just in case change a profile back and forth...


----------



## PetrB

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



reciprocum said:


> "Till sunset" alerts you X time before the Sun goes bellow horizon, so you wont get caught out there in the dark.
> "Interval" alerts you every X time (every 1h, etc) so you can take a break, report wereabouts by radio, water the dog, etc


The problem is, that when I tried "Till sunset" nothing happened. No tone, no vibration. Are there any tricks, or is it just dead feature?

Petr


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



PetrB said:


> The problem is, that when I tried "Till sunset" nothing happened. No tone, no vibration. Are there any tricks, or is it just dead feature?
> 
> Petr


I have exactly the same problem. Tried to put the different time. Nothing happens.


----------



## watchita

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Yes, jipe, I can choose between sound only, sound + vibro, vibro only. I chose a lot of time in different types of alerts: alarm, alert timer notification point is approached, and others. And when I choose the sound + vibro, then the only sound is. When I select a vibro only then do nothing but pop-up that worked notification.
> 
> It turns out only I have a problem. The rest of all the alerts are working correctly.


I have the same issue. I set sound + vibro and I am not getting any vibro for the notifications of the 1km autolap..


----------



## mvyrmnd

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I've got one of these in the mail. I'm super excited. I've read this thread twice through now! Thanks to all who've contributed, and to gaijin for all his hard work!

(You'll note I signed up a year ago, and lurked up until today!)


----------



## macleod1979

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Thanks so much for this thread gaijin!


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



macleod1979 said:


> Thanks so much for this thread gaijin!


Hear hear!

To gaijin, the father of the mother of all fenix threads!


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*

After reading many things about this issue, and asking questions to GARMIN, this is my understanding of how altimeter settings work, but I am sure there are different opinions out there.
Please, those of you that think to have understood the behavior of the Fenix concerning Elevation, confirm/correct this table

Thanks


*SETTINGS*
*READINGS*
 *Auto Calibration*
*Baro. Plot*
*reported pressure figure*
*reported elevation figure*
ON
FIXED
corrected to sea level
Only considers GPS information
ON
AMB. PRESSURE
real measurement
Interprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. Uses GPS information to correct the elevation through a sofisticated algorithm patented by Garmin
ON
VARIABLE
corrected to sea level
It works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detected
OFF
FIXED
corrected to sea level
Only considers GPS information
OFF
AMB. PRESSURE
real measurement
Interprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. No GPS correction
OFF
VARIABLE
corrected to sea level
It works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detected


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*



Ahg said:


> After reading many things about this issue, and asking questions to GARMIN, this is my understanding of how altimeter settings work, but I am sure there are different opinions out there.
> Please, those of you that think to have understand the behavior of the Fenix concerning Elevation, confirm/correct this table
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> *SETTINGS**READINGS* *Auto Calibration**Baro. Plot**reported pressure figure**reported elevation figure*ONFIXEDcorrected to sea levelOnly considers GPS informationONAMB. PRESSUREreal measurementInterprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. Uses GPS information to correct the elevation through a sofisticated algorithm patented by GarminONVARIABLEcorrected to sea levelIt works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detectedOFFFIXEDcorrected to sea levelOnly considers GPS informationOFFAMB. PRESSUREreal measurementInterprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. No GPS correctionOFFVARIABLEcorrected to sea levelIt works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detected


Well, thanks, but the ultimate question is: What is the best option to use?

- maybe for running and hiking it'll be different, though, mhmm


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*



rustislove said:


> Well, thanks, but the ultimate question is: What is the best option to use?
> 
> - maybe for running and hiking it'll be different, though, mhmm


If my table reflects reality, which is far from being proven, best option to optimize elevation readings should be Auto Calibration ON and Baro Plot VARIABLE, with the inconvenience (for me) that with this options, the pressure reading will be corrected to sea level instead of a real reading, which for me has no sense


----------



## submersible

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*

Hi Gaijin,

Have you experienced the poor timekeeping inherent in the Fenix? It was highlighted here by Falconeye and Dvid. I have the same problem. Many thanks.
https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/%5Bgarmin-fenix%5D-time-accuracy-after-synchronisation-766498.html


----------



## idgsd

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*



Ahg said:


> After reading many things about this issue, and asking questions to GARMIN, this is my understanding of how altimeter settings work, but I am sure there are different opinions out there.
> Please, those of you that think to have understood the behavior of the Fenix concerning Elevation, confirm/correct this table
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> *SETTINGS*
> *READINGS*
>  *Auto Calibration*
> *Baro. Plot*
> *reported pressure figure*
> *reported elevation figure*
> ON
> FIXED
> corrected to sea level
> Only considers GPS information
> ON
> AMB. PRESSURE
> real measurement
> Interprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. Uses GPS information to correct the elevation through a sofisticated algorithm patented by Garmin
> ON
> VARIABLE
> corrected to sea level
> It works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detected
> OFF
> FIXED
> corrected to sea level
> Only considers GPS information
> OFF
> AMB. PRESSURE
> real measurement
> Interprets any change in pressure as a change in elevation. No GPS correction
> OFF
> VARIABLE
> corrected to sea level
> It works as FIXED when no movement is detected (or GPS off, I presume) and as AMB. PRESSURE when movement is detected


Back from a road trip from San Diego to New Mexico through Arizona. I used the fenix with the GPS off, monitoring mostly temperatures and elevations along my route. My set-up included Sensors: Always On, Altimeter: Auto Calibration Off, Barometer Plot - tried all combinations, Elevation Plot - Elev/Time. My conclusions are that the fenix altitude measurements with the GPS Off are useless, especially when driving. It works at times (mostly when moving uphills), but gets stuck on an elevation and does not move from there (especially when going down). I am talking about thoudsands of feet that the fenix is not able to track. I had the Ambit with me and it performed very well (I did not care about 100-200 ft. accuracy). I was driving and the fenix was in the "running" profile, so it is possible that the internal algorithms may have issues with such dynamics, but the Ambit had no problems at all (the Ambit was also in the "running" profile). It was very consistent and repeatable.


----------



## cdmackay

thanks very much for your Menu Map files gaijin, and for this thread in general.

Would you please consider hosting the files somewhere that does not require a user registration? the last thing I need is more spam...

I would be delighted to host them on my own personal web server, if you were willing... thanks much.


----------



## submersible

Hi all, just curious if any Fenix owner have made a check of their watch accuracy without GPS synch? It is losing 1 sec a day w/o GPS synch.
Mine is now losing 6 secs behind my Ambit !!! https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/[garmin-fenix]-time-accuracy-after-synchronisation-766498.html

28 OcT losing 6 secs. 








26 Oct losing 4 secs


----------



## kizer

Howdy everybody. I just picked up my Fenix yesterday and man its a slick watch. I primarly use my GPS's for shooting photos with my DSLR. I really like to GEOtag them so this fits in perfectly for my needs. I normally pack a backback, but sometimes I'd rather drop everything and shoot and this would really give me the freedom.

I currently pack around a GPSmap 62 and I'm able to view each track and one of the options is to show the track on the screen as a background image or I can select the "Track Back" and follow with some guidence from my Hand held. I don't seem to see that feature in the Fenix. What I do see is reverse, but when I attempted to use it all it appeared to do was have me create another track and of course I renamed it so I wouldn't use the same name as the original track...

What I did was drive aprox 10miles and tracked from point A to point B. I saved the track and went on with my Business. I later decided to see what would happen if I attempted to track back. I said reverse and went on my way back to point A since I was near point B. I expected the distance to reduce since I was going to the original point A, but it seemed to grow. Could it have been since I didn't start right at point B it was confused or am I simply doing something wrong?

One thing I can report the transfering of files from my Handheld to the Fenix is simply amazing. A few clicks and I'm able to transfer tracks and waypoints from my handheld/fenix both ways. Also I'm liking the fact that I can use Basecamp on my iPhone to add waypoints. To bad you can't change the tracks or email them, but I guess displaying them is of some use.


----------



## kizer

Well I did just check BaseCamp and it does show my track reversed and I'm guessing it appears it wanted me to start where I originally ended. LOL

I've never tried a track reverse with my Hand Held other than where I was before. So maybe its why it created a reversed track, but didn't Navigate me back with arrows and a degrading ETA time/distance.


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*



submersible said:


> Hi Gaijin,
> 
> Have you experienced the poor timekeeping inherent in the Fenix? It was highlighted here by Falconeye and Dvid. I have the same problem. Many thanks.
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/%5Bgarmin-fenix%5D-time-accuracy-after-synchronisation-766498.html


Well, just great! Another area where a bug could appear.

Finally the watch arrived also into Slovakia, but I will rather wait. I feel there will be some more FW - HW modifications yet.

Eventually, I will choose another this year's Christmas gift


----------



## maxgraves

*Re: Garmin fenix - Understanding Altimeter settings*

When I was reading the first page of this review..
I got jealous of the Nato Strap that Gaijin got!!

So I just got the orange one!


----------



## mvyrmnd

maxgraves said:


> When I was reading the first page of this review..
> I got jealous of the Nato Strap that Gaijin got!!
> 
> So I just got the orange one!
> 
> View attachment 861789
> 
> 
> View attachment 861790


That orange strap looks very cool. I might get one for mine


----------



## rustislove

I'm starting to consider of purchasing the Garmin etrex 30 :-(

half money spent and maybe also half problems and I get TOPO map of our country .. so at least and don't have to pull out my phone from backpack during a hike.

etrex seems to have all features I need.


----------



## cdmackay

I'm not so sure; I was about to do the same, but then found lots of concerning reviews for the etrex 30, too... have a good search before you do.


----------



## rustislove

cdmackay said:


> I'm not so sure; I was about to do the same, but then found lots of concerning reviews for the etrex 30, too... have a good search before you do.


yep, I'm doing right now, but it seems that the whole Garmin company has issues ... oh, man ...

maybe, after reading all negative reviews about Garmin GPS units it will remain as it is now, for me - smartphone for outdoor activities 

and I'll save 200 - 400 EUR. The thing is that I am not convinced that I will do a good purchase -> (price + bugs) / features


----------



## cdmackay

We're getting a little off-topic, but yes, that's my decision too: my current Android phone has GLONASS and barometer, and a GPS logger app that does baro elevation correction, e.g. Ultra GPS Logger. Handles TZ issues, and resets the clock from NTP as often as I want it to.

And carry a large USB external battery 

Only thing missing is ANT+; damn those iPhones!


----------



## maxgraves

I use Garmin handheld GPS for years, and they work great..
(I used to had etrex, 60csx, oregon and now I have a Montana 650)
I never had a real problem cause of a bug, and they fixed them straight away on the next release..

all smartphones have bugs and they fixed them on the next updates
so whats the difference?

in my opinion, for real outdoor activities, those handhelds are one way..
you dont concern about breaking it, about getting wet and about battery

ofcourse you buy whatever suits your needs
for geocaching on the park few miles away you dont need to buy a handheld gps!

now the fenix is a different story
cause you dont get maps, small screen, etc 
BUT you have almost all the rest functionalities you get on the handheld devices..
and is on your wrist!
and if you need a map, you pull out from the bag the Montana! or whatever!


----------



## cdmackay

Yup, agreed; I've used Garmin since the very original etrex, too.

But if you read the detailed reviews, many people are saying that the modern devices are not of the same standard. I can't confirm that, it's just what I've read. I'm happy enough with my Edge and my nuvi. Although the nuvi has had many bugs that took months/years to fix...


----------



## kizer

I've noticed when I try to import a workout from Garmin Connect it appears to import the .fit file into my Fenix since I can see it plugged in with USB, but it doesn't appear to show up as a Track or a Route when I try to view it on my Fenix.

I also noticed Garmin Connect doesn't scan my Fenix for GPX files so I have to manually select them. I'm guessing you have to save as .Fit files for it to pickup on them.

Anybody else get the .fit files to work in the newest firmware release or am I simply doing it wrong?
1. I created a course
2. Clicked on view details
3. Send to Device

Of course my device is plugged in and accessible via windows.


----------



## submersible

Despite my not so sterling review of the fenix accuracy, in all fairness there are some other redeeming qualities... (BTW after reading some forumers reports of Garmin's problems, I also sympathise with them moving away from Sirfstar technology and now struggling with building the next generation of GPS equipment. I wish them luck that they can regain that technological strength and lead). Although this is a no brainer stuff, thought i like to share with you.The watch like design of the lugs opened many capabilities for simple strap attachments to packs or pouches or belts, using a short length of paracord or a short pack strap.


----------



## Korczak

Great ideas, thanks for sharing!


----------



## jbadilla

new software version for garmin fenix Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


----------



## Ahg

One release every two Thursdays!! GARMIN, keep that path!
in the last three days I am reconciliating (not sure that's English!) myself with my Fenix:
I used it in the plain from Madrid to Paris, and the track is great, I downloaded a map from the french Brittany from Openstreetmap to the Fenix and it shows perfectly, I manage to get differential GPS through EGNOS, I dupplicated and edited profiles by copy paste the XML files in the PC, and I am getting very familiar with the FEnix menus and find them very user friendly now despite the huge configuration capacity of the watch. I opened a GPX file in googleearth directly from the Fenix and was surprissed that temperature readings and heartrate are shown when you choose track profile!
This is dedicated to those doubting about buying the Fenix and that could have been scared to death by folowing this thread!.........but GARMIN, still a huge work to be done!!



jbadilla said:


> new software version for garmin fenix Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


----------



## kizer

Went for a drive simply because I had to pick up my boys and then take them some where else. I decided to fire up my Fenix, iPhone and picked up my GPSmap 62 and give them a compare. Surprisingly my Two garmins mirrored each other pretty well considering the Fenix has literally no external antenna like my GPSmap. My iPhone completely blew me away since it followed my lane changed a lot better than either garmin.

Anyways if anybody wants a real time comparison without any structures or cannons to deal with. 
http://www.links4jeeps.com/gpstestdrive.gpx

I did notice which isn't shown here is I entered a building and my iPhone and GPSmap continued or attempted to continue tracking and the Fenix simply beeped/buzzed and told me it lost GPS reception.

I guess with this little test I'm happy to know that out in the open I can use either of these 3 devices to track my location and for my purposes of taking photos it works very well. I haven't ventured into Seattle near the high rises to see how accurate any of these three are going to be and I'm sure there will be some fine levels of disappointment.


----------



## slowfenix

Hello

This is my first post here, but this thread has been a handy reference for the Fenix which I picked up a couple of days ago. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.

I'm just wondering if, when pressing the up or down buttons to go to the sensors (compass baro, temp etc) from the time, others are experiencing a lag and a 'refresh' icon in the middle of the screen for 2-3 seconds. This occurs whenever the sensors have not been accessed for a minute or two. It's quite annoying.

Firmware: problem existed before and after the 2.90 firmware.
Sensors are set to always on
GPS is off

I have also noticed that sometimes when the seconds indicator reaches 12:00 the same icon appears for a seconds or two.

I have tried a hard reset and changing profiles and the problem persists.

Here's what it looks like:


----------



## or_watching

slowfenix said:


> I'm just wondering if, when pressing the up or down buttons to go to the sensors (compass baro, temp etc) from the time, others are experiencing a lag and a 'refresh' icon in the middle of the screen for 2-3 seconds.


Hi. 
Yep. Mine does it. 
I think other folks have mentioned it too.


----------



## thm655321

How come the orange strap like in the pic above differs from the one on the Garmin fenix main site? On the Garmin page it clearly has black accenting but the one in the pic above does not. Much prefer it with the accenting. Here is the one on the Garmin page:


----------



## tomhster

The refresh-icon started to appear when I replaced the basemap with my own (heavier) map. Seems quite logical. I have the orange strap as well. I'm glad it doesn't have a shaded/dark accent. In real life, it's like the picture with the refresh-icon. There is an olive-coloured strap available as well. It's not bad, but I prefer the black one to the olive-coloured.


----------



## Falconeye75

slowfenix said:


> Hello
> 
> This is my first post here, but this thread has been a handy reference for the Fenix which I picked up a couple of days ago. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.
> 
> I'm just wondering if, when pressing the up or down buttons to go to the sensors (compass baro, temp etc) from the time, others are experiencing a lag and a 'refresh' icon in the middle of the screen for 2-3 seconds. This occurs whenever the sensors have not been accessed for a minute or two. It's quite annoying.
> 
> Firmware: problem existed before and after the 2.90 firmware.
> Sensors are set to always on
> GPS is off
> 
> I have also noticed that sometimes when the seconds indicator reaches 12:00 the same icon appears for a seconds or two.
> 
> I have tried a hard reset and changing profiles and the problem persists.
> 
> Here's what it looks like:


I have the same thing with this refresh icon. I asked on the forum why sometimes I had this icon appearing without doing anything and with the GPS off but not received any answer. 
Hope I will have an answer too. I didn't try with 2.90.


----------



## slowfenix

thm655321 said:


> How come the orange strap like in the pic above differs from the one on the Garmin fenix main site? On the Garmin page it clearly has black accenting but the one in the pic above does not. Much prefer it with the accenting. Here is the one on the Garmin page:
> 
> View attachment 866096


The image above doesn't look like a photo to me, possibly computer generated?

In any case, the band looks better in real life than it does in my photo. Really enjoying the fenix, just hope the barometer proves accurate.


----------



## norytex

First of all thanks to all participants for this very useful thread. I'm still considering buying the Fenix and have one question regarding the newest firmware. Somewhere I read, that it is now possible to use sensors without GPS (for indoor activities). I would like to use the Fenix as a bike computer for mountain biking. Since the actual speed readings from GPS are quite inaccurate and heavily fluctuating I would like to use an external speed sensor (and cadence sensor) and still have GPS on for track recording. Is this possible with the new firmware version? I know, that in the past you could use the cadence sensor but speed data were only provided by the GPS signal. For me correct speed readings are an important requirement.


----------



## anditirol

norytex said:


> First of all thanks to all participants for this very useful thread. I'm still considering buying the Fenix and have one question regarding the newest firmware. Somewhere I read, that it is now possible to use sensors without GPS (for indoor activities). I would like to use the Fenix as a bike computer for mountain biking. Since the actual speed readings from GPS are quite inaccurate and heavily fluctuating I would like to use an external speed sensor (and cadence sensor) and still have GPS on for track recording. Is this possible with the new firmware version? I know, that in the past you could use the cadence sensor but speed data were only provided by the GPS signal. For me correct speed readings are an important requirement.


You can pair the speed/cadence sensor, but for now only cadence is transferred.


----------



## norytex

anditirol said:


> You can pair the speed/cadence sensor, but for now only cadence is transferred.


Thanks. For me this is definitely a big minus...


----------



## Mcapilot

TRUELIGHT said:


> *Mr. gaijin * I registered so I could take a moment to thank you! I'm not that technical when it come to my watch! but I do run a Little  and map my ride say's I cycle on avg 250 mile's a month. But I was looking for a new digital big face watch. Went to the internet found the finex, and your thread! This paragraph caught me,
> 
> Since I would like to wear the fenix as an everyday watch, the first question that comes up is just how well does it do as a simple digital watch - ignoring for the moment all the other features.
> 
> I went on to read the next 27page's (at that time) bought the fenix on amazon that night! LOVE IT! and having a lot of fun learning how to use
> the features, also thanks for the band!
> View attachment 834434


I love that band. I have Googled high and low and have not been able to find the black with orange pin stripe. Only the all black on Amazon in 26mm. Where did you find it?

Thanks,

Mike


----------



## gaijin

Mcapilot said:


> I love that band. I have Googled high and low and have not been able to find the black with orange pin stripe. Only the all black on Amazon in 26mm. Where did you find it?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mike


You can find that strap and many other 26mm NATO type straps here: 26mm Nato Straps

HTH


----------



## macleod1979

Thanks for the link


----------



## Ahg

I apologize if the question might seem stupid, but, how do you fix that type of band to the watch? Is it one single piece and you just slide it below the watch and above the axes of the original band? If yes, does it not make the watch relatively thicker?

Another comment: yesterday night, in a plane, with GPS off, and two days after having updated the 2,9 release, a message popped up saying "GPS firmware uploading" anyone knows what this means, or if it is normal?
thanks



gaijin said:


> You can find that strap and many other 26mm NATO type straps here: 26mm Nato Straps
> 
> HTH


----------



## Vishal

I just purchased my Fenix few days earlier and today i updated to 2.90. After updating , my fenix doesn't display the values for temperature and barometer. 
It shows only "--.--- mb" and "--- °C".
Setting for sensor is = "Always on".
I have tried resetting the watch a number of times and also reset it once to factory settings. 
But the display still shows the above values.
Im sure i am overlooking something very basic but i cant seem to point it out. Can someone please figure it out for me so i can get back to not worrying about my watch and start enjoying it!!!!!

Thanking you all in advance and for all the mini reviews from everyone. 
I learnt more here than anywhere else.


----------



## cobrapa

Vishal said:


> I just purchased my Fenix few days earlier and today i updated to 2.90. After updating , my fenix doesn't display the values for temperature and barometer.
> It shows only "--.--- mb" and "--- °C".
> Setting for sensor is = "Always on".
> I have tried resetting the watch a number of times and also reset it once to factory settings.
> But the display still shows the above values.


It doesn't sound like you have done anything wrong. It may really be a hardware failure you will need to return for replacement. :-(

Just a curiosity to rule out software bugs... Have you tried without the "Always On" sensor setting?


----------



## anditirol

Vishal said:


> I just purchased my Fenix few days earlier and today i updated to 2.90. After updating , my fenix doesn't display the values for temperature and barometer.
> It shows only "--.--- mb" and "--- °C".
> Setting for sensor is = "Always on".
> I have tried resetting the watch a number of times and also reset it once to factory settings.
> But the display still shows the above values.
> Im sure i am overlooking something very basic but i cant seem to point it out. Can someone please figure it out for me so i can get back to not worrying about my watch and start enjoying it!!!!!
> 
> Thanking you all in advance and for all the mini reviews from everyone.
> I learnt more here than anywhere else.


Look here: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?31868-Fenix-2-90-Software&p=153226#post153226


----------



## Vishal

Yes did try with "always on" mode. Dosent help.


----------



## Vishal

cobrapa said:


> It doesn't sound like you have done anything wrong. It may really be a hardware failure you will need to return for replacement. :-(
> 
> Just a curiosity to rule out software bugs... Have you tried without the "Always On" sensor setting?


did try that. Did not help


----------



## Vishal

anditirol said:


> Look here: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?31868-Fenix-2-90-Software&p=153226#post153226


Followed the same as the other user suggested but no positive results


----------



## cobrapa

Vishal said:


> Yes did try with "always on" mode. Dosent help.


Hmm, I really meant with the other option? "On Demand"? Is it any different then?


----------



## gaijin

Ahg said:


> I apologize if the question might seem stupid, but, how do you fix that type of band to the watch? Is it one single piece and you just slide it below the watch and above the axes of the original band? If yes, does it not make the watch relatively thicker?
> thanks


See my post #7 at the beginning of this thread and the following thread: https://www.watchuseek.com/f365/how-install-adjust-nato-style-strap-287242.html

HTH


----------



## Mcapilot

gaijin said:


> You can find that strap and many other 26mm NATO type straps here: 26mm Nato Straps
> 
> HTH


Thanks. I placed my order. Unfortunately one of the bands I wanted is out of stock. I will keep checking back. I am assuming you have to take the band off to charge the Fenix?

Thanks so much for the review. It is the best and most detailed of any product review I have ever seen, not just on the Fenix but of any product I've read on any forum.

Mike


----------



## Vishal

cobrapa said:


> Hmm, I really meant with the other option? "On Demand"? Is it any different then?


Nope. Same with Both.

Also i noticed that the battery life has decreased dramatically. 10 hours ago it was 90% and right now it is about 25%.
Weird.

Any thoughts???


----------



## Taylorparis

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I am wanting to know if the watch gives you grid cordenants ie longs and latts. If I'm camping here in the states or backpacking overseas could I use it to find my possition on a map? I'm especially interested if it will work overseas!


----------



## mvyrmnd

Yes, yes and yes.


----------



## gaijin

Mcapilot said:


> Thanks. I placed my order. Unfortunately one of the bands I wanted is out of stock. I will keep checking back. *I am assuming you have to take the band off to charge the Fenix?*
> 
> Thanks so much for the review. It is the best and most detailed of any product review I have ever seen, not just on the Fenix but of any product I've read on any forum.
> 
> Mike


No need to remove the band to charge the fenix:










Simply pull out a little slack at the back of the watch and attach the charger between the watch and the band. ;-)










HTH


----------



## vanara

For me, with FW 2.9 and sensor on "always on" mode, there is no ascent or descent recording when using indoor training mode. Why??????


----------



## thm655321

gaijin, do you find with a nato strap between your wrist and the watch that the temperature reading is any more accurate?

Thanks.


----------



## gaijin

thm655321 said:


> gaijin, do you find with a nato strap between your wrist and the watch that the temperature reading is any more accurate?
> 
> Thanks.


No. The sensor is slightly further away from one's skin when on a NATO/Zulu type strap, but still variably affected by proximity.

It is important to note that the purpose of the fenix's internal temperature sensor is to provide temp information to the watch about the temperature of the sensors in order to yield more accurate pressure/altitude data - not to give the wearer accurate ambient temperature info. That is the purpose of the Tempe external temperature sensor which is not affected by body heat (assuming one mounts it correctly) and is designed to yield accurate ambient temperature information.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

vanara said:


> For me, with FW 2.9 and sensor on "always on" mode, there is no ascent or descent recording when using indoor training mode. Why??????


It is my understanding that the Ascent/Descent data are derived from GPS readings. Therefore, since the GPS is OFF when using the Indoor Profile, there can be no Ascent/Descent data.

HTH


----------



## thm655321

gaijin said:


> No. The sensor is slightly further away from one's skin when on a NATO/Zulu type strap, but still variably affected by proximity.
> 
> It is important to note that the purpose of the fenix's internal temperature sensor is to provide temp information to the watch about the temperature of the sensors in order to yield more accurate pressure/altitude data - not to give the wearer accurate ambient temperature info. That is the purpose of the Tempe external temperature sensor which is not affected by body heat (assuming one mounts it correctly) and is designed to yield accurate ambient temperature information.
> 
> HTH


That is fantastic info that I have not seen anywhere else. Thank you.


----------



## cobrapa

gaijin said:


> It is my understanding that the Ascent/Descent data are derived from GPS readings. Therefore, since the GPS is OFF when using the Indoor Profile, there can be no Ascent/Descent data.
> 
> HTH


It would be nice if this were not the case though. The baro/altimeter is more accurate for small changes of altitude. Although I am a little surprised at the original posters concern. What were they doing indoors that involved altitude change of enough height you would like to log it?

You can always try out an Ambit. ;-)


----------



## vanara

cobrapa said:


> It would be nice if this were not the case though. The baro/altimeter is more accurate for small changes of altitude. Although I am a little surprised at the original posters concern. What were they doing indoors that involved altitude change of enough height you would like to log it?
> 
> You can always try out an Ambit. ;-)


the name of this mode is indoor but i want to use it outdoor. sometimes i dont want to use the GPS because i want to preserve the battery. For exemple for long mountaineering trip without gps, long hiking, long trail with foot pod, sport climbing (gps needless), mountain bike with speed sensor...
i know the ambit can do this, the old suunto X10 too...


----------



## as4tik

vanara said:


> the name of this mode is indoor but i want to use it outdoor. sometimes i dont want to use the GPS because i want to preserve the battery. For exemple for long mountaineering trip without gps, long hiking, long trail with foot pod, sport climbing (gps needless), mountain bike with speed sensor...
> i know the ambit can do this, the old suunto X10 too...


 Why not turn on ultratrac? You can put a huge range to save battery . For example, one hour.


----------



## cobrapa

as4tik said:


> Why not turn on ultratrac? You can put a huge range to save battery . For example, one hour.


Smart workaround for annoying setup. Nice idea! :-!

Except that it will still use gps for ascent/descent, when what you really want is baro/altimeter altitude data recorded.... (I think. At least that is what I would want, with a good altimeter.)


----------



## vanara

cobrapa said:


> Smart workaround for annoying setup. Nice idea! :-!
> 
> Except that it will still use gps for ascent/descent, when what you really want is baro/altimeter altitude data recorded.... (I think. At least that is what I would want, with a good altimeter.)


+1


----------



## Naj

Hi there! Thanks all of you for great observation. I'm lucky owner of this watch since today. I just want to ask you, is there some possible way to manage with plots of Alti, Baro, Temp inside watches? Like zoom or move in plot. Usually at the morning, I want to see hourly temperature of past night.

Thanks


----------



## Mcapilot

kizer said:


> I've noticed when I try to import a workout from Garmin Connect it appears to import the .fit file into my Fenix since I can see it plugged in with USB, but it doesn't appear to show up as a Track or a Route when I try to view it on my Fenix.
> 
> I also noticed Garmin Connect doesn't scan my Fenix for GPX files so I have to manually select them. I'm guessing you have to save as .Fit files for it to pickup on them.
> 
> Anybody else get the .fit files to work in the newest firmware release or am I simply doing it wrong?
> 1. I created a course
> 2. Clicked on view details
> 3. Send to Device
> 
> Of course my device is plugged in and accessible via windows.


I'm having the same upload problem. When I connect the watch Garmin Connect finds it, but it will not pull the data off the watch. I also tried Map My Ride. Same thing it finds the Fenix actually shows the files and then when I go to save it says "failed".

It does work fine in both programs if I manually upload the fenix .


----------



## vanara

indoor mode during 3h = 20% battery decrease... as short as GPS/1s...


----------



## Ahg

To my understanding, if you select auto calibration off and baro plot ambient pressure, there will be no correction in elevation coming from GPS&#8230;..but I might be wrong



cobrapa said:


> Smart workaround for annoying setup. Nice idea! :-!
> 
> Except that it will still use gps for ascent/descent, when what you really want is baro/altimeter altitude data recorded.... (I think. At least that is what I would want, with a good altimeter.)


----------



## Mcapilot

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I am sure this has something to do with a setting I am missing. When I start a a track, I start at point "A" , I stop it at the destination, point "B". When I upload and I have to do so manually , because it does not find a track in Garmin Connect unless I do it manually, The track automatically completes a loop. Meaning instead of showing a starting point at "A" and a finish point at "B" it draws a "straight as the crow flies" from where I really started to point "B" completing a loop not a point to point track. Any ideas of what might be causing this?

This is an screen capture from Basecamp: The straight diagonal never happened that is the line that completes the circuit that never was.








Thanks in advance for any help.

Mike


----------



## cpt-caverne01

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Bonjour à tous, je me pose une question, vue que la fénix apparait comme un disque dur sur les ordinateurs, personne n'a essayé de créer des fonctions supplémentaires à la montre, vue que l'accès au micrologiciel est facile?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello everyone, I settle a question, seen that the fénix apparait as a hard disk on computers, nobody tried to create additional functions in the watch, having seen only the access to microsoftware is easy?


----------



## alaprade

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

This may have been addressed (I've only read the first 30 pages so far). From what I can see the odometer is not profile specific. No matter if I'm using the skiing profile I've created or the cycling profile, the same odometer reading comes up. Has anyone found a way around this? I'd like to keep my nordic skiing/road riding/mountain biking accumulated mileages separate.


----------



## sergiofi

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I live in Brazil and I'm planning to buy the fenix, but I would like to know if it is possible to upload brazilian map to it?


----------



## alaprade

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



sergiofi said:


> I live in Brazil and I'm planning to buy the fenix, but I would like to know if it is possible to upload brazilian map to it?


If you have a Garmin compatible map, you should be able to upload it.


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



sergiofi said:


> I live in Brazil and I'm planning to buy the fenix, but I would like to know if it is possible to upload brazilian map to it?


Without purchasing Garmin MAPS you may use maps from OpenStreetMap
For wxampl maps here: OpenStreetMap

You do not need to use the export to their main website. Maps directly from there can not be picked up for Fenix.
But you can use a different server, which is able to convert maps from OSM to "img"-format for Fenix.
For example here is the server: Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap

Choose no more than one sector. Then the map will not much about 5MB. After converting the wait for you will receive an email with a choice that can be used. From there you have to download "osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip" This is your map in the format of "img" to easily copy the memory Fenix.


----------



## Falconeye75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Without purchasing Garmin MAPS you may use maps from OpenStreetMap
> For wxampl maps here: OpenStreetMap
> 
> You do not need to use the export to their main website. Maps directly from there can not be picked up for Fenix.
> But you can use a different server, which is able to convert maps from OSM to "img"-format for Fenix.
> For example here is the server: Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap
> 
> Choose no more than one sector. Then the map will not much about 5MB. After converting the wait for you will receive an email with a choice that can be used. From there you have to download "osm_generic_gmapsupp.zip" This is your map in the format of "img" to easily copy the memory Fenix.


You can choose more than one sector but you will have to work on the map using some tools (see following post) :

https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/garmin-fenix-how-upload-maps-unit-770169.html

Solution gave by A4stik for finding maps and by Maxgraves for editing are the best choice !


----------



## Naj

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Is there some way to log ascent and descent altitude with senzor? Tech4o Traileader has this function, it is much more accurate than altitude from GPS, especially in mountains.


----------



## kizer

@Macapilot

I've personally not seen any of my tracks perform a loop. Are you joining tracks? If you join tracks it will do as a crow fly to connect them, but if your simply going from point "A" to "B" it shouldn't do that. I've easily recorded 2 dozen tracks playing with my Fenix and it hasn't done that once in BaseCamp.


----------



## as4tik

Hello everybody. Someone tell me please, is Alerts-Proximity work on firmware 2.90? Before the firmware update, it worked, but the distance you could choose only in feet. And now distance in km, but I can not figure out how to enable it.


----------



## Mcapilot

kizer said:


> @Macapilot
> 
> I've personally not seen any of my tracks perform a loop. Are you joining tracks? If you join tracks it will do as a crow fly to connect them, but if your simply going from point "A" to "B" it shouldn't do that. I've easily recorded 2 dozen tracks playing with my Fenix and it hasn't done that once in BaseCamp.


Thanks for the reply.

No, I have not joined the tracks. I made no setting changes between my different tracks. It has done this 5 or 6 times. I am having to upload my maps manually to Garmin Connect, even though it finds the watch it says "no activities found." So i click on manually update and it works. Same upload problem with Map My Ride. It gives me several choices of GPS devices, I chose Garmin then it shows connected to Fenix. When I upload it actually shows the dates of my tracks, but then shows "Failed". If you or anybody else has any ideas, I would love to hear them.

Thanks


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cpt-caverne01 said:


> Hello everyone, I settle a question, seen that the fénix apparait as a hard disk on computers, nobody tried to create additional functions in the watch, having seen only the access to microsoftware is easy?


Bonjour. 
I saw somewhere that someone is keeping their secret password file in their watch. Just like a file on a USB drive. Nothing that the watch itself uses.

But if you were really dedicated you could make a track/route of GPS coordinates that, at the proper zoom level and with Panning, would spell out a password (or favorite quote for instance) in the Map view on the watch.


----------



## MXCHNEY

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Mcapilot said:


> I am sure this has something to do with a setting I am missing. When I start a a track, I start at point "A" , I stop it at the destination, point "B". When I upload and I have to do so manually , because it does not find a track in Garmin Connect unless I do it manually, The track automatically completes a loop. Meaning instead of showing a starting point at "A" and a finish point at "B" it draws a "straight as the crow flies" from where I really started to point "B" completing a loop not a point to point track. Any ideas of what might be causing this?
> 
> This is an screen capture from Basecamp: The straight diagonal never happened that is the line that completes the circuit that never was.
> View attachment 870145
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help.
> 
> Mike


Sometimes when I turn on my GPS on a new location it will resume tracking and show a straight tracking line from the last position to my new position. Could this be what is happening to you? I have not observed this specifically for my Fenix but seen it regularly on my Zumo and my Montana. It is no big deal as it is easy to remove with the Basecamp tracking tools.


----------



## Mcapilot

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



MXCHNEY said:


> Sometimes when I turn on my GPS on a new location it will resume tracking and show a straight tracking line from the last position to my new position. Could this be what is happening to you? I have not observed this specifically for my Fenix but seen it regularly on my Zumo and my Montana. It is no big deal as it is easy to remove with the Basecamp tracking tools.


I thought that's what might have happened but the time that I started the track is the time I actually started not that of the last start time. I wish it was as simple as removing the track, but it says my max speed was around 19000 mph which throws off my average speed. Going Mach 2 as an average speed on a bike is great, but not quite as accurate as I would like. The good news is since this post it has not happened again.


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Is there a way to see all my tracks on the map while hiking, like the waypoints, without having to choose "GO" in the track menu for a specific track? And with Routes?

I used ultratrack for the first time yesterday. Everything was a disaster. Watch got blolcked with the message importing track when I selected "GO" for a track, and I had to press three buttons at the same time for at least 10 seconds for the watch to shut down. When it came up again, distance data had continue recording, but not time data, and the heart rate was not working any more, and the temp was showing, but not its graph.


----------



## as4tik

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Ahg said:


> Is there a way to see all my tracks on the map while hiking, like the waypoints, without having to choose "GO" in the track menu for a specific track?


Tracks>select a track>Display>Show

But can you know how to turn on Proximity Alerts?
For example, Alerts "Till Sunset" I set "00:40:00" and notification "Ton & Vib." But have never been alert. What did I do wrong? Where do I have to activate something?


----------



## kindofblack

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi,

I got this great watch few weeks ago and I'm starting enjoying it !

I've create/modify some profiles, but is there a guide/reference somewhere about that ? 
Some parts of the XML files are quite obvious/easy but for the other ones, it seems quite tricky to me 

Thx for this great thread.

KoB


----------



## kizer

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Just returned from a 20+ Mile Offroad adventure up in the mountains of Washington State. I wore my watch and had it in UlatraTrack mode to save power and more or less simply compare. I used my Full sized Garmin GPSmap62s with Topo Maps, Trails as well as a BirdsEye photo so I could see basically everything. I was completely setup to tackle everything.

14 or so miles into my trip on the Mountain I realized my batteries on my GPS were not full. Shock and fear hit and I realized I didn't pack my spares like I have always done.

I was able to back track and get out with some difficulty using my Fenix only because the screen was rather small, but since it was my only source and I had Washington State trail maps installed. The guys with me wanted my Trail Log and I ended up providing them with the one from my Fenix. LOL

My observations was on average the Fenix was 30+ feet off from my GPSmap62 in UltraTrack and close to 15feet when running in normal. Of course half way in it was my only source of GPS tracking.


----------



## thm655321

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



as4tik said:


> Tracks>select a track>Display>Show
> 
> But can you know how to turn on Proximity Alerts?
> For example, Alerts "Till Sunset" I set "00:40:00" and notification "Ton & Vib." But have never been alert. What did I do wrong? Where do I have to activate something?


I tested this as well and mine also did not alert me even though I clearly set the notification to be tone+vibration.

Perhaps this can be fixed in the next software upgrade...


----------



## as4tik

thm655321 said:


> I tested this as well and mine also did not alert me even though I clearly set the notification to be tone+vibration.
> 
> Perhaps this can be fixed in the next software upgrade...


 Thank you so much. I thought I was crazy.


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Anybody else get offered a time zone update for the fenix? I plugged in to MyDashboard day before yesterday and it offered me a system update, but just for time zone info. No noticeable change after the update (but I didn't really look for anything either.)


----------



## Falconeye75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cobrapa said:


> Anybody else get offered a time zone update for the fenix? I plugged in to MyDashboard day before yesterday and it offered me a system update, but just for time zone info. No noticeable change after the update (but I didn't really look for anything either.)


Yes I was also proposed a time zone updae some days ago. I don't know what is it correcting...


----------



## or_watching

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



Falconeye75 said:


> Yes I was also proposed a time zone updae some days ago. I don't know what is it correcting...


Time zones change occasionally, but Daylight Savings changes are made all over the place all the time... it's a political thing. I don't think that I've seen that Garmin specifies what exactly they change.

Time Zone News - countries that change their clocks


----------



## kproff

Hello!
one question:
to withstand the water because I swim a lot?
thanks for the reply!


----------



## gaijin

kproff said:


> Hello!
> one question:
> to withstand the water because I swim a lot?
> thanks for the reply!


From Garmin's FAQ (Can I use my Garmin GPS device in water?):

Can I use my Garmin GPS device in water?08/29/2012
Since terms like waterproof and water-resistant can be confusing and interpreted in different ways, Garmin has manufactured devices with a standardized International Protection Rating (IP). Most Garmin outdoor and fitness GPS devices are rated with this standard's rating of IPx7 and are able to withstand accidental immersion in one meter of standing water for up to 30 minutes.
The depth of one meter refers to the pressure at this depth. If you fall into the water with your GPS device with significant force, your device may experience a pressure found at depths lower than one meter. This could cause water damage. In conjunction with the water resistant protection provided with its design, avoiding contact with water when using your device will further decrease the risk of water damage.
*The fenix, Forerunner 910XT, 310XT, FR70, FR60 and Forerunner 50 are an exception as they have a higher water-resistance level and can be utilized when surface swimming.*
HTH


----------



## thm655321

Ahh so they updated the faq to include the fenix.

At the end of the day, the issue was much ado about nothing...


----------



## watchita

After few weeks of satisfactory use of my fenix (2.90) a really annoying problem surfaced: during an activity it sometime just turn off and restart. I then have to restart GPS and restart the activity, the information on the distance is still there but time restart from zero (so speed does not make any sense anymore).

I tested the watch under different condition and have been able to exclude the following possible causes:

- altitude
- elevation gain/loss
- temperature
- HR monitor/HR vibro alarm
- battery
- FIT and GPX v. FIT only

I reinstalled the software (2.90) and reset the watch (through the in-watch menu, which does not completely erase the profiles)

Do you think there is anything I could try before sending it back. Do you know how to completely reset the watch (no worries for the profiles, I just set two)

Really hope my fenix will be back to life because I was really enjoying it!

Thank you all


----------



## Kjeld Jensen

This thread is really impressive when it comes to technical details about the fenix, and I have learned a lot from reading through the many, many pages of comments. Please allow me to add a few comments as well.

I learned about the 26mm NATO straps from Panatime.com that fits the fenix from this thread and I ordered a few. In my humble opinion this one is definitely the best for the fenix: NEW - 26mm Orange Nato Ballistic Nylon- 3 Ring Strap with Stripe I also tried the 5-ring versions which I think are way too clumsy compared to the 3-ring versions. Perhaps more interesting I just got an email from Panatime tody saying that until November 26 they are running a 35% discount on all their products (use the discount code CYBER2012 at checkout). I am not in any way affiliated with Panatime, I just suppose that this might be of interest to other users here.

I did a (non-scientific) test of the accuracy of the built-in temperature sensor and the Tempe sensor using a Fluke 54 temperature meter. I have so far measured at 23, 20, 9 and 4 degrees Celsius and all measurements were within one degree.

I have added the measurement data and more details at my Wiki. If anyone would like to see this please visit GPS:Garmin fenix - wiki.kjen.dk

Again thanks for this impressive thread.

/Kjeld


----------



## LiquidSpin

Will the Garmin Fenix work with the Tanita BC-1000 scale? I'm interested in purchasing the scale but I would also like to know if the software that comes with the scale is compatible with Windows 8.

Thanks!


----------



## ssorc

No. It only works with a few specific ANT+ devices, such as the Tempe, footpod, HRM strap and bike cadence sensor. I've not seen any reference to support for ANT+ scales.


----------



## Falconeye75

Kjeld Jensen said:


> This thread is really impressive when it comes to technical details about the fenix, and I have learned a lot from reading through the many, many pages of comments. Please allow me to add a few comments as well.
> 
> I learned about the 26mm NATO straps from Panatime.com that fits the fenix from this thread and I ordered a few. In my humble opinion this one is definitely the best for the fenix: NEW - 26mm Orange Nato Ballistic Nylon- 3 Ring Strap with Stripe I also tried the 5-ring versions which I think are way too clumsy compared to the 3-ring versions. Perhaps more interesting I just got an email from Panatime tody saying that until November 26 they are running a 35% discount on all their products (use the discount code CYBER2012 at checkout). I am not in any way affiliated with Panatime, I just suppose that this might be of interest to other users here.
> 
> I did a (non-scientific) test of the accuracy of the built-in temperature sensor and the Tempe sensor using a Fluke 54 temperature meter. I have so far measured at 23, 20, 9 and 4 degrees Celsius and all measurements were within one degree.
> 
> I have added the measurement data and more details at my Wiki. If anyone would like to see this please visit GPS:Garmin fenix - wiki.kjen.dk
> 
> Again thanks for this impressive thread.
> 
> /Kjeld


Thanks for the information. Do you know what is the difference between 3 rings and 5 rings ? Do you have some pics of the Fenix back with this kind of strap ?

Do you know where can we find springs bar for the Fenix ? I read that is was complicated to take the spring bars out of the original strap.

Thanks.


----------



## Time_Bandit_8

Kjeld Jensen said:


> This thread is really impressive when it comes to technical details about the fenix, and I have learned a lot from reading through the many, many pages of comments. Please allow me to add a few comments as well.
> 
> /Kjeld


To be frank, I saw a lot of value in this thread initially, and up to the point where it was 15 pages or so. Since then, I would prefer to see all the separate topics, issues, findings in this thread broken out by topic as separate posts on the forum. That, to me, would provide more value.

It is just that if you are not religiously tracking this thread post by post (which many of us don't), coming back to the board and finding 74+ pages, and 30 news pages to peruse to try and get up to speed is not practical. Plus, if you were to take the time, it is no guarantee it will answer the questions you have, or it will have entries you are interested in. In addition, if one wants to "Search" the forum for information on a particular topic or phrase, it would be much more effective / efficient to locate and access a more topical thread instead of having to try and navigate this thread for your search.

*Don't get me wrong - there is a TON of useful information here -* it is just not effective to find useful information topically for forum members, as many of the Fenix super-users are logging this topical information in this monster thread with limited naviagation capabilities for the user. Read the title of the post: Garmin Fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts.... is it a review? Is the review done? Are there several parts, or did we lose count? 

*Now, before anyone who participates in the thread gets defensive and takes offense to my point*, realize I am attempting to make the point that this information would be more useful to infrequent visitors and newbies to this forum who are trying to find information on the Fenix by TOPIC / ISSUE etc, and not have to try and navigate this monster thread to see if it is already covered.

I truly think some of the more knowledgeable Fenix contributors on this forum are not answering / addressing other posts because they think the topic was already addressed in this thread, and personally feel the thread has met its objective a while ago. IMHO - Lock the thread, encourage posters to open more topical posts / information regarding the Fenix for newbies looking for Fenix information in a more expiditious fashion by TOPIC instead of having to try to glean useful information out of 74 pages of information.

Cheers to all  just challenging the status-quo... and a litte groupthink here.... YMMV, you may beg to differ, and you may not agree but be civil, objective in your reply to this challenge.


----------



## mvyrmnd

Time_Bandit_8 said:


> To be frank, I saw a lot of value in this thread initially, and up to the point where it was 15 pages or so. Since then, I would prefer to see all the separate topics, issues, findings in this thread broken out by topic as separate posts on the forum. That, to me, would provide more value.
> 
> It is just that if you are not religiously tracking this thread post by post (which many of us don't), coming back to the board and finding 74+ pages, and 30 news pages to peruse to try and get up to speed is not practical. Plus, if you were to take the time, it is no guarantee it will answer the questions you have, or it will have entries you are interested in. In addition, if one wants to "Search" the forum for information on a particular topic or phrase, it would be much more effective / efficient to locate and access a more topical thread instead of having to try and navigate this thread for your search.
> 
> *Don't get me wrong - there is a TON of useful information here -* it is just not effective to find useful information topically for forum members, as many of the Fenix super-users are logging this topical information in this monster thread with limited naviagation capabilities for the user. Read the title of the post: Garmin Fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts.... is it a review? Is the review done? Are there several parts, or did we lose count?
> 
> *Now, before anyone who participates in the thread gets defensive and takes offense to my point*, realize I am attempting to make the point that this information would be more useful to infrequent visitors and newbies to this forum who are trying to find information on the Fenix by TOPIC / ISSUE etc, and not have to try and navigate this monster thread to see if it is already covered.
> 
> I truly think some of the more knowledgeable Fenix contributors on this forum are not answering / addressing other posts because they think the topic was already addressed in this thread, and personally feel the thread has met its objective a while ago. IMHO - Lock the thread, encourage posters to open more topical posts / information regarding the Fenix for newbies looking for Fenix information in a more expiditious fashion by TOPIC instead of having to try to glean useful information out of 74 pages of information.
> 
> Cheers to all  just challenging the status-quo... and a litte groupthink here.... YMMV, you may beg to differ, and you may not agree but be civil, objective in your reply to this challenge.


I quite agree.


----------



## norytex

I totally agree too. Even for quite constant followers of the thread it's becoming very difficult to find something which you actually need and which you remember to have read somewhere along this thread.


----------



## gaijin

Falconeye75 said:


> Do you know where can we find springs bar for the Fenix ? I read that is was complicated to take the spring bars out of the original strap.Thanks.


The fenix does not use springbars. It is really quite easy to push the bar out of the end of the strap:







HTH


----------



## gaijin

Time_Bandit_8 said:


> To be frank, I saw a lot of value in this thread initially, and up to the point where it was 15 pages or so. Since then, I would prefer to see all the separate topics, issues, findings in this thread broken out by topic as separate posts on the forum. That, to me, would provide more value.It is just that if you are not religiously tracking this thread post by post (which many of us don't), coming back to the board and finding 74+ pages, and 30 news pages to peruse to try and get up to speed is not practical. Plus, if you were to take the time, it is no guarantee it will answer the questions you have, or it will have entries you are interested in. In addition, if one wants to "Search" the forum for information on a particular topic or phrase, it would be much more effective / efficient to locate and access a more topical thread instead of having to try and navigate this thread for your search.*Don't get me wrong - there is a TON of useful information here -* it is just not effective to find useful information topically for forum members, as many of the Fenix super-users are logging this topical information in this monster thread with limited naviagation capabilities for the user. Read the title of the post: Garmin Fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts.... is it a review? Is the review done? Are there several parts, or did we lose count? *Now, before anyone who participates in the thread gets defensive and takes offense to my point*, realize I am attempting to make the point that this information would be more useful to infrequent visitors and newbies to this forum who are trying to find information on the Fenix by TOPIC / ISSUE etc, and not have to try and navigate this monster thread to see if it is already covered.I truly think some of the more knowledgeable Fenix contributors on this forum are not answering / addressing other posts because they think the topic was already addressed in this thread, and personally feel the thread has met its objective a while ago. IMHO - Lock the thread, encourage posters to open more topical posts / information regarding the Fenix for newbies looking for Fenix information in a more expiditious fashion by TOPIC instead of having to try to glean useful information out of 74 pages of information.Cheers to all  just challenging the status-quo... and a litte groupthink here.... YMMV, you may beg to differ, and you may not agree but be civil, objective in your reply to this challenge.


Easiest thing for you to do is start a new thread with your specific question - I'm sure it will receive attention and an answer if possible.HTH


----------



## Time_Bandit_8

norytex said:


> I totally agree too. Even for quite constant followers of the thread it's becoming very difficult to find something which you actually need and which you remember to have read somewhere along this thread.


Yes, It is a tough read now as the topics jump all over the map, and not easy to follow from one post to the next. I see a lot of valuable information in this thread that will be ever-lost....

It is at least becoming clear to some.... others may be too close to it perhaps.... cheers.


----------



## mvyrmnd

Maybe someone with some (a lot) of spare time could build an index post.

For example

Tracks - post 98
Straps - post 8364


----------



## Guest

watchita said:


> After few weeks of satisfactory use of my fenix (2.90) a really annoying problem surfaced: during an activity it sometime just turn off and restart. I then have to restart GPS and restart the activity, the information on the distance is still there but time restart from zero (so speed does not make any sense anymore).
> 
> I tested the watch under different condition and have been able to exclude the following possible causes:
> 
> - altitude
> - elevation gain/loss
> - temperature
> - HR monitor/HR vibro alarm
> - battery
> - FIT and GPX v. FIT only
> 
> I reinstalled the software (2.90) and reset the watch (through the in-watch menu, which does not completely erase the profiles)
> 
> Do you think there is anything I could try before sending it back. Do you know how to completely reset the watch (no worries for the profiles, I just set two)
> 
> Really hope my fenix will be back to life because I was really enjoying it!
> 
> Thank you all


I have had repeated instances of my Fenix entering an infinite reboot/restart cycle midflight (Power Paraglider).
Because batery was fully charged and this never happened to me in ground activities (nor in unpowered flight activities)
my conclusion is that the cause is electronic noise interference from the 2-stroque engine spark plug that is less than 1m away from my wrist.
Interesting to know if someone can replicate this problem using a Fenix in Karting vehicles (similar conditions).


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



or_watching said:


> Bonjour.
> I saw somewhere that someone is keeping their secret password file in their watch. Just like a file on a USB drive. Nothing that the watch itself uses.
> 
> But if you were really dedicated you could make a track/route of GPS coordinates that, at the proper zoom level and with Panning, would spell out a password (or favorite quote for instance) in the Map view on the watch.


And you can also keep your passwords as notes (written using BaseCamp) to some waypoint(s), that you read with the "details" function. You can set those waypoints say, in North Pole, and so they will only show after you "search" for them.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jbadilla said:


> have you ruled out The Usb Female to microusb cable might be damaged? and not necesarily the Smartphone? I know the cable is not so easily found but might be worth checking...


You are exactly right! I determined that the cable was busted by trying to use it with another smartphone (reading a microSD card reader).
I bought another OTG host cable and could see/connect the Fenix again from the same Galaxy Note smartphone.


----------



## Guest

*Re: Garmin fenix - Full file access trough Android smartphone + charging too !*



reciprocum said:


> After I connected my Android smartphone to the Fenix watch for the first time, I have not been able to connect the smartphone to any "power needing" external device: connection to fenix no longer works, fenix is no longer charged by the smartphone, smartphone cannot use/see a pen-drive (pen-drive OK if connected to USB port of PC), smartphone cannot use/see an USB SD card reader (OK if connected to USB port of PC), PC can still see/charge/read/write the Fenix (Fenix USB cable OK), PC can still see/charge/read/write the smartphone (USB data lines on smartphone still OK).
> I guess is the "power out" line from the smartphone that got <fried> after feeding/charging the fenix, so beware.
> iGuys: you can go lit a candle in honour of Steve Jobs for keeping you safe from these kinds of unrecoverable hardware mishaps ;-)


problem fixed: was busted USB OTG cable adaptor, bought new one.


----------



## MXCHNEY

*Software version 3.0*

Version 3.0 has been released with several improvements and fixes:

Changes made from version 2.90 to 3.00:

Added ability to select Venezuela and UTC time zones
Added continuous altimeter auto calibration mode
Improved altimeter auto calibration. Settings are now: Off, At Start or Continuous. Use 'At Start' for an initial calibration from GPS when tracking has started. This will result in more consistent relative elevation change. Use 'Continuous' to continually calibrate the barometer towards the current GPS elevation. This will result in a more stable elevation during pressure changes due to weather.
Improved ETE/ETA calculations so they are more responsive to speed changes
Fixed cadence units overlap in bottom data field
Fixed issue with proximity alerts when GPS was off
Fixed potential issue with alert notification settings
Fixed issue where Track and FIT History details did not match for the same activity
Fixed issue with Time -> Til Sunset alert


----------



## Guest

reciprocum said:


> I have had repeated instances of my Fenix entering an infinite reboot/restart cycle midflight (Power Paraglider).
> Because batery was fully charged and this never happened to me in ground activities (nor in unpowered flight activities)
> my conclusion is that the cause is electronic noise interference from the 2-stroque engine spark plug that is less than 1m away from my wrist.
> Interesting to know if someone can replicate this problem using a Fenix in Karting vehicles (similar conditions).


Update on the spontaneous infinite reboot loop bug: yesterday I had definite proof of what causes it on my fenix (latest firmware). It happens when I have a predefined max altitude alert (vibro+sound) and I reach it .
I realised that my previous 2 instances of this event happend while flying at about same height, so yesterday I changed the alarm heigth to a diferent value and BINGO, Fenix crashed when that altitude was exactly reached.
Even in the surviving track file I could verify the exact value logged before the file/track ended.
Crossing the height alarm boundary from bellow to above causes the Fenix to crash and reboot in an infinite loop (need to press power off very long time to recover), crossing the boundary from above to bellow doesn't crashes but also cuts the track file and stops the tracking, you have to restart a new track. So I ended up with my flight recorded in 3 segments, ruining my flight stats, and with 2 bits missing (the time I was struggling to ressuscitate it back to life).


----------



## or_watching

reciprocum said:


> Update on the spontaneous infinite reboot loop bug:


Bummer you hit a bug, but thanks for figuring it out! Pls send to [email protected] if you haven't already.


----------



## jhonzatko

I have the same problem too. It's really pretty annoying.
Is there any solution/fix for this? It makes the watch totally useless (



slowfenix said:


> Hello
> 
> This is my first post here, but this thread has been a handy reference for the Fenix which I picked up a couple of days ago. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.
> 
> I'm just wondering if, when pressing the up or down buttons to go to the sensors (compass baro, temp etc) from the time, others are experiencing a lag and a 'refresh' icon in the middle of the screen for 2-3 seconds. This occurs whenever the sensors have not been accessed for a minute or two. It's quite annoying.
> 
> Firmware: problem existed before and after the 2.90 firmware.
> Sensors are set to always on
> GPS is off
> 
> I have also noticed that sometimes when the seconds indicator reaches 12:00 the same icon appears for a seconds or two.
> 
> I have tried a hard reset and changing profiles and the problem persists.
> 
> Here's what it looks like:
> 
> View attachment 866033


----------



## mvyrmnd

jhonzatko said:


> I have the same problem too. It's really pretty annoying.
> Is there any solution/fix for this? It makes the watch totally useless (


Mine does it too, but I've gotten used to it...


----------



## cobrapa

Yes, the fenix has always had that pause when starting up the menus here.


----------



## jhonzatko

Holy crap, it makes me crazy ... !
If i had the oportunity, i would sent it back and buy Ambit.


----------



## anto1980

Have you tested the alti auto calibration modes? It functions better than a barometric mode with auto-calib off? Better than the Ambit?

Regards?


----------



## AutoRotate

Hello to all,

This is my first post on the forum. I wanted to share my Fenix experience and share the most recent failure. I received the watch September 12, 2012. Since then, I have performed all firmware upgrades up to and including the most recent. Approximately one month ago a problem developed where the screen would go blank, except for a single horizontal LCD line through the display. This would appear at different times under various circumstances and could not be resolved with anything specific. Eventually, enough button presses (usually power) would cycle the watch. During the GARMIN FENIX "boot-up" screen, the LCD would appear cloudy, then resolve itself and begin working again.

Fast forward to tonight. After landing from a patrol flight, I glanced down at the watch and noticed the plastic housing at one of the strap bars has completely broken. See picture. I have an email in to GPS CITY, where I bought the watch, to see how I need to proceed. Pretty disappointing for an "outdoor, rugged, GPS watch."


----------



## gaijin

AutoRotate said:


> Hello to all,
> 
> This is my first post on the forum. I wanted to share my Fenix experience and share the most recent failure. I received the watch September 12, 2012. Since then, I have performed all firmware upgrades up to and including the most recent. Approximately one month ago a problem developed where the screen would go blank, except for a single horizontal LCD line through the display. This would appear at different times under various circumstances and could not be resolved with anything specific. Eventually, enough button presses (usually power) would cycle the watch. During the GARMIN FENIX "boot-up" screen, the LCD would appear cloudy, then resolve itself and begin working again.
> 
> Fast forward to tonight. After landing from a patrol flight, I glanced down at the watch and noticed the plastic housing at one of the strap bars has completely broken. See picture. I have an email in to GPS CITY, where I bought the watch, to see how I need to proceed. Pretty disappointing for an "outdoor, rugged, GPS watch."
> 
> View attachment 902711


I agree, that is very disappointing. The bars holding the strap on are very beefy, but it does indeed look like the attachment point on the lug may be underdesigned - i.e. too little structural support due to thin plastic.

Please keep us posted as to how GPS City and/or Garmin resolve this issue for you.

HTH


----------



## AutoRotate

I certainly will, and as mentioned, I don't even recall catching it or banging it on anything - not that it should matter with this type of watch. A standard NATO strap has been installed since replacing the original band when the watch was purchased. I will post updates as I receive them. I'm working nights tonight and hope to have an email from GPS CITY when I wake up later.

Take care!

Clay


----------



## anto1980

*R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*

What have you done? You've been hanging somewhere?

Antonio D'Alessandro
Tapatalk 2


----------



## AutoRotate

*Re: R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*



anto1980 said:


> What have you done? You've been hanging somewhere?
> 
> Antonio D'Alessandro
> Tapatalk 2


I don't understand what you are saying/asking.


----------



## AutoRotate

I contacted GPS CITY this afternoon regarding the problem. They were fantastic as always - issued RMA and advised to return the watch for a new one. It will be shipped FedEx overnight this afternoon.


----------



## anto1980

*R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*

Sorry for my english... :'(
Have you done an extreme use?

Inviato dal mio XT910 con Tapatalk 2


----------



## AutoRotate

*Re: R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*



anto1980 said:


> Sorry for my english... :'(
> Have you done an extreme use?
> 
> Inviato dal mio XT910 con Tapatalk 2


No problem at all - I just wanted to understand before answering. No sir, I have not done anything extreme with the watch. I run, cycle (road & mountain), and wear the watch at work. I don't even know exactly when the fracture occurred.


----------



## anto1980

*R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*

Ok...
I got a Suunto Ambit and I'd like to buy a Fenix...
Are you satisfacted about the functions?

Inviato dal mio XT910 con Tapatalk 2


----------



## gaijin

AutoRotate said:


> I contacted GPS CITY this afternoon regarding the problem. They were fantastic as always - issued RMA and advised to return the watch for a new one. It will be shipped FedEx overnight this afternoon.


Kudos to GPS City for the manner in which they are handling this for you. My dealings with them have always been great - glad they stepped up on this one as well.

It might be very beneficial to send pictures and an explanation of this failure directly to Garmin as well. It certainly will not affect the resolution by GPS City and your replacement watch from them, but making them aware of the problem may encourage them to improve the design to avoid such failures in the future.  The direct contact for them is Adam Cloud at [email protected]

HTH


----------



## AutoRotate

*Re: R: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts*



anto1980 said:


> Ok...
> I got a Suunto Ambit and I'd like to buy a Fenix...
> Are you satisfacted about the functions?
> 
> Inviato dal mio XT910 con Tapatalk 2


For someone who already owns an Ambit, I would refer you to DC Rainmaker's breakdown on the Fenix. He has much more perspective that I do. The link can be found below:
Garmin Fenix In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


----------



## AutoRotate

gaijin said:


> Kudos to GPS City for the manner in which they are handling this for you. My dealings with them have always been great - glad they stepped up on this one as well.
> 
> It might be very beneficial to send pictures and an explanation of this failure directly to Garmin as well. It certainly will not affect the resolution by GPS City and your replacement watch from them, but making them aware of the problem may encourage them to improve the design to avoid such failures in the future. The direct contact for them is Adam Cloud at [email protected]
> 
> HTH


I intend to do just as you suggest, in the interest of providing the manufacturer consumer information to build a better product. That being said, I have been pondering the failure and have arrived at an initial potential cause/problem. These are my initial thoughts and open to criticism, obviously. I'm wondering if the thickness of the black plastic portion of the watch housing that failed only provides enough backing support when the factory watch band is installed. In other words, the factory watch strap bars penetrate the factory watch band through a "tunnel." This "tunnel" marries itself against the inside portion of the plastic hole where the Torx screw passes through, providing back support against the plastic that failed.

When using a NATO strap, obviously the round rubber backing of the factory band is not there and may be placing an undue burden on the black plastic portion that failed. The house cracked in the exact direction as the natural force that is applied by the NATO strap when worn. It cracked and "pulled away" in the direction of the normal wear force applied through the bending of the wrist, catching on shirt sleeves, etc.

I'm not 100% sure that this is the problem, but for all those sporting NATO bands on your Fenix - you might take a look at what I'm talking about. Look at where the silver strap bar "marries" up to the back of the black plastic hole housing on the watch and imagine the factory strap wrapped around this silver strap bar, providing rigidity and back pressure. I will probably go back to the factory strap once I receive the new watch. Not that I should have to, the watch should be able to handle a NATO strap, but maybe that's what happened to mine.

I assure you it wasn't some colossal snag that broke it - I would have felt/noticed. Just food for thought...


----------



## jipe

AutoRotate said:


> I intend to do just as you suggest, in the interest of providing the manufacturer consumer information to build a better product. That being said, I have been pondering the failure and have arrived at an initial potential cause/problem. These are my initial thoughts and open to criticism, obviously. I'm wondering if the thickness of the black plastic portion of the watch housing that failed only provides enough backing support when the factory watch band is installed. In other words, the factory watch strap bars penetrate the factory watch band through a "tunnel." This "tunnel" marries itself against the inside portion of the plastic hole where the Torx screw passes through, providing back support against the plastic that failed.
> 
> When using a NATO strap, obviously the round rubber backing of the factory band is not there and may be placing an undue burden on the black plastic portion that failed. The house cracked in the exact direction as the natural force that is applied by the NATO strap when worn. It cracked and "pulled away" in the direction of the normal wear force applied through the bending of the wrist, catching on shirt sleeves, etc.
> 
> I'm not 100% sure that this is the problem, but for all those sporting NATO bands on your Fenix - you might take a look at what I'm talking about. Look at where the silver strap bar "marries" up to the back of the black plastic hole housing on the watch and imagine the factory strap wrapped around this silver strap bar, providing rigidity and back pressure. I will probably go back to the factory strap once I receive the new watch. Not that I should have to, the watch should be able to handle a NATO strap, but maybe that's what happened to mine.
> 
> I assure you it wasn't some colossal snag that broke it - I would have felt/noticed. Just food for thought...


I checked mine (owned since early September and worn with the factory strap), no crack.

When looking at the way the Nato strap is connected to the watch case, I think you are right: the Nato strap probably put more stress on the case than the factory strap what might cause the problem you experienced.

There is another issue with the Nato strap : it goes under the case of the watch and as result the, already rather thick Fenix, becomes even thicker making it higher on your wrist and more exposed to side shock.


----------



## DRTBYK

My theory is that the watch case was previously cracked and just finally let go. I say this based upon two points: prior watches with NATO bands and my fenix. I have had many watches that I used a NATO band on and some of them are heavy and have rather small spring-posts. I never had a post let go - and under some rather stressful conditions.


As for the fenix, I was removing the Garmin band (just out of the box) to put on my NATO band and as I started to unscrew one of the post screws, the screw head snapped off. Could be your watch post-screw was over-torqued like mine was. Just a thought.


Garmin is sending me a Band Kit since they don't have just the Post's and Screw's available. I have examined my fenix case under a rather high power ocular and can see no stress fractures or distortions in the plastic - both within the screw head well and on the back side (inside where the post touches).

By the way, Garmin sells their own version of a NATO band.

Cheers,


----------



## KiwiWomble

I have been reading this since the start Gaijin, thanks for starting it off!

Just ordered mine today, should have it wednesday. I will definately be getting the velcro strap and extender when it is avaliable in nz as i use it when skiing and need to strap it over jacket.

looking back, what advice would you all give to a Fenix newbie, what would you set up off the bat now that you have had a play. I will be using for running and skiing as well as a normal watch

cheers


----------



## mvyrmnd

KiwiWomble said:


> I have been reading this since the start Gaijin, thanks for starting it off!
> 
> Just ordered mine today, should have it wednesday. I will definately be getting the velcro strap and extender when it is avaliable in nz as i use it when skiing and need to strap it over jacket.
> 
> looking back, what advice would you all give to a Fenix newbie, what would you set up off the bat now that you have had a play. I will be using for running and skiing as well as a normal watch
> 
> cheers


Prepare to spend the first 2 hours setting up your profiles 

Update the firmware straight away.

Visit Maps for Garmin fenix | GMapTool to grab yourself a better basemap.

Regsiter it with garmin so there's no arguements about warranty.

Set up the Basecamp software on your Mac/PC, and get the iPhone version too (if applicable)

Enjoy it because it's awesome!


----------



## KiwiWomble

thats great, thanks, will definately get a better base map.

not having had one to play with i am still a little foggy on what the profiles do, are they pretty much just what you see when you are doing a certain activity etc?


----------



## mvyrmnd

KiwiWomble said:


> thats great, thanks, will definately get a better base map.
> 
> not having had one to play with i am still a little foggy on what the profiles do, are they pretty much just what you see when you are doing a certain activity etc?


Pretty much. If you're skiing, then there's info you'd like to see that has no relevance when you're running. You can set up different info screens under different profiles to show you what you want to see for each activity.


----------



## KiwiWomble

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hey

Fenix arrived today

first thoughts, i have set up how i want to see the time, turn off the key tones etc but when i go into a profile that all changes back and i hae to go and correct all those things one by one, can you create a "Time" or "Normal" profile that keeps these settings for daya to day use?

edit: flag that, thing i have it sorted, finally found "create new", seems to have creted one with the current setting


----------



## watchita

reciprocum said:


> I have had repeated instances of my Fenix entering an infinite reboot/restart cycle midflight (Power Paraglider).
> Because batery was fully charged and this never happened to me in ground activities (nor in unpowered flight activities)
> my conclusion is that the cause is electronic noise interference from the 2-stroque engine spark plug that is less than 1m away from my wrist.
> Interesting to know if someone can replicate this problem using a Fenix in Karting vehicles (similar conditions).


I've just received a new Fenix from Garmin and I'm looking forward to update to 3.00 (it's now 2.30) and try it in the field


----------



## KiwiWomble

i'm sorry if this has been done before but i'm try to catch people before they log off 

is there a way to add the countdown timer to the running profile?


----------



## AutoRotate

AutoRotate said:


> I intend to do just as you suggest, in the interest of providing the manufacturer consumer information to build a better product. That being said, I have been pondering the failure and have arrived at an initial potential cause/problem. These are my initial thoughts and open to criticism, obviously. I'm wondering if the thickness of the black plastic portion of the watch housing that failed only provides enough backing support when the factory watch band is installed. In other words, the factory watch strap bars penetrate the factory watch band through a "tunnel." This "tunnel" marries itself against the inside portion of the plastic hole where the Torx screw passes through, providing back support against the plastic that failed.
> 
> When using a NATO strap, obviously the round rubber backing of the factory band is not there and may be placing an undue burden on the black plastic portion that failed. The house cracked in the exact direction as the natural force that is applied by the NATO strap when worn. It cracked and "pulled away" in the direction of the normal wear force applied through the bending of the wrist, catching on shirt sleeves, etc.
> 
> I'm not 100% sure that this is the problem, but for all those sporting NATO bands on your Fenix - you might take a look at what I'm talking about. Look at where the silver strap bar "marries" up to the back of the black plastic hole housing on the watch and imagine the factory strap wrapped around this silver strap bar, providing rigidity and back pressure. I will probably go back to the factory strap once I receive the new watch. Not that I should have to, the watch should be able to handle a NATO strap, but maybe that's what happened to mine.
> 
> I assure you it wasn't some colossal snag that broke it - I would have felt/noticed. Just food for thought...


New unit arrived from GPS City this afternoon. It has been registered and I updated the firmware. We shall see how this one fares. Giant Kudo's to GPS City. They went above and beyond - fantastic customer service. Highly recommend them for all your GPS needs


----------



## AutoRotate

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



KiwiWomble said:


> Hey
> 
> Fenix arrived today
> 
> first thoughts, i have set up how i want to see the time, turn off the key tones etc but when i go into a profile that all changes back and i hae to go and correct all those things one by one, can you create a "Time" or "Normal" profile that keeps these settings for daya to day use?
> 
> edit: flag that, thing i have it sorted, finally found "create new", seems to have creted one with the current setting


All those settings are profile specific. In other words, if you change them while "logged into" the RUNNING profile, they will not follow you over to the HIKING profile. You will have to change them there as well. Each profile provides tons of customization which can be good and bad.


----------



## jimmijames73

I finally caved in and purchased a fenix. Am having fun learning all the ins and outs of the watch. One thing I cannot work out is how to get the autolap to alert with with both sound and vibration. I have gone through all the menus but cannot seem to find the right setting. I can get vibration working ok with the navigation alerts but not autolap.


----------



## orcinus

Found a bug in 3.0.

Nothing major, but kinda annoying.
The waypoint name field on the waypoint averaging screen is garbled:










For comparison:


----------



## jbadilla

fenix review The Road to Marathon Des Sables: Garmin Fenix Technical Review


----------



## Gunnar9090

Wow, it looks like this forum is slowing down a bit, but what a great read.

I just had the opportunity to buy a Ambit at a post holiday REI sidewalk sale for a unbelievable price (less than the price for a Garmin 110!). No box, or sync cord, but $30 for the cord and I'm all set. I previously owned the fenix and returned it because of the lack of foot pod support and Garmin Connect (and Strava) integration.

All fixed with FW 2.9. So I kinda regretted selling my fenix a few months back. But loved the opportunity to try the Ambit for such a stellar price. But a week in using the Ambit taught me that for my needs the Garmin fenix is the way to go. The size of the Ambit on my wrist is just a bit bigger than the fenix and the lack of integration with Garmin Connect and other third party players is a bust. But, I was able to sell the Ambit for a good profit and it payed for my re-purchase of the fenix. Lovin' it all over again!

Now with the introduction of the new Garmin edge series 510 and 810 with integration to the new Garmin Connect app via bluetooth BTLE I'm REALLY hoping that Garmin gets with the program and allows for .gpx/.fit upload to smartphones as well. I can't imagine they would design the fenix with Bluetooth BTLE and only allow basic connection with their basecamp app???

Am I the only person that travels without a laptop but wants upload capability to social media sites and Garmin Connect through a convenient device like my iPhone (or Android) and iPad (or tablet) without having to deal with always relying on my bulky computer?


----------



## DWJ-MN

Gunnar9090 said:


> ...Now with the introduction of the new Garmin edge series 510 and 810 with integration to the new Garmin Connect app via bluetooth BTLE I'm REALLY hoping that Garmin gets with the program and allows for .gpx/.fit upload to smartphones as well. I can't imagine they would design the fenix with Bluetooth BTLE and only allow basic connection with their basecamp app???
> 
> Am I the only person that travels without a laptop but wants upload capability to social media sites and Garmin Connect through a convenient device like my iPhone (or Android) and iPad (or tablet) without having to deal with always relying on my bulky computer?


We should know later today when Garmin releases the Garmin Connect for iPhone in the App Store (I think it is today). I don't know if it will work right away with fenix, require a FW update to fenix, or never.

Doug


----------



## Gunnar9090

DWJ-MN said:


> We should know later today when Garmin releases the Garmin Connect for iPhone in the App Store (I think it is today). I don't know if it will work right away with fenix, require a FW update to fenix, or never.
> 
> Doug


As usual DCRainmaker has already done a great review of the edge 510/810 and discussed the Garmin Connect App today. App is due to be released January 10. And so far it only supports the 510 and 810. Seems kind of silly to have a similar app to basecamp? And that being said, if the 510 and 810 will have direct upload to Garmin Connect via the Garmin Connect Mobile app and smartphone, why not have the poor ol' fenix connect to it too? After all, the fenix was the first Garmin product to have Bluetooth connectivity and so far there's not much we can do with it. If there's anyone who is going to be far away from a laptop it's fenix users.....


----------



## KiwiWomble

am i right in thinking that Garmin Connect is only avaliable on apple and then on for iphone 5?

also, is there a "max speed" feature somewhere? my wife and i always try and beat eah other shen skiing


----------



## mvyrmnd

I posted on the Garmin Australia Facebook page about the new app and why are fēnix users are being left behind, ad they told me to contact their technical support email. I'll report back with their reply...


----------



## mvyrmnd

mvyrmnd said:


> I posted on the Garmin Australia Facebook page about the new app and why are fēnix users are being left behind, ad they told me to contact their technical support email. I'll report back with their reply...


They promised me a response in 72 hours. It's been 5 days...


----------



## cpt-caverne01

Bonjour la montre enregistre-t-elle les intervalles R-R?

---------------------------------------------------

Good morning the watch it records spaces R-R?


----------



## KiwiWomble

sorry, not sure what you mean by "spaces R-R" 

re my question earlier, i worked out how to edit the data fields, awesome, only annouyancy is i have put my countdown timer on a page for when running but still seem to have to go down into the clock > Timer to start it


----------



## or_watching

cpt-caverne01 said:


> Bonjour la montre enregistre-t-elle les intervalles R-R?
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 
> Good morning the watch it records spaces R-R?


Hi,
As far as I know, the fenix does not log R-R heart beat intervals. The Ambit and other Suuntos do, and some of the Garmins do (like the 910), maybe not by default but can be turned on, eg for use with Firstbeat Athlete.

I think.


----------



## cpt-caverne01

Merci pour la réponse, effectivement se serait pour une utilisation sous Firsbeat Athlete

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for answer, really would belong for an use under Firsbeat Athlete


----------



## jbadilla

take a look, a new Garmin marine Unit, just like the Fenix "waterproof to 50 m" I wonder if they made modifications to the fenix to achieve this, since I don't think the fenix advertised this rating?
Marine Watch + GPS Navigator | Garmin quatix
Garmin quatix marine watch unveiled - GPS Tracklog


----------



## KiwiWomble

ANyone got any advice on why the data pages i set up seem to have disappeared? do i need to save them some how?


----------



## mvyrmnd

mvyrmnd said:


> I posted on the Garmin Australia Facebook page about the new app and why are fēnix users are being left behind, ad they told me to contact their technical support email. I'll report back with their reply...


Aaaaand finally!

"Hi mvyrmnd,

Thank you for contacting Garmin Australasia Support

The Garmin Connect app is only compatible with the Edge 510 and Edge 810 units. Future updates to the App may well add the ability to accommodate additional unit but we do not have any definitive information in regard to this at the moment.

With kind regards,
Garmin Australasia Support"

In other words - piss off.


----------



## mvyrmnd

KiwiWomble said:


> ANyone got any advice on why the data pages i set up seem to have disappeared? do i need to save them some how?


Have you accidentally changed profiles?

if you set up the data pages in "running" then swap to "hiking" you'll get the default hiking ones.


----------



## KiwiWomble

mvyrmnd said:


> Have you accidentally changed profiles?
> 
> if you set up the data pages in "running" then swap to "hiking" you'll get the default hiking ones.


hey, thanks for the reply

i thought it might be something like that so went in and reselected my running profile...still nothing, i'm wondering if i has set some sort of navigating rather than tracking as when i went back into set up the data pages they still looking like they should....going to assume it was just me


----------



## mvyrmnd

KiwiWomble said:


> hey, thanks for the reply
> 
> i thought it might be something like that so went in and reselected my running profile...still nothing, i'm wondering if i has set some sort of navigating rather than tracking as when i went back into set up the data pages they still looking like they should....going to assume it was just me


Also, there's different data page sets for 'tracking' and 'navigating' - so there's really two completely independent sets of data pages under each indepentent profile - incredibly flexible, but quite confusing 

They're in there somewhere - just a matter of finding where.

If you connect the fenix to your computer, there's a profiles folder with a bunch of xml files that are the data page config files. Have a look at the size of the files - the one you set up will be bigger than the rest.


----------



## jbadilla

new garmin fenix software update 3.1
Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads

update: you might want to hold on before updating. At least for me after the update, the map view is showing a bluetooth symbol:

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?33732-Fenix-3-10-Software


----------



## moneytoo

I updated to 3.10 in a hope that reported issue ("Fixed potential issue with daily and weekday alarm clock alarms") will be fixed and it indeed seemed ok at first (daily and weekdays alarms were not working for me if stopwatch was running).

But now any alarm (one shot alarms for example) with vibration or vibration&tone reset the watch when the time comes. Can any of you guys please test it to help me check if if my watch is broken?

It was enough hassle to report the first issue (several emails with Garmin support and even checking units in Garmin store until they forwarded the issue to engineers). (I didn't know about their fenix email until just yet)


----------



## Lilton

On upgrading to ver 3.10, I also had a bluetooth symbol dominating the map page. It was cured by a hard reset by the buttons, not by the menu. You can find the procedure on youtube. I've used this reset twice before and it has always worked when the menu reset has not. Hope this helps.


----------



## anditirol

moneytoo said:


> I updated to 3.10 in a hope that reported issue ("Fixed potential issue with daily and weekday alarm clock alarms") will be fixed and it indeed seemed ok at first (daily and weekdays alarms were not working for me if stopwatch was running).
> 
> But now any alarm (one shot alarms for example) with vibration or vibration&tone reset the watch when the time comes. Can any of you guys please test it to help me check if if my watch is broken?
> 
> It was enough hassle to report the first issue (several emails with Garmin support and even checking units in Garmin store until they forwarded the issue to engineers). (I didn't know about their fenix email until just yet)


My alarms works as they supposed to be with 3.1, i tested it today...


----------



## jbadilla

I applied the button reset, first I turned the watch off holding the Power Button (upper left), then I made the reset combination, Return , page down, and power, the releasing the buttons in reverse order as the beeps sound, such as in this video
Garmin fenix - hard reset button sequence - English - YouTube
the bluetooth symbol on the map view is apparently not visible any more.


----------



## guzzio

Suunto Vector oldie for heavy duty activities, Suunto Core for outdoor trips ... mostly watersport (taking the boat out and go snorkeling). I really need a 'Storm Alarm' and the Core warned me everytime bad weather is comming up. The Garmin Fenix plays in my head but: is there a storm alarm ??? Thanks. 
Brrr ... it's so cold in Belgium. :-(


----------



## c0de

Anyone has a wrist shot of the Fenix on a 6.5" wrist? I know it'll be huge, but i want to know how "huge" it is for daily watch.
I'm interested in it because it's an ABC GPS watch with an online platform, I do a bunch of trail running and my forerunner 405 just doesn't cut it for elevation changes. Any other recommendations for a running ABC GPS watch? (Other than the Ambit that is)


----------



## guzzio

And euh ... has anyone swim with the Fenix? 
This is what Garmin says:
_Can I use my Garmin GPS device in water? _

_Email this Answer_
_Print this Answer_
_From Email Address_
_To Email Address_



_ 01/07/2013 
__Since terms like waterproof and water-resistant can be confusing and interpreted in different ways, Garmin has manufactured devices with a standardized International Protection Rating (IP). Most Garmin outdoor and fitness devices are rated this standard's rating of IPx7, which means the device is able to withstand accidental immersion of one-meter of standing water for up to 30 minutes._
_The depth of one meter refers to the pressure at this depth. The GPS falling into water with significant force may cause the device to be damaged since the pressure of striking the water may be greater than one-meter. Therefore, attempting to avoid water contact will decrease the chance of water damage occurring._
_The fenix, Forerunner 910XT, 310XT, 50, 10, FR60 and FR70 are an exception as they have a higher water-resistance level and can be utilized when surface swimming.
_
Bit confused. Can i swim with the Garmin? ? ? ? ?


----------



## KiwiWomble

c0de said:


> Anyone has a wrist shot of the Fenix on a 6.5" wrist? I know it'll be huge, but i want to know how "huge" it is for daily watch.
> I'm interested in it because it's an ABC GPS watch with an online platform, I do a bunch of trail running and my forerunner 405 just doesn't cut it for elevation changes. Any other recommendations for a running ABC GPS watch? (Other than the Ambit that is)


My wrist is actually smaller than 6.5, I know it does look big but I actually find it more comfortable than the tissot prc200 im wearing











guzzio said:


> And euh ... has anyone swim with the Fenix?
> This is what Garmin says:
> _Can I use my Garmin GPS device in water? _
> 
> _Email this Answer_
> _Print this Answer_
> _From Email Address_
> _To Email Address_
> 
> _01/07/2013
> __Since terms like waterproof and water-resistant can be confusing and interpreted in different ways, Garmin has manufactured devices with a standardized International Protection Rating (IP). Most Garmin outdoor and fitness devices are rated this standard's rating of IPx7, which means the device is able to withstand accidental immersion of one-meter of standing water for up to 30 minutes._
> _The depth of one meter refers to the pressure at this depth. The GPS falling into water with significant force may cause the device to be damaged since the pressure of striking the water may be greater than one-meter. Therefore, attempting to avoid water contact will decrease the chance of water damage occurring._
> _The fenix, Forerunner 910XT, 310XT, 50, 10, FR60 and FR70 are an exception as they have a higher water-resistance level and can be utilized when surface swimming.
> _
> Bit confused. Can i swim with the Garmin? ? ? ? ?


I've swam in a lake with mine (the occational dive down) with no problems, showered with it on quite often too


----------



## mvyrmnd

guzzio said:


> And euh ... has anyone swim with the Fenix?
> This is what Garmin says:
> _Can I use my Garmin GPS device in water?_
> 
> _Email this Answer_
> _Print this Answer_
> _From Email Address_
> _To Email Address_
> 
> 
> 
> _01/07/2013
> __Since terms like waterproof and water-resistant can be confusing and interpreted in different ways, Garmin has manufactured devices with a standardized International Protection Rating (IP). Most Garmin outdoor and fitness devices are rated this standard's rating of IPx7, which means the device is able to withstand accidental immersion of one-meter of standing water for up to 30 minutes._
> _The depth of one meter refers to the pressure at this depth. The GPS falling into water with significant force may cause the device to be damaged since the pressure of striking the water may be greater than one-meter. Therefore, attempting to avoid water contact will decrease the chance of water damage occurring._
> _The fenix, Forerunner 910XT, 310XT, 50, 10, FR60 and FR70 are an exception as they have a higher water-resistance level and can be utilized when surface swimming.
> _
> Bit confused. Can i swim with the Garmin? ? ? ? ?


I've swam in the ocean with mine, as well as diving down to 2m in a pool with it countless times.

No fogging of the glass, no water ingress.


----------



## Gunnar9090

*Syncing the fenix with a mobile device:*
I know this has been brought up many moons ago on this post, but I think it was with mixed results. I'm sure I'm not the only one who now travels with only a tablet (no laptop) while on business or vacation, but still wants a way to view and upload work outs either through Garmin Connect, Strava, Runkeeper, Endomondo etc.

Well, I found this new Android App (Sportablet) and Carlo the developer has created a way to upload almost any Garmin device (including the fenix) to a Android tablet. Pretty cool stuff. So cool, that I was due to upgrade my iPad and decided to go the Android route and give this a shot. Notice you can also do a direct upload to Garmin Connect from his app:








Low and behold, it works great, his app is fairly limited, so I went ahead and tried to do a direct upload to Strava just for giggles, and wouldn't you know it. Direct file upload! Well, almost. You still have to choose the file from the fenix (shows up as a mass storage "removable" drive. Look for the "Garmin" file and open that and you'll see your activities (make sure you are recording in .FIT).






















With my Asus Transformer tf101 tablet I needed the USB dongle, but if you happen to have a USB port on your tablet, you should be good to go. This also charges my fenix...nice!








This method also works with my edge 800. This solves a lot of problems for me with traveling and uploading dataand charging my fenix. Hope this helps!


----------



## guzzio

So ... the Fenix has no storm alarm. Such a shame. But it's a nice device and it's fun playing with the settings. But about customizing the settings:

Arrow up or arrow down and i can see baro, alti, comp and temp. Am i correct that you can only customize the Fenix when gps is on and customize only the profile like in hikking, running, cycling ... 
Question: can i customize anything in alti, baro, comp and temp? For example: can i add a 'time-field' in the baro mode when sensors are on? Guess not ??? :-(
Question: can i add an alarm just before sunset?
Question: I have this link for the BeNeLux map in Basecamp (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg). It's about 2,86 Mb, but how do i get this map in my Fenix? The link concerning the BeNeLux map is here:
http://www.gps-info.nl/gps/garmin/fenix/


----------



## Gunnar9090

After playing around with importing maps, I must say it is pretty cool and useful to have topi and trails on the fenix.


----------



## guzzio

Tested the Garmin for the first time outdoors. All the alarms are set properly just like i want it and for my purposes. Speed alarm set in maximum at 50 km/h (max speed for boating here), 'til sunset' alert minus 1 hour to get the boat out of the water, ... GPS is realy outstanding and the auto pause on reacts real fast. So in my profile 'boating', the Garmin is P E R F E C T and meets all my expectations. Learning and adjusting the right set-up ... fun! Some shots from Base Camp ;-)


----------



## LHRORD

guzzio said:


> Tested the Garmin for the first time outdoors. All the alarms are set properly just like i want it and for my purposes. Speed alarm set in maximum at 50 km/h (max speed for boating here), 'til sunset' alert minus 1 hour to get the boat out of the water, ... GPS is realy outstanding and the auto pause on reacts real fast. So in my profile 'boating', the Garmin is P E R F E C T and meets all my expectations. Learning and adjusting the right set-up ... fun! Some shots from Base Camp ;-)


+1 The more I use my Fenix, the more impressed I am with this amazing watch. I have replaced my expensive dress watch with the Fenix for day to day wear, as it literally has been the most capable watch I have found to date. Impressive battery life and phenomenal GPS accuracy. I suspect that the couple of people that seem to be always complaining about the Fenix, either have a defective unit or are simply not using the watch properly. I can't wait until Garmin enables Bluetooth uploading via a smartphone, that will just make this watch almost beyond perfect!


----------



## Erwin11

Hello everybody,

I am new to gps. I have had my fenix for less than a week. I have installed BaseCamp. I have uploaded test tracks from the device to BaseCamp. I can access and view the tracks listed in both the upper and lower left-hand panes in BaseCamp. I have exported some test tracks as gpx-files to Google Earth. I can view the exported tracks in GE. So far, so good. I am happy. I have read all 81 pages of this thread. I am impressed by some of the contributions to this thread. Thank you very much, especially to user Ahg for his interpretation of the altimeter settings of 26 October.

I back-up my documents and pictures on an external hard drive on a regular basis. In the future, I would like to do the same with the tracks I have will have uploaded to BaseCamp. Where on my PC (Win 7) does BaseCamp save the tracks uploaded from the device to BaseCamp?


----------



## Callewallmark

moneytoo said:


> I updated to 3.10 in a hope that reported issue ("Fixed potential issue with daily and weekday alarm clock alarms") will be fixed and it indeed seemed ok at first (daily and weekdays alarms were not working for me if stopwatch was running).
> 
> But now any alarm (one shot alarms for example) with vibration or vibration&tone reset the watch when the time comes. Can any of you guys please test it to help me check if if my watch is broken?
> 
> It was enough hassle to report the first issue (several emails with Garmin support and even checking units in Garmin store until they forwarded the issue to engineers). (I didn't know about their fenix email until just yet)


I have exactly the same problem.....I have done a hard reset (several times), updated to 3.1 and re-installed 2 times, but nothing fixes this problem....
Someone got some idea how to fix it?
BR
Carl


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts: Data pages editing for indoor use*

I will share with you one question I posted to Garmin yesterday, in case any of you got the same "issue". I wouldn't call it a problem, but I don't really see the logic behind
Here it is

Good evening
I have noticed that when setting the data pages on any profile for indoor, they are not registered in the profile.gpf like the tracking and navigating data pages. Besides, when setting the data pages for indoor for one profile, they are automatically applied to all profiles.
Could you please tell me in which files those data pages are saved? If they can be edited with a PC like the profile.gpf files are?
Could you change that so that they are registered like the other data pages in the profile.gpf file, and therefore allow different data pages for different profiles?

Thank you in advance


----------



## Gunnar9090

Callewallmark said:


> I have exactly the same problem.....I have done a hard reset (several times), updated to 3.1 and re-installed 2 times, but nothing fixes this problem....
> Someone got some idea how to fix it?
> BR
> Carl


Same problem here. (See my post from a few days ago). Happened after updating to 3.1. Several crashes during vibration alarm. Then just plain old crashing. Ive sent my fenix back to garmin and waiting for a new unit.....


----------



## jbadilla

Erwin11 said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> I am new to gps. I have had my fenix for less than a week. I have installed BaseCamp. I have uploaded test tracks from the device to BaseCamp. I can access and view the tracks listed in both the upper and lower left-hand panes in BaseCamp. I have exported some test tracks as gpx-files to Google Earth. I can view the exported tracks in GE. So far, so good. I am happy. I have read all 81 pages of this thread. I am impressed by some of the contributions to this thread. Thank you very much, especially to user Ahg for his interpretation of the altimeter settings of 26 October.
> 
> I back-up my documents and pictures on an external hard drive on a regular basis. In the future, I would like to do the same with the tracks I have will have uploaded to BaseCamp. Where on my PC (Win 7) does BaseCamp save the tracks uploaded from the device to BaseCamp?


You can use a the Backup function under the File menu, I think that should backup the whole contents of My Library, which can be restored later with File / Restore.
However, if you just want to backup specific tracks, you can select the desired track, and select File / Export / Export Selection , and select the output format (*.gpx, *.gdb, *.csv, *.tcx, *.txt) I have used gpx. This files can then be Imported back into basecamp with File / Import into... function.

Tha latest basecamp version introduced support for Garmin Cloud Storage, here's the description:

"Every Garmin user will have 150MB of cloud storage to sync your data (waypoints, routes, tracks, etc.) between different computers. This should be fairly seemless, just log in with your MyGarmin account, drag and drop data into your cloud storage device and it will be synced on the cloud so can access it if you run BaseCamp on a different machine."


----------



## Erwin11

jbadilla said:


> You can use a the Backup function under the File menu, I think that should backup the whole contents of My Library, which can be restored later with File / Restore.
> However, if you just want to backup specific tracks, you can select the desired track, and select File / Export / Export Selection , and select the output format (*.gpx, *.gdb, *.csv, *.tcx, *.txt) I have used gpx. This files can then be Imported back into basecamp with File / Import into... function.
> 
> Tha latest basecamp version introduced support for Garmin Cloud Storage, here's the description:
> 
> "Every Garmin user will have 150MB of cloud storage to sync your data (waypoints, routes, tracks, etc.) between different computers. This should be fairly seemless, just log in with your MyGarmin account, drag and drop data into your cloud storage device and it will be synced on the cloud so can access it if you run BaseCamp on a different machine."


Thank you fo your reply. Sometime after I had written my post, I did find out that single tracks can indeed be backed-up by the way you have described. I did not add my insight to my post because I was still hoping there would be a way to copy & paste selected tracks in one go from the location BaseCamp has stored them to a location of my choice.

Thanks for pointing me to the Back-up function under the File menu. I have tested this and I now know how it works. However logical, in the case of a restore, care should be taken as a restore overwrites any files which might meanwhile have been uploaded from the device or singularly restored. An alert informs of this, though.

Backing up, restoring and going back and forth, I have noticed that BaseCamp treats a re-named file at times as the original file. I have yet to run some structured tests to ascertain when it does what.


----------



## Erwin11

Ahg said:


> One release every two Thursdays!! GARMIN, keep that path!
> in the last three days I am reconciliating (not sure that's English!) myself with my Fenix:
> I used it in the plain from Madrid to Paris, and the track is great, I downloaded a map from the french Brittany from Openstreetmap to the Fenix and it shows perfectly, I manage to get differential GPS through EGNOS, I dupplicated and edited profiles by copy paste the XML files in the PC, and I am getting very familiar with the FEnix menus and find them very user friendly now despite the huge configuration capacity of the watch. I opened a GPX file in googleearth directly from the Fenix and was surprissed that temperature readings and heartrate are shown when you choose track profile!
> This is dedicated to those doubting about buying the Fenix and that could have been scared to death by folowing this thread!.........but GARMIN, still a huge work to be done!!


Hi,

I bought my fenix two weeks ago and would like to record some tracks on board long-haul flights. This is rather important to me and I would appreciate learning from you experience.
For the track you made on board the aeroplane, did you use UltraTrac and, if so, with how long an interval?
Did you need to sit at a window to keep locating satellites?
Did the fenix locate satellites all or most of the time?
Thanks.


----------



## KiwiWomble

Well, my velcro strap with extender just turned up, its great, gives the perfect fit and will go over ski jacket come winter no problem


----------



## LHRORD

Erwin11 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I bought my fenix two weeks ago and would like to record some tracks on board long-haul flights. This is rather important to me and I would appreciate learning from you experience.
> For the track you made on board the aeroplane, did you use UltraTrac and, if so, with how long an interval?
> Did you need to sit at a window to keep locating satellites?
> Did the fenix locate satellites all or most of the time?
> Thanks.


It works great, even in long-haul 12 hour flights and it's amazingly accurate showing both your departing and arriving gates; have not tried using UltraTrack, yet. It does help to have a window seat in large commercial flights, but for smaller propeller planes, it works no matter where you sit. Just make sure you get a GPS Fix prior to taking off.


----------



## Erwin11

LHRORD said:


> It works great, even in long-haul 12 hour flights and it's amazingly accurate showing both your departing and arriving gates; have not tried using UltraTrack, yet. It does help to have a window seat in large commercial flights, but for smaller propeller planes, it works no matter where you sit. Just make sure you get a GPS Fix prior to taking off.


Thank you very, very much for your reply. I can't wait!


----------



## LHRORD

*Fenix Aviation profile*

Some additional tips for recording your flights. Customize the "Aviation" profile to add/include the following pages:

Page 1: GPS ELEVTN/ACCURACY/ELEVATION (this will let you know if you have stepped away too long/too far from the window and are about to lose your GPS Fix)
Page 2: DIST/SPEED/TIME
Page 3: AVG SPEED/SPEED/MOV'N AVG (allows you to compare against displayed onboard data)
Page 4: ASCENT/ELEVATION/DESCENT (balances out at the end)
Page 5: DIST/SPEED/MXSPD (same as p. 2, but tracks Max speed)

Be sure the Aviation profile setttings are set as follows, and that your Fenix is fully charged prior to take-off:

*-GPS MODE*: Normal, WAAS: On
*-Altimeter*: Auto Calibration Off (start with Off, and then test other options later on, I noticed that sometimes the auto-calibration would mess up the altitude during the flight - pre V3.10)
Baro. Plot: Amb. Press.
Elev. Plot: Elev/Time
Calibrate: If you're not sure, then enter at least 20 ft. Be sure to *do this as soon as you sit down and get a GPS Fix, then turn off GPS, and immediately Start it up again before plane pulls away from gate*
-*Fitness*-Auto Lap: 100 miles
-*Tracks*-Method: Auto (you can play with this later on, I have even used 1 sec recording, but for your first flight start with Auto to be on the safe side); Interval: Normal; Auto Start: On; Auto Save: On; Auto Pause: On; Output: FIT (very important, *do not use GPX/FIT or GPX, using FIT-only is best*, as otherwise a GPX may create too large of a file and create problems, if your Fenix is close to full capacity)
-*Maps*: depending on whether you are using Navigate or not, you may want to switch between "Course" and "Bearing"

Optional: Create waypoint of destination airport, and that way you can play around with "Navigate" and be amazed at how close the Fenix ETA & ETE times are to what is displayed on the airplane monitors. Clearly, it cannot be exact as the planes do not fly in a straight line from point A to point B.

Also, if you sit on the right side of the plane, it helps to switch the Fenix to your right hand to get better accuracy numbers. Don't forget to "Stop GPS" once you arrive at your destination gate.

Have fun with this. I enjoy doing this myself on some of my flights. Hope this helps.


----------



## Erwin11

*Re: Fenix Aviation profile*



LHRORD said:


> Some additional tips for recording your flights. Customize the "Aviation" profile to add/include the following page
> 
> .


Wow LHRORD, Thanks heaps. I will have to go through most of your suggestions first. I will get back to you sooner or later, with either questions and/or results. Thanks again!

Erwin

win


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts: Data pages editing for indoor use*

I share with you as well the answer from Garmin

Begin Garmin answer

Dear Alejandro de Hoz,
Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

I am happy to help you with finding your GPF files and answering your other questions. One sure way of finding your GPF files is by accessing your device by plugging it into your computer. The following steps should help you do so:
When you plug the device into your computer, go to the Start Menu and click "Computer"
Under "Devices with Removable Storage" double click your Garmin device icon
Double click the "Garmin" folder
Double click the "Profiles" folder
Your GPF files are stored in the "Profiles" folder because these hold the individual settings for each Profile.
A simple way to open your GPF file is to double-click it. This allows the intelligence of Windows to decide the correct software application to open your GPF file. In the case that your GPF file doesn't open, it is highly likely that you do not have the correct software application installed on your PC to view or edit GPF file extensions. If your PC opens the GPF file, but it's the wrong application, you'll need to change your Windows registry file association settings. In other words, Windows is associating GPF file extensions with the wrong software program. If necessary, it is recommended that you scan your Windows registry for invalid file associations and other related registry issues.
Regarding editing a GPF file, the basic steps to edit a GPF file are: open the file, fill it with data, check that the data are consistent and save it. 
Unfortunately, you cannot get different data pages for different profiles.
Alejandro, I hope this is helpful to you. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to assist you (1-800-800-1020, M-Th. 8:00am - 6:00pm CST; Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm CST) or e-mail for any further assistance at [email protected]

End Garmin answer

In the mean time I have discovered other things concerning indoor training and food pod use.
once in indoor mode, no way to edit data pages, but no way to choose type and frequency of track saving neither. It is time, and one second, whether you like it or not. It generates quite big files!
There is however a very interesting thing. In the profile.gpf file you calibrate your food pod it saves a calibration value. If you have two pair of shoes, which normally implies two different calibrations, just duplicate the profile.gpf file, and chose the one of your shoes everyday. No need to calibrate each time.



Ahg said:


> I will share with you one question I posted to Garmin yesterday, in case any of you got the same "issue". I wouldn't call it a problem, but I don't really see the logic behind
> Here it is
> 
> Good evening
> I have noticed that when setting the data pages on any profile for indoor, they are not registered in the profile.gpf like the tracking and navigating data pages. Besides, when setting the data pages for indoor for one profile, they are automatically applied to all profiles.
> Could you please tell me in which files those data pages are saved? If they can be edited with a PC like the profile.gpf files are?
> Could you change that so that they are registered like the other data pages in the profile.gpf file, and therefore allow different data pages for different profiles?
> 
> Thank you in advance


----------



## 24hours

*Re: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts: Data pages editing for indoor use*

Beta version 3.12 is available from Garmin site:

Changes made from version 3.10 to 3.12:

Added '3D' speed and distance reporting. Includes both horizontal and vertical components in calculations. Setup > Sensors > Altimeter > 3D Data.
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Pause feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Pause the tracking time while not moving or while moving upward on the ski lift. Setup > Tracks > Auto Pause.
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Lap feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Lap extended to accommodate ski 'run' functionality. A lap is performed at the bottom of each run (as soon as a ski lift is detected). Use as an automatic run counter and to separate data for individual run statistics. Setup > Fitness > Auto Lap.
Added ELAPSED data field option, displaying total time since tracking/activity start (pause time is included).
Visit https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?34675-Fenix-3-12-Beta-Software&p=166405#post166405. A 'Skiing' profile is available for download there. This profile includes new settings enabled and relevant data fields that would be useful while downhill/alpine skiing.
Issues with this beta software may be reported to [email protected].


----------



## critch

*Re: Garmin fenix - An Ongoing Review in Several Parts: Data pages editing for indoor use*

so i downloaded this beta software 3.12. it says on the watch in the "about" field that the beta software has been installed but i have no "skiing" profile?? any advice on what might be wrong?

Never-mind, figured it out!! sorry.


----------



## Roblister

*Re: Fenix Aviation profile*

I was very interested in your aviation profile setup. I had hoped to use my Fenix for my annual trip from the UK to Menorca to track the route. However the watch arrived after I had returned home. I managed to use my Garmin Montana which worked very well in the Airbus. It was the first time I had a decent height reading as my GPSMAP60CSX would not easily show GPS elevation but insisted on displaying the barometric heig h which was grossly wrong due to cabin pressure. I am interested in how you have set your pages up. I am presuming you use it in a pressurised cabin also. If so why did you add ELEVATION on Page 1 instead of just having GPS ELEVATION and using the field for something else. I noticed also you havent added a compass or track field. I found them very useful watching e aircraft change course. Another question. Does the altimeter settings you have shown matter when used in a pressurised cabin.

Can you tell me a little more about only recording the FIT file and not the GPX. Is the FIT file more detailed and if so I am curious as to why its a lot smaller than the GPX file. Generally I use the tracklogs from the watch to plot on Google earth and also to geotag photos. Will the FIT format do this? I thought it was only health recording data which is probably why I have dismissed it.



LHRORD said:


> Some additional tips for recording your flights. Customize the "Aviation" profile to add/include the following pages:
> 
> Page 1: GPS ELEVTN/ACCURACY/ELEVATION (this will let you know if you have stepped away too long/too far from the window and are about to lose your GPS Fix)
> Page 2: DIST/SPEED/TIME
> Page 3: AVG SPEED/SPEED/MOV'N AVG (allows you to compare against displayed onboard data)
> Page 4: ASCENT/ELEVATION/DESCENT (balances out at the end)
> Page 5: DIST/SPEED/MXSPD (same as p. 2, but tracks Max speed)
> 
> Be sure the Aviation profile setttings are set as follows, and that your Fenix is fully charged prior to take-off:
> 
> *-GPS MODE*: Normal, WAAS: On
> *-Altimeter*: Auto Calibration Off (start with Off, and then test other options later on, I noticed that sometimes the auto-calibration would mess up the altitude during the flight - pre V3.10)
> Baro. Plot: Amb. Press.
> Elev. Plot: Elev/Time
> Calibrate: If you're not sure, then enter at least 20 ft. Be sure to *do this as soon as you sit down and get a GPS Fix, then turn off GPS, and immediately Start it up again before plane pulls away from gate*
> -*Fitness*-Auto Lap: 100 miles
> -*Tracks*-Method: Auto (you can play with this later on, I have even used 1 sec recording, but for your first flight start with Auto to be on the safe side); Interval: Normal; Auto Start: On; Auto Save: On; Auto Pause: On; Output: FIT (very important, *do not use GPX/FIT or GPX, using FIT-only is best*, as otherwise a GPX may create too large of a file and create problems, if your Fenix is close to full capacity)
> -*Maps*: depending on whether you are using Navigate or not, you may want to switch between "Course" and "Bearing"
> 
> Optional: Create waypoint of destination airport, and that way you can play around with "Navigate" and be amazed at how close the Fenix ETA & ETE times are to what is displayed on the airplane monitors. Clearly, it cannot be exact as the planes do not fly in a straight line from point A to point B.
> 
> Also, if you sit on the right side of the plane, it helps to switch the Fenix to your right hand to get better accuracy numbers. Don't forget to "Stop GPS" once you arrive at your destination gate.
> 
> Have fun with this. I enjoy doing this myself on some of my flights. Hope this helps.


----------



## icuriosity

.


----------



## jbadilla

Here you can grab maps for the Garmin Fenix:
Maps for Garmin fenix | GMapTool


----------



## Tisztul_A_Visztula

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

In a post born months ago somebody stated that Garmin did not share the algorithm of the GPS-based elevation calibration, which happens if somebody asks Garmin Support for it, but I guess that the following algorithm is the one which is still used in the firmwares of Garmin units with barometer inside: Device and method for calibrating and improving the accuracy of barometric altimeters with GPS-derived altitudes

Have a nice reading ;-)


----------



## Matkinson

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi,

Don't know if anyone encountered this issue before... but this week-end when I tried my Fenix for the first time in mountain (for a ski touring trip), it seemed that the connection between the watch and the HR belt was not reliable. I was getting angry when suddenly I realised that I had setup this profile with ultratrac GPS mode with a one-minute interval. So I reverted GPS mode to "Normal", with "least often" interval, and then the connection was fine and I could monitor my HR without problems. However this "least often" interval is still too narrow, and tends to consume a bit too much the battery.

This 7-hour trip made the battery fall from 100% to 53%. This is consistent with what I get with other Garmin handelds like GPS62st, but I'd prefer to record less data to save autonomy for longer raids, which doesn't seem doable at the moment due to this connection issue. Anyone having seen this issue?

Great device otherwise!

Cheers!


----------



## KiwiWomble

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hey

Anyone got some tips for getting a better map or areial photo into Basecamp?

cheers


----------



## MXCHNEY

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



KiwiWomble said:


> Hey
> 
> Anyone got some tips for getting a better map or areial photo into Basecamp?
> 
> cheers


Not sure what you are asking for. There are plenty of maps available for Basecamp from various sources, including Garmin (at a cost) and the OpenStreetMap organization (free). I have about 15 of such maps on my Basecamp for use with my 3 GPS's (Fenix, Montana, Zumo). You can also scan a paper map or a GoogleEarth print and convert it to a map using some Garmin tools but it is a rather cumbersome process of aligning to coordinates. Garmin has a service called Birdseye Imagery that allows you to download satellite images of selected areas. It requires a GPS capable of handling the images (my Montana). I just downloaded a number of images for a visit to Turkey next week. They show up in Basecamp and the Montana. The Turkey shots are pretty good (sharp), others that I have are bad (fuzzy), e.g. in Sweden.


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

there is a new beta fenix software update : Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



jbadilla said:


> there is a new beta fenix software update : Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads


Thanks for the heads up. Anyone know what the 'potential fix for battery drain' covers? I always see really high battery percentage number drops on certain menus with the fenix. For example if I leave the countdown timer screen visible, the percentage battery life drops about 1% / min.


----------



## anto1980

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi all Fenix users!
I just bought a Fenix. How can I verify if is a new unit (after leakage vapor issue) or a traditional old model?

Regards


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



anto1980 said:


> Hi all Fenix users!
> I just bought a Fenix. How can I verify if is a new unit (after leakage vapor issue) or a traditional old model?
> 
> Regards


This is news to me. What makes you think this was an issue, or that the model was changed?


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



cobrapa said:


> This is news to me. What makes you think this was an issue, or that the model was changed?


The issue with older models was acknowledged by some sources:
Improved Garmin fenix Watches Ship March 8th | Heart Rate Watch Company's Blog
and in some threads in the Garmin Forums:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?31763-Fenix-Vapor-behind-the-glass/page6
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?34268-fenix-where-are-we/page4
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?34997-Fenix-Serial-Please!


----------



## mvyrmnd

They're talking about fogging on relatively new (4xxxx) serials.

I have a 004xxx serial (the first 4000 units) and mine's never fogged - been in the sea, the pool, everywhere.


----------



## KiwiWomble

i have a a little bit of fogging when i went swimming in a glacial river...so slightly extreem temps...


----------



## jbadilla

New information on updated garmin fenix:
https://www.heartratewatchcompany.com/Articles.asp?ID=303


----------



## mii1404

hi, i just have my fenix, and i tried to get myself understand all the setting with reading the manual... and it does't give much info. left me frustrated until i found this thread. It is a really excellent thread indeed. Thanks for Gaijin who starting this review on fenix. 
by the way, perhaps somebody might already asked this question and might already getting the answer along the thread, pardon me for asking this few questions:-
1/ how to create and install test track into fenix?
2/ how can i install a routes and maps? i am having problem finding Malaysia maps anywhere in the webs.

Many thanks in advance for the answer.


----------



## mvyrmnd

You can create a track by either recording one or uploading it from Basecamp.

As for maps - look here: https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=770169


----------



## mii1404

thanks mvyrmnd


----------



## cbellevie

I believe it was somewhere in this thread where some people were talking about working with the profile xml files. Has anyone figured out any of the various not completely obvious settings for any of the xml files? I have to code something up for a class and this seemed like it could be a productive project.


----------



## or_watching

cbellevie said:


> I believe it was somewhere in this thread where some people were talking about working with the profile xml files. Has anyone figured out any of the various not completely obvious settings for any of the xml files? I have to code something up for a class and this seemed like it could be a productive project.


Hi. 
I don't think there is a complete decoder. 
Gaijin punlished a partial one from the early days. I looked at it a bit myself but abandoned it after it became apparent that major firmware updates would require work to keep the decoder current and complete.

It's a shame that Garmin doesn't just publish a tool. Cuz the fenix has such a menu-palooza and myriad display options that it really would be a meaningful user benefit.


----------



## jbadilla

check out this alternative watch band:
Paracord Watch Band for Garmin f


----------



## Falconeye75

jbadilla said:


> check out this alternative watch band:
> Paracord Watch Band for Garmin f


45$ for a paracord, they are mad.


----------



## YellowLemon

Great thread! I love this watch. Am new here, just registered on this forum.

I am using the fantastic OSM maps designed for the fenix by *popej* at Gmaptool.eu

I edited the Garmin TYP file in the .gmap directory to make smaller roads dark grey, and rivers, water, train tracks etc light grey..... I think it looks better this way and it is easier to see the current track breadcrumb trail 

Here are some pictures to show the appearance. The TYPE file can be downloaded here: 
https://mega.co.nz/#!0ddEiaBR!Kl669TCKslW0HYKvT7egelmLHY5fhNfGoM4AKiGkqQA

Have fun!

































Editor: Editor for Garmin TYP files


----------



## slav_2000

Hi guys. I already have Etrex 30, but also decided to buy Fenix. Yesterday and today I was testing both devices in the plane. Honestly, I need to tell that I found the following disadvantages of Fenix:
- accuracy of Etrex is always better. During the flight Etrex shows around 10 meters, Fenix - not less than 30, sometimes even more (like 40-50 meters). Maybe it is due to the fact that Etrex has additional Glonass. I never had a problems with the satelites in Etrex.
- two devices shows different data (the info from Etrex is much more accurate and precise). For example, when the plane starts to run, Fenix shows the speed with significant delay. Etrex shows 210 km/h, Fenix 170, etc. The elevation is also different btw Etrex and Fenix and stabilizes only when the plane takes its echelon at 10.000 m. It seems to me that Fenix has very "green" alghoritm of vertical/horizontal speed calculations and more or less high vertical speed seriously badly affects the value of 1) vertical speed itself, 2) elevation.

In the aviation profile I set Altimeter to "Fix" value in order to avoid mistakes, related to the artificial cabine pressure.

Waiting for the new software update.


----------



## YellowLemon

slav_2000 said:


> I already have Etrex 30, but also decided to buy Fenix. [...] I was testing both devices in the plane. [...] In the aviation profile I set Altimeter to "Fix" value in order to avoid mistakes, related to the artificial cabine pressure.


I did not know it was possible to turn off the barometric altimeter on the eTrex 30 and the fenix? I thought the altimeter was always barometric and so the altitude inside an airliner would always be very wrong (due to pressurised cabin). Or were you reading specifically the GPS ALT to get 10000m?

Link: Jeffrey Friedl's Blog » Thoughts on my Garmin GPSmap 60CS (GPS unit)

Does the GPX file of the track have the correct altitudes saved in it? If so I will have to buy an eTrex 30!! Currently have an old Legend HCx without compass/baro because it works well with GPS ALT in planes 

EDIT: I just checked and indeed the fenix and eTrex30 can be made to record GPS ALT in the GPX file, not barometric alt. As *slav_2000* says above, just set the Barometer function to "fixed". I think this setting tells the Garmin to use barometer for "atmospheric" changes only, and to use GPS alt for altimeter in the GPX track log. (In the actual watch iteself you can set the display to "Baro Alt" and/or "GPS alt" together anyway)

http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/Altimeter+and+Elevation


----------



## mvyrmnd

I just recorded my flight from Melbourne to Adelaide... it was awesome watching the numbers roll by!

It was a valuable tip about setting the barometer to "fixed" - it was looking a bit dodgy on "variable" so I changed it.


----------



## YellowLemon

I got the official Garmin _"VELCRO"_ *wrist strap kit* for $25 and it is really good. Comes with a hex tool and an spare pair of solid "springbars" so you don't have to risk wrecking the existing strap if you push out the bars. One thing to note is that there is spare room under the strap to allow the USB cradle to clip.... not sure how/if this would work OK with a standard NATO strap? ZULU strap should work fine.



mvyrmnd said:


> I just recorded my flight from Melbourne to Adelaide... It was a valuable tip about setting the barometer to "fixed".


I received a reply from Garmin and they confirmed setting the barometer to "fixed" rather than variable is the official way to see and record the GPS altitude in the track files.

Still love this watch, here is another photo from the beach, using the excellent maps from gmaptool.eu and the TYP file in post 848


----------



## pston

Anyone who made a new and personalized profile and want to share it?

Since I just use the fenix for walking, running, hiking, off-trail, mountain climbing and cycling... 
I would like to adjust one of the profiles to fit these best. Any ideas?








I read someone has an outdoor profile made by Fenix, how does it look like?


----------



## icuriosity

YellowLemon said:


> I got the official Garmin _"VELCRO"_ *wrist strap kit* for $25 and it is really good. Comes with a hex tool and an spare pair of solid "springbars" so you don't have to risk wrecking the existing strap if you push out the bars.


Would you be able to show your wrist-shot with the Velcro strap on? Thanks.


----------



## YellowLemon

icuriosity said:


> Would you be able to show your wrist-shot with the Velcro strap on? Thanks.


OK! Also here is a photo showing how the fenix is attached to the strap. I find the velcro much lighter and more comfortable than the standard rubber one. Note however that it's effective length is much shorter, and it is wider than 26mm... it's actually 32mm!







...







...






...


----------



## icuriosity

@YellowLemon thanks! Looks good. I'm getting one. That spring bar can probably be reused with my other NATO straps too


----------



## KiwiWomble

i got the velcro strap too, its great, much better for running etc


----------



## YellowLemon

*POI file for Garmin fenix*

As we know the Garmin fenix supports POI files placed in the *X:\Garmin\POI* folder. They can be accessed via _Menu > GPS Tools > POI_.
( Link: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36131-Fenix-Add-new-POIs&p=174448 )

Does anyone know a good place to get a collection of generic POIs for an area in a small-ish file ( a few MB ) for the fenix??

In Australia we have Find Local Australian Businesses, Services & Points of Interest (POI) with a vast collection of POI but I don't feel like selecting individual categories like Target, McDonald's etc.... I'm just looking for a generic collection of like shopping centres, petrol stations, that kind of stuff, all in a small neatly packaged file :-d


----------



## Mystro

*Re: POI file for Garmin fenix*

That is a good idea. I know what you mean, sometimes you can get overwhelmed with information that is trivial.



YellowLemon said:


> As we know the Garmin fenix supports POI files placed in the *X:\Garmin\POI* folder. They can be accessed via _Menu > GPS Tools > POI_.
> ( Link: https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36131-Fenix-Add-new-POIs&p=174448 )
> 
> Does anyone know a good place to get a collection of generic POIs for an area in a small-ish file ( a few MB ) for the fenix??
> 
> In Australia we have Find Local Australian Businesses, Services & Points of Interest (POI) with a vast collection of POI but I don't feel like selecting individual categories like Target, McDonald's etc.... I'm just looking for a generic collection of like shopping centres, petrol stations, that kind of stuff, all in a small neatly packaged file :-d


----------



## Mystro

*Re: POI file for Garmin fenix*

*Holy Crap!!! Is the Fenix a awesome piece of gear!*

Got my Fenix from Garmin 2 days ago. I dove head first into learning this magnificent GPS watch. Coming from a Ambit, the Fenix is in another league of adjust-ability and features for the hunter,fisherman,hiker, and general outdoorsman. I am reviewing the Fenix this year as well as the Highgear XT7 for both companies.

Question on the Fenix.....The daily alarms do not turn them self off do they???? I left one ring for 2 minutes until I turned it off manually. I also cant find how long the barometer graph is for. It seems to be a moving time line??

I managed to use Basecamp and in real time while the Fenix was connected to the computer, place waypoints and make up very detailed tracks directly onto the watch. The flexibility of the Fenix is unprecedented in this segment of GPS watches. I am still looking for a easy way to place a more detailed base map onto the Fenix. I am having a great time fine tuning the data pages to suit my every need and whim. The customized analog minute and second display on the main time screen is just another example that Garmin's clever thinking is on another level from their competition.


----------



## or_watching

Mystro said:


> . I also cant find how long the barometer graph is for. It seems to be a moving time line??


I thought for the alti and baro graphs it says the duration under the graph. And that duration isnt always the same one fixed number. Eg if you've just switched to baro mode, the baro grap may only have "1 min" of data. And it maxes out at 48hr.

Actually showing the time duration is a simple and good thing. But honestly I find the whole Alti-Baro implementation less than intuitive. And hard to remember what's what in the menus, as an occasional user and Simple Caveman hiker. Experienced Garmin users will puzzle over it less long.


----------



## or_watching

But, aside from this feature or that, here's thing that ultimately taints my fenix for me... Random hiccups and instability. 

For instance, i got out my fenix to check on what I wrote. 94% battery. After a few minutes, gps off, just poking around the menus it shut off. Aside from any repeatable bugs, which are mostly gone, mine will have this kind of random thing. It's not frequent, except as measured by "it shouldn't happen at all." Maybe every month or so it's a shutdown, or inexplicable power drain, or whatever.

May it's just a micro gremlin in my watch only. I dunno. 

It's enough for me to write a post, but not enough to bother exchanging the watch.


----------



## jimmijames73

Mystro said:


> *Holy Crap!!! Is the Fenix a awesome piece of gear!*
> I am still looking for a easy way to place a more detailed base map onto the Fenix.


I used Open Street Maps which works great:

Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap

You can select the area(s) for the map you want to download, but remember the fenix only has 20 MB of memory, so best limit it to 5 MB to 10 MB. Save the downloaded file "gmapsupp.img" in the same place on the fenix as the "gmapbmap.img" (which is the base map, don't delete this or overwrite it). When you zoom out on the fenix you will see the basemap (gmapbmap.img) and when you zoom in you should see the supplementry map (gmapsupp.img).


----------



## or_watching

*Re: POI file for Garmin fenix*

Here's a write up from DC Rainmaker's visit/tour with Garmin.
Has some interesting discussion on the fenix, including a bit of the development back-story, his input to them, and some photos of their prototypes.

An In-Depth Visit Behind the Scenes at Garmin Headquarters | DC Rainmaker


----------



## Mystro

*Re: POI file for Garmin fenix*

Excellent review.....
Reaing the Fenix back story, I guess Garmin was indeed developing the fenix for my exact needs and that's why it seems like such a perfect fit. Rather than take a training watch and make it a woods navigation product. Interesting that Garmin had a Fenix with negative display. As sexy as a negative display is, it compromises too much in visibility.

I love that brown leather strap in the right side of the picture.











or_watching said:


> Here's a write up from DC Rainmaker's visit/tour with Garmin.
> Has some interesting discussion on the fenix, including a bit of the development back-story, his input to them, and some photos of their prototypes.
> 
> An In-Depth Visit Behind the Scenes at Garmin Headquarters | DC Rainmaker


----------



## Mystro

Thank you, I tried it. It works except the dang green/forest shading they use is all over my area and makes the black and white Fenix display too hard to read. I am in north central Pa. Is there any other street maps out there that wouldnt have this shaded area in??

For Basecamp, when I plug one of my Garmin auto GPS in to my computer and my Fenix into my computer at the same time, I am able to view the high detailed map on Basecamp from the auto gps unit. This allows me to quickly put waypoints and tracks in real time into the Fenix. Its a bit quicker than using Google Earth. I also traced various rural roads by making a track and it gives me good landmarks to view on the Fenix since when viewing a track, all your waypoints are also visible in that area. So its my mini map.



jimmijames73 said:


> I used Open Street Maps which works great:
> 
> Free worldwide Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap
> 
> You can select the area(s) for the map you want to download, but remember the fenix only has 20 MB of memory, so best limit it to 5 MB to 10 MB. Save the downloaded file "gmapsupp.img" in the same place on the fenix as the "gmapbmap.img" (which is the base map, don't delete this or overwrite it). When you zoom out on the fenix you will see the basemap (gmapbmap.img) and when you zoom in you should see the supplementry map (gmapsupp.img).


----------



## YellowLemon

I use the "OpenStreetMaps for Fenix" posted above and they are fantastic: It even contains most of the walking tracks and bike trails that I know of (in Melbourne, Australia). The Fenix saved my life a few times when I didn't know which path to take while walking back through forest in pitch dark due to an unexpected bicycle failure. |> Love the TrackBack feature and those extra maps!!!!

PS: You can change the shading in the OSM maps by using a TYP editor.. see my posts on page 85.

PPS: Yes it's a real shame BaseCamp doesn't just let you use Google Earth maps from within their software! Oh well it just adds a few extra steps, exporting then importing


----------



## or_watching

Mystro said:


> Thank you, I tried it. It works except the dang green/forest shading they use is all over my area and makes the black and white Fenix display too hard to read. I am in north central Pa. Is there any other street maps out there that wouldnt have this shaded area in??


Did you try popej's maps? They are simplified for the fenix (vs the standard open street maps, I believe)
In my state's forested areas they just show the roads and forest service roads, with no shading for trees. Just the critical basics in black and white, it seems to me. "As-is", I didn't edit the TYP files.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/garmin-fenix-how-upload-maps-unit-770169-2.html#post5736357
Maps for Garmin fenix | GMapTool


----------



## KiwiWomble

PopeJ's maps worked perfectly for me, got the whole on NZ no problem


----------



## Mystro

How do you reduce a section of his maps to fit on the Fenix?? The North East section is still too big. I only need the state of PA.



or_watching said:


> Did you try popej's maps? They are simplified for the fenix (vs the standard open street maps, I believe)
> In my state's forested areas they just show the roads and forest service roads, with no shading for trees. Just the critical basics in black and white, it seems to me. "As-is", I didn't edit the TYP files.
> 
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/garmin-fenix-how-upload-maps-unit-770169-2.html#post5736357
> Maps for Garmin fenix | GMapTool


----------



## findbuddha

A couple of questions regarding the Fenix vs. Ambit conundrum... I'll be using mostly for hiking with a bit of running thrown in - in terms of features I could make do with either.

- Is the alarm tone on the Fenix louder than the Ambit? Does the issue with random shutdowns affect the reliability of the alarm going off? Is the alarm length / snooze etc configurable? I like the vibrate feature on the Fenix.
- Does the Fenix GPS provide acceptable accuracy in mountainous terrain? Some on Garmin forums mentioned that the Fenix GPS chip is more susceptible to multipathing / interference than the chip in the Ambit. Also a post there mentioned that the 2.40 GPS firmware has better accuracy and shorter fix time but other users aren't able to update to this version.

Thanks!


----------



## YellowLemon

findbuddha said:


> a post there mentioned that the 2.40 GPS firmware has better accuracy and shorter fix time but other users aren't able to update to this version.


Hmm I have software version 3.10 and GPS software version 2.10, I don't know how to get to 2.40?!


----------



## dezz

findbuddha said:


> A couple of questions regarding the Fenix vs. Ambit conundrum... I'll be using mostly for hiking with a bit of running thrown in - in terms of features I could make do with either.
> 
> - Is the alarm tone on the Fenix louder than the Ambit? Does the issue with random shutdowns affect the reliability of the alarm going off? Is the alarm length / snooze etc configurable? I like the vibrate feature on the Fenix.
> - Does the Fenix GPS provide acceptable accuracy in mountainous terrain? Some on Garmin forums mentioned that the Fenix GPS chip is more susceptible to multipathing / interference than the chip in the Ambit. Also a post there mentioned that the 2.40 GPS firmware has better accuracy and shorter fix time but other users aren't able to update to this version.
> 
> Thanks!


I had Ambit for the last 6 months and Fenix for a week now. From my experience so far:

- Alarm tone is just slightly louder but the vibrations make huge difference. + for Fenix

- The GPS accuracy in the city is same/very similar. The elevation and speed graphs on Fenix look way more realistic without weird spikes and fluctuations I had in Ambit. The initial fix time are most definitely a HUGE + for Ambit. I was able to get a fix on the moving train away from the window under 1min. 

If youre buying the watch for hiking and some training/running it a *no-brainer- Fenix is the way to go. *
Ambit is amazing watch but it is not a "for explorers" but a typical running/sports watch and Suunto is developing it in that direction. 

You can go through Ambit thread to get more info on the subject. But hte general consensus there is that for mountains/hiking - Fenix For sports - Ambit


----------



## Mystro

You want the Fenix. I have both and the Fenix is much more advanced with way more features than the Ambit. The Ambit is a nice basic GPS watch but is over priced for what you get and there will never be enough firmware updates to get the Ambit competitive.



findbuddha said:


> A couple of questions regarding the Fenix vs. Ambit conundrum... I'll be using mostly for hiking with a bit of running thrown in - in terms of features I could make do with either.
> !


----------



## gardelu

Hi all,

I reached this great forum searching info regarding Fenix / Ambit. I plan to do some trekking / mountain bike (follow routes and so) and some training. I couldn't read all the posts but I wonder if somebody knows how does interval timer work exactly... is it possible to plan some walk/run intervals on the Fenix? Are they programmable on time?

Thanks!


----------



## dezz

Mystro said:


> You want the Fenix. I have both and the Fenix is much more advanced with way more features than the Ambit. The Ambit is a nice basic GPS watch but is over priced for what you get and there will never be enough firmware updates to get the Ambit competitive.


Totaly agree. Ambit is a very nice watch but sports oriented with bare basic GPS recording. On other hand it provides no additional info your 200-300$ GPS timex wouldn't. 
I guess it is kind of apple status thing with suunto fanboys...

Another reason to go with Fenix is that you can get it now. With Ambit you'll have to wait for at least another month to get the Ambit2 - exactly same hardware just asking to pay for software fixes. If that is not the biggest F***YOU Suunto could've done than...???


----------



## icuriosity

I have both Ambit and Fenix. I like the look of the Ambit. But as far as functionality goes, I can't put the Fenix down. Just to name a few: vibration alarms, sun rise/sun set, trail back/breadcrum, countdown timer, Bluetooth connection to iPhone. Lately, I jut got the onscreen map to work on the Fenix - a big plus for me - there is no way I'm going back to the Ambit.

I'd like to recommend the Fenix.


----------



## KiwiWomble

question for the experts

I had made myself a "Skiing" profile, I have just updated the software which now apparently contains a "Skiing" profile, does anyone know what happened here, does the offical one just overwrite the one i had made?


----------



## or_watching

findbuddha said:


> A couple of questions regarding the Fenix vs. Ambit conundrum... I'll be using mostly for hiking with a bit of running thrown in - in terms of features I could make do with either.
> 
> I like the vibrate feature on the Fenix.
> - Does the Fenix GPS provide acceptable accuracy in mountainous terrain?


Hi. 
Yep, for most hikers, I'd recommend the fenix.

Here's an old post comparing tracks in the woods. (I think all the bugs I mention are fixed now.)
https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/trail-two-watches-ambit-fenix-762882.html

Acceptable is subjective. IMO, both watches GPS accuracy are acceptable. But the fenix in "More" points mode makes a nicer looking track than the drunken Ambit wander. If that matter to you. But I don't consider that exactly the same as accuracy.

The value of the fenix to me goes way way up with popej's maps. Without the maps the fenix's tie into Basecamp, and overall better nav and alarms still makes it the winner for a hiker. I like the Ambit for it's compass and implementation of the Alti-baro functions, stability and it's overall ease of use and simplicity on the trail.

And absolutely, Vibration is GREAT. Hats, sleeves, wind, roaring lions, etc, make alarms too hard to hear.


----------



## or_watching

Mystro said:


> How do you reduce a section of his maps to fit on the Fenix?? The North East section is still too big. I only need the state of PA.


I haven't fiddled with mine in many months, but if I recall... 
First I installed the region from popej. 
I used Garmin's MapInstall to choose the portions of the region I wanted onto the watch. You can choose the 'tiles' under "Advanced/Partial Install". I have an area >100miles by >100miles of popej's OSM maps in, plus Northwest Trails.


----------



## findbuddha

Thanks everyone 

Reading about the Fenix's early quirks/bugs was a bit disconcerting but the positive response to my question has certainly swayed me towards it. I might still wait to see if the Ambit2 announcement brings anything interesting to the table.


----------



## icuriosity

Heads up everyone, Firmware 3.20 is out ;-)

Enjoy

*Changes from version 3.10 to version 3.20:*Added Indoor data page loop to profiles
Added altitude to fit activities in Indoor mode
Added '3D' speed and distance reporting. Includes both horizontal and vertical components in calculations. Setup > Sensors > Altimeter > 3D Data
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Pause feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Pause the tracking time while not moving or while moving upward on the ski lift. Setup > Tracks > Auto Pause
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Lap feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Lap extended to accommodate ski 'run' functionality. Use as an automatic run counter and to separate data for individual run statistics. Setup > Fitness > Auto Lap
Added ELAPSED data field option, displaying total time since tracking/activity start (pause time is included)
Fixed potential issue with calories being reset when a heart rate monitor disconnects
Fixed potential issue with incorrect max speed
Fixed alternate time zones during DST
Fixed display of headings over 180 in Sight N Go application
Fixed issue where Locating Satellites banner could appear when Indoor Training was started
Fixed potential shutdown editing waypoint names with the degree symbol
Fixed potential issue with .gpx files containing averaged waypoints
Fixed potential issue leading to spikes in speed output
Fixed potential issue causing battery to drain faster than normal
Fixed potential issue when reordering menu items in Setup > Menu
Fixed potential unit freeze when viewing geocache logs
Fixed autozoom on the map
Fixed potential issue locating satellites when marking a waypoint
Fixed potential issue with elevation units when switching profiles
Fixed potential issue where manually calibrated elevation would change back to a previous value
Fixed potential shutdown using hold keys set to MOB


----------



## dezz

icuriosity said:


> Heads up everyone, Firmware 3.20 is out ;-)
> 
> Enjoy


YEAY!!!

On the previous subject:

So after last six months of mixed experience with Ambit I gave up and bought Fenix. Apparently there is allot of people going this route, you can find them in Fenix thread. 

After over a week of use of Fenix my observations:

Ambit:
+ Super nice looking running/sports watch with very basic GPS functionality.
+ Great GPS fix times.
+ If they add import option and just few minor corrections to route setting in movescount it is absolutely beautiful and usable (miss this the most in Fenix)
+ It looks really nice. 
+Inverted display choice is great


- Suunto doing huge "F****YOU customers" with Ambit2 release.
- GPS is limited to only tracking and is not utilize in any other way like timezones, sunrise/set, elevation, destination alarm, many many other...
- As a running/sports watch it is grossly overprice as you get all or more functionality in any 200-300$ GPS running watch out there.
- As a EDC watch it is inferior to any 50-100$ Casio/Timex
- one alarm without choice of weekdays/weekend so no sleeping late during weekend. Makes it useless.
- no countdown timer
- no back autobacklight to come on when watch is tilted (and it has accelerometer!!!) 
- no hourly alarm
- Strap feels nice but it very uncomfortable. Can't use on jacket/gloves. Can't really change to anything not provided by suunto and not like you have many choices from them. 
- If they add import option and just few minor corrections to route setting in movescount it is absolutely beautiful (miss this the most in Fenix)
- As nice as visual part of the watch is the design form the practical point is poor at best. 
- buttons feel nice but easily mispressed requiring locking the device or at the end of the day you find out you were paused the whole workout.
- There is no click in buttons so operating in gloves is not as responsive. 
- the antenna on inside of the wrist and the shape of Ambit makes it sit at an angle facing away from you. Makes you have to twist your wrist just a little more to see clearly. In winter conditions, gloves etc. it is very annoying.
- As beautiful as the screen is it is prone to ghosting and fading. In cold conditions it gets much worse, almost unreadable.
- Material used in bezel is cheap soft metal (alu?) and is scratched in no time. No wonder they are changing that in Ambit2
- The navigating through menus is a maze. For a watch that has no setting in the watch (you do everything on movescount) it a mess. Takes 6 click to initiate GPS and start recording. 
- Almost all settings can be adjusted only from online account. So if your on your trip and no internet..
- The speed tracking and elevation is ok in general but with weird spikes/fluctuations for no reason. With no possibility of correcting data in movescount the average results are useless. 
- no readable battery indicator 
- Suunto doing huge "F****YOU customers" with Ambit2 release.

Fenix:

+ Is actually "GPS for explorers" with proper utilization of GPS (could always add more)
+ Maps in mapview
+ Breadcrumbs
+ Point and go (Sight 'n go)
+ No need for PC or internet to setup everything
+ Many many useful features 
+ Normal strap that can be exchanged to any kind you like, need, prefer..
+ Nice large clickable buttons that you know you pressed (even with gloves) and almost no need for locking
+ GPS calibrated elevation and vertical speed
+ batt indicator

- Does not look as nice as Ambit. ( Not ugly. Just not as nice)
- Orange button
- Screen is weird and screen real estate is wasted. Could have inverted option like Ambit (but much better in terms of readability and no ghosting, fading)
- The GPS fix times are long. ( Could be the search for satellites freeze bug in 3.16 beta firmware. When it still indicates as 'searching' even after the fix)
- No hourly alarm
- The pc software is a mess. Basecamp, Mapinstall, Mapsourse, Garmin Communicator Plugin, pluging, updater garminconnect, something else, and few other... 
- No Android app (iphone user would go with Ambit so this choice of mobile operating system is very strange)
- No profile editor or setup outside the unit. Would be nice to be able to setup on PC and transfer to the unit like with Ambit. (Still better of two evils)




To be continued...


----------



## tieno

gaijin said:


> When I ran my battery consumption tests above, WAAS was enabled on my fenix. With WAAS enabled, it exceeded the spec of 16 Hours when GPS was in Normal mode. If there is any decrease in battery life when WAAS is enabled, then it is not enough to shorten the battery life to less than the specification.
> 
> Here is the WAAS coverage map:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seems that if you are in North America, you're going to benefit from WAAS.
> 
> Here is how it manifests itself on the fenix and how you can tell if you are receiving WAAS correction data:
> 
> HOME>Setup>System>WAAS>On
> 
> This enables WAAS on your fenix.
> 
> Then go to:
> 
> HOME>GPS Tools>Satellites(wait for a fix)then scroll up or down until you see this display:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At first, all of the signal strength "boxes" will be plain boxes like satellites number 18 and 22 in the pic. After a while, however, if you are receiving WAAS correction Data, a small letter "D" will be displayed in the upper left corner of the box which denotes correction data for that satellite has been applied.
> 
> How do I know the little "D" has anything to do with WAAS? Turn WAAS Off and all the little "D" markers no longer display.
> 
> Further, the GPS fix I have shown here was accomplished indoors, in my office, about 30 feet from the nearest window. So I don't think the WAAS data is unusually difficult to receive. Those satellites are probably not as low on the southern horizon as you suspect.
> 
> My guess is that since Garmin ships these all over the world, and since WAAS is only for North America, they felt it was easier to explain to North American users why they should turn ON a feature, than to explain to the rest of the world why they should turn OFF a feature.
> 
> I thought the Garmin explanation was pretty good: Garmin | What is WAAS?
> 
> As I see no evidence of reduced battery life in the fenix when WAAS is enabled, I wonder how germane discussion of battery life in other models is.
> 
> My conclusion based on observation and use so far is that if you are in North America, there is no downside to enabling WAAS on your fenix.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Edit to add:
> 
> Upon further investigation, WAAS will only work when GPS is in Normal Mode, it will not work when GPS is in UltraTrac mode.
> 
> This is evidently the case because in UltraTrac mode, the GPS is not on long enough to acquire the necessary data. It may also be the case that Garmin software will not allow the fenix to attempt to gather WAAS data, even if WAAS is set to Enable, when in UltraTrac mode.
> 
> Note: Satellites #48 and #51 are the two satellites transmitting the WAAS data and their corresponding strength bars will never display the "D" symbol.


I guess it is pointless to use WASS in Europe


----------



## cobrapa

It's nice to see the new firmware claims to fix battery consumption issues again... Let's see if they did or not.  I was still seeing the 1% per minute battery usage on the timer screen with the last firmware.


----------



## dezz

tieno said:


> I guess it is pointless to use WASS in Europe


What are you talking about???

It is WAAS/EGNOS enabled

EGNOS is for Europe.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## cue003

Good to see a new software update. Does this update also change the GPS software version? If so, what does it now change to?


----------



## Mystro

How do you get the (or any) map loaded into Mapsource or Basecamp??? All I get when trying to load this map program is US North-East | GMapTool into either program is "is not a valid map source file and could not be opened." When downloading the map, I have tried "open with" either program and nothing works. What am I missing here?


----------



## MXCHNEY

You don't open a mapset in those programs. You load the mapset onto the computer with a proper name and both MapSource and BaseCamp will find it and make it available to you.

Download the relevant zipped file from GMapTool. In your case it is US-NE_v3.7z. Unzip the file. I use the 7-Zip free utility. Among the unzipped files is a .gmap file. I copy that file to the location where Garmin normally stores mapsets, in my case it is C:/ProgramData/Garmin/Maps. When you open MapSource or BaseCamp you should be able to select that map.

I use MapInstall to move a subset of the map to the Fenix.

Hope that helps.

Edit: I should add that I use a PC, not a Mac.


----------



## MXCHNEY

cue003 said:


> Good to see a new software update. Does this update also change the GPS software version? If so, what does it now change to?


No, I still have GPS 2.10. Has not changed since I got the Fenix in October 2012. I am worried that such early watches will get left behind as newer watches get improved GPS functions.


----------



## looch

WRT the until sunset alarm: can it be set to x minutes after sunset (i.e. civil twilight)?


----------



## Mystro

Thank you, I got it to work with Garmin MapInstall. I didnt quite understand the procedure. Also updated to the new 3.20.



MXCHNEY said:


> You don't open a mapset in those programs. You load the mapset onto the computer with a proper name and both MapSource and BaseCamp will find it and make it available to you.
> 
> Download the relevant zipped file from GMapTool. In your case it is US-NE_v3.7z. Unzip the file. I use the 7-Zip free utility. Among the unzipped files is a .gmap file. I copy that file to the location where Garmin normally stores mapsets, in my case it is C:/ProgramData/Garmin/Maps. When you open MapSource or BaseCamp you should be able to select that map.
> 
> I use MapInstall to move a subset of the map to the Fenix.
> 
> Hope that helps.
> 
> Edit: I should add that I use a PC, not a Mac.


Changes made from version 3.10 to 3.20:

Added Indoor data page loop to profiles
Added altitude to fit activities in Indoor mode
Added '3D' speed and distance reporting. Includes both horizontal and vertical components in calculations. Setup > Sensors > Altimeter > 3D Data
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Pause feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Pause the tracking time while not moving or while moving upward on the ski lift. Setup > Tracks > Auto Pause
Added 'Ski Mode' setting for Auto Lap feature. Intended use for downhill/alpine skiing. Lap extended to accommodate ski 'run' functionality. Use as an automatic run counter and to separate data for individual run statistics. Setup > Fitness > Auto Lap
Added ELAPSED data field option, displaying total time since tracking/activity start (pause time is included)
Fixed potential issue with calories being reset when a heart rate monitor disconnects
Fixed potential issue with incorrect max speed
Fixed alternate time zones during DST
Fixed display of headings over 180 in Sight N Go application
Fixed issue where Locating Satellites banner could appear when Indoor Training was started
Fixed potential shutdown editing waypoint names with the degree symbol
Fixed potential issue with .gpx files containing averaged waypoints
Fixed potential issue leading to spikes in speed output
*Fixed potential issue causing battery to drain faster than normal*
Fixed potential issue when reordering menu items in Setup > Menu
Fixed potential unit freeze when viewing geocache logs
Fixed autozoom on the map
Fixed potential issue locating satellites when marking a waypoint
Fixed potential issue with elevation units when switching profiles
Fixed potential issue where manually calibrated elevation would change back to a previous value
Fixed potential shutdown using hold keys set to MOB


----------



## KiwiWomble

any info re the new features over writing old ones? i got the Fenix with skiing in mind and am very keen to use the new SKiing feature, the track pause sounds great, should i reset it and the install latest software?


----------



## Mystro

I would just install the new firmware update, no need to reset. The battery saving update is worth it alone. I noticed the 3D option in the menu. I am still checking it out now.



KiwiWomble said:


> any info re the new features over writing old ones? i got the Fenix with skiing in mind and am very keen to use the new SKiing feature, the track pause sounds great, should i reset it and the install latest software?


----------



## jbadilla

nanorunner said:


> Any one uses a garmin forerunner? I have one they are awesome! haven't had any problem whit it what so ever you guys should check one out, Heres a link to a review.


I had a forerunner 110 before getting the fenix, it is a very good fitness unit, useful to record workouts and tracks, however there are a lot of additional functions the fenix has over the forerunner, such as marking and navigating to waypoints, following prerecorded tracks, trackback and sharing wirelessly to other garmin units and by bluetooth to the iphone app, altitude and temperature plot, basemap, longer battery life, to name a few.


----------



## or_watching

nanorunner said:


> Any one uses a garmin forerunner? I have one they are awesome! haven't had any problem whit it what so ever you guys should check one out, Heres a link to a review.


Hi. 
How many more consecutive posts will you make with a hyperlink to the same one online watch store?


----------



## ifarlow

No doubt as many as it takes to reach über-spammer level.


----------



## Mdanehart

Just purchased the Fenix from Cabelas. 
So far excellent. Maybe in the future the device software will incorporate an hour signal and barometer storm warning!


----------



## kindofblack

MXCHNEY said:


> No, I still have GPS 2.10. Has not changed since I got the Fenix in October 2012. I am worried that such early watches will get left behind as newer watches get improved GPS functions.


Exactly the same here...


----------



## YellowLemon

findbuddha said:


> Also a post there mentioned that the 2.40 GPS firmware has better accuracy and shorter fix time but other users aren't able to update to this version.


Not sure if this relates to _GPS version_ or just the standard firmware version. Are you saying the _GPS firmware_ depends on the hardware itself and newer watches have a newer version? In that case I should take my fenix back to the shop and replace it for newer stock?


----------



## findbuddha

GPS version.... unfortunately Garmin hasn't said anything about the issue. See these threads for info:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36513-Fenix-3-20
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36490-Fenix-GPS-2-40-update
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?34997-Fenix-Serial-Please!


----------



## cobrapa

My Fenix seems to have died today. SW update went fine a couple days ago, went to use the countdown timer today, pressed the big orange button for a minute and it started to search gps, when I tried to use the back and cancel the screen flashed once and turned off. Button beeps worked for a few more presses while I tried to power cycle it, then they stopped as well. Now it's just dead. Doesn't seem to do anything when plugged in to USB either...


----------



## cobrapa

And now it's back... After no response to the hard reset three button press sequence a couple times, a three button press and a short power press brought it alive again. Very odd.


----------



## Mdanehart

Last night I went for a hike and tried to activate the GPS and just got a blank screen. After several attempts I had to reset all the settings and turn the watch off..ten minutes later it was working again...but I lost ten minutes of hiking due to the glitch...

Runnng the 3.20 software, if this happens again.well


----------



## findbuddha

Looks like there might be a GPS software update coming to everyone  https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36827-Fenix-GPS-FW-2-50


----------



## ifarlow

findbuddha said:


> Looks like there might be a GPS software update coming to everyone...


You forgot to add "once Garmin gets their act together and learns how to code a web page properly."


----------



## mesteviet

GPS Firmware update 2.50 available now via Webupdater. Update process worked seamlessly for me going from 2.10. Won't know if it improves anything until this weekend though.


----------



## aslogar

mesteviet said:


> GPS Firmware update 2.50 available now via Webupdater. Update process worked seamlessly for me going from 2.10. Won't know if it improves anything until this weekend though.


Folks,
I updated the GPS version from 2.00 to 2.50, and I can tell you that acquiring GPS satellite connection is noticably faster. It sometimes took up to 5 minutes acquiring a satellite before the upgrade. After the update, under minute and half. So Yeah, its an huge improvement.

But I did have hiccup afterwards. I was reviewing my tracks later on in the evening, and the unit locked up and shut down. I could not get it started, after numerous reset attempts, I was like bummer, dead unit. Hope Garmin will help me out. But just before bed, I went and tried holding
the up arrow/down arrow/back button/light button at the same time, and the unit powered up and I was back in business. Don't know what that was about, but I opened a support ticket with Garmin. Will let you know after I talk with them.


----------



## Mdanehart

I updated to 3.20...where do I check for the GPS version?


----------



## aslogar

Same place, Under system and about, page down and you will see Software version the unit id and below that will be GPS software version. The new version is 2.50.

Alex


----------



## Mdanehart

Aslogar,
Thank you. Yes, 2.10.
Since I updated to 3.20 the watch light on the wake alarm no longer activates? Have not used my night stand alarm since the purchase of this Fenix.


----------



## icuriosity

Mdanehart said:


> Aslogar,
> Thank you. Yes, 2.10.
> Since I updated to 3.20 the watch light on the wake alarm no longer activates? Have not used my night stand alarm since the purchase of this Fenix.


You will need to activate the GPS at least once to apply the new firmware. Please see this for more info https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?36827-Fenix-GPS-FW-2-50/page3


----------



## mvyrmnd

mesteviet said:


> GPS Firmware update 2.50 available now via Webupdater. Update process worked seamlessly for me going from 2.10. Won't know if it improves anything until this weekend though.


I bumped mine from 2.1 to 2.5.

As reported by most, the lock time is much better, but I've also noticed an improvement in accuracy - I used to get a best accuracy of 6m - I saw it settle at 4m today for the first time.


----------



## Mdanehart

Pilot error on my part. For the backlight to a active while in alarm mode the setting must be on 'always'.
I will install the GPS software update this weekend. The Ambit GPS was awesome, but the Ambit also had an large external antenna mounted on the wristband, not comfortable.


----------



## Mdanehart

Updated to GPS 2.50 firmware...after the reset the device demonstrated improved tracking time. ...about one minute.


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Wow, if only it were stable.... I've been trying to figure out why the timer seems to not always alarm. Sometimes it just seems to not beep or vibrate, then when I realize it hasn't gone off, I check and find it has started to count negative. I caught it tonight, and it seems to reboot the watch. Screen goes off, there is a tiny, tiny chirp, and it resets. When I look at the timer it looks like -00:02: and seems to still be running.


----------



## MKuzi

*kitesurfing with FENIX*

Did any one used the Fenix for kitesurfing? Would the water resistance performance be all right? the few metres submersion would be inevitable and Im guessing not a problem but I'm worrying about the crushes resulting with the watch being exposed to higher pressure blasts.
Cheers


----------



## Mystro

*Re: kitesurfing with FENIX*

I think you would be fine. The Fenix was designed or swimming and that would be swimming. I use mine all the time to take water temps in my local trout streams. The biggest avoidance is not to push buttons when the watch is wet.












MKuzi said:


> Did any one used the Fenix for kitesurfing? Would the water resistance performance be all right? the few metres submersion would be inevitable and Im guessing not a problem but I'm worrying about the crushes resulting with the watch being exposed to higher pressure blasts.
> Cheers


----------



## icuriosity

I wore mine to snorkel down to about 3-4m and swam in the pool. 3 months now, it seems fine.


----------



## dezz

Ice cold mountain streams, 3-4m deep dives and hours in sauna - doing just fine.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


----------



## ifarlow

*Re: kitesurfing with FENIX*



Mystro said:


> I think you would be fine. The Fenix was designed or swimming and that would be swimming.


The Fenix was _not_ designed for swimming. The Fenix is waterproof up to a certain depth, but that is not the same thing as "designed for swimming." Swimming strokes introduce pressures to the watch that, if it is not designed for such activity, can defeat the seals/waterproofing. The 910xt is designed for swimming. The Ambit2 is designed for swimming. The Swim is designed for swimming. The Fenix is not.

Does that mean that the Fenix will fail if used while swimming? No idea, but it's wrong to say that it is designed for swimming.


----------



## dezz

*Re: kitesurfing with FENIX*



ifarlow said:


> The Fenix was _not_ designed for swimming. The Fenix is waterproof up to a certain depth, but that is not the same thing as "designed for swimming." Swimming strokes introduce pressures to the watch that, if it is not designed for such activity, can defeat the seals/waterproofing. The 910xt is designed for swimming. The Ambit2 is designed for swimming. The Swim is designed for swimming. The Fenix is not.
> 
> Does that mean that the Fenix will fail if used while swimming? No idea, but it's wrong to say that it is designed for swimming.


Yep. for kitesurfing and watersports A2 would be the way to go for now. Fenix is just fine in contact with water but when it comes to water activities there is Quantix on its way: Marine Watch + GPS Navigator | Garmin quatix

on other hand it is fenix with blue buttons and some changes in sw.. also rated 50m WR.

Garmin should really rethink the WR ratings they have.


----------



## MKuzi

*Re: kitesurfing with FENIX*

ThNKS FOR THE INFO GUYS. I agree that the Ambit would suit the purpose better but that GPS thingy that is sticking out on the side puts me of buying one. . .

Might just wait til there is some more improvements coming out

Cheers


----------



## findbuddha

I've had a read through the manual but haven't had any luck, possibly as it hasn't been updated since August last year....

Is there a reason my Fenix switches from Demo Mode to Normal GPS mode by itself?

What is the function of the Indoor mode? I assume the GPS is switched off, but I've also noticed it's not possible to change the tracking rate from 1S. (also seemed to notice high battery drain?)

What settings are part of a profile?



What I'm trying to achieve is a profile that is merely a stopwatch/timer with interval vibrating alerts every 15 minutes. I don't need GPS, tracking or sensors at all in this profile and it would seem a waste of battery cycles to have them on.

Thanks!


----------



## rustislove

Hello guys, I'd like to ask, what is the status now with output file formats? I mean GPX and FIT. There were a lot changes in FIT file format. Is it usable now without any errors or so? I read in DC Rainmaker's deep review the the watch also supports TCX file format. If it is true what is it good for? My point is that I would like to use the output files for importing into web services like Runkeeper, or Endomondo. 
I don't have the watch yet, though. 

My another question is if some of you use different web services as an alternative to Garmin Connect. Nowadays I use runkeeper.com. Maybe I will switch to runtastic or Endomodno. Although, I cannot decide, they differ in some points but each has benefits over the others. 

Regarding the issue with swimming: I would definitely swimm with Fenix. I already had several much much cheaper watches and I swam with all of them, even with pressing buttons. All of them had no problems with it. 
Although, after a certain time all of them broke  But I don't suppose it was because of water.


----------



## rustislove

Oh, man. I just checked the official Garmin forum and almost every post below subthreads are dedicated for Fenix. It seems like almost everybody complaints about Fenix. It doesn't look good at all.


----------



## Mystro

*Re: kitesurfing with FENIX*

O.k let me reword this. The Fenix was designed with swimming being a acceptable activity with the Fenix on your wrist and its integrity will not be compromised.. It doesn't have any swimming profiles. You could set up your swim work outs with the countdown timer and have the alarm set for tone and vibrate so you could feel the alarm underwater. You could track your distance with the gps and even chart your snorkeling pattern. I guess you are only limited to your creativity. If you worried about if the Fenix watch can handle swimming activities without leaking, then the Fenix is perfectly fine.



ifarlow said:


> The Fenix was _not_ designed for swimming. The Fenix is waterproof up to a certain depth, but that is not the same thing as "designed for swimming." Swimming strokes introduce pressures to the watch that, if it is not designed for such activity, can defeat the seals/waterproofing. The 910xt is designed for swimming. The Ambit2 is designed for swimming. The Swim is designed for swimming. The Fenix is not.
> 
> Does that mean that the Fenix will fail if used while swimming? No idea, but it's wrong to say that it is designed for swimming.


----------



## pjc3

rustislove said:


> Oh, man. I just checked the official Garmin forum and almost every post below subthreads are dedicated for Fenix. It seems like almost everybody complaints about Fenix. It doesn't look good at all.


Remember that Forums always have a bias toward problems.....when something works well, people tend not to say too much (too busy being out enjoying their fenix!). When there are issues, they come searching on the internet and post problems. You need to balance up this bias before making assumptions that the fenix is not good at all. The best option would be to buy from a retailer with a return policy which will allow for a "doesn't work for me" return. Unfortunately this is rarely offered.


----------



## Mdanehart

That option is available at Cabella's. I purchased mine from the 'Bargin Basement' for $295.00. I applied for the Cabella Visa card ad received an additional $20.00 off that price plus another coupon and in my pocket for a total of $250.00. I still have have seven days remaining to return it!


----------



## Mystro

Score!!


Mdanehart said:


> That option is available at Cabella's. I purchased mine from the 'Bargin Basement' for $295.00. I applied for the Cabella Visa card ad received an additional $20.00 off that price plus another coupon and in my pocket for a total of $250.00. I still have have seven days remaining to return it!


----------



## Mdanehart

Mystro,
They also had two Suunto Ambits unopened for 495.00. I asked for the Manager for a discount and she reduced them to $325.00. I had them for two days and back to the box and back to the store. Might keep the Fenix...


----------



## CNuevo

*Updates & Downloads*

[HR][/HR]*GPS Chipset Type M4 (Fitness Region File) software version 2.60*

as of May 9, 2013
*Use myDashboard to install this file.*

(526 KB)
View system requirements
[HR][/HR]*Change History*

*Changes made from version 2.50 to 2.60:*


Improved SBAS(WAAS) satellite tracking.
*Changes made from version 2.00 to 2.50:*


Improved GPS performance.


----------



## or_watching

pjc3 said:


> The best option would be to buy from a retailer with a return policy which will allow for a "doesn't work for me" return.


Or, do a Watchuseek poll!!!

"Fair and Balanced".


----------



## booblik

or_watching said:


> Or, do a Watchuseek poll!!!
> 
> "Fair and Balanced".


Don't think it's possible on wus. Way to many suunto users in comparison to garmin. There are very few unhappy fenix users these days so no need to troll forums.

Maybe having to use internet for changing settings was a smart move.? This way you keep the legions close for flame wars and 'fair and balanced' polls.


----------



## paduncan

Since there are way more Suunto users, than statistically you would have more complaints on the Suunto side. I just checked the Garmin forum and there are a LOT of complaints about malfunctioning issues with the Fenix. More so than Suunto. Suunto complaints about malfunctions are few and far in between. By malfunctioning I mean the watch shutting down, battery drain, water leakage, and the like. Not very confidence inspiring.


----------



## jfinca

paduncan said:


> Since there are way more Suunto users, than statistically you would have more complaints on the Suunto side. I just checked the Garmin forum and there are a LOT of complaints about malfunctioning issues with the Fenix.


Just asking... how is it determined that there are way more Suunto (Ambit) users that Garmin Fenix users?


----------



## Mystro

Do you own both watches to make such a bias assertion????:-s

You made it your mission to bad mouth the Fenix every chance you get but unless you actually own both watches and have first hand experience, how credible can you be other than a biased opinion???? :-s

As far as I can tell, ever since I evaluated both the Ambit and Fenix and chose the Fenix to be the superior GPS navigation watch (even on specs alone), you seem almost pissed off and have gone out of your way to make claims against the Fenix with out any first hand knowledge of the watch you are slamming. Its o.k to be a Suunto fan boy and like the watch you own but this vendetta against Garmin is getting Bizarre??????



paduncan said:


> Since there are way more Suunto users, than statistically you would have more complaints on the Suunto side. I just checked the Garmin forum and there are a LOT of complaints about malfunctioning issues with the Fenix. More so than Suunto. Suunto complaints about malfunctions are few and far in between. By malfunctioning I mean the watch shutting down, battery drain, water leakage, and the like. Not very confidence inspiring.


----------



## jfinca

Mdanehart said:


> Mystro,
> They also had two Suunto Ambits unopened for 495.00. I asked for the Manager for a discount and she reduced them to $325.00. I had them for two days and back to the box and back to the store. Might keep the Fenix...


REI has ambits on sale going now for $375.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## ifarlow

Mystro said:


> You made it your mission to bad mouth the Fenix every chance you get...Its o.k to be a Suunto fan boy and like the watch you own but this vendetta against Garmin is getting Bizarre??????


You didn't seriously write this, did you? Considering your behavior over the last few weeks or so, your post is laughable. It's worse when you put this into context with your recent post pointing out to someone that decided to get an Ambit that the Fenix has bluetooth and how amazing it is. It was out of left field, and the undertones of "You can't pick the Ambit because I, Mystro, have determined that the Fenix is the greatest device ever created ever in the history of man ever" were more than clear. You obviously felt compelled to defend the Fenix for some strange reason.

Besides, does it take owning a Fenix to be able to point out the volume of complaints on the Garmin forum? Notwithstanding the issue that drawing statistics from forum posts is a bad idea, certainly anyone (owner or not) is able to compare the chatter on the Garmin forum with that of the chatter here, right? Or is reading and participation in either forum strictly limited to owners?

It seems to me that you used to be a Suunto fan up until they apparently kicked your dog. Since that time, it seems to me that your mission is to prop up the Fenix and downplay the Ambit as much as possible. Ironic, then, that you should point out how flawed it is that someone else do the same in favor of the Ambit. Your bias towards the Fenix is quite clear.

Oh, and because I feel compelled to show you my Member's Only ID card, I have owned both the Ambit and the Fenix. That should make me more than qualified to post my comments. Full disclosure: I have returned the Fenix because it didn't suit my needs; sold the Ambit because I wanted to upgrade; and am awaiting delivery of the Ambit 2 S, the device that will suit my needs best.


----------



## or_watching

jfinca said:


> Just asking... how is it determined that there are way more Suunto (Ambit) users that Garmin Fenix users?


Yeah, and besides, the poll would apply only to people who own BOTH watches.

And that sub-population at watchuseek is both eminently honest and good looking. And I only mention that last part because scientific studies have proven that humans believe that good-looking people are more honest.

"Fair, Balanced, Honest and Good Looking"


----------



## or_watching

jfinca said:


> REI has ambits on sale going now for $375.


Dang. Now I gotta drop my price.


----------



## booblik

You guys realize this is Fenix review thread.?

Could you be so kind, show some civility and stop trashing it with your fanboy bs?
There is a whole sub-forum for you to express your unhealthy love towards suunto why the need for bullying ppl here?

Half of the complaints are related to betas and people having no idea how to use device as sophisticated as fenix (learning curve?). Yes there where and still are some hiccups and Garmin could do much better job screening and testing before posting. But most of those are fixed within a week or two. It's like bragging that your calculator is so much faster and doesn't have bugs in comparison with your smartphone..


----------



## Mystro

No I didn't write this...:roll:...the last few weeks i dared to challenge SUUNTO's decision to shelf a viable products, got other like minded owners to challenge and change Suunto's decision. What have you done to further the cause besides take shots at me for not loving every move Suunto makes????? Yea, and I dont hate Suunto and i am probably sure I still have more Suunto products still in my possession than most of the average Suunto fan boys. Suunto makes a quality product but they are not the only game in town. As far as abc watches go, the nod goes to Suunto but the nod goes to Garmin for GPS watches. Lets look past the fact that Garmin is the world leader in personal GPS navigation. Any one that doesn't recognize the Fenix isn't a better navigation watch even by specs alone is in denial and drinking special Koolaid. I dont care how you want to twist the reasoning "for my purposes". The Ambit was advertised as a navigational watch. Thats Suunto's description not mine. Spec for spec, the Ambit2 can't match the Fenix feature for feature. Suunto is clearly getting into the training watch segment and NOT navigational GPS watches by their own admission. The Garmin Fenix was advertised as a navigational watch and thats what they delivered and did with more features than anyone else. Talk to me when the Ambit2 to gets a base map or bread crumb back track, etc.... just to mention a few or lets just look both watches as your every day watch feaure or feature...multiple alarms daily or weekly, sunset/moon times with icon, countdown timer, GPS altimeter /time synch...???? The Ambit cant even get the countdown timer or GPS time synch or simple watch functions like the Fenix. I would be happy just to see the Ambit2 have all of the Suunto Core features but it doesn't. Why is that??. Bluetooth would be a Star Trek fantasy to the Ambit2. Yea, I dared to look out side the Suunto umbrella and choose a more advanced product by design. 
Competition can only make all products better. 
God forbid someone venture out side the Suunto cult. I am not going to mindlessly buy every new Suunto product because it is a Suunto. Your paying twice as much for the Ambit 2 and getting half the features of the Fenix, I would be pissed too if I was buy ithe Ambit2 as a navigational watch but I can understand the reasoning if you want a training watch.



ifarlow said:


> You didn't seriously write this, did you? Considering your behavior over the last few weeks or so


----------



## booblik

Mystro said:


> No I didn't write this...:roll:....


Calm down.. you're trying to reason with the mindless mob with torches. Why bother?

They don't even have a decency to keep it in their own little love nest


----------



## Mystro

True, .....I am not getting sucked into the madness again.....goosfraba,....goosfraba,....serenity now.:-d



booblik said:


> Calm down.. you're trying to reason with the mindless mob with torches. Why bother?
> 
> They don't even have a decency to keep it in their own little love nest


----------



## bigwave

Is the Fenix determined the height by altimeter unit like the ambit or by gps?


----------



## rustislove

pointless arguing, guys; and nobody answered my questions :-(


----------



## Mystro

Both... It can use its sensors or it can use the GPS.. You have the option to select where it gets its altimeter info. You can even have it calibrate the altimeter at first GPS fix and then use the sensors from that point on. For me, all I use ithe sensors for is the barometer for weather trends. When I need to know my altitude, I get it from the GPS. It simplifies it ALOT.



bigwave said:


> Is the Fenix determined the height by altimeter unit like the ambit or by gps?


----------



## booblik

bigwave said:


> Is the Fenix determined the height by altimeter unit like the ambit or by gps?


What mystro said + important point he missed.
Fenix is WAAS/EGNOS capable. What it gives is much much more precise altimeter than just gps one.

Very little point in calibrating from gps without waas/egnos correction.

Just this makes fenix two steps ahead of anything similar on the market


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## MXCHNEY

booblik said:


> What mystro said + important point he missed.
> Fenix is WAAS/EGNOS capable. What it gives is much much more precise altimeter than just gps one.
> 
> Very little point in calibrating from gps without waas/egnos correction.
> 
> Just this makes fenix two steps ahead of anything similar on the market


Up here at 55 degree latitude it is pretty difficult to get sight of an EGNOS satellite, unfortunately.


----------



## booblik

MXCHNEY said:


> Up here at 55 degree latitude it is pretty difficult to get sight of an EGNOS satellite, unfortunately.


Why? Take a look at the egnos coverage map. It goes all the way to N70°

Personally at 59,5 and no problems..
Traveled to Helsinki that is even further north and no problem, on 2.60 fix is almost instantaneous D's follow in few minutes.


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## Mystro

New firmware update today 3.30. I just finished uploading it and no problems. Quick GPS fix.


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## booblik

Mystro said:


> New firmware update today 3.40. I just finished uploading it and no problems. Quick GPS fix.


3.40?

Typo?

Only 3.30 here..


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## Mystro

Yes....so sorry it was a typo its *3.30*.


booblik said:


> 3.40?
> 
> Typo?
> 
> Only 3.30 here..


----------



## cdmackay

[EGNOS] I have no trouble here in Cambridge (52 deg. N).


----------



## theotherphil

I have both, the Fenix is the "Outdoors watch for explorers". Suunto missed their marketing brief by a long way.


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## slav_2000

Mystro said:


> New firmware update today 3.30. I just finished uploading it and no problems. Quick GPS fix.


Main FW, even 3.30, does not affect anyhow GPS fix time. This is GPS SW, which is responsible for GPS chip management. Last one is 2.60, it make GPS fix much better, in comparison with previous versions of GPS SW.

At the same time, all the changes from 3.20 FW to 3.30 is just translit support for some other languages. Nothing else. But I need to mention, that this translit support is something, at least for Russian. It would be better not to do it at all, and keep English as universal language for this watch, if Garmin can not perform fully functional font support for different non latin languages.


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## nub98

Hi... I'm new to the forum, but have reading through the review to understand the functions of the watch better.

That being said, I decided to create a Profile Builder in Excel. If you are interested in trying it out, let me know and I can email it to you. (It is set up in Excel.)

I learned a lot about the fenix putting this together, to include the different settings (i.e. how often the track updates for Normal versus Most Often or Least Often, etc.)

-Joe


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## booblik

nub98 said:


> Hi... If you are interested in trying it out, let me know and I can email it to you. (It is set up in Excel.), etc.)
> 
> -Joe


IF Interested? Are you kidding?

Please share


----------



## Djibouti62

nub98 said:


> Hi... I'm new to the forum, but have reading through the review to understand the functions of the watch better.
> 
> That being said, I decided to create a Profile Builder in Excel. If you are interested in trying it out, let me know and I can email it to you. (It is set up in Excel.)
> 
> I learned a lot about the fenix putting this together, to include the different settings (i.e. how often the track updates for Normal versus Most Often or Least Often, etc.)
> 
> -Joe


I would be very interested! Thank you in advance!


----------



## cdmackay

nub98 said:


> That being said, I decided to create a Profile Builder in Excel. If you are interested in trying it out, let me know and I can email it to you. (It is set up in Excel.)


welcome, and well done! 

Do you know if it would work in OpenOffice/LibreOffice? I use those, and would love to give it a try, please...


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## MXCHNEY

cdmackay said:


> welcome, and well done!
> 
> Do you know if it would work in OpenOffice/LibreOffice? I use those, and would love to give it a try, please...


OK in LibreOffice and probably also in OpenOffice. It is an impressive piece of work that nub98 has done.


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## nub98

So... For those that would rather have a guide and edit an existing profile, I created one in very rough draft form.

Here are links to the two files:

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Guide (PDF file)

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)

Here are my requests:
-I am still working on the Excel file, as I have not included the User Grids, Datums and Spheroids yet.
-Keep in mind this is a BUILDER - so, it will not edit an existing profile, and unless you save a copy of the file you'll have to reload all the settings if you have one you like.
-Share... I didn't spend a week beating my fenix into submission to keep it to myself!
-Let me know if you find any issues, have suggestions, or if you find something was added in an update and I missed it.

Beware the potential for locking up your GPS. However, I have loaded several profiles without issues. As a matter of fact, one thing I noticed during my tests was that the GPS fixed the formatting of the file (i.e. removed extra "carriage returns" - I know I just showed my age).

Good luck and enjoy!

-Joe

P.S. - I didn't include instructions, so here they are... Use the drop down menus and the entry boxes to set up your desired profile. Blank selections in the data pages and the menu will not be included in the profile. And, yes, you can have multiple instances of the same menu item (i.e. you are really lazy and want another "Setup" in the middle and end). Go to the last tab and select the column with all the code, copy and paste into a text file. Save it as ###########.gpf. Connect your fenix and copy it into the directory with the Profiles. Disconnect and enjoy. Repeat as needed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." - Leonardo da Vinci


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## mvyrmnd

Mate, you are a legend!


----------



## or_watching

nub98 said:


> So... For those that would rather have a guide and edit an existing profile, I created one in very rough draft form.
> 
> Here are links to the two files:
> 
> Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Guide (PDF file)
> 
> Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)
> 
> Here are my requests:
> -I am still working on the Excel file, as I have not included the User Grids, Datums and Spheroids yet.
> -Keep in mind this is a BUILDER - so, it will not edit an existing profile, and unless you save a copy of the file you'll have to reload all the settings if you have one you like.
> -Share... I didn't spend a week beating my fenix into submission to keep it to myself!
> 
> Good luck and enjoy!
> 
> -Joe


"Fantastic" and "Thanks" don't begin to say enough.

A Tour de Force effort.

I know because I got about 15% of the way through this mapping before I threw in the towel.

I may never update my firmware again just so I don't have to fear breaking the profile editor mapping!

"Beat my fenix into submission". Ha! What about your fingers!!!


----------



## nub98

mvyrmnd said:


> Mate, you are a legend!


You should tell my wife. If I had a dollar for every time she asked me what I was doing on my computer over the past week!



or_watching said:


> I know because I got about 15% of the way through this mapping before I threw in the towel.


I greatly appreciate all the positive feedback I've already received. I'm sure you understand it when I say there were several times where I almost walked away from the computer and never wanted to look at an Excel spreadsheet again. When I finished and saw the massive number of settings available, I was floored. But, I was also surprised by what settings appear to be independent of the Profile settings, and internal to the firmware.



or_watching said:


> I may never update my firmware again just so I don't have to fear breaking the profile editor mapping!


I plan to keep updating as Garmin continues to release updates. I don't expect they will change their code, but you never know...



or_watching said:


> "Beat my fenix into submission". Ha! What about your fingers!!!


My fingers have been better. But, I will say it was a testament to the fenix's buttons that they stood up to all the iterations.


----------



## or_watching

nub98 said:


> You should tell my wife. If I had a dollar for every time she asked me what I was doing on my computer over the past week!
> 
> I greatly appreciate all the positive feedback I've already received. I'm sure you understand it when I say there were several times where I almost walked away from the computer and never wanted to look at an Excel spreadsheet again. When I finished and saw the massive number of settings available, I was floored. But, I was also surprised by what settings appear to be independent of the Profile settings, and internal to the firmware.


Can I say "Great job" one more time? The xml/field mapping effort is the crux underpinning to all this. And hopefully allows extending this beyond your incredible start. Be it in your Excel style, a VBA app, or a web page. Not that I'm much good at such things... but I've heard that such people exist.

e.g. An import existing file button (macro) will sent this over the top. 

It's the data page fields that I find a big opportunity to use this in.
I did find a kind of 'back door' way of copying/pasting data page fields around between the Data/Nav/Indoor areas.
1. Select a cell outside the field (in the black)
2. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the first cell in row you want to copy.
3. Shift-Arrow keys to select the array of cells you want to copy (multiple rows if you want)
4. Copy
5. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the other section (e.g. over to the Nav section)
6. Paste Special - *As Values*.

Then it's easy to copy the Data page fiields around.
And if you have multiple .xlsx files open you can make an edit in one profile and copy to another.


----------



## nub98

Based on some of the comments I got on this and the Garmin forum, I made some changes. I have decided to rename the versions to parallel the Garmin firmware releases. This should avoid future confusion on what update is out there. Also, I added the ability to change the units for the user profile. Based on a side post, I did a test and found user data does not need to be included in profiles, unless you are changing the person using it (i.e. your son decided to borrow your fenix for a hike). If you leave the user data blank now, it will not be included in the profile, so you can change settings independent of the user (i.e. your son wants to use your "Paintball" profile, but wants to keep the user settings in the "ThievingSon" profile). Finally, I completed the User Grid/Datum/Spheroid inputs (although I don't know anyone who uses these), and the input boxes will show up when those inputs are selected.

The new file is in the same place:

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)

-Joe


----------



## pos_eidon

Hey Joe, great work! This replaces my current workflow in using Subversion for controlling and documenting my profile-changes!

Sometimes it is hard to find the link between the english and the german translation, so one feature request is to add an extra "translation page" where a user can copy/paste the text from the
garmin-fenix translation file.


----------



## TechBoy42

cdmackay said:


> apols if this is OT - I am selling an orange fenix wrist strap (with screws and tool) on eBay, if anyone is interested...


And bought!


----------



## cdmackay

I've started a thread on altimeter settings, here, if anyone is interested... would very much appreciate any comments there, please...


----------



## nub98

In a constant goal of improving the builder, I've posted version 3.31. I have changed the "version numbering" to match the Firmware upgrades - hopefully, this will help keep them straight.

This version includes language support. However, I attempted to use the Garmin language files, which appear to not be the best (probably obvious). So, for those that speak one of the 10 non-English languages, if you find translations that are bad, please let me know. Also, I corrected some of the formulas that were incorrect. Finally, there were a few errors in the guide that were also corrected.

I'm reposting the links to the two files (so you don't have to go back to an old post):

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Guide (PDF file)

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)

Don't hesitate to let me know if there are any request, but understand I may not get to all of them. (I am currently attempting an imbedded XML sheet to "load" and "save" profiles, although I'm not sure if it is entirely possible.)

-Joe

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." - Leonardo da Vinci


----------



## pos_eidon

Thanks for the updated version! The translation works really great, but I have some formula-errors on the output-page. I sent you details via pn.
Anyway: I really like it and already produces some test-profiles.

How can I migrate my settings from one version to another version? Is the proposed workaround (copy-paste) from above ok, or will it change anything important?

Again, thank you for the tool!


----------



## nub98

pos_eidon said:


> How can I migrate my settings from one version to another version? Is the proposed workaround (copy-paste) from above ok, or will it change anything important?


Now that I've included the language option, the workaround will still work, but requires care in not selecting text fields that have a formula to change the language. However, I will look at including a Macro that makes the language selection permanent. This will allow the ability to copy large sections (if not the entirety) of the sheet for another profile. For a quick fix, you can copy all fields on the entry page (EXCEPT the 14 cells I28-30,32, L26, 31, 33, and O28-34; these are conditional based on the selected User Grid/Datum/Spheroid) and "Paste as Values" onto the same area.



pos_eidon said:


> Thanks for the updated version! The translation works really great, but I have some formula-errors on the output-page. I sent you details via pn.
> Anyway: I really like it and already produces some test-profiles.


With respect to the issue with the number formatting, as far as I can tell, the Garmin fenix uses periods for the decimal separators. In order to produce an XML file that looked as close to the ones produced by the unit itself, I programmed the builder to include certain numbers (39 instances) out to the 6th digit past the decimal separator. I have not tried to use a comma as the decimal separator, but this might be a "version of Excel" issue. I will explore fixes, but since I am using Microsoft Excel for Mac, I'm not sure if I'll be very successful or if a fix will work for everyone.


----------



## nub98

pos_eidon, try the new version 3.32. I did a test and found the formatting for the numbers didn't affect the fenix. So, I removed all the forced number formatting. Hopefully that will alleviate your formula-errors.


----------



## pos_eidon

I tried and the excel-error is gone. I will test the profile on my fenix later!


----------



## Xavier05

Hi all!

I have been through this topic with deep interest as I intend buying a fenix. I intend to use it for skydiving; I see an interest in the GPS to have the position of the plan to the vertical of the drop zone, record of the plane flight and canopy flight as well. But the main purpose for me would be using the fenix as a "jump recorder". I have tried to find exemple of recorded curve of vertical speed but i did not find and I would like to be sure that it is possible. Also another question is to know if when you proceed to a record, does the watch record all the data or only the selected datas and what is the limit of number of data.

What kind of accuracy can I expect for the skydive application? (I will of cours keep on jumping with my skydive altimeter)

Thanks in advance for your answer and sorry for my poor english level!!


----------



## cobrapa

Well, remember that the fastest logging rate is 1s and vertical accuracy is the worst of the positional accuracies for these devices. Even if you could log faster than 1s, the altimeter and gps in the fenix doesn't update any faster, so you are somewhat limited for high speed descent. But you should have very good location accuracy, and average altitude accuracy. For seeing the flight and the jump, I would think you would have a nice trace, plus a good indication with the gps of your landing location. Your vertical descent speeds will probably not be really accurate, but will give you a reasonable estimate.


----------



## Xavier05

Thanks for your answer.

Then setting the logging rate to 5 sec for the vertical speed should give better accuracy of the vertical speed; but is it possible to set a different logging rate on GPS and vertical speed??

Also will i be able to see on my PC a recorded curve of my vertical speed?


----------



## mattcoq

Hi to all,

Thanks for all the great information that I found here and there about this watch ... Very, very complete ... Well done ...

I am french and live in China ... I have bought the Garmin Fenix in Shanghai and found out strangely that the two only languages available are Chinese and English ... Not itself a big issue, but wondering if any other changes apply ...

My serial n° is 2QA06xxxx, with a software version which is 2.00 and a GPS software 2.30 ... I since then updated to 2.60 GPS Software

When I connect on the Garmin website ... On the Dashboard, it says that no update is available ... Also, when I try to install additional languages, the file is downloaded in the watch, but nothing happens and I still have only chinese and english ...

Strangely enough, when I am on GARMINCONNECT, uploading my session ... I have a note telling me that a new firmware is available 3.30 and I should upgrade from my 2.00 version ... But no way to get it done (by Garmin Webupdater or Garmin Express)

I really hope that I can solve this asap .... Already sent an email to GARMIN about this but of course no answer ...

-----

After a couple of weeks of usage : pretty happy with it, tried it in order to compare the data with a FORERUNNER 205 and a Edge 705 ... Very similar results in both cases ...


----------



## cdmackay

Garmin have put up new (May 2013) manuals for the fenix.

thanks to PSTON on Garmin forums for the news.

fenix:
http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_OM_EN.pdf
http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_QSM_Web_EN.pdf

general:
https://support.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces


----------



## cdmackay

Also, firmware 3.4 just out: Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads

thanks to Gorak84


----------



## mattcoq

mattcoq said:


> Hi to all,
> 
> Thanks for all the great information that I found here and there about this watch ... Very, very complete ... Well done ...
> 
> I am french and live in China ... I have bought the Garmin Fenix in Shanghai and found out strangely that the two only languages available are Chinese and English ... Not itself a big issue, but wondering if any other changes apply ...
> 
> My serial n° is 2QA06xxxx, with a software version which is 2.00 and a GPS software 2.30 ... I since then updated to 2.60 GPS Software
> 
> When I connect on the Garmin website ... On the Dashboard, it says that no update is available ... Also, when I try to install additional languages, the file is downloaded in the watch, but nothing happens and I still have only chinese and english ...
> 
> Strangely enough, when I am on GARMINCONNECT, uploading my session ... I have a note telling me that a new firmware is available 3.30 and I should upgrade from my 2.00 version ... But no way to get it done (by Garmin Webupdater or Garmin Express)
> 
> I really hope that I can solve this asap .... Already sent an email to GARMIN about this but of course no answer ...
> 
> -----
> 
> After a couple of weeks of usage : pretty happy with it, tried it in order to compare the data with a FORERUNNER 205 and a Edge 705 ... Very similar results in both cases ...


Hi to all,

Think I figured out what is wrong ...

I guess that the Fenix I bought was made only for China consumers and will only be updated through GARMIN China ... Mhhhhhhhhh, I am really pissed because when I see all the updates on the WorldWide Garmin website ... Starting to miss a lot ...

Because from what I understand, the main difference between the Fenix USA / Europe / Australia & Asia is the map included in the watch (but please tell me if I am wrong) ... Then there is another one, which is the Fenix for China, which stands on its own ...

I called GARMIN China and they told me there were no updates for the Fenix till now and had no idea when there would be one ...

---------

I am now trying to see if there is a way of triggering / untriggering the blocking file (that Chinese have the habit of putting in the GPS devices) in order to be able to enjoy the updates like you all ...

To do so, if have been thinking of different ways to approach this issue :
- Webupdater : out of the question doesn't work - Says device is up to date
- Garmin Express : out of the question doesn't work - Says device is up to date
- Try to execute one on the beta software like the 3.16 which comes as an .exe file ... So question for those who have tried that software 3.16, when the 3.20 came out, did you just simply update the Fenix through the Webupdater ? If the answer is yes, I'll have to get a PC in order to try to install the 3.16, since I am essentially on Mac 
- Other solution would be to take out all the actuel files from the Fenix and replace them by a none Chinese version of the Fenix ... Not really sure, what is going on in there, so not sure what the result would be ...

I just need to find out in fact which file is restricting the Fenix, chinese version ... Because even though I updated the text files (french language for example), it appears in the Fenix, it appears in the xml code (when browsing through the watch in USB mode), but when I am going through the menus, I only have ENGLISH and CHINESE ...

Hope that someone with a little more tech knowledge could give me some hints ...

Best option would be to be able to compare files, one by one, in order to be able to find the "Chinese Blocking file" ...

Thanks in advance for your answer ...


----------



## AlexRus

mattcoq, But if you remove all files with the Fenix for China and install files for Europe? Technically watch likely no different.


----------



## nub98

Update 3.33 for the Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile now includes an OpenOffice version. Also, there are bug fixes, a slimming of the file and formulas. The new drop-down menus will allow easier copying of certain profile settings from one file to another. Finally, I edited the guide for consolidation and linking of common settings (If there is interest, I will add the definitions that were included in the new release of the Owner's Manual in the future).

Here are the links:

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (OpenOffice file)

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Guide (PDF file)

Here are the updated instructions:
-Click on the entry box and use the drop down menus to set up your desired profile.
-Blank selections in the data pages and the menu will not be included in the profile.
-It is possible to have multiple instances of the same menu item, but the builder maxes out at 22 menu items.
-Go to the "Output" tab and select column F with all the code.
-Copy and paste the column into a text file.
-Save it as ###########.gpf.
-Connect your fenix and copy it into the directory with the Profiles.
-Disconnect. Repeat as needed.

I am still working on a future ability to load AND save profiles. I think this new method will allow this, so I hope people aren't too upset with the new format (i.e. data validation vs separate drop-downs). I will also be working on documenting the added settings from the most recent 3.40 firmware release.

Blue skies!
-Joe


----------



## sausepaule

mattcoq said:


> Hi to all, I guess that the Fenix I bought was made only for China consumers and will only be updated through GARMIN China ... Mhhhhhhhhh, I am really pissed because when I see all the updates on the WorldWide Garmin website ... Starting to miss a lot ...


 I succsessfully updated my watch without webupdater (I use Linux and can't use the webupdater) Download the Firmwre from here: http://www.garmin.com/software/fenix_340.gcd Place it on your watch in /Garmin/GUPDATE.GCD Unplug the Watch. Maybe this works for your watch.


----------



## mattcoq

sausepaule said:


> I succsessfully updated my watch without webupdater (I use Linux and can't use the webupdater) Download the Firmwre from here: http://www.garmin.com/software/fenix_340.gcd Place it on your watch in /Garmin/GUPDATE.GCD Unplug the Watch. Maybe this works for your watch.


Thanks for your answer ...

I tried that option with the version 3.20 and 3.30 already ...

Just tried it with the firmware 3.40 ... Didn't work either ...

Guess there is a line in one file telling it that those updates aren't for Garmin China sold Fenixs ...

-------

Received two emails also from members of this forum :
- One saying to use the update with a beta firmware .exe file
- One sending me two files from his own watch so I can maybe spot the difference between his version and mine ...

I'll keep you all posted if any changes or discoveries ...

Thanks anyway to all of you for providing information ....

Matthieu


----------



## pos_eidon

@nub98
Thanks for the update.
I have a formula-error in I30 and O30.I30 searches for "Lamb. Conic 2 Par.".
Can the alternative Timezones also get included into profiles?


I used a profile generated with 3.32 last weekend. It worked perfect, thanks a lot!


----------



## mattcoq

mattcoq said:


> Thanks for your answer ...
> 
> I tried that option with the version 3.20 and 3.30 already ...
> 
> Just tried it with the firmware 3.40 ... Didn't work either ...
> 
> Guess there is a line in one file telling it that those updates aren't for Garmin China sold Fenixs ...
> 
> -------
> 
> Received two emails also from members of this forum :
> - One saying to use the update with a beta firmware .exe file
> - One sending me two files from his own watch so I can maybe spot the difference between his version and mine ...
> 
> I'll keep you all posted if any changes or discoveries ...
> 
> Thanks anyway to all of you for providing information ....
> 
> Matthieu


Hi to all,

I tried to install the beta version 3.16 on my Fenix yesterday and nothing happened apart from seeing the GUPDATE.GCD file in my Garmin ...

Working on the last solution with US / EUROPE fenix files to find the difference now between them and what is blocking the update ...

Matthieu


----------



## nub98

This is getting to be a little bit of a chore! I wish Garmin would create their own profile builder...

Anyway, the New Builder Version 3.41 is posted. I have corrected a lot of the errors that resulted from Garmin's renumbering of the data field options. Also, I included conditional formatting to alleviate any entry confusion. IF YOU ARE USING THIS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, each option must be reselected once the language has been changed. Sorry, but this should be a one time action for each time you change the language (including going to English from another language).

Unofficial Garmin fenix Profile Builder (Excel file)

Some things I noted in properly analyzing the fenix 3.40 update: If you are editing your own .gpf files, please note Garmin has changed fields 2 & 3. So, if you have a 1 field page, enter the desired option in field 1. If you have a 2 field page, enter the desired top option in field 1 and bottom option in field 2. Simple. However, if you have a 3 field page, you now have to enter the top option in field 1, the bottom option in field 2 and the middle option in field 3. I will eventually update the guide (as well as the OpenOffice version) to show this change and the numbering change as well. Also, you cna only get 20 pages for each category, but the 20th page does not show after you go to "Add Page" and select your options (unless you delete a previous page). Personally, I doubt anyone will get up to 20 pages, but I guess if you absolutely need it...


----------



## nub98

Ok... I pulled a Garmin and released 3.41 before it was fully tested. It should be good for download. One more item of interest. I have found that numerous settings are not required, and the only benefit of adding them to a .gpf file is to specifically set those options. Otherwise, they remain the last known setting. On another forum, the question was asked about having separate profiles for multiple users. I tested this and found that user data set in a .gpf will change the user data for that purpose. Also, if a .gpf doesn't include user data, the last user data remains. (For example, "His" and "Hers" profiles with non-user specific "Running" and "Curling" profiles.)


----------



## Xavier05

Hi to all.

So I made decision to Garmin Fenix, just received this morning.
I have been through the 100 pages of the topic over the last weeks and I though so far that altimeter configuration was clear to me.

Actually this is a bit confusing me. I am used with the suunto core altimeter which does automatically switch between baro and alti mode. This is not very accurate but as far as you set the altimeter once a week to a correct reference, it does provide good altitude estimation.

With the fenix, it says that the baro variable mode will automatically interprets pressure change in altitude if you are moving or in atmospheric pressure if you are not moving. Is it here the same principle than for the suunto core or is it based on GPS to check wether you are moving or not? If no, is there any possibility to have automatic switch between alti and baro without using GPS?

I would appreciate if you could shed any light. Many thanks in advance.

Edit: also why when uploading a record on basemap or garmin connect I can only see speed, temperature and altitude curves?? I would like to see also vertical speed, 3D speed, distance to waypoint, for example...


----------



## Xavier05

Nobody to advise?


----------



## cdmackay

I think that the fenix "Variable" mode only looks at GPS to decide if you are moving, and so should operate as Fixed if GPS is off. Although I find that not to be true.

I made some notes here; unfortunately they're inconclusive, but I do see what appear to be several bugs (and have had one or two other people confirm some of them).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v9deGeMbwZ9X61W1uP2Uda-0Trd3tX_Hny0x85InUg0/edit?usp=sharing


----------



## nub98

Anybody familiar enough with Adobe Forms to help me out? I've created a draft builder in Adobe. It works perfectly in my Adobe Acrobat Pro for importing and exporting profiles (with an extension change from .gpf to .xml for importing and .xml to .gpf for exports). But... I don't think it works in Adobe Reader. If anyone is interested or has suggestions, here are the links:

Original file

Reader Enabled (Supposedly)

Hopefully someone can help me finish this project!

EDIT:
I just replaced the version I posted that was supposedly Reader Extended with one I made to work with Foxit - a free PDF reader that allows form data importing and exporting. The only limitation is that they only have Windows and Linux versions.

For those that can use Foxit, here's what you need to do:

-If you want to edit an old profile, temporarily change the extension of your file from .gpf to .xml (or add a second extension)
-In Foxit, use the Form tab commands of "Reset Form," "Import" and "Export" instead of the buttons at the top
-Find the new profile, and change the extension from .xml to .gpf (or remove the second extension)

It should be that simple. This is a "draft" because I haven't finalized the layout of each of the items. I'm open to suggestions on how they should be grouped. I how this will be more of a platform agnostic solution, so that I will only have to update one file each time Garmin releases a new update (instead of Excel for Windows and OpenOffice).


----------



## cdmackay

nub98 said:


> I how this will be more of a platform agnostic solution, so that I will only have to update one file each time Garmin releases a new update (instead of Excel for Windows and OpenOffice).


Heh, not really serious, but OpenOffice could be such an agnostic solution, since it is available for Win, Mac, and Linux 

thanks - will give the Foxit version a try, on Linux.


----------



## cdmackay

Apols for the spam...

If anyone is interested, I've made the difficult decision to put my 1-month old fenix up on eBay.

Have a search for it, and/or PM me for details.

thanks...


----------



## mvyrmnd

I've just had to send my Fenix back for warranty service - the battery has failed. Charges to 100%, but powers down as soon as you disconnect it from the charger.

I was hoping for a bit longer than 8 months out of a li-ion battery!


----------



## rustislove

Finally I’ve decided that it is time to cancel my saving account 

So, today I’m just the next lucky user of Garmin Fenix. It is now only couple of days since I’m wearing the watch, but after reading all those complaints I have to write something positive. This Watch is great, everything works as supposed to, at least I hope. I’m really surprised. I was expecting something worse (after reading this forum ). I also tried their web (Garmin Connect) and I’m pretty amazed, in comparison to other web services as Runkeeper, Runtastic etc. I have already tried the GMapTool and works fine. I can see all paths, roads, etc. It looks cute on a small display :-D

The watch offers a lot of settings especially when it comes to settings of pages during activity. And don’t know what to select. Maybe I’ll try and change until I find some that suits my needs. Some of those parameters are not quite clear to me. I miss some explanation for them :-(
I like the fact that those pages are customizable. So far I was running / cycling etc. only with a phone and all those apps I’ve been using so far was not so customizable, even with a paid account. 

So finally I don’t have to run with my giant phone (Note II) :-D. I have purchased the watch also with a heart rate monitor and it also works very well. 
I didn’t have any similar watch, I mean for running or so…, I don’t have a chance to compare, but I’m satisfied with what I got. 

There was a long discussion about the altitude accuracy and the way of how to set the watch regarding this issue. I don’t really know how my Fenix is set, but I think it shows correct values. At least so far, I didn’t go for a hike since I bought the watch. Maybe later I’ll come back to learn how to set it to get proper values during mountaineering. 
Another topic which was eagerly discussed here was the time needed for the Fenix to acquire sufficient GPS reception. I noticed that it takes the watch 1 – 3 minutes to get a reception after several hours GPS OFF state. I don’t know if it is too much or normal, but I can live with it. When I position the watch to the window and let it locate satellites, I always surrender after 15 minutes  No reception – I have to go outside. 

I’m not able to evaluate the battery life so far, because I always try something new and I connect it to the PC all the time. Therefore I’m on 80% – 95% every day 
But I must admit that my Fenix already froze once. Since it acts as a computer, and computers do always freeze I can live with it. It happened during setup changes so no big deal. It would be much worse during my half-marathon or so :-s

The other day I was not able to download BaseCamp SW from garmin official web page. It always forwarded me to the shop home page. :-| WTF .. so I downloaded the older version by overwriting the web link .. and afterwards I let the SW to update by itself. Maybe some of you noticed the same issue. 
I miss the Android version of BaseCamp app L. Fenix’s Bluetooth is invisible to my phone, oh :-(

These are my insights, so far


----------



## rustislove

Well, I just run through all data pages setting and there is a lot of parameters which I don't understand.

Can you provide me some greater manual, or did someone write an explanation sheet for those parameters ?

For example what is:
1. ETE ? Either "Estimated Time En Route" or "Estimated Time Elapsed"
2. TOD ?
3. Final VDST and Final VSPD ?
4. VMG ?
5. Glide Ratio ? - What does it mean?
6. GR Dest ?
7. Grade ?
8. Max VDST ?
9. Turn ?
10. LLAP ?

And there is a bunch of others that can be interpretted in more meanings, .. oh :-(


----------



## 24hours

Hello,

take a look here, it is not updated to last version but could help:
•You can configure the device to show values in metric, english or nautic units.
•For each data field, you can choose one from the following 93 values.
•The values are grouped in 9 categories, the following categories exist:
A. Time
B. Speed and Distance
C. Navigation
D. Trip Data
E. Elevation
F. Aviation
G. Status
H. Heading
I. Fitness

*No*
*Category*
*Display*
*Name*
*Explanation*
 
 *A*
*B*
*C*
*D*
*E*
*F*
*G*
*H*
*I*
 
 
 
 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*ACCURACY*
*Accuracy of GPS*
Current accuracy of your GPS determined position
 2
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
*AMB PRESS*
*Ambient Pressure*
Current ambient pressure
 3
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*X*
*ASCENT*
*Ascent Total*
Total elevation gain since last reset
 4
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*AVG ASCENT*
*Ascent Average*
Average elevation gain since last reset
 5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP ASCNT*
*Ascent Lap*
Elevation gain during current lap
 6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP ASCNT*
*Ascent Last Lap*
Elevation gain during last lap
 7
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*MAX ASCENT*
*Ascent Maximum*
The maximum ascent rate
 8
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
*BAROMETER*
*Barometer*
The calibrated current pressure
 9
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*BATTERY*
*Battery Level*
Battery charge level
 10
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*BEARING*
*Bearing*
The compass direction from a position to a destination measured to the nearest degree; 
also called an azimuth. In a GPS receiver, bearing usually refers to the direction to a waypoint.
 11
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*CADENCE*
*Cadence*
Revolutions of the crank arm per minute (requires *optional* bike speed and cadence sensor)
 12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG CAD*
*Average Cadence*
Average revolutions of the crank arm per minute since last reset 
(requires *optional* bike speed and cadence sensor)
 13
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP CAD*
*Cadence Lap*
Average revolutions of the crank arm per minute during current lap 
(requires *optional* bike speed and cadence sensor)
 14
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP CAD*
*Cadence Last Lap*
Average revolutions of the crank arm per minute during last lap 
(requires *optional* bike speed and cadence sensor)
 15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*CALORIES*
*Calories*
Calories burned during this workout
 16
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*CMP HDNG*
*Compass Heading*
Current heading based on the electronic compass in degrees
 17
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
*COMPASS*
*Compass*
Current heading based on the electronic compass with letter and in degrees
 18
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*COURSE*
*Course*
The direction from the beginning landmark of a course to its destination 
(measured in degrees, radians, or mils) or the direction from a route waypoint to the next waypoint 
in the route segment
 19
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*DATE*
*Date*
Current date
 20
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*X*
*DESCENT*
*Descent Total*
Total elevation loss since last reset
 21
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*AVG DESCENT*
*Descent Average*
Average elevation loss since last reset
 22
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP DESCNT*
*Descent Lap*
Elevation loss during current lap
 23
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP DECNT*
*Descent Last Lap*
Elevation loss during last lap
 24
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*MAX DESCNT*
*Descent Maximum*
The maximum descent rate
 25
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
*DISTANCE*
*Distance*
Travelled distance since last reset
 26
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP DIST*
*Distance Lap*
Distance of the current lap
 27
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP DIST*
*Distance Last Lap*
Distance of the last lap
 28
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
*ELEVATION*
*Elevation*
Current altitude above sea level
 29
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*MAX ELEVTN*
*Elevation Maximum*
Highest altitude above sea level since last reset
 30
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
*MIN ELEVTN*
*Elevation Minimum*
Lowest altitude above sea level since last reset
 31
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*FINAL DEST*
*Waypoint at Destination*
Name of the waypoint at the final destination
 32
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*FINAL DIST*
*Distance to Destination*
Current distance to the final destination
 33
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*FINAL ETA*
*ETA at Destination*
Estimated time of arrival at the final destination
 34
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*FINAL ETE*
*ETE to Destination*
Estimated time enroute to final destination
 35
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*FINAL LOC*
*Location of Destination*
Coordinates of the final destination
 36
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*FINAL VDST*
*Vertical Distance to Destination*
Elevation difference between current position and final destination
 37
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*FINAL VSPD*
*Vertical Speed to Destination*
The measurement of your rate of ascent to a predetermined elevation
 38
 
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*GLIDE RATIO*
*Glide Ratio*
The ratio of horizontal distance travelled to vertical distance
 39
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*GPS*
*GPS Signal Strength*
Strength of satellites' signals
 40
 
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*GPS ELEVTN*
*GPS Elevation*
Current elevation based on GPS data
 41
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*GPS HDNG*
*GPS Heading*
Current heading based on GPS data
 42
 
 
 
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*GR DEST*
*Glide Ratio to Destination*
The glide ratio required to descend from your current position and elevation to the destination's elevation
 43
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
*X*
*GRADE*
*Grade*
Current grade, computed based on distance and elevation gain or loss (must be moving)
 44
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*HEADING*
*Heading*
The direction in which you are currently moving
 45
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*HEART RATE*
*Heart Rate*
Current heart rate (heart beats per minute, requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 46
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*HR ZONE*
*Heart Rate Zone*
Current heart rate zone (1..5). Default zones are based on the user profile, the maximum 
heart rate and the rest heart rate, but may be changed by the user (requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 47
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG HR*
*Average heart rate*
Average heart rate since last reset (heart beats per minute, requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 48
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP HR*
*Heart Rate Lap*
Average heart rate during current lap (heart beats per minute, requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 49
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP HR*
*Heart Rate Last Lap*
Average heart rate during last lap (heart beats per minute, requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 50
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG HR %*
*Heart Rate - Average %HRR*
Average percentage of heart rate reserve for this workout 
(heart rate reserve, HRR = maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate; requires *optional* heart rate 
monitor)
 51
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*HR %MAX*
*Heart Rate (% max.)*
Percentage of maximum heart rate (requires *optional* heart rate monitor)
 52
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP HR %*
*Heart Rate - Lap %HRR*
Average percentage of heart rate reserve for this lap 
(heart rate reserve, HRR = maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate; requires *optional* heart 
rate monitor)
 53
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG LAP*
*Average lap time*
Average time for all completed laps
 54
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP TIME*
*Lap Time*
Elapsed time of the current lap
 55
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP TIME*
*Last Lap Time*
Time for the last lap
 56
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP TOTAL*
*Lap Total*
Elapsed time for all completed laps
 57
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAPS*
*Laps*
Number of completed laps
 58
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*LAT/LON*
*Location (lat/lon)*
Current location as latitude/longitude coordinates
 59
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*LOCATION*
*Location (selected)*
Current location indicated in the selected format (datum)
 60
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*NEXT DEST*
*Next Destination*
Name of the next waypoint
 61
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*NEXT DIST*
*Next Distance*
Current distance to the next waypoint
 62
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*NEXT ETA*
*Next ETA*
Estimated time of arrival at the next waypoint
 63
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*NEXT ETE*
*Next ETE*
Estimated time enroute to the next waypoint
 64
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*X*
 
 
 
*NEXT VDST*
*Next Vertical Distance*
Elevation difference between current position and next waypoint
 65
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*NONE*
*None*
Empty field
 66
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*ODOMETER*
*Odometer*
Total distance travelled since last reset
 67
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*OFF COURSE*
*Off Course*
The distance you are off the desired course
 68
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*PACE*
*Pace*
Current pace (time per distance unit)
 69
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG PACE*
*Pace Average*
Average pace since last reset
 70
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP PACE*
*Pace Lap*
Average pace for the current lap
 71
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP PACE*
*Pace Last Lap*
Average pace for the last lap
 72
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*X*
*SPEED*
*Speed*
Current speed
 73
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
*AVG SPEED*
*Speed Average*
Average speed including the time with no motion since the last reset
 74
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LAP SPEED*
*Speed Lap*
Average speed for the current lap
 75
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
*LLAP SPEED*
*Speed Last Lap*
Average speed for the last lap
 76
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
*MAX SPEED*
*Speed Maximum*
Maximum speed since last reset
 77
 
*X*
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
*MOV'N AVG*
*Speed Moving Average*
Average speed without the time with no motion since the last reset
 78
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*STOPWATCH*
*Stopwatch Timer*
Current stop watch time. Stops when stopwatch stopped.
 79
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*SUNRISE*
*Sunrise*
Time of sunrise at the current position
 80
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*SUNSET*
*Sunset*
Time of sunset at the current position
 81
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*TEMP*
*Temperature*
Current ambient temperature (measured either with the internal sensor or with the *optional* 
external temperature sensor)
 82
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*MAX TEMP*
*Maximum Temperature*
Maximum ambient temperature during the last 24 hours 
(measured either with the internal sensor or with the *optional* external temperature sensor)
 83
 
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*MIN TEMP*
*Minimum Temperature*
Minimum ambient temperature during the last 24 hours 
(measured either with the internal sensor or with the *optional* external temperature sensor)
 84
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*TIMER*
*Timer*
Countdown value (set duration and start timer on the clock page)
 85
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*TO COURSE*
*To Course*
Direction to the planned course
 86
*X*
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
*MOV'N TIME*
*Time Moving*
Time with motion since last reset
 87
*X*
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
*STOP TIME*
*Time Stopped*
Time _without_ motion since last reset
 88
*X*
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
*TIME*
*Time Total*
Total time since last reset
 89
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
 
*TOD*
*Time of Day*
Current time
 90
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*TRACK DIST*
*Track Distance*
Distance of the travelled track. Reset when the current track is cleared.
 91
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
*X*
 
*TURN*
*Turn*
The direction of and the distance to the next turn on a route
 92
 
*X*
 
 
*X*
*X*
*X*
 
 
*VERT SPEED*
*Vertical Speed*
Current ascending or descending speed
 93
 
 
*X*
 
 
 
 
 
 
*VMG*
*Velocity Made Good*
The rate of closure to the destination, based upon your current speed and course
  
 
 
 


----------



## KiwiWomble

Alight people, I cant remember if this has come up before...knowing this thread pretty much everything has come up before!

I took my fenis skiing over the weekend and use the skiing profile to show runs etc.

almost everytime i got back on the lift and looked at my watch it would reboot...right as i looked at it, and loose my run count (but keep the max speed etc)

any advice?

cheers


----------



## rustislove

Hello, Just about yesterday, I tried the navigation function. I placed all interesting parameters into a few data fields. I wonder how to properly use the parameter NEXT VDST. I tried several types of GPS tracks which were generated from different sources (Android Locus PRO, web pages dedicated for hiking trails planing, etc..) But no one seems to generate the route with proper waypoints with elevation. Because the NEXT VDST was always showing no value. However the Fenix followed the generated route perfectly, no complaints on that part of functionality. Can some of you suggest me how to make GPX tracks on the PC or a web page so the Fenix can show me all data, also with elevation? Maybe there is only some minor but important setting I forgot to use. I tried also the MapSource and BaseCamp, but no luck with them either. 
I know that there is a way, where I can make waypoints in the watch .. enter location and elevation and then create route, which can be used for navigation. But using a PC is more comfortable. 

I also noticed that after saving one activity and starting another one I have lost the proper altitude and almost the entire activity was marked with negative elevation ... hmm. I have to find out how the elevation and altimeter works in Fenix.


----------



## jbadilla

rustislove said:


> Hello, Just about yesterday, I tried the navigation function. I placed all interesting parameters into a few data fields. I wonder how to properly use the parameter NEXT VDST. I tried several types of GPS tracks which were generated from different sources (Android Locus PRO, web pages dedicated for hiking trails planing, etc..) But no one seems to generate the route with proper waypoints with elevation. Because the NEXT VDST was always showing no value. However the Fenix followed the generated route perfectly, no complaints on that part of functionality. Can some of you suggest me how to make GPX tracks on the PC or a web page so the Fenix can show me all data, also with elevation? Maybe there is only some minor but important setting I forgot to use. I tried also the MapSource and BaseCamp, but no luck with them either.
> I know that there is a way, where I can make waypoints in the watch .. enter location and elevation and then create route, which can be used for navigation. But using a PC is more comfortable.
> 
> I also noticed that after saving one activity and starting another one I have lost the proper altitude and almost the entire activity was marked with negative elevation ... hmm. I have to find out how the elevation and altimeter works in Fenix.


you can use this website to make gpx tracks with proper altitude data: Bike Route Toaster


----------



## rustislove

I'm sorry, but I still can use the feature of NEXT VDST. Tried several options. I guess it is not caused by GPX tracks. There must be something wrong, or maybe it means something else 

Can you please guys help me understand how to properly set the altimeter? I mean regarding the baro. Can you suggest me how to set it for which occasions? Thanks


----------



## manutena

Hello folks,
Can any of you share with the Fenix communitty the gpf files that provide Garmin out of the box. I made my own gpf, but i wish i could review the standard profiles. Specially I'm looking for the Sailing profile., but i would like to have them all.
For those who are still looking for a complete sport watch, after 1 year using my fenix I think is the best device multisport. I am really happy with it regarding Running, Biking, Hiking, or Sailing.

Thanks


----------



## manutena

For those users of fenix that you have suffered a blackout of your device, let me share with you what i found.

I realized that in Navigation, the device went off for someminutes in the same specific point. I realized that I had a waypoint created with Base Camp.
A waiypoint created with BaseCamp has the following xml code:
_ <wpt lat="41.626498298719525" lon="2.527155876159668">
2013-07-01T13:00:49Z
<name>A Arenys</name>
<sym>Flag, Blue</sym>
<type>user</type>
<extensions>
<gpxx:WaypointExtension>
<gpxxisplayMode>SymbolAndName</gpxxisplayMode>
<gpxx:Categories>
<gpxx:Category>SERRALADA</gpxx:Category>
</gpxx:Categories>
</gpxx:WaypointExtension>
<ctx:CreationTimeExtension>
<ctx:CreationTime>2013-07-01T13:00:49Z</ctx:CreationTime>
</ctx:CreationTimeExtension>
</extensions>
</wpt>_

A Waypoint created with Fenix has some less labels (it doesn't have Categories or CreationTimeExtension):
_ <wpt lat="41.626498298719525" lon="2.527155876159668">
2013-07-01T13:00:49Z
<name>A Arenys</name>
<sym>Flag, Blue</sym>
<type>user</type>
<extensions>
<gpxx:WaypointExtension>
<gpxxisplayMode>SymbolAndName</gpxxisplayMode>
</gpxx:WaypointExtension>
</extensions>
</wpt>_

What I did is to manually edit those waypoints created through Basecamp, removing all the labels that are not created by the Fenix. It has worked fine until now


----------



## manutena

manutena said:


> Hello folks,
> Can any of you share with the Fenix communitty the gpf files that provide Garmin out of the box. I made my own gpf, but i wish i could review the standard profiles. Specially I'm looking for the Sailing profile., but i would like to have them all.
> For those who are still looking for a complete sport watch, after 1 year using my fenix I think is the best device multisport. I am really happy with it regarding Running, Biking, Hiking, or Sailing.
> 
> Thanks


I've just found the standard profiles from other forum. I attach the link on this thread. You can find the profiles at the end of the page:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?38414-Recover-fenix-profiles


----------



## Dr.Rajanikanth Yadav

manutena said:


> I've just found the standard profiles from other forum. I attach the link on this thread. You can find the profiles at the end of the page:
> https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?38414-Recover-fenix-profiles


Hi,
Please Let me know what are the improtant files to be saved on the fenix memory and what can be deleted to save the memory !


----------



## manutena

Dr.Rajanikanth Yadav said:


> Hi,
> Please Let me know what are the improtant files to be saved on the fenix memory and what can be deleted to save the memory !


in my opinion what can be deleted is: gpx Tracks & FIT files. Also any profile you don't use could be deleted as well.


----------



## jbadilla

New fenix software version 3.50
Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads
Changes made from version 3.40 to 3.50:
Added support for VIRB Remote. Setup > Menu to add. See TrailTech (VIRB Remote » Garmin Software Updates) for more information.
Added Virtual Partner (options found under Setup > Fitness > Virtual Partner)


----------



## DotsFar

Yes! That was heavily requested, the virtual partner 
THANKS Garmin


----------



## DotsFar

Can the new Virtual Partner only run against a preset pace or speed, and not against a previously recorded run ?
If it CAN run against a previous run, how do I select which one, and how do I setup the Virtual Partner ?


----------



## antonadc

newbie here have u seen this site Maps for Garmin fenix | GMapTool


----------



## chbla

*need avice, fenix vs ambit2*

hi there,

I have a hard time deciding between a garmin fenix and the suunto ambit2
The garmin fenix receives a lot of critisism, while beeing theoretically the better watch, it seems unreliable.

I especially mean this thread in the garmin forums:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthrea...tive-to-Fenix-for-Hikers-amp-Runners!!!/page3

How do you guys see this?
My main purpose is outdoor (hiking, trekking) but I also want to use it out of interest for flying (I'm a sports pilot), basic navigation and sports as well.
I guess my future watch will be a smartwatch, but they are not there yet.

Thanks,
Christoph


----------



## Breeden

Smart watches are overrated. They need constant recharging, are useless for texting or reading messages. Compromises are never really great


----------



## chbla

Breeden said:


> Smart watches are overrated. They need constant recharging, are useless for texting or reading messages. Compromises are never really great


well, it's a bit early to say that, they are just starting out


----------



## cobrapa

*Re: need avice, fenix vs ambit2*



chbla said:


> hi there,
> 
> I have a hard time deciding between a garmin fenix and the suunto ambit2
> The garmin fenix receives a lot of critisism, while beeing theoretically the better watch, it seems unreliable.
> 
> I especially mean this thread in the garmin forums:
> https://forums.garmin.com/showthrea...tive-to-Fenix-for-Hikers-amp-Runners!!!/page3
> 
> How do you guys see this?
> My main purpose is outdoor (hiking, trekking) but I also want to use it out of interest for flying (I'm a sports pilot), basic navigation and sports as well.
> I guess my future watch will be a smartwatch, but they are not there yet.
> 
> Thanks,
> Christoph


Well, if you ignore the unreliability, the fenix is better for navigation... Although when I fly I take my Ambit1 to record the route and altitude track. It's ok for saving a waypoint, but I'd probably use the fenix if I really wanted it for navigation.

My experience was with simple things like the fenix countdown alarm. It would countdown but sometimes alarm and sometimes not. The fenix sometimes locks up (but not very often, so pretty much still usable.) The Ambit countdown alarm has never failed to go off.

It's a tough call, they still both have their advantages. You'll have to give more details of what you want to use it for and maybe people can give you more ideas of how both work.


----------



## Breeden

chbla said:


> well, it's a bit early to say that, they are just starting out


True, but the first ones hit the market now and are not a great start... Of course when battery life improves some dis advantages will fade, but still the compromise thing is valid. How much can you do with a small screen...


----------



## chbla

*Re: need avice, fenix vs ambit2*



cobrapa said:


> Well, if you ignore the unreliability, the fenix is better for navigation... Although when I fly I take my Ambit1 to record the route and altitude track. It's ok for saving a waypoint, but I'd probably use the fenix if I really wanted it for navigation.
> 
> My experience was with simple things like the fenix countdown alarm. It would countdown but sometimes alarm and sometimes not. The fenix sometimes locks up (but not very often, so pretty much still usable.) The Ambit countdown alarm has never failed to go off.
> 
> It's a tough call, they still both have their advantages. You'll have to give more details of what you want to use it for and maybe people can give you more ideas of how both work.


that sounds like it will be really difficult 
of course I want a reliable watch, that does not fail me on simple things like alarms..

why are you recording the tracks with the ambit1?

from the top of my head, what I want to do:

- record tracks when flying, hiking, biking, running, kajaking, or just driving around
- navigate when hiking/biking (for navigation in the car or plane I use my phone or tablet)
- connect a HRM if possible while running or biking
- use it as an alarm clock and simple watch when hiking overnight trips (phone battery usually doesn't last long)
- use it as an altimeter and barometer (weather) when hiking/biking

I think that would be my main purpose


----------



## jbadilla

Garmin: fenix Updates & Downloads

fenix software version 3.60
Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.60:

Added recording of distance with cadence sensor for indoor activities
Fixed potential issue with device becoming unresponsive after saving a track
Fixed issue with display of average heart rate in FIT History


----------



## chbla

hi there,

Can anyone recommend a good heart rate strap for the fenix?
I wonder which one to buy.. ideally it would work with my smartphone too. The 4iiii viiiiva would do this
but I think it's not there yet and needs a newer android phone.

Can anyone recommend one? The soft garmin chest strap maybe?


----------



## Mystro

*Re: need avice, fenix vs ambit2*

I have never had a lock up or failure and I have been using the Fenix extensively. The Fenix has 70% more features than the Ambit. I could never go back to using the Ambit.



chbla said:


> that sounds like it will be really difficult
> of course I want a reliable watch, that does not fail me on simple things like alarms..
> 
> why are you recording the tracks with the ambit1?
> 
> from the top of my head, what I want to do:
> 
> - record tracks when flying, hiking, biking, running, kajaking, or just driving around
> - navigate when hiking/biking (for navigation in the car or plane I use my phone or tablet)
> - connect a HRM if possible while running or biking
> - use it as an alarm clock and simple watch when hiking overnight trips (phone battery usually doesn't last long)
> - use it as an altimeter and barometer (weather) when hiking/biking
> 
> I think that would be my main purpose


----------



## jbadilla

*Re: need avice, fenix vs ambit2*

Garmin: fenix/D2 Updates & Downloads

fenix/D2 software version 3.70

Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.70:
Added recording of distance with cadence sensor for indoor activities
Fixed potential issue with device becoming unresponsive after saving a track
Fixed issue with display of average heart rate in FIT History


----------



## sausepaule

*Re: need avice, fenix vs ambit2*



jbadilla said:


> Garmin: fenix/D2 Updates & Downloads
> 
> fenix/D2 software version 3.70
> 
> Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.70:
> Added recording of distance with cadence sensor for indoor activities
> Fixed potential issue with device becoming unresponsive after saving a track
> Fixed issue with display of average heart rate in FIT History


it is the same changelog as 3.60
So, what is the difference between 3.60 and 3.70 ?


----------



## ManDay

*Locating satellites...*

I decided to try the Fenix for running for the first time today. I thought what could possibly go wrong after it tracked a tour through the city reasonably well the day before. Boy, was I wrong...

The watch is brand new, just came back as a replacement of another RMA. I hadn't had GPS turned on over night, assuming I wouldn't sleepwalk, there wouldn't be any interesting to record. The day before, I already had a little trouble getting a lock on satellites, but not to my surprise, since it was the first time I started it.

I turned the GPS on the moment I left the building (given I couldn't get a signal - though directly under the roof - indoors anyway). After three minutes idling in front of the building the watch still wouldn't get a lock and remained "Locating Satellites..." so I thought I would just start running and it would eventually get a lock. After 10 Minutes, still nothing. The dashes at the perimeter were at "80%", going up to all but one dash and then dropping back to the 80% over and over. I take it the dashes are to mean something and that they looped over the last 20% indicates a specific problem, but since Garmin decided to use cryptic dashes instead of meaningfull messages, I'm left in the dark as for what it was exactly.

Since by then, I was in the wide-open under a sky so clear it felt like I could almost see the satellites with my bare eyes but the Fenix still wouldn't get a lock, I turned GPS off and on again. The dashes went up to the 80% rather quickly, but then the same thing repeated over and over. 30 minutes later it still hadn't accomplished anything, so I took it off my wrist and tossed it in the back.

At my destination, I enabled GPS again (while slowly walking) and the watch got a lock within about 30 seconds.

A similar thing in the train on the way back: In the train, the watch wouldn't get a lock nomatterwhat, but once I had established a location outside, it would retain it even in the moving train and track it fairly well.

So I get the impression I can't get a lock while running or whilst I'm in the train but once it has satellites it can keep them. This wouldn't be too bad by itsself, although slighly annoying, but if I happen to go/run through a tunnel/underpass it will certainly loose the lock and I'm obviously not inclined to make a stop for the Fenix when I leave it, meaning each underpass potentially marks the end of my track.

I'm going to reproduce today's first few kilometers tomorrow and take a slight detour through a tunnel to see what happens, but if the locks really turns out thus unreliable I guess that's a reason to return it.

Has anyone had similar experiences with the GPS lock?


----------



## chbla

*Re: Locating satellites...*

a big part of this thread discusses exactly that problem 
best solution is to stand still, get a lock within max 30 secs, then start running... at least for me


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*



chbla said:


> a big part of this thread discusses exactly that problem
> best solution is to stand still, get a lock within max 30 secs, then start running... at least for me


Hm, well, not really an option with the underpass/tunnel scenario :-(

Or is the "re-aquire lock after temporary loss" different from the "aquire lock for the first time" somehow?


----------



## chbla

*Re: Locating satellites...*

but the problem, as with each gps, exists only on the initial lock - right?
if you lose connection, it shouldn't have a problem to pick it up after the tunnel... did you experience this?
I never had this with any of my gps devices



ManDay said:


> Hm, well, not really an option with the underpass/tunnel scenario :-(
> 
> Or is the "re-aquire lock after temporary loss" different from the "aquire lock for the first time" somehow?


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*



chbla said:


> but the problem, as with each gps, exists only on the initial lock - right?
> if you lose connection, it shouldn't have a problem to pick it up after the tunnel... did you experience this?


Didn't have a tunnel on my route today but I'll tell you tomorrow what I find.


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

I do have a question regarding navigation: Once I'm following track, how does the Fenix determine which "segment" I'm currently on? Where can I adjust the proximity by which a WPT is considered "reached" and how can I "skip" WPTs (say, on TrackBac of a route which intersects itsself so I don't need to follow the superfluous loop)?


----------



## chbla

*Re: Locating satellites...*

good question about the track, I asked myself the same thing: what if I take a shortcut, will it realize this?
didn't have time to try it yet though

I assume that it uses the same proximity setting as it would use for waypoints, I don't know where this is set though


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

From what I understood, waypoints in a GPX file have a proximity associated with them. Question remains, what is the proximity of those waypoints created by the Fenix and how can they be changed? In the air, I can't exactly reach a WPT and I'd like to be able to just tell the Fenix "I'm there" so it goes to the next WPT. I've contacted fenix-garmin's emailbox with the question.

Edit: Didn't have time to do a test again today, will report as soon as I did.


----------



## Skeptical

*Re: Locating satellites...*

I posted in this thread way back, and finally purchased one for running. It is certainly feature-heavy (not sure I need the altimeter and thermometer), but I really like the mapping/backtracking feature since I run on trails a lot. The long battery life is a plus. I did a trail marathon that took me 6:40, and I got a low battery signal on my old Garmin 110.

Regarding satellite lock, it's no better or worse than my previous Garmins, as far as I can tell (205 and 110).


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Hello Guys,

*Regarding satellite lock:*
I use my Fenix since July this year. Never had a serious delay with satellite lock except last week. Fenix was unable to get satellite lock even after several GSP enabling / disabling, 3 times watch reboot .. nothing helped. Then I went home and updated to the latest FW and when it was done I pressed next (instead of Finish like the last time) in the window .. and I updated also the GPS FW. I didn't know that there were another things to update. My GPS FW was 3 versions old. Since then it took like 40 seconds to get satellite lock even if I move 500 km  Latest GPS FW changelog also says that altimer corrections have been made. Didn't try so far.

*Regarding you issues with navigation based on track / route / track back:*
My experience is: use routes. Route consists mostly from a few points, depends on definition. When you make a shortcut and get closer to the next point Fenix will recognize this and will point you to the next one. This does not apply for navigation by track. Unfortunately you have to follow the track precisely point by point. And in any track there is a lot of points. If you make any shortcut Fenix will not recognize it and will still navigete to the GPXpoint you missed. (Maybe I'm wrong here and they changed something in later versions, but I don't think so.) Navigation by trackback - never really tried but I suppose it will act the same like for GPX track navigation. So my advice: take your time at home with a PC and make a lot of waypoints and make routes with a lot of points in it, then it will navigate you really satisfactory.

*Regarding proximity issue of reached waypoint:*
I'm affraid it is not possible to change this value.

*My personal concern: *Still don't know how to set the points to have Next Vertical Distance (NVDST) parameter operational during navigation. Maybe I do something wrong or don't know how to set it.


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

I tried to heed your advice and get a lock before I started running today. I stood perfectly still for about 10 minutes in front of my building (2 story + roof building 3 meters behind me, more or less direct view of the sky in all other directions, apart from some nearby buildings), and the Fenix didn't fancy getting a lock, even when I held it over my head. After about 5 minutes, the dashes even dropped back to complete 0. I started walking and it wouldn't get a lock inanother few minutes. I started running, needless to say, no lock. I stopped running in the wide open, battery down by 6% now after only 10 minutes, not a building in sight, walked slowly, no lock for another 5 minutes.

Can anyone tell me whether this is normal? This is my first GPS, but if this is normal I'll try to get my money back. Bluntly put, I can't be bothered to make a 6 kilometer trip just so my GPS happens to feel like it's time to get a lock!

rustislove: I do have firmware 3.20 on my device, GPS 2.10 - is the GPS updated seperately from the firmware? If so, where do I find those updates?


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Most important is to get familiar with connect.garmin.com. You probably know it already. If so, good.

When you connect your watch to the PC and will be recognized by system go to that web page. In dashboard screen top right corner will notify you about obsolete FW version. Click on it and it will guide you to download the plugin. Once you have the plugin you'll use proprietary web page to make the update. First, main FW will be updated, then it is necessary to proceed by "Next" button and Fenix will acquire other languages and GPS firmware. After all of these, you are done. It is a matter of 5 minutes and the whole procedure is very clear. Then you can safely unplug the Fenix from a PC and turn it on. For the first time it will take several minutes - Loader screens etc. And after all that I enabled the GPS and acquired satellite fix within a minute from a window(!) indoor - never so quick before.

Good luck.


----------



## Skeptical

*Re: Locating satellites...*

I find even small movements affect the time it takes getting a satellite lock, so I usually set it on the dashboard of my car or something and it will receive faster. Even so, 10 minutes, or even 5 is pretty bad. Have you tried deleting previous activities? I'm not sure what the Fenix's memory is, but that helped with my older 205, which would eventually prompt you to delete activities.


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*



Skeptical said:


> I find even small movements affect the time it takes getting a satellite lock, so I usually set it on the dashboard of my car or something and it will receive faster. Even so, 10 minutes, or even 5 is pretty bad. Have you tried deleting previous activities? I'm not sure what the Fenix's memory is, but that helped with my older 205, which would eventually prompt you to delete activities.


All activities etc. were completely empty.

Edit: Garmin agrees that this should not happen and they offer to check the device/replace it but also suggest an update first. Despite those issues it's good to know that you can rely on the company to not abandon the products, such good support is really rare.

As soon as I find a windows PC I'll update and try again.


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Garmin has replied to my question concerning "Skipping waypoints", here is their reply:



> If you are navigating a track all of this will be done automatically. If you continue far enough down the track we will "look ahead" to see if you have passed unnecessary loops.
> 
> If you are navigating a route you have some more options. After the route is activated you can go into GPS tools->active route. Then press enter. You will see a list of options. Select Setup from this list. It gives you 3 ways to transition between route points. Auto ( default ), manual ( lets you select which route WPT is active ), distance ( lets you select a proximity distance requirement ).
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Fenix Team


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

I updated the firmware to 3.70 with the webupdater, but the GPS Firmware remained unchanged at 2.10. I found no change in front of my building. Despite the fairly visible sky, the indicators would just repeatedly drop back - I still wonder what exactly that means.

On the other hand, laying the watch flat on my roof window it got a lock within 30 seconds. Is it really those minimal movements of me wearing the watch on the wrist, even when standing perfectly still that affect the lock so badly?

If, however, the GPS really requires a direct line of sight to at least three satellites, the position in front of my building could possibly not have offered that - but so would practically any other position in any city! The chances of a direct line of sight to at least three or four to a total of 31 satellites in an urban area are rather slim, are they not? By that, one should hardly be able to get a lock with any GPS device anywhere on city streets? Could anyone with a bit more experience with GPS explain that, please?


----------



## Skeptical

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Your issues seem unusual. I've been using Garmins for several years and have never had a serious problem anywhere. I live on a suburban street with houses pretty close together, but can get a signal on the sidewalk within a minute most of the time. If I drive to do some running/hiking on the trails, I turn it on before I get in the car, and it will still get a lock even moving 45+ mph, it just takes longer.

I don't think you can think of line of sight as a straight line. The satellites just have to be on the same general side of the earth as you are.


----------



## pos_eidon

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Can someone explain me the compass in detail? I don't know how to use it while navigating. With other devices, i used to follow the arrow while skiing. Even if i took not the straigt piste to my destination, i reached my destination in the end. The Fenix sometimes points me to the opposit direction, so I cannot always trust the error. Maybe i have some strange settings or some missunderstanding of how garmin thinks we should use the compass. Are there screenshot explaining the compass in detail?


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Locating satellites...*

You need to manage the GPS FW update, otherwise claim it back to Garmin.

Your position near any building in any city and your velocity doesn't have any significant influence to the GPS lock. If either of them has, you need to return the watch to the vendor and ask for new one.

*My question:*
I did not manage the exchange of watch's strap. I purchased the watch with black and orange ones with the black one already on. But it seems that one tool provided is not enough to disassemble. I don't have any other with same dimension and same type. Any suggestions on some trick how to use only one tool?


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Rustislove, Garmin's customer care already offered to give me a new one (as I said, I'm more than happy with how they handle situations!), but because I'm leaving for Italy this Sunday where I need the GPS, that will have to wait to afterwards. In the meantime, I'll be able to examine the functioning of the GPS a bit more.

Could you please explain what exactly it is that would update the GPS firmware? I used the webupdater on garmin.de/webupdater (as designated by customer care) and it's said to update the firmware including the GPS, so I wouldn't know what else to do.

I figured I could check the satellites' signal power as perceived by the fenix in "GPS tools > Satellites". Indeed, in front of my building and even in the nearby streets, the signal of all but two sattelites drop to an approximate tenth of the indicator bar while the satellites' situation (as indicated on the radar-like screen) told me there were three or four centered pretty much on top of me (inside the inner circle, that is).

I wonder whether this is reasonable, I suspect not. As I illustrated, the situation may not be optimal but it's far from being "enclosed" by buildings like I would be, say, in NY streets.

Rustislove, my fenix came with a little star-like screwdriver which let me disassemble the wristband easily. Just loosen and remove the four screws, two each on a band it will come off. I happen to have a spare screwdriver because the RMA left me one, so if you want I can send it to you (PM me if you like).

Edit: After more, slightly surprising (to me) results I found through testing the GPS lock I contacted Fenix again, hopefully they can help. I'll report my findings back to you here once I know more.


----------



## rustislove

*Re: Locating satellites...*



ManDay said:


> Rustislove, Garmin's customer care already offered to give me a new one (as I said, I'm more than happy with how they handle situations!), but because I'm leaving for Italy this Sunday where I need the GPS, that will have to wait to afterwards. In the meantime, I'll be able to examine the functioning of the GPS a bit more.
> 
> Could you please explain what exactly it is that would update the GPS firmware? I used the webupdater on garmin.de/webupdater (as designated by customer care) and it's said to update the firmware including the GPS, so I wouldn't know what else to do.
> 
> I figured I could check the satellites' signal power as perceived by the fenix in "GPS tools > Satellites". Indeed, in front of my building and even in the nearby streets, the signal of all but two sattelites drop to an approximate tenth of the indicator bar while the satellites' situation (as indicated on the radar-like screen) told me there were three or four centered pretty much on top of me (inside the inner circle, that is).
> 
> I wonder whether this is reasonable, I suspect not. As I illustrated, the situation may not be optimal but it's far from being "enclosed" by buildings like I would be, say, in NY streets.
> 
> Rustislove, my fenix came with a little star-like screwdriver which let me disassemble the wristband easily. Just loosen and remove the four screws, two each on a band it will come off. I happen to have a spare screwdriver because the RMA left me one, so if you want I can send it to you (PM me if you like).
> 
> Edit: After more, slightly surprising (to me) results I found through testing the GPS lock I contacted Fenix again, hopefully they can help. I'll report my findings back to you here once I know more.


Probably you have a faulty piece.

Regarding the screwdriver: If I use only one, the other end rotates too, so I would need to use something to fix it while rotating the other end with a screwdriver. Never mind I will somehow solve it.


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Locating satellites...*

Probably just faulty, yes. I've decided to turn it in after I return from Italy given that the time it takes to get a lock is not only long but often I don't get a fix at all. However, I received a reply from Fenix regarding my questions esp. details concerning the "indicator dashes" and the "GPS Tools > Satellites" pages. Here is what they wrote:



> When the locating satellites page is up it does show a % of how close we are to achieving a GPS fix. You are however able to "hide" this page. When the page is manually bypassed we continue in the background looking to get a GPS fix. The GPS Tools > Satellites will show the process in more detail. A blinking number means we know that satellite should be available in the current sky view and we are attempting to download data from it. When it goes solid we have finished downloading data from it and are able to use that data in determining where you are.
> A quicker way to check how the GPS fix is doing it to press and hold the back key. It will show a little signal strength gauge. If the bars are black you have a fix. If they are grey it is still looking.As you have found out standing next to large buildings will block view to the sky which makes it more difficult to get a fix. Also we have found that the running movement ( arm swing ) also makes it more difficult to get a fix. We recommend that you give the watch some time to get a GPS fix before you start your running activity. Just hold the watch still with the watch face towards the sky. This will dramatically increase the time to first fix compared to how long it takes while the watch is moving. Once you get that first fix though even when you start moving we will maintain the GPS accuracy just fine. It is only particularly difficult for the first fix.Thanks,Fenix Team


----------



## KiwiWomble

Fenix died :-( went swimming ad now the battery seems to be dead, won't charge...fingers crossed warranty will cover....

Sent from my ST25i using Tapatalk 2


----------



## jbadilla

fenix/D2/tactix software version 3.90Garmin: fenix/D2/tactix Updates & Downloads
Changes made from version 3.70 to 3.90:

Added project waypoint application. Setup > Menu to add.
Improved virtual partner.
Improved more and most intervals for the auto track method.


----------



## rustislove

Have you tried the new FW ?

What is a Project Waypoint Application ?

I wonder about the new auto track method - it worth trying.


----------



## or_watching

rustislove said:


> Have you tried the new FW ?
> 
> What is a Project Waypoint Application ?
> 
> I wonder about the new auto track method - it worth trying.


Hi.
Projecting a waypoint - means to define a waypoint based on a distance away and direction. e.g. set a waypoint to be 400m at a bearing 327 degrees from your current position.
I vaguely thought this was already on the watch - maybe under GPS Tools. But I've already updated the FW, so I can't go back an see that it was/wasn't there. In 3.9, it's a nifty screen to choose the bearing, distance and units away, then NEXT brings you to the Save Waypoint screen. I like it, it's easy.

Auto-track-points has been there since the beginning. As an alternative to recording track points every second or 10 seconds, etc, the watch decides when to log a point... and you can choose More or Less. I guess they improved it somehow. Yes, you should try it. Works great, saves memory.


----------



## jbadilla

the only issue I have with the Project a waypoint function on GPS tools is that it seems I can only give the distance in feet, regardless of the Units setting which I have set to Metric/Meters


----------



## or_watching

jbadilla said:


> the only issue I have with the Project a waypoint function on GPS tools is that it seems I can only give the distance in feet, regardless of the Units setting which I have set to Metric/Meters


This 3.90 app seems to let me choose km, m, miles or feet.


----------



## linshilinshi

It seems that Fenix and Tactix share the same firmware. Tactix is supposed to have a tide function, which is a shortage for Fenix.
This 3.90 firmware should include the tide function. But I could not find the "tide" function after I updated my Fenix to 3.90. I guess there must be some trick to make the firmware recognize the watch as Fenix or Tactix. If we can cheat the firmware, then we can use Fenix as Tactix.


----------



## jbadilla

or_watching said:


> This 3.90 app seems to let me choose km, m, miles or feet.


I had not figure it out, but already received a response by support. when the distance is 0, the down arrow is pressed and units can be changed between miles/feet/meters/kilometers


----------



## pjc3

linshilinshi said:


> If we can cheat the firmware, then we can use Fenix as Tactix.


Didn't someone load the Quatix firmware onto a fenix?


----------



## or_watching

pjc3 said:


> Didn't someone load the Quatix firmware onto a fenix?


Yes. nub98. Garmin quatix - Marine wrist GPS - Page 2

i think in that case it was a distinct FW file. I never tried it.


----------



## linshilinshi

pjc3 said:


> Didn't someone load the Quatix firmware onto a fenix?


Yes. I myself flashed my Fenix China as Fenix, and then flashed it into Quatix.
Now I would like to try flashing it into Tactix.
I guess some strings in the firm ware must be modified to cheat it. But don't know how to make it.


----------



## schneesb

Received my Tactix today..(order from REI). My primary interest is being able to upload a waypoint to the watch while out in the field...is anybody aware of an Android app compatible with a Galaxy S-IV or even a direct way to do that on the watch itself without having to take a laptop on a hike?


----------



## or_watching

schneesb said:


> Received my Tactix today..(order from REI). My primary interest is being able to upload a waypoint to the watch while out in the field...is anybody aware of an Android app compatible with a Galaxy S-IV or even a direct way to do that on the watch itself without having to take a laptop on a hike?


Hi.

interesting that the Garmin Tactix web page points to the fenix manual. I guess they haven't bothered to write a tactix manual.
Manuals

There are some hints there on page 3 about Creating and Editing a waypoint on the watch itself.
1. GPS on.
2. Long press the Big Button to create a WP.
3. Save the WP
4. Edit the Waypoint Lat/Long etc.

I don't know about Android solutions. Mobile Basecamp is only iPhone AFAIK.

How do you like the tactix so far? Can you share some pics?


----------



## linshilinshi

schneesb said:


> Received my Tactix today..(order from REI). My primary interest is being able to upload a waypoint to the watch while out in the field...is anybody aware of an Android app compatible with a Galaxy S-IV or even a direct way to do that on the watch itself without having to take a laptop on a hike?


Could you please upload the orginal files of Tactix, I would like to try to flash my Fenix as Tactix. Thanks a lot.


----------



## Lindt

Just joined the Fenix owners club 

This thread and the links in it have been a great help in understanding the ins and out of the watch.

My use will be for kayak fishing, geocaching, bushwalking (from campsites reached by 4WD), cross country skiing and a bit of prospecting. It was a "wants" purchase rather than a "needs" purchase as I have multiple GPS devices already but the possibility to wear it as an everyday watch was compelling.

Won't open it until Christmas though as it will become the present from the extended family.

For those in Australia (I'm in Melbourne), Rebel Sport will beat other bricks and mortar stores' prices by 10% and with Harvey Norman advertising the Fenix for $398 this brought the price down to $358. Just make sure you look at serial numbers as there was some pre-50k stock in some of the stores.

I'll do a follow up with actual use once I get to open it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KiwiWomble

it is going to be a tough month waiting, welcome thought, you'll have a lot of fun...when you get it


----------



## Lindt

KiwiWomble said:


> it is going to be a tough month waiting,


It certainly will!!

In preparation, I'll get various maps and tracks ready to go.

Thanks

Adrian

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## painting

Here are the files. Just change the files "GarminDevice.xml" and "system.xml" to replace placeholder text "XXXXXXXXXX" with your valid Garmin Unit ID.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/749714/GARMIN Tactix 3.70 - Factory.zip



linshilinshi said:


> Could you please upload the orginal files of Tactix, I would like to try to flash my Fenix as Tactix. Thanks a lot.


----------



## painting

I've took some photos of my Garmin Tactix with the optional leather band. The screen is shown in the absolute worse lighting and still extremely legible. I'm loving the watch so far (1 week)

Size compared to a Fossil Townsend









In the worst glare possible:


----------



## Sedi

Wow - looks great!

cheers, Sedi


----------



## linshilinshi

Thank you very much!
Still my fenix shows fenix, but not tactix. So the recognizing module must be in the firmware.


painting said:


> Here are the files. Just change the files "GarminDevice.xml" and "system.xml" to replace placeholder text "XXXXXXXXXX" with your valid Garmin Unit ID.
> 
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/749714/GARMIN Tactix 3.70 - Factory.zip


----------



## KiwiWomble

painting said:


> I've took some photos of my Garmin Tactix with the optional leather band. The screen is shown in the absolute worse lighting and still extremely legible. I'm loving the watch so far (1 week)
> 
> Size compared to a Fossil Townsend
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In the worst glare possible:


liking that very much, what software difference are there again?


----------



## rustislove

Well, winter came also to Central Europe. I went running with my Fenix and unfortunately noticed what you guys have been pointing out several months ago - fogging. 
When I left the warm indoor and got out into +3C I noticed that there is something wrong with the glass ... yes, little fog mark inside of watch. However, after several minutes it disappeared. Watch probably adjusted to the outdoor temperature. 

Probably when I will use the watch at -15C it will be even worse. Don't know what to do .. I don't want to bother with a complaint .. While it takes only a few whiles in the beginning of an action - hike, run it is OK so far. But I still got more than one year of the warranty left. 

Beside of that fact Fenix works OK, I mean there is always an unclear situation about elevation (accuracy and way of setting it) and I still don't get the NEXT Vertical Distance parameter but otherwise Fenix = satisfaction


----------



## rustislove

DC Rainmaker managed to get hands on new big firmware update of Fenix which is currently in beta version.

Huge Garmin Fenix Firmware Update: The Beginning of GPS Fitness Watches Becoming True Smart Watches | DC Rainmaker

Unfortunately guys like me (Android user) is going to lack the notification features and I was looking foraward to it so much :-(

Damn you, IPhone!


----------



## painting

The 4.01 beta works great on the Tactix with my iphone 5, no bugs so far.


----------



## or_watching

I like it.
This is potentially pretty nifty in some circumstances.
e.g. in the winter to get a glance at incoming messages while the phone is tucked away in a pocket or pack, and reading/swiping is problematic with gloves in any case.

Especially when the forecast is this.








But I'm himming and hawing about installing a Beta and suffering some of the reported early hiccups. I think I'll give it a week.


----------



## pston

linshilinshi said:


> Thank you very much!
> Still my fenix shows fenix, but not tactix. So the recognizing module must be in the firmware.


BUT, how about the functions, are they still fenix or did you get tactix functions?


----------



## linshilinshi

pston said:


> BUT, how about the functions, are they still fenix or did you get tactix functions?


fenix，could not find where are jumpmaster and tide functions.


----------



## obstacle264

Could anybody post how exactly interchange fénix firmware into tactix firmware? 
I mean, step by step. 
I recently updated my fénix to official 4.0, so is there anything I have to be present when I change firmware to tactix? 
In other hand, anybody feel the
Fénix is not as rugged watch as garmin says ? 
Generally Im happy with the fénix (I bought 910xt and after 2 weeks I went back to shop and changed for a fénix because of the battery drain. But... I feel like is kind of fragile... Maybe the lungs... Dont know exactly, but makes me to be overthinking in this all the time... 910xt is rugger than fénix... At least seems to be... 
Thanks a lot for reading and participate . Great forum . 

Enviado desde mi GT-N7100 mediante Tapatalk


----------



## painting

New beta firmware out: 4.02

Details:
Garmin: fenix/D2/tactix Updates & Downloads


----------



## obstacle264

Enviado desde mi GT-N7100 mediante Tapatalk


----------



## theotherphil

As of the new Beta 2 firmware, I now have the jump master functions on my fenix. I have not changed the download file in anyway - just copied it to the GARMIN folder as directed.










The iOS notifications via Bluetooth is pretty slick also!


----------



## linshilinshi

Wow thanks for this good news. And do you have tide function on Fenix? If so, I will jump back to fenix from quatix firmware.



theotherphil said:


> As of the new Beta 2 firmware, I now have the jump master functions on my fenix.......


----------



## chbla

Hey, I just received information on the Garmin Tactix through a newsletter

Does anyone know how this watch compares to the Fenix? Are there any thorough comparisons/reviews yet?


----------



## w i l l i e

chbla said:


> Hey, I just received information on the Garmin Tactix through a newsletter
> 
> Does anyone know how this watch compares to the Fenix? Are there any thorough comparisons/reviews yet?


Garmin Tactix In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


----------



## mvyrmnd

I am loving the 4.0.2 beta software. Aside from the colour screen, the Galaxy gear has nothing on on the fenix now.


----------



## chbla

Thanks for the review! It seems that the only difference to the Tactix is the case basically and the inverted display, plus the military calculations.

I wish the notification stuff would also work on android


----------



## tohmahawk

mvyrmnd said:


> I am loving the 4.0.2 beta software. Aside from the colour screen, the Galaxy gear has nothing on on the fenix now.


I am not so much since it drains my batt a lot faster. Have reset and disabled bluetooth and indoor mode but keept sensors on since I like the baro graph. Drains batt in 5 or so days. From 3.90 I got 20 days same settings. Anyone have a clue to why and what setting I may have overlooked?


----------



## Leg

Hello, have you noticed any substancial change on the accuracy with the WAAS on (and working of course, as I know it needs some minutes to be fully operational), compared, for instance, to others gps watches (ambit, 910xt....)


----------



## tohmahawk

Leg said:


> Hello, have you noticed any substancial change on the accuracy with the WAAS on (and working of course, as I know it needs some minutes to be fully operational), compared, for instance, to others gps watches (ambit, 910xt....)


WAAS only works in the US are you there?


----------



## Leg

tohmahawk said:


> WAAS only works in the US are you there?


I'm in Europe, but it should be working here too with the EGNOS, the european counterpart of WAAS, and surfing the web it looks so; but I haven't found any comparison of the watches accuracy with waas on/off


----------



## tohmahawk

Leg said:


> I'm in Europe, but it should be working here too with the EGNOS, the european counterpart of WAAS, and surfing the web it looks so; but I haven't found any comparison of the watches accuracy with waas on/off


Not in europe yet from how I read the Garmin description on Garmin | What is WAAS?


----------



## Leg

And what do you make of waas accuracy vs simple gps?


----------



## Guest

*How to: Downloading/Uploading tracks & waypoints usinc BaseCamp MOBILE*

I have been able to upload/download tracks & waypoints *on the move* from/to the Fenix to/from the cloud using BaseCamp *mobile* 2.0 iOS app.
But the procedure if far from "intuitive" ...
1) get online on the iOS device (I have to use 3G/WiFi tethering from my Android smartphone because I have the wifi only iPad mini)
2) launch your BaseCamp mobile app and log into your myGarmin cloud account.
3) pair/link the fenix and your iOS BT40 device as usual.
4) once you see your fenix resident tracks & waypoints listed on the basecamp mobile's "device" tab then do "edit" the one that you want to upload but the, instead of renaming it, just tap "COPY" !... No questions are asked (copy to where? with what name? etc) nor any confirmation of transfer success is given but... then you go to your "My colecction" tab and that item you just "COPY"ed is there allready !

To load an item (track/waypoint) from your myGarmin cloud collection into the fenix you just have to "EDIT"+"COPY" that item from the "My collection" tab and it will show up on fenix "My device" tab.

At least now I have a method to clear up (or backup) the log memory of my fenix before I return home to a PC with full BaseCamp sofware. Too bad an online connection is still required to achive this, I would much prefer to be able to store/copy the tracks localy on the iPad. I can do that using the OTG USB cable of my smartphone but I find myself mostly leaving the fenix cable/craddle at home, so this 100% wireless method is greatly welcomed.

Edit: screen captures of the cloud -> fenix procedure, red dots on where to tap


----------



## rhed

*Re: How to: Downloading/Uploading tracks & waypoints usinc BaseCamp MOBILE*

Hi guys i have been reading this thread for about 1 month now and now i bought my new tactix, this thread helped me to know more about the Garmin Fenix and also cause of DCRainmaker, i just wanted to thank all you guys who made it clear and for giving more information about the watch.

And i have use my tactix this morning inside a car and with a cloudy and rainy day, i haven't experience this watch in this kind of weather but i just found out that on this case the watch have problem connecting to the satellite, it take about idk how many mins but its like 10 or 5mins before it connected.

And i don't know if you guys have already tried the street map, cause theres a guy who have manage to put a street map on his fenix, and i also tried to put it on my tactix and follow his instruction but i can't seems to make it work, i still have a blank map without the street view on my tactix, can anyone help me on how to put and what is the right way and what is the right one to put inside the watch, thank you in advance and happy holiday guys! ^_^

BTW: here is the link - Using Street Maps on the Garmin fenix to Explore Cities in Asia » Garmin Blog


----------



## Guest

schneesb said:


> Received my Tactix today..(order from REI). My primary interest is being able to upload a waypoint to the watch while out in the field...is anybody aware of an Android app compatible with a Galaxy S-IV or even a direct way to do that on the watch itself without having to take a laptop on a hike?


 if You are willing to edit native XML files use an OTG USB cable to get full direct access to fenix's file system from your S4. I have posted about this 1y ago in this thread (post #564).

EDIT: link to that previous post https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/garmin-fenix-ongoing-review-several-parts-746366-57.html#post5539088


----------



## Guest

reciprocum said:


> Update on the spontaneous infinite reboot loop bug: yesterday I had definite proof of what causes it on my fenix (latest firmware). It happens when I have a predefined max altitude alert (vibro+sound) and I reach it .
> I realised that my previous 2 instances of this event happend while flying at about same height, so yesterday I changed the alarm heigth to a diferent value and BINGO, Fenix crashed when that altitude was exactly reached.
> Even in the surviving track file I could verify the exact value logged before the file/track ended.
> Crossing the height alarm boundary from bellow to above causes the Fenix to crash and reboot in an infinite loop (need to press power off very long time to recover), crossing the boundary from above to bellow doesn't crashes but also cuts the track file and stops the tracking, you have to restart a new track. So I ended up with my flight recorded in 3 segments, ruining my flight stats, and with 2 bits missing (the time I was struggling to ressuscitate it back to life).


I have concluded the spontaneous rebooting is not caused by any software bug but rather by the batery not being able to cope with the extra current draw demand that the vibro+light+sound alarm triggering imposes on top of the allready high current being drawn by having the GPS "on" and logging track to file at 1hz.


----------



## Lindt

Finally got to open my Christmas present ?

Updated the software to 4.02 beta and GPS 2.80 without a hitch. Paired with an iPhone 5 for notifications easily as well. Loaded OSM maps for southern Australia. This took a bit of fiddling to work out the combination of Basecamp, Mapsource and the map files but finally worked. Not sure that I can repeat it though?

Transferred some geocaches from Geocaching.com using the instructions from GadgetNerdly which worked perfectly. Very accurate and discrete.

Battery life is as expected 2% over 24hr with GPS and Bluetooth off. Much faster with both on so will use as required.

Getting the tide tables from the Quatix would be great. I notice that Jumpmaster (from Tactix FW?) is present.

Wore it with a suit today. Had to undo the button on the shirt cuff so it wasn't so obvious and probably won't wear it everyday. Better than I expected though.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - recording distance with speed/cadence sensor*

I am using the Fenix to do some indoor cycling, and I am struggling to get the distance recorded with the cadence/speed sensor. I have set in the profile the GPS to "indoor", and in the fitness menu, the Bike Speed to "indoor". I can configure a data page to see my speed, but when saving my FIT file, there is no distance. 
Any ideas? What am I doing wrong?
I am in version 3.7
Thanks


----------



## KiwiWomble

Lindt said:


> Finally got to open my Christmas present 
> 
> Updated the software to 4.02 beta and GPS 2.80 without a hitch. Paired with an iPhone 5 for notifications easily as well. Loaded OSM maps for southern Australia. This took a bit of fiddling to work out the combination of Basecamp, Mapsource and the map files but finally worked. Not sure that I can repeat it though
> 
> Transferred some geocaches from Geocaching.com using the instructions from GadgetNerdly which worked perfectly. Very accurate and discrete.
> 
> Battery life is as expected 2% over 24hr with GPS and Bluetooth off. Much faster with both on so will use as required.
> 
> Getting the tide tables from the Quatix would be great. I notice that Jumpmaster (from Tactix FW?) is present.
> 
> Wore it with a suit today. Had to undo the button on the shirt cuff so it wasn't so obvious and probably won't wear it everyday. Better than I expected though.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


hey, can you give an explanation on how to get the notifications to work with iphone, what kind of notifications? got a 5s for xmas so happy to have a play


----------



## Lindt

KiwiWomble said:


> hey, can you give an explanation on how to get the notifications to work with iphone, what kind of notifications? got a 5s for xmas so happy to have a play


On the Fenix (this is for beta 4.02):
Setup
Bluetooth
Pair the phone (only need to do this the first time)
Notifications - select on or when GPS on or off etc.

On the iPhone:
Settings
Notification Centre
Include.....here you decide what gets transferred to the Fenix eg SMS but not email etc.

Let me know if that's not clear. It only appeared as an option in 4.02, not 4.0.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## theotherphil

4.05 has been out for a few days now.


----------



## Ahg

*Re: Garmin fenix - recording distance with speed/cadence sensor*



Ahg said:


> I am using the Fenix to do some indoor cycling, and I am struggling to get the distance recorded with the cadence/speed sensor. I have set in the profile the GPS to "indoor", and in the fitness menu, the Bike Speed to "indoor". I can configure a data page to see my speed, but when saving my FIT file, there is no distance.
> Any ideas? What am I doing wrong?
> I am in version 3.7
> Thanks


Well, I got the answer myself!
In the fitness menu, I had footpod option as indoor as well. Although this should not be an issue, because in the fitness menu I am selecting Cycling and not Running, the Fenix seems to ignore the Cycling choice and looks for the footpod, and as there is non, does not register distance. It shows speed though. A SW bug, I guess, but it is overcame by selecting footpod off.


----------



## KiwiWomble

Lindt said:


> On the Fenix (this is for beta 4.02):
> Setup
> Bluetooth
> Pair the phone (only need to do this the first time)
> Notifications - select on or when GPS on or off etc.
> 
> On the iPhone:
> Settings
> Notification Centre
> Include.....here you decide what gets transferred to the Fenix eg SMS but not email etc.
> 
> Let me know if that's not clear. It only appeared as an option in 4.02, not 4.0.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's great, i'll give it a go tonight, cheers


----------



## KiwiWomble

Just realised 4.02 doesn't seem to be avaliable in nz ?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## rustislove

can anyone of you know how to tell to connect.garmin web that some activity is a running, the other is hiking etc. ? Because in my case it correctly recognizes only running and maybe cycling. Walking, Hiking is recognized as running and I have to edit them with each activity being uploaded ... 

I might did a copy of some profiles during first days after purchase. But now I don't how to make an activity produced from Hiking profile to be recognized as Hiking activity. I even took a look into the xml file of profiles, but didn't find anything particular. 

Please help. 

Regarding new beta firmware 4.05:
Finally we got this feature operational - "Added support for displaying next and final vertical distances during track navigation".
Now lets hope the will integrate this in standard Fenix FW in next update.


----------



## Lindt

KiwiWomble said:


> Just realised 4.02 doesn't seem to be avaliable in nz ?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You need to download and install it manually:



painting said:


> New beta firmware out: 4.02
> 
> Details:
> Garmin: fenix/D2/tactix Updates & Downloads


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KiwiWomble

got it, cheers!


----------



## gaijin

Who would have thought this thread would grow to over 1,100 posts! :-!

Who would have thought that after wearing my fenix almost non-stop since September 2012 I would buy this:










The journey never ends (I hope) :-d


----------



## Doug507

That Tactix looks amazing. Of course, the $64,000 question is: How's the legibility in low light? Given the size of the digits and the contrast adjustment capabilities I'll bet it blows other negative displays away. I'm looking forward to your "compare & contrast" posts!


----------



## gaijin

Doug507 said:


> That Tactix looks amazing. Of course, the $64,000 question is: How's the legibility in low light? Given the size of the digits and the contrast adjustment capabilities I'll bet it blows other negative displays away. I'm looking forward to your "compare & contrast" posts!


Thanks, Doug! I'm not a big fan of negative displays. I've always wanted to like them, but somehow every time I worked up the courage to try one, it let me down miserably. The one notable exception is my original Suunto X9 Military manufactured in 2004 - its negative display is better than any subsequent version of the X9M, X9Mi, X10M; Suunto CORE or Casio G-Shock I have owned. I had a Suunto Ambit briefly (returned immediately because it did not work) and I remember the negative display on that being pretty good, but still not up to the standard of my old X9 Military.

That all changed yesterday when my Tactix arrived. I was fully prepared to return it if the negative display was not acceptable, but I still have it. The Tactix negative display is the best negative display I have ever owned.

I am experimenting with different techniques - mostly different lighting - to accurately photograph LCDs, particularly negative displays. My attempts so far just don't look right. The display always has some odd color elements that are never observed by the naked eye, or the contrast is too high or too low to accurately reflect what one would experience in real life. I'll keep plugging at it, however, and look forward to being able to publish some meaningful "compare & contrast" pics.

HTH


----------



## KiwiWomble

i think i would have bought the tactix over the fenix if it had been available


----------



## allout

I had read many bad things about neg. displays and was prepared. Even then I was still ready to return the Tactix because of the neg. display. I gave it some time and now it is much better. It is almost like you have to train yourself to use it. So far I am glad i kept it. and the training continues.


----------



## theotherphil

Doug507 said:


> That Tactix looks amazing. Of course, the $64,000 question is: How's the legibility in low light?


2am under street lighting:


----------



## CHRI1111

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



gaijin said:


> Thanks for your patience, sir. I think I have a better answer for you.
> 
> I went for a short 1.1 mile test walk this morning to see how the fenix performed.
> 
> To address your question directly, while walking one can observe Distance and time in real time:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not only that, ons can also choose a graphic representation of the walk in progress with a "breadcrumb" trail laid down over the distance already covered and current bearing in the upper left:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not enough for you? Well, one can also choose to view delta elevation and speed (I was stopped to take the picture so speed is 0.0):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you want to analyze or share your walk with others, you can connect the fenix to your computer and transfer the walk data into Garmin's Base Camp program. In that program, one can view all the data for the walk:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Look at a graph of Speed and Elevation over Distance for the entire walk:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Even export the walk to Google Earth:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Those much more computer savvy than I (hey, give me a break, at least I learned how to take screen shots and not take pictures of my monitor like I did in my first post ...) can export and play with the data a lot more than this.
> 
> Definitely a very cool tool.
> 
> HTH


Hello all,

Despite being new to this forum, I have read all the posts in this thread (twice!) and as you might appreciate that took some doing! Thank you first and foremost for a very informative thread.

After digesting as much of the information as possible, I finally made the decision to buy the Garmin Fenix watch, as opposed to the Suunto Ambit2 which, to my pleasure, arrived last week.

I have to say I am delighted with its functionality. Simply superb.

However it was only today I managed to strap the watch on to my wrist and take it for a journey from Chichester to Southampton. The journey was made predominantly by train, however the first ten minutes was a walk to the train station.

The GPS was set to 'normal' mode, so as to take a GPS fix every second and on my journey I went. I have attached the Google Earth track to this post (pictures in PDF) which was uploaded and analysed this evening.

Much to my dismay the track wasn't particularly accurate. The first 10 minutes of my journey was by foot, and at no point did the track fall any where near my footpath. In actual fact the distance varied between 5 meters at its closest point up to approximately 30 meters away at its furthest. As you will notice the walk was through an open park so there shouldn't have been any issues in obtaining a fairly decent GPS signal.

Once on the train, the track did not follow the train lines either; some times it did, but most of the time it varied wildly from it.

I suppose my question is: Is this normal? I was hoping (and quite frankly half expecting) the track to closely resemble the route I took. Granted, I wasn't anticipating it to follow my moves exactly, but at least resemble a reasonable degree of accuracy as was apparent in Gaijin's post dated September 9th 2012 (shown above).

CRS.


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

CHRI1111,

I'm always at a loss to understand why folks like you experience such wildly different accuracy results than I have over my last 16 months of fenix ownership.

First, I'd suggest making sure you have the latest Software Version 4.00 and GPS Software Version 2.90 (HOME>Setup>About (scroll down to see GPS Software version)).

Second, I suggest you might benefit from "GPS Soaking" your fenix overnight. To do this, hook the fenix up to the USB wall charger (NOT your computer) in an indoor location that gets good GPS reception, select HOME>GPS Tools>Satellite and after the Location / Accuracy screen appears, scroll down one page to the signal strength page and leave it there overnight. I do this periodically and have always experienced fairly fast Satellite acquisition and accurate tracks. I cannot say for sure this practice is the reason, but it couldn't hurt to try it.

If that doesn't help solve your issues, then during the day leave your fenix outdoors with a clear view of the sky and start the GPS: HOME>Start GPS. Leave it running undisturbed for an hour or so.

With any GPS device it is helpful to keep in mind that the relationship between the device and the satellites is constantly changing. That is why it is broadly recommended that a GPS device should "GPS Soak" if it has been more than a certain amount of time or greater than a given distance since the last GPS "fix." In practice, this means that the more often you use the GPS in your fenix, the faster it will acquire a fix and the more accurate the tracking will be.

HTH


----------



## KiwiWomble

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



CHRI1111 said:


> Hello all,
> 
> Despite being new to this forum, I have read all the posts in this thread (twice!) and as you might appreciate that took some doing! Thank you first and foremost for a very informative thread.
> 
> After digesting as much of the information as possible, I finally made the decision to buy the Garmin Fenix watch, as opposed to the Suunto Ambit2 which, to my pleasure, arrived last week.
> 
> I have to say I am delighted with its functionality. Simply superb.
> 
> However it was only today I managed to strap the watch on to my wrist and take it for a journey from Chichester to Southampton. The journey was made predominantly by train, however the first ten minutes was a walk to the train station.
> 
> The GPS was set to 'normal' mode, so as to take a GPS fix every second and on my journey I went. I have attached the Google Earth track to this post (pictures in PDF) which was uploaded and analysed this evening.
> 
> Much to my dismay the track wasn't particularly accurate. The first 10 minutes of my journey was by foot, and at no point did the track fall any where near my footpath. In actual fact the distance varied between 5 meters at its closest point up to approximately 30 meters away at its furthest. As you will notice the walk was through an open park so there shouldn't have been any issues in obtaining a fairly decent GPS signal.
> 
> Once on the train, the track did not follow the train lines either; some times it did, but most of the time it varied wildly from it.
> 
> I suppose my question is: Is this normal? I was hoping (and quite frankly half expecting) the track to closely resemble the route I took. Granted, I wasn't anticipating it to follow my moves exactly, but at least resemble a reasonable degree of accuracy as was apparent in Gaijin's post dated September 9th 2012 (shown above).
> 
> CRS.


the pdf id a little hard to read, resolution not the best but from what i can see and the accuracies you get (for the walk) that seems about right, a hand held GPS can realistically achieve 5-8m accuracy at the absolute best but with a certain satellite configuration and some trees for example you might get patches of worse

where were you sitting on the train and did you spend a while under cover on the platform, if it lost lock whilst you were waiting it may have struggled to re gain it whilst you were at speed (constantly changing position)


----------



## thorton

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Good news, everyone!

Just heard from Garmin that the Fenix will be supported in the next version of Garmin Connect Mobile.

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?70448-Garmin-Fenix-compatibility

This means that we won't have to plug our Fenixes(sp?) into our computers just to get our walks/runs into Garmin Connect for fitness analysis!

Woo hoo!


----------



## fx17

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I believe that in Garmin's handheld GPS's, the Tide Table data is stored within the basemap. Can anyone confirm to me, that the Map file sizes are different, between the Fenix and the Tactix? Has anyone tried putting the Tactix map in a Fenix, and seen if the tides are useable?


----------



## CHRI1111

gaijin said:


> CHRI1111,
> 
> I'm always at a loss to understand why folks like you experience such wildly different accuracy results than I have over my last 16 months of fenix ownership.
> 
> First, I'd suggest making sure you have the latest Software Version 4.00 and GPS Software Version 2.90 (HOME>Setup>About (scroll down to see GPS Software version)).
> 
> Second, I suggest you might benefit from "GPS Soaking" your fenix overnight. To do this, hook the fenix up to the USB wall charger (NOT your computer) in an indoor location that gets good GPS reception, select HOME>GPS Tools>Satellite and after the Location / Accuracy screen appears, scroll down one page to the signal strength page and leave it there overnight. I do this periodically and have always experienced fairly fast Satellite acquisition and accurate tracks. I cannot say for sure this practice is the reason, but it couldn't hurt to try it.
> 
> If that doesn't help solve your issues, then during the day leave your fenix outdoors with a clear view of the sky and start the GPS: HOME>Start GPS. Leave it running undisturbed for an hour or so.
> 
> With any GPS device it is helpful to keep in mind that the relationship between the device and the satellites is constantly changing. That is why it is broadly recommended that a GPS device should "GPS Soak" if it has been more than a certain amount of time or greater than a given distance since the last GPS "fix." In practice, this means that the more often you use the GPS in your fenix, the faster it will acquire a fix and the more accurate the tracking will be.
> 
> HTH


Thank you both for your replies.

I can confirm I am running the latest software versions 4.00 and 2.90.

Unfortunately I am having problems carrying oyt a GPS soak as I get a poor GPS signal indoors at home and no signal at all in my office. I am going away to Devon this weekend though and may be able to carry out a GPS soak then.

Never the less, I did manage to get a dilution of position accuracy of a minimum of 2 metres yesterday. I went to a large local park, a big expanse without any trees, faced south and managed to get good signal whilst also obtaining EGNOS Satellite 33 and obtained a few 'D's on satellite numbers so was very happy with that. I then decided to go for a walk, which was both within the park and around urban areas. The dilution of position accuracy varied between 2-12 metres, the lower numbers only being achieved in the park. When I viewed my track on Google Earth my track was much improved, however I was surprised to see my track was off a wide path in the park when achieving a dilution of position accuracy of 2m.

I think my issue is that I am comparing the accuracy of my track to yours Gaijin, and my thoughts are that yoir track is exceptionally accurate, since it follows your route perfectly on the sidewalks. The track I generated yesterday is no where near as accurate, however I do feel my accuracy on the day is good and 'normal'.

I will post my track soon when I have access to my computer so you can perhaps review it for your self.

It would be good to hear of your thoughts.

CRS.


----------



## Andrew McGregor

Gaijin is at 37° latitude and in the US, CRS you're at somewhere around 51° latitude. The accuracy of GPS is better at the equator and falls off toward the poles as there is more air and clutter in the way of more satellites at higher latitudes. Also, quite possibly the Fenix is WAAS (wide-area augmentation system) capable, which only works in North America and improves accuracy.

I don't think there's a problem here.


----------



## CHRI1111

Andrew McGregor said:


> Gaijin is at 37° latitude and in the US, CRS you're at somewhere around 51° latitude. The accuracy of GPS is better at the equator and falls off toward the poles as there is more air and clutter in the way of more satellites at higher latitudes. Also, quite possibly the Fenix is WAAS (wide-area augmentation system) capable, which only works in North America and improves accuracy.
> 
> I don't think there's a problem here.


The Garmin Fenix is compatible with the EGNOS satellite system, as well as WAAS.

There does seem to be some logic in what you say - however - the more air and clutter would only interfere with the EGNOS and WAAS satellites lock would it not? As these are positioned over the equator. The other satellites, are positioned across the globe at varying latitudes, so my position shouldn't make any difference, as there will be some that are closer to my latitude, and some that are closer to Gaijin's latitude.

I agree however it would be harder to obtain a fix to the EGNOS satallites (or WAAS in US) at higher latitudes, however, once a fix has been made, and the data has been downloaded the accuracy should be the same based on the above principle.

I don't believe it is possible to pick up the EGNOS satellites at the equator, as its a european system. Is my understanding here correct?

A couple of questions for anyone that knows - What type of internal antenna does the Garmin Fenix have, and does it have a function for position averaging?

CRS.


----------



## KiwiWomble

CHRI1111 said:


> Thank you both for your replies.
> 
> I can confirm I am running the latest software versions 4.00 and 2.90.
> 
> Unfortunately I am having problems carrying oyt a GPS soak as I get a poor GPS signal indoors at home and no signal at all in my office. I am going away to Devon this weekend though and may be able to carry out a GPS soak then.
> 
> Never the less, I did manage to get a dilution of position accuracy of a minimum of 2 metres yesterday. I went to a large local park, a big expanse without any trees, faced south and managed to get good signal whilst also obtaining EGNOS Satellite 33 and obtained a few 'D's on satellite numbers so was very happy with that. I then decided to go for a walk, which was both within the park and around urban areas. The dilution of position accuracy varied between 2-12 metres, the lower numbers only being achieved in the park. When I viewed my track on Google Earth my track was much improved, however I was surprised to see my track was off a wide path in the park when achieving a dilution of position accuracy of 2m.
> 
> I think my issue is that I am comparing the accuracy of my track to yours Gaijin, and my thoughts are that yoir track is exceptionally accurate, since it follows your route perfectly on the sidewalks. The track I generated yesterday is no where near as accurate, however I do feel my accuracy on the day is good and 'normal'.
> 
> I will post my track soon when I have access to my computer so you can perhaps review it for your self.
> 
> It would be good to hear of your thoughts.
> 
> CRS.


No matter what the unit says no hand held gps will archive 2m accuracy, to clarify I'm a land surveyor and use high accuracy gps every day, if you want better than 7m then you need to pay $8k for unit that will get you 500mm, if you need better than that you have to pay $45k to get 20mm

You are also then comparing against the geographic accuracy of aerial photos...which is not good and varies hugely depending on where in the world you are

You have nothing to worry about

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## CHRI1111

KiwiWomble said:


> No matter what the unit says no hand held gps will archive 2m accuracy, to clarify I'm a land surveyor and use high accuracy gps every day, if you want better than 7m then you need to pay $8k for unit that will get you 500mm, if you need better than that you have to pay $45k to get 20mm
> 
> You are also then comparing against the geographic accuracy of aerial photos...which is not good and varies hugely depending on where in the world you are
> 
> You have nothing to worry about
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's a hell of a lot of money. I'm guessing thats military grade equipment.

Does anyone know how the auto calibration altimeter function works on the Garmin Fenix? For instance, if I set the altimeter to continuous calibration, barometric plot to variable, mode to always on and interval to most often, I realise it uses the barometric altimeter to guage height, and auto calibrates it using GPS. But what is it auto calibrating exactly, height or sea level pressure? And how often is it auto calibrating? Does it use the normal 'most often' function it uses to track horizontal position, or does it auto calibrate, say, every minute, a fixed intervaI that cannot be changed? The reason I ask is because if it auto calibrates every second, then its essentially not using the barometric alterimeter, as its not giving it a chance to function. Or does it use a median of the barometric and gps readings?

Any idea?

CRS


----------



## KiwiWomble

CHRI1111 said:


> That's a hell of a lot of money. I'm guessing thats military grade equipment.


Pretty average survey equipment now days. We have five, slightly bigger than a watch unfortunately

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## CHRI1111

KiwiWomble said:


> Pretty average survey equipment now days. We have five, slightly bigger than a watch unfortunately
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


How come this equipment manages to get such high accuracy?


----------



## KiwiWomble

CHRI1111 said:


> How come this equipment manages to get such high accuracy?


A standard GPS unit measuring observations to at least five satellites will achieve your 6-8 m accuracy as an absolute position.

The equipment we use is a type of "RTK - Real time kinematic" GPS.

We have a receiver but as well as this we have a separate antenna the size of a dinner plate and a radio or cell phone link all mounted on a pole so the position can be calculated to an actual point on the ground - this is called the rover.

at various points in the city our GPS provider has permanent bases that are constantly calculating positions. they already know the position of the base to the mm however. The difference between the calculated position and the Known position is then broadcast either via radio link or cellphone data to the rover and applied to the position it is calculating giving us our 20mm. You can understand you have to be within a few KM's of the base for the correction to be correct.


----------



## CHRI1111

Starting to get the hang of this watch. Did a hiking session with it last weekend and the gps tracking and altitude measurement worked impeccably. 

Im trying to create a custom profile, which ice done but struggling to change the data fields. Its split into hiking, navigation, indoor. If I go to gps mode, it has indoor, normal and ultratrac. But no hiking or navigation. Am I missing something here?


----------



## so.it.goes

Hello all... First time poster, and looking for more "personal use" information on the Tactix. Anyone have some updated information on this watch? I haven't seen a lot of recent anecdotes. 

I'm specifically looking for pictures, durability stories, and just general likability of the piece. I'm a military aviator, and am fishing for info concerning how well it would hold-up in the operational world. 

Thanks in advance for anything offered...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## rustislove

Aloha guys (and girls)!

New Fenix is heading towards us

DCR took a quick look at it:

First Look at Garmin's new Fenix2 Multisport & Triathlon Watch | DC Rainmaker


----------



## downunder

I have a beginners question on the Garmin Fenix and I hope this is the right place to ask. I should start by saying that I am technologically challenged. Any technology that requires much more than basic computer knowledge is not used by me. I don’t even like my smart phone. There are too many features I don’t really know how to use.

I own a Suunto Ambit 1 and I love it and its functions are within my capability. My main uses (besides the normal uses of being a daily wear time keeping device) are two fold: (a) for low key workouts with the heart rate monitor while using the walking machine indoors, and (b) using it on one day hikes collecting mineral and rock specimens as a hobby and for basic geological mapping (I am retired now but am a qualified geologist). I love how easy it is to download where I have visited onto Google maps and satellite photos. In Australia we generally don’t have detailed mapping of many areas so Google maps is quite good. I usually stop at interesting outcrops and mark them as waypoints and then take notes at that spot. At the end of the day, I generally download all onto google maps and satellite photos and eventually delete the waypoints to make room for my next one day excursion. I find all this very easy to do.

I am not dissatisfied with the Ambit 1 but many reviews report that the Fenix is a more competent navigation tool for hiking than the Ambit 1 and I am wondering if it would suit my purposes better and provide extra features I can’t even imagine at the moment. I have heard of the track back feature on the Fenix and I would like to have that ability, but to be honest I don’t believe I would use it much. I tend to use the Ambit 1 method of following the bearing back to my starting point (where my vehicle is) rather than backtracking the way I came. I also don’t generally plot a path to follow before I set out. I simply look for good rock outcrops as I walk during the day (and I usually am not on recognised pathways) and see where I have been at the end of the day on the computer. I always carry a dedicated compass, but not a dedicated GPS. I find having a GPS watch quite sufficient and I hate carrying too much gear. I have to admit, I am concerned that downloading my data onto maps at the end of the day might be more difficult with the Fenix compared to the Ambit 1 and seek advice on this matter.

My question: bearing in mind how I use the Ambit 1, would the Garmin Fenix (with its extra navigation features) provide a new dimension to my hobby and what extra features on the Fenix do you think might prove interesting for me.


----------



## gaijin

Sounds to me like you are doing just fine with your Ambit 1. Until you can identify a specific failing with your current watch, it doesn't seem necessary to manufacture a specific need based on different specs.

HTH


----------



## pjc3

I do not own a fenix but have used one and I would say the interface and feature set of the fenix is more complex than the Ambit and you may have those said features lying dormant and unused similar to your smartphone!


----------



## mimmog

But if I wanted to know how many such steps and miles I do in one day would be possible with this device?

Inviato da dispositivo Android mobile


----------



## KiwiWomble

downunder said:


> I have a beginners question on the Garmin Fenix and I hope this is the right place to ask. I should start by saying that I am technologically challenged. Any technology that requires much more than basic computer knowledge is not used by me. I don't even like my smart phone. There are too many features I don't really know how to use.
> 
> I own a Suunto Ambit 1 and I love it and its functions are within my capability. My main uses (besides the normal uses of being a daily wear time keeping device) are two fold: (a) for low key workouts with the heart rate monitor while using the walking machine indoors, and (b) using it on one day hikes collecting mineral and rock specimens as a hobby and for basic geological mapping (I am retired now but am a qualified geologist). I love how easy it is to download where I have visited onto Google maps and satellite photos. In Australia we generally don't have detailed mapping of many areas so Google maps is quite good. I usually stop at interesting outcrops and mark them as waypoints and then take notes at that spot. At the end of the day, I generally download all onto google maps and satellite photos and eventually delete the waypoints to make room for my next one day excursion. I find all this very easy to do.
> 
> I am not dissatisfied with the Ambit 1 but many reviews report that the Fenix is a more competent navigation tool for hiking than the Ambit 1 and I am wondering if it would suit my purposes better and provide extra features I can't even imagine at the moment. I have heard of the track back feature on the Fenix and I would like to have that ability, but to be honest I don't believe I would use it much. I tend to use the Ambit 1 method of following the bearing back to my starting point (where my vehicle is) rather than backtracking the way I came. I also don't generally plot a path to follow before I set out. I simply look for good rock outcrops as I walk during the day (and I usually am not on recognised pathways) and see where I have been at the end of the day on the computer. I always carry a dedicated compass, but not a dedicated GPS. I find having a GPS watch quite sufficient and I hate carrying too much gear. I have to admit, I am concerned that downloading my data onto maps at the end of the day might be more difficult with the Fenix compared to the Ambit 1 and seek advice on this matter.
> 
> My question: bearing in mind how I use the Ambit 1, would the Garmin Fenix (with its extra navigation features) provide a new dimension to my hobby and what extra features on the Fenix do you think might prove interesting for me.


i would say stick with the Ambit, one of the big differences is that the Fenix is more customisable...but it doesn't sound like you would use any of that, stick with whats working...and buy a Omega Speedmaster pro (WUS standard advice  )


----------



## jetguat

vanisle said:


> Ultra Runners - Please don't leave yet!!!
> I have more to add to the discussion, but am short on time right now.
> 
> I was a Garmin 310XT user for 2 years, having logged thousands of kms and many LONG runs. I then got an Ambit in July and have been using it almost exclusively (though I did also wear the 310XT for comparison for a few 50k+ long runs) since then. I have a Fenix on order, and will do extensive comparisons.
> 
> I am actually getting a Fenix because of some issues I have with the Ambit that I will detail later. On the upside, I have a lot of experience with Ambit, including a 50 mile race (Squamish 50).
> 
> I am shocked by all the people who say the Ambit distance is accurate. Once I dump it in Sport Tracks, it is accurate, but when running it is consistently 5% short on trails (less so on open roads). Altimeter VERY reliable. In fact I did 98 laps of a 400m track last weekend and it showed ±0m in elevation change. Right on.
> 
> More later... but lets work together. I admit some of your posts worry me about the Fenix  But the Ambit has a ways to go as well...


Aspiring ultra runner here. So far only marathons and some 50ks. Been using my Garmin 610, but obviously that will not do for an 50mile Ultra. Also got a rim2rim2rim planned for the fall. I do get into triathlons. So Naturally the 910xt would seem to be my next watch. Heard the original fenix was not so good (possibly just early firmware versions) for ultra runners. I understand that the Fenix2 is annouced, and also the original fenix has received a number of firmware updates.

My question is who does the Fenix work for Ultra runners. Is it a reliable device in terms of monitoring and battery? I imagine (for the lack of other info) that quicker samply would be more preferred. But the drawback is battery consumption.

Any 1st hand views from ultra runners? 910xt. Fenix. Fenix2?


----------



## fendergrab

Has anybody put a different band on the fenix/tactix? I don't really care for the original and don't want para cord or fabric one either.


----------



## gaijin

26mm Zulu straps work well:










I'm sure there's a pic or two earlier in this thread ... :think:


----------



## fendergrab

The Zulu straps are fine, but I am looking for a NON fabric strap to replace the stock one. I'd like to find a replacement strap with the quality of my PRW-2500 resin strap for my tactix.


----------



## Doug507

fendergrab said:


> Has anybody put a different band on the fenix/tactix? I don't really care for the original and don't want para cord or fabric one either.


Kind of, I put an olive drab Fenix strap on mine. The only difference is the color.


----------



## gaijin

The Garmin leather strap is also nice.


----------



## KiwiWomble

jetguat said:


> Aspiring ultra runner here. So far only marathons and some 50ks. Been using my Garmin 610, but obviously that will not do for an 50mile Ultra. Also got a rim2rim2rim planned for the fall. I do get into triathlons. So Naturally the 910xt would seem to be my next watch. Heard the original fenix was not so good (possibly just early firmware versions) for ultra runners. I understand that the Fenix2 is annouced, and also the original fenix has received a number of firmware updates.
> 
> My question is who does the Fenix work for Ultra runners. Is it a reliable device in terms of monitoring and battery? I imagine (for the lack of other info) that quicker samply would be more preferred. But the drawback is battery consumption.
> 
> Any 1st hand views from ultra runners? 910xt. Fenix. Fenix2?


How long would you need the battery to last? i use mine skiing and can get 6 or 7 hours at one second intervals without too much trouble, the only trouble i have had with my fenix1 was fogging when i went swimming in a glacial lake...so cold, got it replaced and the newer ones seem fine, the fenix2 should definitely have that fixed too

one thing i have heard that might put the fenix above things like the ambit is it has normal lugs so you can fit more comfortable straps, i have the velcro one an extender for over my jacket


----------



## Palirek

Having Fenix since Friday, purchased with FW 3.10, I have loaded map and updated to FW 4.00 especially with virtual partner with the first try run around 30km on Sunday. I found this nice forum and plan to go through completelly. Anyway I'd have some questions already if someboby can answer, would be appreciated. Regarding virtual partner and navigation on previously recorded track - is there an function to use virtual partner as an "author" of loaded gpx file ? It makes sense for me to compare with somebody who recorded the track directly during the run or see if I was on the same hill last quicker or what's the delay and so on. This would be for me more helpfull than set constant pace.
Secondly, is there any possibility to change view (line) of recorded track on map, its' now light gray the same as rivers.
And last, when I would buy foot pod, would there be possibility to lookout cadence of steps and set some limit for alarm if I go out of this range? I know it's feature od forerunner 620 and fenix2, but only with HR band which I don't like to wear.
Thanks in advance for any info!


----------



## jetguat

KiwiWomble said:


> How long would you need the battery to last? i use mine skiing and can get 6 or 7 hours at one second intervals without too much trouble, the only trouble i have had with my fenix1 was fogging when i went swimming in a glacial lake...so cold, got it replaced and the newer ones seem fine, the fenix2 should definitely have that fixed too
> 
> one thing i have heard that might put the fenix above things like the ambit is it has normal lugs so you can fit more comfortable straps, i have the velcro one an extender for over my jacket


For now, in terms of continuous use with ant+ HRM running with GPS I am looking at 15+ hours. But my unofficial threshold would be 20 hours. Not long enough for a 100miler, but for something between 50 and 100.


----------



## KiwiWomble

jetguat said:


> For now, in terms of continuous use with ant+ HRM running with GPS I am looking at 15+ hours. But my unofficial threshold would be 20 hours. Not long enough for a 100miler, but for something between 50 and 100.


think that wold be pushing it at 1sec interval, i assume it will also churn through the battery more with a HRM

if you push it out to 15 sec or 30 sec it would last much longer, i think gaijin did a lot of testing early in this thread about what setting made the buttery last longer. i also think someone here hooked the cable and cradle up to a solar panel on their backpack to make it last longer.....but i would be wrong


----------



## gaijin

Check post #'s 102 and 124 ;-)


----------



## jetguat

gaijin said:


> Check post #'s 102 and 124 ;-)


I did see those posts. they were helpful

A couple things I was unsure of.. in the first post:
The Garmin spec for this configuration is 16 hours and mine shut off after a little more than 17 hours. No data were lost by running the watch until it shut itself down due to low battery.

Garmin has a spec listing that? It must be for the original fenix. As I was considering the Fenix2 and no such "spec" has been announced, though it largely believed to be the same hardware.

The second things, and this contradicts post #124 is that I though I read elsewhere that if you set a custom interval like 15s in post #124 that it doesnt actually save batterly life, only memory storage since there is less data points to save, but in that other forum I read that the GPS still stayed on all the time. Post #124 contradicts that, at least to the 12 hour point.

Any chance you could run a plot of using a 5sec interval or 10sec interval? ....Pretty please


----------



## gaijin

Of course the spec is for the original fenix, but if you look in the fenix 2 Quick Start Manual, you will find similar specs: http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_2_QSM_EN.pdf

That Manual lists the following battery life for the fenix 2:

16 hours for Normal GPS mode
50 hours for Ultratrac GPS mode with one-minute polling interval
Up to 5 weeks for Watch mode

I ran the test and reported the data - there was an obvious dramatic increase in battery life with a 15-second polling interval.

Please remember that the purpose of the test was to see if the battery life could be extended to 24 hours and still result in a useful track plot:



gaijin said:


> You asked for it - you got it!
> 
> The hypothesis was that by setting the GPS mode to UltraTrac and the Interval to 15 seconds (Sensors stay at the Always On setting) battery life could be extended beyond 24 hours without losing so much detail that it would not be useful for walking.


The purpose was NOT to maximize battery life.

Someone else will have to run the data for 5-second and/or 10-second polling intervals, but I would suspect that the battery life will shorten with a more frequent polling interval.

I can project nothing for the fenix 2 as I do not have one yet.

HTH


----------



## jetguat

gaijin said:


> Of course the spec is for the original fenix, but if you look in the fenix 2 Quick Start Manual, you will find similar specs: http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_2_QSM_EN.pdf
> 
> That Manual lists the following battery life for the fenix 2:
> 
> 16 hours for Normal GPS mode
> 50 hours for Ultratrac GPS mode with one-minute polling interval
> Up to 5 weeks for Watch mode
> 
> I ran the test and reported the data - there was an obvious dramatic increase in battery life with a 15-second polling interval.
> 
> Please remember that the purpose of the test was to see if the battery life could be extended to 24 hours and still result in a useful track plot:
> 
> The purpose was NOT to maximize battery life.
> 
> Someone else will have to run the data for 5-second and/or 10-second polling intervals, but I would suspect that the battery life will shorten with a more frequent polling interval.
> 
> I can project nothing for the fenix 2 as I do not have one yet.
> 
> HTH


Thanks for link to the QuickStart Manual. I had not see that. I see the 16hour in there as you say.

Also love the anaylsis both others after your post #124. Got me to thinking about something. if 1sec sampling was one, and we assuming that the GPS just stays on. Alternatively, if you select some other number, say 15sec intervals. It takes some times/power to turn on the GPS then perhaps to turn it off. As other posters said, something about 2 second. What if the GPS did take 2 secs to turn on, lock, then shut down. One could probably guess that battery savings for intervals less than 5 sec might be negligible. I wonder though.

On steep incline/decline, or a winding path. What interval is reasonable before you lose to much accuracy. I dunno. just wondering about it. 15sec interval lasting 25+ hours is nice. Might just have to find a place with a nice return policy and run some tests myself. thanks for the great feedback.

The plot on post #124 says UltraTrak with 15 sec interval. Am I correct that with ultraTrak on. the ANT+ is not working? So in that mode the 25+ hours would only be GPS data, and not any HRM based metrics?


----------



## jetguat

Have any of you used a Fenix for an Ironman? What data recording settings did you use? What was your completion time, and how much battery was left. I believe an IM has a 17hour limit. I would never expect to take that long, but would the Fenix last that long? I know quick start guide says 16 hours, but doesnt indicate if thats GPS only, or if there is ANT+ involved.


----------



## rustislove

Is there anybody who already use beta FW? I wonder if it's reliable. 
How do the new features work? All features from non-beta FW remained intact?

Nevertheless I still don't understand why GARMIN didn't place timer (when active) between the main pages. When the timer runs I need to do several button-presses which is quite annoying.


----------



## gaijin

rustislove said:


> Nevertheless I still don't understand why GARMIN didn't place timer (when active) between the main pages. When the timer runs I need to do several button-presses which is quite annoying.


Why not configure one of the Hot Keys (upper right or lower right) to the Timer? Then it would only be one button press away from the main time page.

SELECT>SETUP>System>Hot Keys>Hold Up (or Hold Down)>Timer

HTH


----------



## pos_eidon

jetguat said:


> Have any of you used a Fenix for an Ironman? What data recording settings did you use? What was your completion time, and how much battery was left. I believe an IM has a 17hour limit. I would never expect to take that long, but would the Fenix last that long? I know quick start guide says 16 hours, but doesnt indicate if thats GPS only, or if there is ANT+ involved.


Reducing the GPS-Intervall to 30 seconts i got 28h of recording non stop, generating FIT-Files only.


----------



## pos_eidon

rustislove said:


> Is there anybody who already use beta FW? I wonder if it's reliable.
> How do the new features work? All features from non-beta FW remained intact?


I use the beta, it seems to be quiet stable in the lastest update, but it is a beta, so I won't upgrade until I know I don't really need a reliable watch.


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> Why not configure one of the Hot Keys (upper right or lower right) to the Timer? Then it would only be one button press away from the main time page.
> 
> SELECT>SETUP>System>Hot Keys>Hold Up (or Hold Down)>Timer
> 
> HTH


Hi, thanks. I almost forgot to use the Hot Keys. Unfortunatelly I need this function during watch mode (at work or when I'm downtown) not during any activity.


----------



## gaijin

The Hot Keys work during watch mode. Set one up as I explained and you can access the timer from the main time display in watch mode.


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> The Hot Keys work during watch mode. Set one up as I explained and you can access the timer from the main time display in watch mode.


Well, it works like you wrote. Up or Down with long press for example. I wanted to associate it with back button, but then it won't work :-(
Now I have to decide how to use it. Because in most activities I have the upper right as for START/STOP and lower right for flashlight. Maybe it's not wise since I don't use flashlight often. Although when it comes to necessity I don't know where to look for it. 
Is there anywhere in the menu the flashlight item? I find it very useful, I mean the flashlight feature.

P.S. Maybe I will resolve it vice versa. Flashlight under long press and timer as a new page in menu.


----------



## gaijin

But ... a new page in the menu will only work during an activity. I think you must make a choice between flashlight and timer. ;-)


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> But ... a new page in the menu will only work during an activity. I think you must make a choice between flashlight and timer. ;-)


I meant a new menu item not a Data page. Although, you are right.


----------



## downunder

I have just taken possession of a Garmin Fenix. I have been downloading my tracks to Google Earth. My tracks show up beautifully but I can't seem to get my waypoints to show up on Goggle Earth. Waypoints are more important for me than the overall track. Would anyone be able to advise me on how to get my waypoints to show up on Google Earth.


----------



## gaijin

And now the fenix 2:










The journey continues ...


----------



## gaijin

Just a quick note on how amazing it is that this thread has had over 500,000 - that's half a million - views.

Wow. Just ... wow.


----------



## Ridgeback63

gaijin said:


> Just a quick note on how amazing it is that this thread has had over 500,000 - that's half a million - views.
> 
> Wow. Just ... wow.


And all thanks to you my friend for starting it,this thread is now the go to source for anything to do with the Fenix/tactix and hopefully Fenix 2.


----------



## downunder

I found the answer to my own previous question about how to create waypoints as I hike that later can be plotted on Google Earth. When I tried to plot my tracks direct from Google Earth no waypoints appeared. However, when I used Google Earth via Basecamp I found my waypoints were plotted. This direct plotting of Waypoints onto my tracks on Google Earth is something my Ambit can't do.

A second interesting thing I have found when playing with my new Fenix on hikes was that I wait for GPS lock as one has to do but the GPS readings taken in the first 5 minutes after that were relatively poor. However, as I continued on my hikes the GPS plots would become accurate. I assume this has something to do with the satellite reception in my area and the antennae on the Fenix. Somehow the Fenix seems to adjust with more accurate satellite plotting given time. This did not happen with my Ambit. Initial readings on my Ambit were accurate from the start. I assume this is because of the larger antennae on the Ambit. This has ramifications for the way I use my Fenix for tracking back to my original starting point in the bush where I would leave my car. I tend to mark my starting point (where my car is) as a Waypoint on the Fenix and then back track direct to that waypoint at the end of my hike (as is done in the back track on the Ambit). When used in this way the Fenix would always lead my astray relative to my Ambit. The only way to get around this (which I haven't tried yet) is to start my Fenix GPS at my car and give myself 5 minutes before marking this position as a waypoint on my fenix and then moving off. I hope to try that today to see if that overcomes the problem. I am curious if anyone else has noticed this problem. Perhaps it is more linked to satellite reception in my specific locality. I have yet to test this in other than my own locality but will do so in the future.


----------



## downunder

That worked. I started the hike but stayed put for a few minutes after the position was picked up by satellites. I then made a waypoint at that point and went hiking. I then had the Fenix go back directly to that starting point waypoint (equivalent to backtrack on the ambit) which it did with perfect accuracy. The only difference now between my Fenix and Ambit is that the Ambit immediately gets a satellite fix whilst the Fenix takes a little longer.


----------



## gaijin

@downunder:

What firmware version are you using on your fenix? The latest beta versions (most current is 4.14beta) have significantly improved the satellite lock time by allowing the download of satellite and ephemeris data with each sync to Garmin Connect/Garmin Express.

HTH


----------



## downunder

Hi gaijin, the software version on my Fenix is 4.00. This was downloaded from Basecamp. Should I be looking to download 4.14beta or is the 4.00 good enough?


----------



## gaijin

downunder said:


> Hi gaijin, the software version on my Fenix is 4.00. This was downloaded from Basecamp. Should I be looking to download 4.14beta or is the 4.00 good enough?


Here is a link to the Garmin site to download 4.14: Garmin: fenix/D2/tactix Updates & Downloads

You can read on that page the improvements made from 4.00 all the way through to 4.14. I have been running the 4.14 Beta software since it was available and it is very stable. In your case, you will notice a tremendous improvement in performance and functionality.

HTH


----------



## gaijin

I think Garmin may have a swing and a miss with the backlight on the fenix 2.

Here is a pic of the fenix 2 (left) and tactix (right) with their backlights turned on to 100%:










The green backlight on the tactix lights up only the segments of the display which are being used, but the red backlight on the fenix 2 lights up the whole display. I wish Garmin had used the same kind of backlight on the fenix 2 as on the tactix. The red color is OK, but the "washout" caused by illuminating the entire display is a miss IMO.

Of course, the backlight level on the fenix 2 can (and should) be turned down to 50-60% which alleviates the "washout" issue, but I would much prefer that only the display segments being used were illuminated instead of the entire display. :-(

HTH


----------



## nandito

hell yeah, the backlight is the only reason i wont be getting the fenix 2. doesn't make any sense why they would go with the red, there must be a tactix 2 in the horizon. keep up the great work gaijin. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## gaijin

Just to be complete, here's a pic of the fenix, tactix and fenix 2 all with the backlights set to 100%:










This shows what I am calling "washout" on the fenix and the fenix 2.

Reducing the level of the backlight on the fenix to 30-40% and on the fenix 2 to about 60% makes them much more readable, but still nowhere near as "clean" as the tactix.

HTH


----------



## downunder

Hi gaijin, I downloaded 4.14 and I no longer have to wait to set my initial waypoint to end up with an accurate position on starting up. Thank you for that.


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> Just to be complete, here's a pic of the fenix, tactix and fenix 2 all with the backlights set to 100%:
> 
> This shows what I am calling "washout" on the fenix and the fenix 2.
> 
> Reducing the level of the backlight on the fenix to 30-40% and on the fenix 2 to about 60% makes them much more readable, but still nowhere near as "clean" as the tactix.
> 
> HTH


I would like to know how does the flashlight work on Tactix and Fenix 2 if it is available at all. 
I don't like any particularly the red and green display, even in negative :-( Maybe that's is the only thing that keeps me away of considering Fenix 2 and Tactix for the future. I don't understand Garmin's decision.


----------



## gaijin

rustislove said:


> I would like to know how does the flashlight work on Tactix and Fenix 2 if it is available at all.


Good question. Both have the flashlight function - here's what they look like (sorry for the blur):










Both are much, much dimmer than the flashlight on the fenix. In the dark, with eyes that are acclimated to the dark, they could both be used as flashlights up close to read a map or similar, but otherwise they are pretty ineffectual.

HTH


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## cal..45

|> Wow, thank you very much buddy for that picture, it surely saves me time and money. As you know I have (had) plans to buy a Fenix2 or a Tactix and I expected the Fenix2 backlight to be the same as that of the Tactix with a different colour of course. But highlighting the whole display makes it a no-go for me (although the red looks very nice). Looks like I will go with the Tactix, but I'm still undecided because of the missing hourly chime vibe....

cheers


----------



## downunder

A question about upgrades to the firmware on the Fenix - why does Garmin have upgrade 4.0 on Basecamp yet version 4.14 has to be downloaded from another source, and what exactly is a Beta upgrade?


----------



## gaijin

downunder said:


> A question about upgrades to the firmware on the Fenix - why does Garmin have upgrade 4.0 on Basecamp yet version 4.14 has to be downloaded from another source, and what exactly is a Beta upgrade?


4.0 is the latest version that Garmin have released to production. 4.14 beta is a software version that is still undergoing testing to assure functionality and reliability.

As it says on the 4.14 update page:


*Although this software is believed to be reliable, it has not yet been released for production and should be used at your own risk.*
As soon as Garmin are satisfied with the performance of beta software, and that there are no immediately pending changes to that version, it will be released to production and become available on Garmin Express, etc.

HTH


----------



## KiwiWomble

ive been using 4.14 for a month or more and seems fine


----------



## nandito

okay so does 4.14 have most of the new features in the fenix2 minus the bluetooth stuff?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## KiwiWomble

fenix 1 has bluetooth, i connect it to my phone to see any texts whilst driving


----------



## Achal

Hey guys dcrainmaker has just put up his in depth review for the garmin fenix 2. It's VERY in depth for anyone considering buying it.


----------



## cal..45

Achal said:


> Hey guys dcrainmaker has just put up his in depth review for the garmin fenix 2. It's VERY in depth for anyone considering buying it.


Who is dcrainmaker and where can I find the review?

cheers


----------



## Achal

cal..45 said:


> Who is dcrainmaker and where can I find the review?
> 
> cheers


oh wow my bad!
Garmin Fenix2 Multisport Watch In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


----------



## rustislove

DCR is a king in this stuff 

One thing that I don't understand, why the hell they used inverted display?! Can anyone give me a good reason (or two)? 
What's wrong with the normal display?

And a Fenix 1 question:
Lately I have noticed that due to activities and waypoints, which I have a lot in my F1, it goes to FIT history page and Waypoints page after a significant delay. No problem to delete the activities, but I need to handle somehow the waypoints. It took considerable amount of time to insert every single one into the watch and I plan to add even more. 

So what I need is to "switch" between the waypoints I would need for my planned trip and the others. So when I go to XYZ mountains I need this bunch, the others can be stored in PC, but when I will change the location I want to change also the bunch of "active" waypoints. Is something like that possible via Basecamp or Mapsource or whatever application under MS Windows?


----------



## bctrade

Hi All, first post but have been lurking awhile. I had a Fenix for a month or so, loaded 4.14 with no problem but never did fix battery issues and software freezing or shutting down issues. I returned to REI and yesterday picked up a Fenix 2, strangely it was only loaded with ver 2.20 WTH? So I loaded 4.14 on the Fenix 2 and although it shows up in the garmin folder it won't reboot and load it. I powered on and off a few times, turned on gps a few times, still not loading. Thanks in advance for any help on this.
Edit Post Reply Reply With Quote 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pjc3

Can I suggest that Fenix2 has a different firmware to Fenix (different feature set) and that you shouldn't be trying to loading Fenix firmware?


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## bctrade

Thanks pjc3, Hadn't thought of that, there are features missing that were on the Fenix 1, for instance there is no Mountaineering activity, may be renamed, not sure. When I synced it with Basecamp it did show a update available to ver 2.40, so I went ahead with that update. Not crazy about the negative display, adjusting the contrast doesn't seem to do much. The new button commands were a pain to start with but I got used to it after a few hours. It definetly seems geared more towards fitness than outdoor activities. Going to give it a chance before I return for the Tactix, if I can get used to the neg display.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sg01fc1

So does anyone have a copy of the Fenix 2 files that we could play around with like a previous post that had the Tactix files?


----------



## Dakota 6

pjc3 said:


> Can I suggest that Fenix2 has a different firmware to Fenix (different feature set) and that you shouldn't be trying to loading Fenix firmware?


Yes, it will brick it. Garmin supposedly did this on purpose.

Anyone else frustrated that Tactix owners aren't getting 4 point data pages like the fenix 2 just got?


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## gaijin

No. If I can't get what I need to see into 3 fields on an essentially unlimited number of data pages, then I'm concentrating on the wrong things. Besides, my old eyes appreciate the largest letters/numbers possible, so I have no problem scrolling through 2 pages to see 4 larger data fields.


----------



## downunder

I am wondering if I am setting up my Fenix correctly for Barometer and Altitude readings. I am finding these readings of altitude and barometric pressure fluctuate unreasonably no matter how I set it up. For instance, I calibrate my altitude and stay in the one place for a few days. Even though I am at the same elevation I find my altitude is recorded at all over the place on my Fenix and this of course throws the barometric reading off. I have no such problems with my Ambit. When I set the Ambit on automatic, the barometric readings are consistenly true and the altitude reading stays reasonably correctly at the altitude I had set. When I drive to town where there is more than a 100 metre drop in altitude, the Ambit switches to altitude change correctly. My fenix show no such consistency. Am I possibly not setting up my Fenix correctly or is this one area where the Ambit wins hands down.


----------



## gaijin

Do you have *>Setup>Sensors>Altimeter>Baro. Plot* set to "Variable" or "Fixed?"


----------



## sg01fc1

gaijin said:


> Do you have *>Setup>Sensors>Altimeter>Baro. Plot* set to "Variable" or "Fixed?"


Mine is set to variable and it does the same thing. I am still new to the watch so still trying to get it set up correctly for best functionality. Any help would be appreciated.


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## downunder

Gaijin, I have it set to "Variable" at the moment. Is that what I should have is set to when staying in the one location?


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## gaijin

I have mine set to "Variable" as well, but do not see the altitude swings you are reporting. Try setting it to "Fixed" instead and see what effect it has on the stability of your altitude readings.

HTH


----------



## downunder

I have just recalibrated to the altitude of my location and set the barometer to "Fixed". I'll report back in a few hours how that is going.


----------



## Worker

downunder said:


> I have just recalibrated to the altitude of my location and set the barometer to "Fixed". I'll report back in a few hours how that is going.


Looking forward to seeing your results.


----------



## downunder

Well, the good news first. When I set the barometer to fixed, the Fenix gave very reliable barometric readings and kept the altitude at the calibrated reading. The bad news - there was no graphical display of the barometer reading even when set at "always on". The Fenix simply gave a specific barometric reading at that time. The only real difference between "always on" and "on demand" in this case was that "always on" seemed to eat up the battery faster. I regard this as a very serious weakness and am surprised Garmin have done this. Perhaps there is another setting I should be using to end up with a graphical recording over time of the barometric pressure. As we all know, it is change in barometric reading over time that can sometimes be used to predict weather and that is shown when a graphical representation is seen. Without keeping a record of barometric pressure over time, the Fenix loses a lot of capability.

I assume that the Fenix should be set to "variable" when one is moving positions and that then the Fenix regards any barometric changes as due to altitude change and gives a closer correct reading of altitude. But the corollary of that is that if you do stay in the one spot with this setting, then altitude readings will then be a result of daily changes in barometric readings and would need to be disregarded - but at least there is graphical record of altitude and barometric pressure in this setting. To keep the barometric readings as weather indicators you would have to continually calibrate the Fenix altitude.


----------



## rustislove

yes I must say, that my Fenix is also very weak when it comes to altitude accuracy. Sometimes 10m away (best scenario) but sometimes even 50m off. I use "variable" setting. 
My colleague has Casio Protrek and its altitude measurement is much more precise. 

I'm dissapointed with that, so I no longer deal with altitude.


----------



## gaijin

downunder said:


> Well, the good news first. When I set the barometer to fixed, the Fenix gave very reliable barometric readings and kept the altitude at the calibrated reading. The bad news - there was no graphical display of the barometer reading even when set at "always on". The Fenix simply gave a specific barometric reading at that time. The only real difference between "always on" and "on demand" in this case was that "always on" seemed to eat up the battery faster. I regard this as a very serious weakness and am surprised Garmin have done this. Perhaps there is another setting I should be using to end up with a graphical recording over time of the barometric pressure. As we all know, it is change in barometric reading over time that can sometimes be used to predict weather and that is shown when a graphical representation is seen. Without keeping a record of barometric pressure over time, the Fenix loses a lot of capability.
> 
> I assume that the Fenix should be set to "variable" when one is moving positions and that then the Fenix regards any barometric changes as due to altitude change and gives a closer correct reading of altitude. But the corollary of that is that if you do stay in the one spot with this setting, then altitude readings will then be a result of daily changes in barometric readings and would need to be disregarded - but at least there is graphical record of altitude and barometric pressure in this setting. To keep the barometric readings as weather indicators you would have to continually calibrate the Fenix altitude.


Something funny is going on here. When I set my barometer to "Fixed" I still have the graphical display of pressure over time - same graphical display with both "Fixed" and "Variable." I don't understand how you "lost" the graph. Maybe if you leave the barometer set to "Fixed" and turn the watch OFF then On again to see if the graph displays?


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## dcam1075

If you are set to "Always On" you should have the graphical display for barometric pressure. The graph will display 48 hours of pressure data. If you have the altimeter set to fixed it will keep your altitude static and any changes in pressure will be recorded as barometric changes. Not sure why you would not have the graph in always on mode. You may want to double check that setting.


Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk


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## downunder

I have to admit that the Fenix is one of my favourite watches. One was on sale for about 40% off a few weeks ago and a I bought a second. There is just something about the fenix I like. That's why I really want to get everything right. I have just set both to "always on" and "fixed". I then turned both off and on and will let them go in that mode for the rest of the day and check them later and report back. At least that way I can check that what occurred is not a fault in one watch. Hopefully though, both will give the same result whatever that happens to be.


----------



## dcam1075

Another thing I do is when I get some bad data in either the Barometer and/or Altimeter I clear the data plot in settings and start fresh. Might want to try that too.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## downunder

I have noticed a difference between the two Fenix's already. One has a graph of barometric readings but is listed for a 45 minute period, the other has no graph but is listed for a 48 hour period.


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## dcam1075

They should both be 48 hours. The big difference is the Fenix 2 does not have an altitude lock feature which makes the watch virtually worthless for weather prediction.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## downunder

The one that showed the graph over 45 minutes is now showing the graph over one hour. It looks like this watch will incrementally work up to 48 hours but the other one went straight to 48 hours - strange.


----------



## dcam1075

Yes. It will build its way up to 48 hours. I am pretty sure they both do it that way. The Fenix 2 just never actually resets it unless you go into an activity mode. And then it just starts over for the time you are in the activity, when you end the activity it takes you back the 48 hour graph already in progress. No idea why it does it that way.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


----------



## downunder

I like the one that is incrementally building up the time. It is at 1.5 hours now and shows the range from 1018 - 1020 over that time and illustrates graphically. The other still has no graph - it lists the time as 48 hours - it lists the range in barometric pressure as 0 - 1020. I wonder why they are different to each other.


----------



## gaijin

downunder said:


> I like the one that is incrementally building up the time. It is at 1.5 hours now and shows the range from 1018 - 1020 over that time and illustrates graphically. The other still has no graph - it lists the time as 48 hours - it lists the range in barometric pressure as 0 - 1020. I wonder why they are different to each other.


I would try resetting the barometer graph plot data.

*>Setup>Reset>Clear Plots>Clear all sensor plot data? Yes*

That should get rid of the "0" pressure data that is hanging up the graphic display in one of your watches.

HTH


----------



## downunder

Yep, that fixed the problem. Gaijin, have you ever thought of writing manual for the Fenix - you could call it "The Fenix for Dummies". I would buy a copy. How did you know to do that?


----------



## gaijin

downunder said:


> Yep, that fixed the problem. Gaijin, have you ever thought of writing manual for the Fenix - you could call it "The Fenix for Dummies". I would buy a copy. How did you know to do that?


Glad it worked for you, mate :-!

I have a hard enough time offering suggestions on these forums when someone is always quick to point out that what I am suggesting is totally wrong - present company excepted, of course ;-)

The only way I knew about the data plot reset is because I stumbled upon the option while exploring the menu options.

Your point about the necessity for a well written, simple manual is a good one. I am convinced that most of the "problems" we see are either a lack of familiarity with how the watch works, or an assumption about capabilities that were never part of the design. Garmin is certainly not making it any easier on themselves by not writing a better manual.

You are a bad influence on me, however - I, too have been toying with the idea of getting a second original version fenix because of the very reasonable prices they are going for now ... :think:

Cheers


----------



## downunder

When I read back I see that dcam1075 also suggested clearing all sensor plot data. Am I the only one who didn't know about this. I'm glad you blokes are around.


----------



## gaijin

There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on here, and dcam1075 is one of them - I learn something new every day.


----------



## Lindt

downunder said:


> When I read back I see that dcam1075 also suggested clearing all sensor plot data. Am I the only one who didn't know about this. I'm glad you blokes are around.


You're not the only one. I had exactly the same problem and put it down to a bug in the particular beta I was using.

With respect to the state of the manual, perhaps we could coin the acronym RTFF(orum) or RTFT(hread) given this thread has become the goto source of information.

Thanks again everyone.


----------



## rustislove

Hello,

I currently use the newest beta FW 4.15.

I wonder what is View Runs item in menu. It shows "no runs" while I have at least a ton of running activities.

I do not fully understand the feature Indoor - without Foot Pod and to measure pace, cadence, etc. - how does it work? Can anybody give me a clue?

Garmin says:
- "Added support for displaying next and final vertical distances during track navigation".
But when I use Next VDST or Final VDST it gives me no data. Either of them seem to work. What do I do wrong? I have definitely set the elevation of each Waypoint I have.


----------



## trdjohn

rustislove said:


> Hello,
> 
> I currently use the newest beta FW 4.15.
> 
> I wonder what is View Runs item in menu. It shows "no runs" while I have at least a ton of running activities.
> 
> I do not fully understand the feature Indoor - without Foot Pod and to measure pace, cadence, etc. - how does it work? Can anybody give me a clue?
> 
> Garmin says:
> - "Added support for displaying next and final vertical distances during track navigation".
> But when I use Next VDST or Final VDST it gives me no data. Either of them seem to work. What do I do wrong? I have definitely set the elevation of each Waypoint I have.


Believe the view runs its for ski snowboard profile, that's where I find my runs when I use that profile snowboarding.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk


----------



## herdingcats

I have a fenix 1 and I had it set up with firmware version 4. I had it set up using Northwest Trails maps and it worked perfectly. Fast forward to now and I have updated the firmware to 4.15beta. When using the watch in GPS mode (with the Northwest Trails maps installed), it seems to overload (or something) and launches into a restart cycle that recycles over and over. After I remove the Northwest Trails maps the recycle overload stops and the watch works fine in all modes I'm using it in. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening with the new beta firmware?

EDIT: I have no idea what happened, but after three days the issue just cleared up. I now am using 4.15b with the Northwest Topo tiles installed and there are zero issues. It's funny how these things resolve themselves sometimes.


----------



## rustislove

In the latest beta FW Tempe connection issues appeared. Already reported to Garmin headquarters. 

Altitude accuracy is still poor, even when the weather is super-stable. I always got like 20 to 50m off.


----------



## Achal

Got my fenix 2 in the mail today. Besides it being a bit bigger than I expected I'm loving it so far. One question though, do you have to put it in watch mode? Or does that just mean not during an activity. Bluetooth is off as well. Thanks!


----------



## hwc

I've had a fenix 2 for a couple of days. It appears to default to WATCH mode when you don't have an Activity selected. In Watch mode, you can click through displays of Time, Temp, Barometer, Altimeter, and Compass. I've not seen a place to customize by deleting or adding screens to those options in Watch mode -- although I haven't looked really hard.

I've been pinned down trying to set up pages for various activity profiles.


----------



## Black81

Hello ! One question for indoor sensor temperature Garmin Fenix: if the actual temperature is 15.5° C, the watch indicates 15° or 16°? round up (15.5=16°C) or truncates only (15.0-15.9=15°C) ? Thanks


----------



## gaijin

Black81 said:


> Hello ! One question for indoor sensor temperature Garmin Fenix: if the actual temperature is 15.5° C, the watch indicates 15° or 16°? round up (15.5=16°C) or truncates only (15.0-15.9=15°C) ? Thanks


After uploading info to Garmin Connect the Temp info has a resolution of 0.1 degree, but on the watch it only displays the whole degree.

I have no idea when the display on the watch changes from one whole degree to the next.

Sorry.


----------



## Black81

Thanks for reply.
Unfortunately I do not have the Garmin fenix, otherwise I would have checked in a while. Just compare it with a reliable thermometer, for example, a mercury thermometer.


----------



## marty627

May I ask how to change out the red button for a black one? I saw another user had done so, and I would do this if it's easy enough.


----------



## rustislove

new FW, new issues.

What previously worked, now went wrong. 
2 running activities with problematic heart rate measurement. Moisture cannont be a problem since I did at least 100 running activities with no problem at all. I was before.

But the last 2 runs were different. First I start and I have 70 BPM which is very odd, I usually have like 120 - 130 in the beginning. Then it goes into normal measurement, at least I hope, its OK. But today, ..again, very bad start (steady status 45 BPM -[edited]) .. then after 2 km OK. Last km of my run when I got to max 185 - 190 and my watch shows 117. What the [edited] is that supposed to mean?!
What is wrong ?
I must write to Garmin, otherwise I will return the watch.

edit: Well, I'm sorry for those expressions, I was quite frustrated, because I was on a race and I was trying to rely on Fenix :-(


----------



## watchngars

Does anyone know who might have the Fenix 2 with HRM in stock? Amazon and REI don't.


----------



## cobrapa

marty627 said:


> May I ask how to change out the red button for a black one? I saw another user had done so, and I would do this if it's easy enough.


I think they guy that did that used black marker to re-color the button. At least one person did that.


----------



## cobrapa

watchngars said:


> Does anyone know who might have the Fenix 2 with HRM in stock? Amazon and REI don't.


CleverTraining often has them as well, they list the 'Performer' bundle as being a pre-order, so maybe Garmin hasn't released them yet? You could order the Fenix2 and a HRM strap separately.


----------



## marty627

Not sure if I would color my red button with marker, but I sure don't like the way that it looks, especially after seeing the Fenix 2.


----------



## watchngars

Thanks! Ordered with 10% off.


----------



## anto1980

Fenix2 HRM will be available in Europe in the end of April-begin of May!



watchngars said:


> Does anyone know who might have the Fenix 2 with HRM in stock? Amazon and REI don't.


----------



## rustislove

rustislove said:


> new FW, new issues.
> 
> What previously worked, now went wrong.
> 2 running activities with problematic heart rate measurement. Moisture cannont be a problem since I did at least 100 running activities with no problem at all. I was before.
> 
> But the last 2 runs were different. First I start and I have 70 BPM which is very odd, I usually have like 120 - 130 in the beginning. Then it goes into normal measurement, at least I hope, its OK. But today, ..again, very bad start (steady status 45 BPM -[edited]) .. then after 2 km OK. Last km of my run when I got to max 185 - 190 and my watch shows 117. What the [edited] is that supposed to mean?!
> What is wrong ?
> I must write to Garmin, otherwise I will return the watch.
> 
> edit: Well, I'm sorry for those expressions, I was quite frustrated, because I was on a race and I was trying to rely on Fenix :-(


Well, the HRM is out of order!! I have even changed the battery, but the Fenix is no longer able to find it.

Complaint.


----------



## rustislove

Fenix 1 beta FW:

It shows me different battery state values when operated as watch and when connected to the PC. The difference is around 10%. Does anyone observed the same?

P.S. How can I downgrade the FW to the official release?


----------



## gaijin

rustislove said:


> Fenix 1 beta FW:
> 
> It shows me different battery state values when operated as watch and when connected to the PC. The difference is around 10%. Does anyone observed the same?
> 
> P.S. How can I downgrade the FW to the official release?


I have not observed that difference in indicated battery level.

You can download any firmware version you want here: Index of /perry/fenix_D2_tactix

HTH


----------



## Doug507

marty627 said:


> May I ask how to change out the red button for a black one? I saw another user had done so, and I would do this if it's easy enough.


I would advise against coloring the button with a marker. Most markers (I.e., Sharpie) will cast a purplish tone in direct light. If the button is removable dying it would get much better results.


----------



## rustislove

It's me again .. I'm getting to be pretty annoying, right?

Here is my thing:

I was on a bicycle trip - 3 days dying out there, 100 miles (170 km) a day and when I came home .. what I got? ***** (swearing). Because the watch was pretending that it is tracking, but I got barely a half to be tracked when it comes to map, but other parameters are OK. I don't understand. Time, distance, elevation gain, everything seems to be OK, but on the map I see circa 40%. 

Did anyone meet this "miracle" .. I still have those fit files in my watch, but they offer same parameters like in garmin.connect. 

This watch became absolutely non-reliable. 



I still have a problem to connect to my HRM. I didn't have time, but I will try to downgrade the FW or return to the retailer, during upcoming days.


----------



## KiwiWomble

rustislove said:


> Fenix 1 beta FW:
> 
> It shows me different battery state values when operated as watch and when connected to the PC. The difference is around 10%. Does anyone observed the same?
> 
> P.S. How can I downgrade the FW to the official release?


i think i have the same problem, charged it to 100%...took it off charge and it immediately shows 91%...very annoying


----------



## rustislove

Garmin published new beta FW, but it did not help me to connect to my HRM. I tried to remove user data by special button pressing procedure. I did it, but not helped. 

And I was not able to downgrade the the FW to 4.00 - can anyone help me with this? So I can return the watch to the retailer with its original condition.


----------



## gaijin

I always had trouble calibrating the Compass on my fenix, tactix and fenix 2 - calibration always "Failed."

Then I stumbled across this youtube video showing how to calibrate the Compass on the fenix 2:






It works like a charm for the fenix 2, but I still can't get the fenix and tactix to calibrate successfully.

HTH


----------



## cobrapa

So…. what were you doing differently?

The Fenix calibrates ok for me, I find it's idea of flip 90deg a little more than 90 degrees. It seem to have to go a little further than I would expect for some of it's motions, but it will calibrate. Have you ever been able to calibrate the compass?


----------



## gaijin

I go through the exact same motions as the fenix 2, but the calibration on the fenix and tactix always fail.

I used to be able to calibrate the compasses on my fenix and tactix, but ever since one of the earlier beta software updates, it started failing.


----------



## rustislove

There is a new FW 4.17 Beta for Fenix 1, but there is no file, anymore. They say to install it through Garmin Express. But the Garmin Express says that I already has the newest update (4.16). 

Again, everything is working as supposed. Jees!


----------



## sg01fc1

The file is there now. They fixed that yesterday. I will say that when I unplug my watch from the charger or computer, it loses 7% the first hour and then goes back to normal draining. I have written Garmin twice about it (each of the last two firmware versions) and have not heard anything back.


----------



## KiwiWomble

hey, anyone got some advice on why i cant change the ultratrack interval to anything less that 15sec? thought i use to be able to make it a sec

i cant eve change the mode from ultratrack when using the cycling profile....

using the beta software


----------



## watchngars

Question for anyone; and thanks in advance. I created a custom workout; just trying to see elapsed time and heart-rate information. I was able to customize 2 screens; elapsed time on one and hr info on the other. Problem; when I start the activity, it doesn't attempt to pair with the HR-Run monitor like it would with Run, for example. The data pages are there, but it doesn't pair. There's probably an easier way to do it, but this is all that I've tried. Just trying to get a good idea about my avg Heart Rate during these crazy workouts. Thanks..


----------



## gaijin

watchngars said:


> Question for anyone; and thanks in advance. I created a custom workout; just trying to see elapsed time and heart-rate information. I was able to customize 2 screens; elapsed time on one and hr info on the other. Problem; when I start the activity, it doesn't attempt to pair with the HR-Run monitor like it would with Run, for example. The data pages are there, but it doesn't pair. There's probably an easier way to do it, but this is all that I've tried. Just trying to get a good idea about my avg Heart Rate during these crazy workouts. Thanks..


Do you have your HRM enabled for that Profile?

Select>Setup>ANT Sensor>Heart Rate>On(or New Search)

HTH


----------



## KiwiWomble

just updated to 4.40


----------



## watchngars

My Fenix 2 doesn't jive with your instructions. Menu, Settings, Sensors, Heart Rate; then there is a status and HR zones option. But, I found out that when I go to the activity "Inside", an option is Crossfit. When I chose that one (subset of Indoor), the HRM works fine. In the custom one that I called Crossfit, it doesn't. All good.


----------



## paul_regalado

hey guys, really enjoying this thread. . im planning on getting a fenix2 one of these days but still is a toss up between felix2 and ambit 2. .

i have a question however that maybe you guys can help out with. . im looking at this from the philippines and this online site has 2 postings of the garmin fenix 2 with different prices. . 
are ther diffenrent types?. . different modules probably?. . because i only know of one. .

here's the link. .
Galleon - Search Results

the prices are far from each other thats why it bothers me. . about 300USD in between. .
thanks in advance. .


----------



## gaijin

Paul,

There is only one version of the fenix 2 watch, so I can not explain the different pricing on the site you referenced.

One can purchase the fenix 2 by itself, or as a "Performance Bundle" which includes a Heart Rate Monitor strap. The Performance Bundle is more expensive, but the watch is exactly the same as the watch when purchased by itself.

HTH


----------



## paul_regalado

thanks for the quick response gaijin!. . great thread btw. .
yeah thats all i know of too. . plus the performance bundle is only 100-120USD more at the most. . 
the site has got great reviews and a couple of my friends recomend it too, so either the person i talked to isnt knowledgable about the product or the cheaper one is a fenix 1. . id have to confirm with them if i finally decide to buy. . 
thanks again. . )


----------



## ManDay

Hi, I've got 3 questions I hope someone knows an answer to: First, does anyone know how to create a waypoint by coordinates? Second, I do not understand how the waypoints should appear on the map. For me they simply don't. I've created a WP by the "Wpt. Average" function and given it a symbol and everything, but it doesn't show up on the map - even if I choose "View map" on the very WP itsself (let alone showing up on the map while tracking). Third, is there the option to have the ordinary compass show as a rose rather than just text?

(I'm using the Fenix 1 with the beta firmware)


----------



## Doorstep_mile

ManDay said:


> Hi, I've got 3 questions I hope someone knows an answer to: First, does anyone know how to create a waypoint by coordinates? Second, I do not understand how the waypoints should appear on the map. For me they simply don't. I've created a WP by the "Wpt. Average" function and given it a symbol and everything, but it doesn't show up on the map - even if I choose "View map" on the very WP itsself (let alone showing up on the map while tracking). Third, is there the option to have the ordinary compass show as a rose rather than just text?
> 
> (I'm using the Fenix 1 with the beta firmware)


You create waypoints by coordinates in the GPS tool - coordinates. If you want to save a current location just keep the red main button pressed until you reach the save screen. If you want to show the compass rose you must put your sensors to "always on" in the sensor menu. I don't know why your waypoints are not showing, mine is showing fine (like a small flag if not edited). Waypoint averaging is adjustment of already created waypoints so this might be the reason, suggest you try to create a waypoint based on current position just to test.

I would suggest you read at least the quick reference guide, a lot of tips to be found there.


----------



## ManDay

Doorstep_mile said:


> You create waypoints by coordinates in the GPS tool - coordinates. If you want to save a current location just keep the red main button pressed until you reach the save screen. If you want to show the compass rose you must put your sensors to "always on" in the sensor menu. I don't know why your waypoints are not showing, mine is showing fine (like a small flag if not edited). Waypoint averaging is adjustment of already created waypoints so this might be the reason, suggest you try to create a waypoint based on current position just to test.
> 
> I would suggest you read at least the quick reference guide, a lot of tips to be found there.


Thank you. I've read the full documentation of the watch and this thread. I can't remember that it had explained either why waypoints which are created through the "Wpt. Avg." menu do not show on the map or why the compass rose is only visible if the compass is "always on".

To be honest, I don't understand the reasoning behind either of those.

As for creating waypoints: Thank you, but I think the "Coordinates" "GPS Tool" requires a satellite lock and asks me to go to the coordinates I just entered. I just want to be able to create a waypoint (like: Inside a building, looking at a map, preparing waypoints for my route), is that possible?


----------



## Doorstep_mile

ManDay said:


> As for creating waypoints: Thank you, but I think the "Coordinates" "GPS Tool" requires a satellite lock and asks me to go to the coordinates I just entered. I just want to be able to create a waypoint (like: Inside a building, looking at a map, preparing waypoints for my route), is that possible?


If you don't have a tablet or computer there is two workarounds I know of, but it is not fast.

Use the wpt.avg. and create a random waypoint. Then go all the way back to your main menu and into the waypoint menu. Your new waypoint is called 001 (if first). Choose it and then edit. All the way down you find location.

The other option:
Use the coordinate menu and enter the coordinates. Your gps and navigation will start and your destinations shows as a flag in your map. Use PAN and locate the cross over the flag, select the point and choose save. Give it a name and you have a Waypoint. 
I just tried this indoor but I don't know if I actually had GPS lock or not.

I think this will work, and the first one doesn't require gps.

Edit: played around and both methods above require gps. Found an easy fix.

Set GPS in demo mode (equals gps off), long press red button, edit, change location coordinates, save. You have a waypoint.


----------



## gaijin

Doorstep_mile said:


> Edit: played around and both methods above require gps. Found an easy fix.
> 
> Set GPS in demo mode (equals gps off), long press red button, edit, change location coordinates, save. You have a waypoint.


Nice workaround! Thanks for posting


----------



## ManDay

Yeah thanks. That works and is reasonably efficient. Needless to say, I wish Garmin would add a simple "Create Waypoint" item in the "Waypoints" menu in future versions, but whom am I telling this...

I still haven't figured out why icons don't show up. When I create a waypoint in the manner Doorstep_mile described it doesn't show up on the map, either...


----------



## jbadilla

Sharing data wirelessly specially tracks with the fenix as the receiving unit while sending from another garmin device (oregon 300 and oregon 450 I have been able to test) started malfunctioning in some betas after software version 4.00 and also with the newer software versions 4.40 and 4.50 can someone validate sending tracks from another Garmin Unit (maybe even another Fenix or Fenix II) to a Garmin Fenix?


----------



## ManDay

Does anyone have any idea why the "Ski-Snowboard" profile seemingly cannot be deleted? I removed the according profile-file in the Garmin/Profiles directory but "Ski-Snowboard" keeps reappearing in the menu (not as a file, though).


----------



## Joakim Agren

Is it true that Tactix does not have GPS satellite caching unlike Fenix and Fenix2?

Very strange decision, why is that the case?

Is it also true that the tide tables in the Tactix only work in the US? Is it possible to get tide tables working in fenix2?


----------



## gaijin

Joakim Agren said:


> Is it true that Tactix does not have GPS satellite caching unlike Fenix and Fenix2?
> 
> Very strange decision, why is that the case?


No, that is not true. The tactix, just like the fenix, D2, quatix and fenix 2, downloads three days of updated almanac and ephemeris data every time it is sync'd with Garmin Connect/Garmin Express. This download can be done via computer or iOS/Android smart phone. The updated info is stored in a file called EPO.BIN on the watch.

That's a very strange rumor, where did you hear that?



Joakim Agren said:


> Is it also true that the tide tables in the Tactix only work in the US? Is it possible to get tide tables working in fenix2?


I have a tactix in the US and the tide tables work here. And just because I always like pictures, here are a couple of recent pics of what the tide data looked like a couple of days ago for the entrance to Newport Bay:



















I do not know for sure if the tide tables on the tactix work outside the US, but I have heard that they do not.

It is not possible to implement the tide tables on the fenix 2.

HTH


----------



## medellin

Hi, it's kind of a long thread so I am not sure if it has already been asked, but when was the Fenix 2 released and when is the Fenix 3 expected?

I ask because I'm interested in purchasing a GPS watch and I've been looking at the available options. 

It seems Suuntos Ambit 3 was announced recently and if a Fenix 3 is coming out soon, I'd rather wait and see what they come out with. 

Thanks for any input. I find this fenix 2 pretty interesting.


----------



## gaijin

medellin said:


> Hi, it's kind of a long thread so I am not sure if it has already been asked, but when was the Fenix 2 released and when is the Fenix 3 expected?
> 
> I ask because I'm interested in purchasing a GPS watch and I've been looking at the available options.
> 
> It seems Suuntos Ambit 3 was announced recently and if a Fenix 3 is coming out soon, I'd rather wait and see what they come out with.
> 
> Thanks for any input. I find this fenix 2 pretty interesting.


The fenix 2 was released in March 2014, 19 months after the original fenix release in August 2012. I have heard nothing about a fenix 3.

HTH


----------



## medellin

gaijin said:


> The fenix 2 was released in March 2014, 19 months after the original fenix release in August 2012. I have heard nothing about a fenix 3.
> 
> HTH


Thanks. I am going to purchase it then. |>


----------



## Joakim Agren

gaijin said:


> No, that is not true. The tactix, just like the fenix, D2, quatix and fenix 2, downloads three days of updated almanac and ephemeris data every time it is sync'd with Garmin Connect/Garmin Express. This download can be done via computer or iOS/Android smart phone. The updated info is stored in a file called EPO.BIN on the watch.
> 
> That's a very strange rumor, where did you hear that?
> 
> I have a tactix in the US and the tide tables work here. And just because I always like pictures, here are a couple of recent pics of what the tide data looked like a couple of days ago for the entrance to Newport Bay:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I do not know for sure if the tide tables on the tactix work outside the US, but I have heard that they do not.
> 
> It is not possible to implement the tide tables on the fenix 2.
> 
> HTH


About the lack of ephemeris data is something I read on Rainmakers site in the comparison chart where it said NO in that field. But since you say otherwise I guess that is incorrect. Regarding the tides I read in the Garmin forums about a method to get the tides working for Europe. But it is not a very easy fix. Strange that Garmin are not including tide charts all over the world and also a tide function in fenix 2.

Other strange things I read in the Garmin forum is that apparently the fenix 2 unlike fenix 1 and tactix does not have a barometric lock so makes it useless to track weather after being on the move vertically. Is this true? (seems very strange?).

I also read something about the tactix having a better quality display compared to fenix 2 eg better contrast for daytime viewing and also a little better GPS chip with better performance compared to fenix 2. Is any of this true? What GPS chip is inside the fenix 2 and tactix. I know the Ambit 2 have a Sirfstar IV chip. Is the Garmin ones inferior compared to Suunto?


----------



## medellin

Joakim Agren said:


> Regarding the tides I read in the Garmin forums about a method to get the tides working for Europe. But it is not a very easy fix.


May I ask how?


----------



## gaijin

Joakim Agren said:


> About the lack of ephemeris data is something I read on Rainmakers site in the comparison chart where it said NO in that field. But since you say otherwise I guess that is incorrect. Regarding the tides I read in the Garmin forums about a method to get the tides working for Europe. But it is not a very easy fix. Strange that Garmin are not including tide charts all over the world and also a tide function in fenix 2.
> 
> Other strange things I read in the Garmin forum is that apparently the fenix 2 unlike fenix 1 and tactix does not have a barometric lock so makes it useless to track weather after being on the move vertically. Is this true? (seems very strange?).
> 
> I also read something about the tactix having a better quality display compared to fenix 2 eg better contrast for daytime viewing and also a little better GPS chip with better performance compared to fenix 2. Is any of this true? What GPS chip is inside the fenix 2 and tactix. I know the Ambit 2 have a Sirfstar IV chip. Is the Garmin ones inferior compared to Suunto?


Here's the comparison chart from DC Rainmaker's review of the fenix 2 (Garmin Fenix2 Multisport Watch In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker), updated July 2, 2014, and you can clearly see where it says, "SATELLITE PRE-LOADING VIA COMPUTER" (which means loading of the ephemeris and almanac data) the fenix 2 is a "*YES*:"


FUNCTION/FEATUREGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTCOPYRIGHT DC RAINMAKER - UPDATED JULY 2ND, 2014 @ 7:58 AMNEW WINDOW PRICE$399$299 (ON SALE)$499$399.00PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT DATEFEB 20, 2014JUL 10, 2012APR 29, 2013OCT 4, 2011ACTUAL AVAILABILITY/SHIPPING DATEMARCH 2014AUG 2012MAY 2013JAN-APR 2012GPS RECORDING FUNCTIONALITYYESYESYESYESDATA TRANSFERUSB & BLUETOOTH SMARTUSB & BLUETOOTH SMARTUSBANT+ WIRELESSWATERPROOFINGYES - 50MYES - 50MYES - 100MYES - 50MBATTERY LIFE50 HOURS50 HOURS50 HOURS20 HOURSRECORDING INTERVAL1S TO VARIABLE1S TO VARIABLEVARIABLE1S OR SMART*SATELLITE PRE-LOADING VIA COMPUTER**YES*YES (AS OF FEB 2014)YESNOQUICK SATELLITE RECEPTIONGREATGOODGREATGREATALERTSVIBRATE/SOUND/VISUALVIBRATE/SOUND/VISUALSOUND/VISUALVIBRATE/SOUND/VISUALBACKLIGHT GREATNESSGREATGREATGREATGREATABILITY TO DOWNLOAD CUSTOM APPS TO UNIT/DEVICENONOYESNOACTS AS DAILY ACTIVITY MONITOR (STEPS, ETC...)NONONONOCONNECTIVITYGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTBLUETOOTH LEGACY (PRE-4.0) TO PHONENONONOVIA WAHOO FITNESS ADAPTERBLUETOOTH SMART (4.0+) TO PHONE UPLOADINGYESYESNOVIA WAHOO FITNESS ADAPTERPHONE NOTIFICATIONS TO UNIT (I.E. TEXTS/CALLS/ETC...)YESYESNONOLIVE TRACKING (STREAMING LOCATION TO WEBSITE)YESYES (AS OF FEB 2014)NONOEMERGENCY/SOS MESSAGE NOTIFICATION (FROM WATCH TO CONTACTS)NONONONOBUILT-IN CELLULAR CHIP (NO PHONE REQUIRED)NONONONOCYCLINGGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTDESIGNED FOR CYCLINGYESYESYESYESPOWER METER CAPABLEYESNOYESYESPOWER METER CONFIGURATION/CALIBRATION OPTIONSYESN/AYESYESPOWER METER TSS/NP/IFYESN/ANOYESSPEED/CADENCE SENSOR CAPABLEYESYES (FULL SUPPORT ADDED SEPT 2013)YESYESRUNNINGGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTDESIGNED FOR RUNNINGYESYESYESYESFOOTPOD CAPABLE (FOR TREADMILLS)YESYESYES (INTERNAL ACCELEROMETER)YESRUNNING DYNAMICS (VERTICAL OSCILLATION, GROUND CONTACT TIME, ETC...)YESNONONOVO2MAX ESTIMATIONYESNOYESNORACE PREDICTORYESNONONORECOVERY ADVISORYESNOYESNORUN/WALK MODEYES (ADDED JUNE 13TH, 2014)NONOYESSWIMMINGGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTDESIGNED FOR SWIMMINGYESNOYESYESOPENWATER SWIMMING MODEYESN/AYESYESLAP/INDOOR DISTANCE TRACKINGYESN/AYESYESRECORD HR UNDERWATERNONONONOOPENWATER METRICS (STROKE/ETC.)YESN/AYESYESINDOOR METRICS (STROKE/ETC.)YESN/AYESYESINDOOR DRILL MODEYESN/AYESNOINDOOR AUTO-PAUSE FEATURENON/ANONOCHANGE POOL SIZEYESN/AYESYESINDOOR MIN/MAX POOL LENGTHS18M/20Y TO 150Y/MN/A5M/Y TO 1,200M/Y20M/22Y TO 100Y/MABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE DATA FIELDSYESN/AYESYESCAN CHANGE YARDS TO METERSYESN/AYESYESCAPTURES PER LENGTH DATA - INDOORSYESN/AYESYESINDOOR ALERTSYESN/ANOYESTRIATHLONGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTDESIGNED FOR TRIATHLONYESNOYESYESMULTISPORT MODEYESN/AYESYESWORKOUTSGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTCREATE/FOLLOW CUSTOM WORKOUTSYESYES (AS OF DEC 6, 2013)NOYESON-UNIT INTERVAL FEATUREYESYES (AS OF DEC 6, 2013)BARELYYESTRAINING CALENDAR FUNCTIONALITYYES (ADDED JUNE 13TH, 2014)NONONOFUNCTIONSGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTAUTO START/STOPYESYESYESYESVIRTUAL PARTNER FEATUREYESYESNOYESVIRTUAL RACER FEATURENONONOYESRECORDS PR'S - PERSONAL RECORDS (DIFF THAN HISTORY)NONONONODAY TO DAY WATCH ABILITYYESYESYESNOHUNTING/FISHING/OCEAN DATAYESYESNONOTIDAL TABLES (TIDE INFORMATION)NONONONOJUMPMASTER MODE (PARACHUTING)YESYESNONOGEOCACHINGYESYESNONOWEATHER DISPLAY (LIVE DATA)NONONONONAVIGATEGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTFOLLOW GPS TRACK (COURSES/WAYPOINTS)YESYESYESYESMARKERS/WAYPOINT DIRECTIONYESYESYESNOROUTABLE/VISUAL MAPS (LIKE CAR GPS)NONONONOBACK TO STARTYESYESYES (ADDED AUG 30, 2013)YESIMPROMPTU ROUND TRIP ROUTE CREATIONNONONONODOWNLOAD COURSES/ROUTES FROM PHONE TO UNITYESYESNONOSENSORSGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTALTIMETER TYPEBAROMETRICBAROMETRICBAROMETRIC, GPS (FUSEDALTI)BAROMETRICCOMPASS TYPEMAGNETICMAGNETICMAGNETICGPSHEART RATE STRAP COMPATIBLEYESYESYESYESANT+ HEART RATE STRAP CAPABLEYESYESYESYESANT+ SPEED/CADENCE CAPABLEYESYESYESYESANT+ FOOTPOD CAPABLEYESYESYESYESANT+ POWER METER CAPABLEYESNOYESYESANT+ WEIGHT SCALE CAPABLENONONOYESANT+ FITNESS EQUIPMENT (GYM)NONONOYESANT+ REMOTE CONTROLYESYESNONOANT+ EBIKE COMPATIBILITYNONONONODI2 SHIFTING INTEGRATIONNOBLUETOOTH SMART HR STRAP CAPABLENONONONOBLUETOOTH SMART SPEED/CADENCE CAPABLENONONONOBLUETOOTH SMART FOOTPOD CAPABLENONONONOBLUETOOTH SMART POWER METER CAPABLENONONONOTEMP RECORDING (INTERNAL SENSOR)YESYESYESNOTEMP RECORDING (EXTERNAL SENSOR)YESYESNONOCOMPATIBLE WITH FIRSTBEAT HR TOOLSNONOYESYESSOFTWAREGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTPC APPLICATIONBASECAMPBASECAMPMOVESLINK AGENTGTC/ANT AGENTWEB APPLICATIONGARMIN CONNECTGARMIN CONNECTMOVESCOUNTGARMIN CONNECTPHONE APPIOS NOW, ANDROID SOONGARMIN BASECAMP (IOS)SUUNTO MOVESCOUNTGARMIN FITABILITY TO EXPORT SETTINGSNOYES (PROFILES XML)YES (ONLINE)NOPURCHASEGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTAMAZON LINKLINKLINKLINKLINKCLEVER TRAINING - SAVE A BUNCH WITH CLEVER TRAINING VIP PROGRAMLINKLINKLINKLINKDCRAINMAKERGARMIN FENIX2GARMIN FENIXSUUNTO AMBIT2GARMIN FORERUNNER 910XTREVIEW LINKLINKLINKLINKLINK

The Tides function is only available on the tactix and only (officially) available for the US. I don't know why Garmin decided not to include the Tides function on the fenix 2 - I wish it were there. Probably a marketing decision to enhance the market position of the tactix. I also read of someone who managed to "hack" a Tides function into a fenix or fenix 2 in Europe, but it didn't sound like a robust fix and it certainly was not supported by Garmin.

It is true that there is no "barometric lock" on the fenix 2, but there is also no "barometric lock" on the original fenix or the tactix which performs the feature that you are describing, i.e. tracking the weather after being on the move vertically. The fenix and tactix have a feature where the Baro Plot can be set to either "Fixed" or "Variable." This setting is not in the fenix 2. But this feature was never meant to stabilize the recording of barometric pressure, it is meant to stabilize the Altitude/Elevation reading. The fenix 2 also offers continuous calibration of the barometric altitude with GPS, if desired.

I have both the tactix and the fenix 2 and the displays are identical with the exception of a green backlight for the tactix and a red backlight for the fenix 2. I have observed absolutely no difference in the contrast, legibility, etc. of these displays under any condition.

The fenix, tactix and fenix 2 have what is called by Garmin the "GPS Chipset Type M4." I don't know who makes it, but it is not a Sirfstar chip like has been used in the past by Garmin in other devices. The same GPS chip is in all three watches and all perform the same in my experience. I no longer own an Ambit, so I cannot comment on how they perform in relation to Suunto.

HTH


----------



## chbla

Hi there, I need your help guys:

I've got the latest firmware on my Fenix - and suddenly I also have this GPS Lock problem.
I went biking today and it was not possible for the watch to get a lock in 2 hours - unbelievably annoying of course.
I stopped for more than 20 mins, still no lock.

When I drove home 2 hours I put it onto the dashboard, and some time later it got a lock.

Can anyone tell me if this can be fixed by now? It's one of the earlier models..


----------



## gaijin

If you have a fenix with software version 4.50, then you should not be having a GPS lock issue because of anything universal to that model.

When was the last time you updated the EPO.BIN file on your watch by syncing with Garmin Connect using Garmin Express?

Before you had this problem, when was the last time you used the GPS on your watch?

HTH


----------



## chbla

Hmm it seems I have software version 3.90 - but I connected it last week and updated.. how can I update to 3.90?

Thanks a lot,
Christoph



gaijin said:


> If you have a fenix with software version 4.50, then you should not be having a GPS lock issue because of anything universal to that model.
> 
> When was the last time you updated the EPO.BIN file on your watch by syncing with Garmin Connect using Garmin Express?
> 
> Before you had this problem, when was the last time you used the GPS on your watch?
> 
> HTH


----------



## gaijin

chbla said:


> Hmm it seems I have software version 3.90 - but I connected it last week and updated.. how can I update to 3.90?
> 
> Thanks a lot,
> Christoph


How did you "connect?" Did you use Garmin Express? Did you use Web Updater? Did you use your Dashboard on the Garmin web site? In any event, your software is an old version and you should update it.

HTH


----------



## chbla

The update worked now.. I had to fetch a few times, not sure why but then Garmin Express found a new update.
Will test it on the weekend, thanks a lot for your help!


----------



## gaijin

chbla said:


> The update worked now.. I had to fetch a few times, not sure why but then Garmin Express found a new update.
> Will test it on the weekend, thanks a lot for your help!


You're welcome! Always glad to help. ;-)


----------



## fendergrab

The smart notifications work like a charm for Android! I love how Garmin has had continued support for the fenix/tactix.


----------



## medellin

So I received my Fenix 2 watch, and I've used it a few times now and I like it very much. But I've noticed, like someone else has in this thread, that my software seems to be out of date?

Attached is a screenshot of my Garmin Express. I keep clicking the 'Check for Updates' link, but it seems to think that 3.60 is the latest release. Isn't it supposed to be in the 4.x now?


----------



## gaijin

medellin said:


> So I received my Fenix 2 watch, and I've used it a few times now and I like it very much. But I've noticed, like someone else has in this thread, that my software seems to be out of date?
> 
> Attached is a screenshot of my Garmin Express. I keep clicking the 'Check for Updates' link, but it seems to think that 3.60 is the latest release. Isn't it supposed to be in the 4.x now?


3.60 is the latest software version for the fenix 2 - you are up to date with the latest software.

The original fenix, a different watch which runs different software, is currently up to version 4.70.

HTH


----------



## medellin

gaijin said:


> 3.60 is the latest software version for the fenix 2 - you are up to date with the latest software.
> 
> The original fenix, a different watch which runs different software, is currently up to version 4.70.
> 
> HTH


I see, thank you


----------



## medellin

Are any of the maps that Garmin sells actually usable on the Fenix?

I do a lot of hiking/camping + kayaking.

I was taking a look at this https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/maps/on-the-trail-maps/c452-c456-p1.html

Not sure if it's worth it though.

Any input or links to reviews on the use of Maps+Fenix?


----------



## gaijin

The 4-color (black, white, light grey, dark grey) display on the fenix, plus the small screen size, plus the slow refresh rate for maps with any degree of detail has led me to conclude that it is not worth it.

There is nothing the fenix could do to be better than maps on my iPhone 5S - and the iPhone works everywhere it can get a GPS signal, it does not need cell phone coverage to be able to use the maps.

If you search, you can find sources for public use maps and how to downsize them, transfer them to the fenix and rename them so they will come up on the map display; but I have yet to find anyone who is happy with the results.

HTH


----------



## medellin

gaijin said:


> The 4-color (black, white, light grey, dark grey) display on the fenix, plus the small screen size, plus the slow refresh rate for maps with any degree of detail has led me to conclude that it is not worth it.
> 
> There is nothing the fenix could do to be better than maps on my iPhone 5S - and the iPhone works everywhere it can get a GPS signal, it does not need cell phone coverage to be able to use the maps.
> 
> If you search, you can find sources for public use maps and how to downsize them, transfer them to the fenix and rename them so they will come up on the map display; but I have yet to find anyone who is happy with the results.
> 
> HTH


Makes sense. It's just that I prefer to keep my phone off while outdoors, but that's fine, I figured that maps on the Fenix are probably not the best. Still a great watch though|>


----------



## MiklosR

I agree. I have just removed the map from my f2 as the map items hided my track in map view. I had high hopes but I found it 100% useless.


----------



## rustislove

hello guys, 

Android notifications, what a great feature ;-)
But now I have to carry the charger cable everywhere with me :-D
Nevertheless new problem occurred. 

Low memory notification almost after every activity saving process. What to do with it?

I'm affraid that I will lose again some tracked GPS points from the map like it happened a few months ago. 

Any help appreciated.


----------



## gaijin

rustislove said:


> hello guys,
> 
> Android notifications, what a great feature ;-)
> But now I have to carry the charger cable everywhere with me :-D
> Nevertheless new problem occurred.
> 
> Low memory notification almost after every activity saving process. What to do with it?
> 
> I'm affraid that I will lose again some tracked GPS points from the map like it happened a few months ago.
> 
> Any help appreciated.


Two suggestions off the top of my head:

1. Clear out old tracks - this will not clear waypoints: Select>Setup>Reset>Track>[clear all track data]

2. Save all tracks as just .fit files, not .fit AND .gpx: Select>Setup>Tracks>Output>FIT

The idea is to get all the stuff you don't need, like old tracks, off the watch to free up more memory. I know it may appear that there should be "enough" memory left for new information, the watch needs some memory to perform its functions - not ALL memory is available for saved track info.

HTH


----------



## chbla

alright I think I was too fast

I thought the GPS lock issue was gone with the latest update - however, I still have it with my Fenix
I'm travelling back and forth 2 hours per week to my work place.

If I do this and turn on the watch at a different place, it takes more than 1 hour to get a sattelite lock.
If I then quickly turn it off and on again, it's faster.

I don't know but we are not living in the 90s. Every cheap crappy phone can handle this..


----------



## medellin

I got a little bit lost today in the woods while hiking and the I have to say the waypoint feature really helps. 

Being able to see it in a small map while it points you in the right direction and the distance from it is awesome. Previously I was using the compass to navigate and that works as well, I simply got lost because I failed to check how much distance I had covered and took a wrong turn. 

Also having the barometer on hand helped me out too because I managed to get home before a rain storm that I couldn't see because of the trees. 

so far I'm pretty happy with the watch. I've submerged it in rivers while kayaking and I love all the features it has. 

It really does help as a navigation tool and general outdoors stuff. Also the temp sensor works wonderfully. 

I have noticed that sometimes the GPS accuracy is off by 20-30 meters along certain segments of a trip, but other than that I've had no issues.

and of course, I still really want garmin to add tide tables. It would make the watch even more useful.


----------



## gaijin

medellin said:


> and of course, I still really want garmin to add tide tables. It would make the watch even more useful.


I agree. The Tide Table information, currently available only on the tactix and the quatix, is a great feature:



















I guess I can understand Garmin's logic for not including the Tide info on the fenix 2 if they think it would undermine the market for the tactix and/or quatix. But i think Garmin will be facing much stiffer competition for the fenix2 when Suunto starts delivering their Ambit3. Of course, the Ambit3 does not have Tide info, but if the fenix2 had it, it would be a major selling point in favor of the fenix2.

HTH

P.S. Glad to hear you made it out of the woods, safe ... and dry ;-)

P.P.S. I have contacted Garmin directly with the request to include Tide Table data on the fenix2, but have heard nothing beyond an acknowledgement of the request. We shall see.


----------



## medellin

gaijin said:


> P.S. Glad to hear you made it out of the woods, safe ... and dry ;-)
> 
> P.P.S. I have contacted Garmin directly with the request to include Tide Table data on the fenix2, but have heard nothing beyond an acknowledgement of the request. We shall see.


thanks! I'll cross my fingers then. Tide tables are important to so many people, hopefully they'll add them soon.

This watch is amazingly feature rich. I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of what it is capable of.

My next goal is to learn how to incorporate it into my exercise routine.


----------



## thm655321

With the last few firmware versions I have noticed on my fenix 1 that two of the data fields I use, GPS (signal strength) and Accuracy (GPS), no longer return values when used in a data page.


Is this true for others as well?


Thanks.


----------



## gaijin

thm655321 said:


> With the last few firmware versions I have noticed on my fenix 1 that two of the data fields I use, GPS (signal strength) and Accuracy (GPS), no longer return values when used in a data page.
> 
> Is this true for others as well?
> 
> Thanks.


Certainly not true for me. My fenix still performs great with software version 4.70 and GPS software version 3.10:










And please note that the GPS signal strength and Accuracy is while the watch is indoors - still amazed at how well this watch picks up a GPS signal lock.

HTH


----------



## thm655321

Thanks Gaijin.

I have tried a hardware reset and cleared the user settings but that does not seem to fix that issue.

Is there a way to format the watch and reinstall the firmware, etc.? On my fenix I somehow have an extraneous folder called "music" that is full of nonsense files that Windows will not let me delete. Seems to me reformatting and starting over would be a good idea but I am not clear on the process.

Thanks.


----------



## gaijin

thm655321 said:


> Thanks Gaijin.
> 
> I have tried a hardware reset and cleared the user settings but that does not seem to fix that issue.
> 
> Is there a way to format the watch and reinstall the firmware, etc.? On my fenix I somehow have an extraneous folder called "music" that is full of nonsense files that Windows will not let me delete. Seems to me reformatting and starting over would be a good idea but I am not clear on the process.
> 
> Thanks.


Obviously that "music" folder shouldn't be there ...

Have you tried resetting the watch the way Garmin recommends? See procedure here: https://support.garmin.com/support/...caseId={7fe95f70-0984-11e2-e8a7-000000000000}

If that doesn't solve the problem, then you might try downgrading the software to an earlier version, then updating again to the latest 4.70 version.

To downgrade to an earlier version:

1. Download the version you want from here (I suggest "fenix_D2_tactix_450.gcd"): Index of /perry/fenix_D2_tactix
2. Rename the file GUPDATE.GCD
3. Connect your fenix to your computer in mass storage mode
4. Place the GUPDATE.GCD file in the Garmin folder on your fenix
5. Unmount the watch, disconnect it from your computer and the software will update. Do not touch any buttons on the watch until the update is finished

Then I would use Garmin Express to update to the latest software version 4.70.

*NOTE: This downgrade is not an authorized Garmin procedure, so do so at your own risk. If you manage to "brick" your watch, it is on you.*

Beyond all that, you can always call Garmin Support and see what they say. I have found them to be very helpful:

*By Phone*

*U.S.: 913-397-8200
U.S. Toll-free: 800-800-1020
Canada: 866-429-9296*
*Support Hours*

*Mon-Thurs: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fri: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 
Central Time (Closed Holidays*)

HTH


----------



## thm655321

gaijin, thanks for that, very useful.

The "music" folder has been bugging me for a long time, so I took the giant leap and reformatted, copied over the original files (which I obtained from a thread in the garmin forums) and then updated with Garmin Express. Music folder is now gone, and the watch is functioning normally. Interestingly I added back (by copying via Windows) the profile I was using and again the Accuracy and GPS data fields were not working on that profile. However they work on a new profile, so I am recreating my profile. Also interesting is when I tried to delete (on the watch) the old profile that I added back there was no delete option. I assume that profile got corrupted somehow.


----------



## gaijin

Glad you managed to sort it out.


----------



## chbla

Garmin replaced my Fenix with a completely new one (packaged).
I'm thinking about selling it and replacing it with a Fenix2.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the Fenix2? How should I justify this to myself? 
I'm using mainly for hiking/trail running/trekking/mountain biking and sometimes flying


----------



## ManDay

Am I the only one who has a "Ski & Snowboard" profile which cannot be deleted? I update to 4.70, hoping that it was somehow mistakenly hardcoded into the previous Beta version, but I still seem not to be able to get rid of it.


----------



## thm655321

I cannot delete the ski-snowboard profile either. fenix1 4.7.


----------



## ManDay

thm655321 said:


> I cannot delete the ski-snowboard profile either. fenix1 4.7.


Thanks for the feedback!


----------



## medellin

Looks like they've added Storm Alerts with the latest update.

They also added support for Nautical Units. I wonder if the Tide Tables are coming soon?


----------



## gaijin

medellin said:


> Looks like they've added Storm Alerts with the latest update.
> 
> They also added support for Nautical Units. I wonder if the Tide Tables are coming soon?


Software Version 3.80 is for the fenix 2 only.

It includes the Storm Alert feature which can be configured to one of 9 different DeltaP/Time profiles:










Also included is a Barometric Pressure Trend icon (seen here in the lower left indicating steady pressure):










I would really like to see Tide Tables on the fenix 2. As long as Garmin continue to support the Tide Tables on the tactix, I hold out hope for them to come to the fenix and fenix 2.

HTH


----------



## Achal

Does anyone know if it's possible to check your heart rate without actually being in an activity? I like to check my heart rate while between sets at the gym but don't want to have to be in an activity to do.


----------



## mcbadger

Yup. Press Up until you reach the heart rate page. It'll show -- for a few seconds while it finds your heart rate monitor, then display your heart rate for a minute before dropping back to the time page. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## pwygant

Quick question on the Fenix V1... 

Is there a way to tell the watch/calibrate the temp to reduce by about 5 degrees Fahrenheit? I mean, the thing is always on my wrist and it adds about 5 degrees...


----------



## gaijin

pwygant said:


> Quick question on the Fenix V1...
> 
> Is there a way to tell the watch/calibrate the temp to reduce by about 5 degrees Fahrenheit? I mean, the thing is always on my wrist and it adds about 5 degrees...


The short answer is, "No." If you want an accurate ambient temperature measurement, you really only have two choices:

1. Remove the watch from your wrist for at least 20 minutes

2. Use the TEMPE remote temperature sensor

The onboard temperature sensor in the fenix (and all other ABC watches, for that matter) is for the use of the watch in calculating correct altitude values based on air pressure and temperature (of the pressure sensor). It is not meant to yield an accurate ambient temperature reading while being worn on the wrist.

Even if the readout could be adjusted, the adjustment would have to change based on the difference between ambient temp and the temp of your wrist. That is, the adjustment value would be different depending on if the ambient temp is colder or hotter - a different adjustment for 20*F than for 90*F.

HTH


----------



## jkn1946

I just purchased and received a refurbished Fenix from an ebay dealer for $180. It has a 1yr Garmin warranty and has all the accessories that come with a new watch. I provide this information to those who might be considering getting a Fenix v1 but are put off by the $250+ price.

I am in the middle of learning how to use the features and wish to thank all of the posters to this thread for the info included - particularly thanks to gaijin, the OP/reviewer for all the valuable information. The only wish I might have is that instead of a monster thread that there would be multiple threads that are easier to research. Thanks again for at present 130 pages of info.

John


----------



## gaijin

Thanks for the kind words, John. Glad you are finding the info useful.

For others who may be interested, Amazon is now selling brand new fenix watches for $199 if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks: http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Hiking.../ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER (look on the right hand side of the page under "Other Sellers on Amazon" for the $199 price from Amazon)

HTH


----------



## Trandy

gaijin said:


> Thanks for the kind words, John. Glad you are finding the info useful.
> 
> For others who may be interested, Amazon is now selling brand new fenix watches for $199 if you are willing to wait a couple of weeks: Amazon.com: Garmin Fenix Hiking GPS Watch with Exclusive Tracback Feature: GPS & Navigation (look on the right hand side of the page under "Other Sellers on Amazon" for the $199 price from Amazon)
> 
> HTH


Just bought one from Amazon yesterday....got it for $199.00 with free shipping (I'm a Prime member) and that was for a new watch....not a refurbished one.

It's arriving tomorrow (9-13-14)....I'm very anxious to delve into it.


----------



## smenda

rustislove said:


> _Fenix 1 beta FW:
> It shows me different battery state values when operated as watch and when connected to the PC. The difference is around 10%. Does anyone observed the same?_





KiwiWomble said:


> i think i have the same problem, charged it to 100%...took it off charge and it immediately shows 91%...very annoying


Hello everyone, this is my very first post here, 
first of all thanks a lot to Gaijin for this fabulous thread (I've read every 131 pages and every single post !) it has been very helpful to me.

I'm a very happy owner of a "Fénix 1" unit since a year ago, which I'm using almost every day to running, trekking - vivac hiking, mountain biking, motorcycle excursions etc...; 
now the unit is running SW=4.70 / GPS=3.10 versions, installed a moth ago (more or less) via PC Garmin Express 3. 
Every watch or gps fénix features and all the garmin accessory sensors (tempe, foot pod, HR strap and bike cadence) works like a charm (now even the on screen Bluetooth android alerts new feature!!)

EXCEPT this annoying "false instant % charge" display error !!! 
Fénix takes 1 minute to fill the battery icon from 60% to 100% using any charger, but after unplug it, immediately back to 70%; so, in fact, the fénix battery isn't really fully charged yet, even if the displays shows 100%; same issue using PC-USB or the Garmin wall chargers; and I've also tried draining the battery until the fénix shut down and charging from totally empty without success.
This problem began just after the last firmware update, about a month ago. My fénix1 never had this behavior before, and I've never installed beta firmwares, only the official final softwares via Garmin Express updates.

I'm the only one fénix user with this problem now ? 
There is a way to fix that, or it's a firmware bug ?

I'm ready to do a full factory reset, but I don't want to loose my personal data pages setup, I've spent a lot of time and work to get all those complex pages really adjusted to my needs for each profile, and I don't know how to keep them save.
No problem to erase however: all my tracks, fits, waypoints and routes data, even the maps I've manually charged into the fénix device, because they are all saved in PC and Basecamp folders.

Any thought or any tip please ?
Sorry for my bad english, and thank you all in advance.


----------



## gaijin

smenda said:


> I'm ready to do a full factory reset, but ...


I have not had (and solved) this problem, but my best guess is that you need to do a full factory reset.

It sounds like you have done everything I would try short of a reset - tried different chargers, let it run down and charge again - without success.

Maybe one possibility - perhaps your particular download of the latest software somehow became corrupted, only slightly, just enough to affect the battery charging. It doesn't sound very likely to me that this is the cause, but I guess it might be possible. Maybe you could download an older version of the software to your watch, then upload the latest version again to see if that helps. It would avoid a full factory reset, and worst case is you would not be any worse off than you are now.

To do this:

- Connect your fenix to your computer in USB Mass Storage mode
- Go here: Index of /perry/fenix_D2_tactix and download fenix_D2_tactix_450.gcd
- Rename the file you downloaded GUPDATE.GCD and place it in the Garmin folder on your watch
- Eject your watch from your computer and wait for the software to update

This should leave your watch with Software Version 4.50. You can then connect to Garmin Express and proceed with the update to Software Version 4.70.

Hopefully, this will solve your problem. If it does not, then a full factory reset would be my suggestion.

Please remember, I am NOT a Garmin rep, I do NOT know for sure whether this might harm your watch. You would do this at your own risk.

HTH


----------



## smenda

gaijin said:


> download an older version of the software to your watch, then upload the latest version again to see if that helps....
> ...
> - Connect your fenix to your computer in USB Mass Storage mode
> - Go here: Index of /perry/fenix_D2_tactix and download fenix_D2_tactix_450.gcd
> - Rename the file you downloaded GUPDATE.GCD and place it in the Garmin folder on your watch
> - Eject your watch from your computer and wait for the software to update
> 
> This should leave your watch with Software Version 4.50. You can then connect to Garmin Express and proceed with the update to Software Version 4.70.


Done Gaijin !!!
Successfully downgraded to 4.50 and upgraded again to 4.70 without loosing nor maps nor any data pages of my personal profiles; lovely smooth, with no harm at all for the fénix!!! awesome.
It seems to me the unit works fine in general, even all those android Bluetooth link features using my Nexus 5 phone (full google alerts live on fenix screen, and garmin connect app live link)
In that brand new android Bluetooth link mode, the fénix1 battery will last no longer than 10 hours !!! but even so, I'll need some time now to test if this 4.70 software re-installation really solved the battery level indicator problem.
I'll come back soon with news about all this.
Thank you very much for your help Gaijin !


----------



## gaijin

smenda said:


> Done Gaijin !!!
> Successfully downgraded to 4.50 and upgraded again to 4.70 without loosing nor maps nor any data pages of my personal profiles; lovely smooth, with no harm at all for the fénix!!! awesome.
> It seems to me the unit works fine in general, even all those android Bluetooth link features using my Nexus 5 phone (full google alerts live on fenix screen, and garmin connect app live link)
> In that brand new android Bluetooth link mode, the fénix1 battery will be fully empty in about 12 hours (no longer last) but even so I need some time now to test if this 4.70 software re-installation really solved the battery level indicator problem.
> I'll come back soon with news about all this.
> Thank you very much for your help Gaijin !


You're welcome 

Please report back if it solved the charging problem - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you ;-)


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## smenda

gaijin said:


> Please report back if it solved the charging problem - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you ;-)


Hello gaijin,
Nope ! 
no joy, the problem is still there !! unfortunately absolutely nothing has changed.

With all night in bluetooth mode on, linked to the android phone google live alerts (the fastest drain battery mode I know) it has reached the 50% level in 8 hours
then I used the garmin wall charger, and the fénix battery indicator lever icon has changed from 50% to 94% in only 55 seconds of charging !!!!! absolutely false data, obviously. 
then, just after unplug it, the fénix indicator level has back down very quickly (more or less another 55 seconds...) just to reach a reasonable 54%.
Definitely the issue is this: 
A false indicator "over speed" in % values during charging phase. Results: I cannot see anymore when the unit is REALLY charged, because in 1 minute of charging, battery show me a "fake" 100% full charge. 
The speed of discharge is correctly indicated.

Hard reset also done, again without success (fénix unit special sequence of 3 buttons), in fact, the downgrade to sw 4.50, had the same effect on fénix than a hard reset.
No personal data pages in profiles were wiped instead !

I'm the only fenix1 owner with this trouble? I'm a little worry about being the only one here with this complaint.
A software problem or a physical battery failure ?
A one year old damaged battery? very odd, since I can confirm a good battery efficiency and capacity while working.

After that what, maybe contact the garmin technical service? 
I don't know what to do... I'm a little confused, because *ALL* the rest of the fénix features works perfectly fine to me, included of course a very good battery life working duration... what a pity.

Anyway, thank you very much gaijin.


----------



## gaijin

smenda said:


> Hello gaijin,
> Nope !
> no joy, the problem is still there !! unfortunately absolutely nothing has changed.


Well, that's not what I was hoping for :-(

What happens if you turn off Bluetooth and leave it charging all night? Does it show a "true" 100% in the morning?

In any event, something is wrong and I'm afraid it's probably time to call Garmin Support and see what they say.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.


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## smenda

gaijin said:


> What happens if you turn off Bluetooth and leave it charging all night? Does it show a "true" 100% in the morning?


Hello gaijin, 
YES, 
fénix ALWAYS shows a "true" 100% charge at "the end" of the charge, it means every time I keep the fenix unit plugged "*time enough*" !!! (about 3-4 hours with the wall charger or 5-6 hours using PC-USB) 
And after a"real" full charge, and take off the fénix from charger, it will show the correct % instant discharge level until reach the empty shut down (that display "discharging level part" works perfectly well)
the "only problem" here is DURING a charge, because the fenix is showing me the full icon display "100%" from the charging minute 1 !!!!! so I never know the "real" amount of battery level during a charge.

Having the bluetooth (or GPS, ANT+ sensors...) ON or OFF don't affect at all to this issue, it's always the same.

Thank you again gaijin for your help and interest.


----------



## cobrapa

This sounds like there may just be a bug in the latest Fenix firmware. Maybe some have not noticed it, as they charge overnight and didn't realize it showed the charge state too early. Definitely let garmin know, either by calling support, or on the garmin forum. (I would personally not send in the unit for them to look at though, until we see if others see that.)


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## smenda

cobrapa said:


> This sounds like there may just be a bug in the latest Fenix firmware. Maybe some have not noticed it, as they charge overnight and didn't realize it showed the charge state too early. Definitely let garmin know, either by calling support, or on the garmin forum. (I would personally not send in the unit for them to look at though, until we see if others see that.)


Thank you cobrapa, I've followed your advice and also posted this issue in the Garmin fenix forum at "garmin.com".
Cheers


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## mcbadger

Mine does the same thing. I just leave it plugged in for long enough to make sure it has really charged completely. It's not the worst problem I've ever had with a Garmin watch, though it would be very nice to get it fixed. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Achal

I asked this question a while ago but I was never actually able to resolve the issue. Is there a way to add a heart rate page to the "home" page? I don't want to have to be in an activity to see my heart rate. If I put it in an activity mode the screen gets covered by a great big "Press START" logo.


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## gaijin

Achal said:


> I asked this question a while ago but I was never actually able to resolve the issue. Is there a way to add a heart rate page to the "home" page? I don't want to have to be in an activity to see my heart rate. If I put it in an activity mode the screen gets covered by a great big "Press START" logo.


Exactly what you want to do is not possible, but there might be an easy workaround.

You can create an "Indoor" activity with only the Heart Rate Monitor active - no GPS. You can further reduce the data pages in that activity to just one heart rate page. If you leave this activity running continuously, then at will you can scroll from the main Time Page to the heart rate data page to view your heart rate. This will also leave a recording of your heart rate for as long as you have the activity running.

HTH


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## Sir McKey

Good evening, Ladies and gentlemen!
Is it possible, to use custom POI-Icons with the Fenix (1 or 2)?
Installing *.gpi files on the watch is easy with GPSBABEL, but the bitmaps I use, dont´t work.
Ideas are welcome!
And many thanks, Gaijin. You´r doing a great job here!|>

K.


----------



## Ziemowit Milosz M

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi,
According to my experience with Garmin Fenix (first edition) it must have some hidden failure.
So THINK TWICE before you buy it. Details in my thread here :
https://www.watchuseek.com/f296/garmin-fenix-hidden-failure-1258986.html#post10087530

best
ZMM


----------



## MCHB

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

I got a factory reconditioned one from GPS city that hasn't had any issues thus far; truth be told, I'm pretty happy with it so far! I don't use it for any of the sport or blue-tooth/ant stuff (I don't even own a smart phone!); It serves more as an ABC watch and navigation aid. In terms of functionality, it'll never replace my hand held. I didn't like the stock band, so I put it on a 5 ring Zulu; I like having the back of the watch up off my wrist and prefer the nylon band; personal preference, nothing else!

My hand held doesn't have an internal compass, that's why the arrow on it doesn't match the one on the watch! :-!


----------



## MCHB

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Typ file fun! Day and night mode, changeable on the watch by toggling the map color settings between Normal and Marine!



Normal mode; water and rivers/streams are black and trees are visible as light gray; roads and trails are dark gray, background is white.


Marine mode; trees aren't visible, roads are white, land is dark gray, bodies of water are light gray and rivers/streams remain black for clarity.


----------



## mako75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Hi Guys,

It took us some time, but finally our Garmin watch configurator is ready to test.
the only function that is not working on the moment is saving the profile to your watch.
The final version will be about $5,-/€5,- to cover our development costs since we had
to buy all 4 versions (Fenix, Tactix, Quatix and D2) and worked 5 months on the tool.

http://fruitmans.nl/tools/WatchConfigurator/bin/WatchConfigurator_0.10_setup.exe download link


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

"Enable food pod" sounds like a picnic basket feature ... but seriously, looks like a fun project.

Anything planned for the fenix 2/fenix 2SE?


----------



## mako75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

We really like to add the F2/F2se, but there is no "Profiles" folder in those devices. If anyone knows how to access those folders, we will certainly add those two
devices.


----------



## fruitmans

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

LOL! Coding makes me hungry


----------



## mako75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

We added a new version of the tool v0.12 WatchConfigurator

we removed the limitation of not being able to save a profile, this means u can now open, adapt and save a profile in
your Fenix/Tactix........also, maybe more important.....we made it free for use......but we would appreciate if u donate
us a Beer....


----------



## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



mako75 said:


> We added a new version of the tool v0.12 WatchConfigurator
> 
> we removed the limitation of not being able to save a profile, this means u can now open, adapt and save a profile in
> your Fenix/Tactix........also, maybe more important.....we made it free for use......but we would appreciate if u donate
> us a Beer....


Thanks for all your work on the Configurator, and thanks for going the donation route. I am much more willing to donate the $5 than to have to pay it - just human nature, I guess.

I was so impressed that I went to download the latest version, but Norton Anti-Virus red flagged the download and would not let me - it says the file is dangerous.

Is this something you can check on your end? Or am I missing something?

This is what I saw from Norton:










TIA


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## mako75

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

We uploaded a new a new version, release notes down here. Download link in the first message.

we also dropped the final version payment, so it's now (almost*) fully functional and free to us. How ever
donations would be appreciated 









*Revision history

Version 0.14


Added tracking method. ToDo: add interval configuration
Fixed some minor issues.

* we still need to get the D2 flight specific screens data

*


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Could anyone kindly point to a downloadable link of the latest firmware? I've lost track of the versioning and haven't updated for quite a while. I can't find anything conclusive on the garmin webpage - only Google gives me results but I don't know which firmware version is the latest. I can't use any "webupdater" of any sorts so I need that file which I can copy to the watch via USB. Thanks!


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



ManDay said:


> Could anyone kindly point to a downloadable link of the latest firmware? I've lost track of the versioning and haven't updated for quite a while. I can't find anything conclusive on the garmin webpage - only Google gives me results but I don't know which firmware version is the latest. I can't use any "webupdater" of any sorts so I need that file which I can copy to the watch via USB. Thanks!


Here's the link: Index of /perry/fenix_D2_tactix

Find the latest version for your watch - 4.80 for the fenix.

Download the file and rename it GUPDATE.GCD

Connect your watch in USB mode to your PC and open the drive directory

Place the GUPDATE.GCD file in the Garmin Folder on your watch

Eject the watch from your PC and the update will start automatically. Be patient and wait until it finishes.

HTH


----------



## ManDay

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Very helpful! Thank you gaijin!


----------



## Devious9

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Boy, I'm late for the party, but better late then never I guess. Probably most here have moved on by now. I just picked up a refurb Fenix with a total of three years full warranty (1 year mfg. and 2 years service agreement) for a buck and a half. I've always liked this watch but could never spring for one at the full price. I just got the Fenix yesterday. Serial number around 125,000 loaded with the latest firmware. I have to say this is an awesome watch, especially considering what I paid. Watch in perfect condition both cosmetically and functionally. I have to say, I question whether it is really a refurb in the literal sense. More like over stock now that Garmin has discontinued the model and wants to clear inventory by dumping them cheap. Just my guess.

I'm looking forward to learning all that this watch can do. The learning curve seems daunting, to say the least. LOL.

Does anyone here know how to use the so called flashlight mode. I have read this watch has that feature, but so far been unable to find the answer anywhere via google.

Thanx and cheers.

D9


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## gaijin

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*

Welcome! Sounds like you got a great deal on a great watch!

I found the easiest way to use the Flashlight feature is to assign it to a Hot Key. Try this:

*MENU>Setup>System>Hot Keys>Hold Down>Flashlight*

After setting it up that way, every time you press and hold the down arrow key the flashlight will turn on - press the Return key to go back to where you were.

And in case you haven't found the Owner's Manual yet, here it is: http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_OM_EN.pdf

So go ahead and flip that safety over to Full Auto and enjoy your new watch.

HTH


----------



## Devious9

*Re: Garmin fenix - A Review in Several Parts*



gaijin said:


> Welcome! Sounds like you got a great deal on a great watch!
> 
> I found the easiest way to use the Flashlight feature is to assign it to a Hot Key. Try this:
> 
> *MENU>Setup>System>Hot Keys>Hold Down>Flashlight*
> 
> After setting it up that way, every time you press and hold the down arrow key the flashlight will turn on - press the Return key to go back to where you were.
> 
> And in case you haven't found the Owner's Manual yet, here it is: http://static.garmincdn.com/pumac/fenix_OM_EN.pdf
> 
> So go ahead and flip that safety over to Full Auto and enjoy your new watch.
> 
> HTH


Thank you Sir, that worked like a charm. I guess after 2 1/2 years you know your way around this watch pretty well. Yes, I think the price point I paid is about as good as it will get for what amounts to a brand new watch with the packaging. Thanx for the link to the manual. I got the paper one with the watch but it is good to have a pdf for the computer as well.

Now I need to get a beverage and start the task of reading through this thread. Right now I'm about 50 posts in with almost 1300 to go. LOL. I'm sure you guys have posted some great info here and I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can.

I will be sure to use the giggle switch as much as I can afford. 

Cheers D9


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## Devious9

Well, I suppose most everybody has moved on by now with the Fenix 1. However, they are now being heavily discounted around the internet, especially refurbs so hopefully this helps someone. 

However, I have thrown in the towel with mine and returning it. Here is what happened, if anyone still cares.

The watch I received, it turns out, was on Firmware 4.6, even though there is no official listing for 4.6. Everything i see goes from 4.5 - 4.7. GPS version 3.1

The watch worked great, I loved it. Then, thinking I am doing the right thing (who wouldn't right?) I updated the firmware to 4.8 along with the GPS to 3.3.

Well, that's when the fun started.

Suddenly, the compass when GPS is on is not stable and rotates like it is looking for a lock. Useless, IMHO. 
Auto pause on tracking no longer works correctly. Resume the track and 2 seconds later it pauses on its own, even though I am moving and running.
The False Instant % charge issue as first brought up by SMEDA. 

I contacted Garmin and the service rep was able to duplicate each issue right there at his desk. He said he would create a "ticket" and talk to the software people about a fix. No way, I say that is going to happen. Fenix One has not had an update in almost a year, it is discontinued and no way in God's green Earth is Garmin going to devote time, resources and money in an obsolete watch. 

End of story. Watch goes back, I move on. Meanwhile, my Timex Ironman and Bulova Accutron keep on humming.

Cheers mates.


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## rustislove

I use my Fenix 1 for 2.5 year now. And I can honestly say that the problems never really disappeared. With every FW update something got broke. The watch is out of warranty now, so there is pointless to complain at Garmin (store) .. for too much complaining in their forum I got banned 

The most inconvenient is the very low reliability. During training I can track whatever I want - it lives its own life and working partially sometimes. But if I go to some race then Fenix somehow finds this out and messes with the numbers, elevation, accuracy and it freezes. And when it freezes it is almost impossible to unfreeze it - they don't have watchdog functionality ?!! Oh man, hard times .. just imagine - I run my best in mountains, low water, low temperatures, lot of obstacles, running out of time, it's dark and I have to bother with my watch, again (!!) for like an hour ... what is this ?!

Last Saturday - trekking 105 km (race) and after 40km it was a real pain in the ... I have encountered all kind of issues. The race duration was up to 28 hours and I could depend on Fenix only during 1st third part. After several hours of swearing and trying I simply gave up and used the watch only as a watch. Week before - 50km race was all good. So what does it mean ? How to prepare Fenix to be able to go for some race and to be able to track?! Tough question.

I now personally and not personally a lot of people using Fenix 1 and guess what - everybody complains. Even Fenix 3 is not any win - lot of problems - just look into Garmin's forum. 
Very sad fact - the basic is not reliable - GPS, and related measurements - all other properties are just not important jewelry. If you lose GPS on a GPS watch than what's the purpose of such purpose. 
Believe me, I have seen everything .. this is not a wrong setting or FW - this is wrong Garmin and their attitude. 

I'm considering to move to Suunto. 2.5 year and a lot of FW upgrades - for me it means that Garmin was selling not completed product since the beginning, and pretty expensive, though.


----------



## gaijin

Thanks for coming back to this forum, after not posting anything for 14 months ... to complain some more :-s

I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience with your fenix - that certainly has not been my exprience.

I agree with you, you should move on.

HTH


----------



## rustislove

gaijin said:


> Thanks for coming back to this forum, after not posting anything for 14 months ... to complain some more :-s
> 
> I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience with your fenix - that certainly has not been my experience.
> 
> I agree with you, you should move on.
> 
> HTH


What did you expect ?! I don't understand - why this forum then?
I will come here to tell everybody .. heyyy .. I paid for something that actually works  ... no .. I paid, and it is not working and makes me and a bunch of other people upset ... for a long time, repeatedly !! 
Yes I will complain - why should I be quiet?!

Garmin made a lot of mistakes and we paid for them. Tell me that I'm wrong.


----------



## Limey-

I have A Fenix 3 had a Suunto Ambit prior. Just ran a tough mudder 12 miler with it through trees, obstacles water etc. GPS was right on at the mile markers. Mine has been great. I run regularly and half my job is a physical outdoor environment job where the watch gets used. Mine has been great. Features work well updates without issues. Pairs and relays email text reliably and rapidly. Satellite connection and accessory connection is very rapid unlike my Suunto. The Garmin net cloud interface via Bluetooth is a big improvement over Suunto's variant. I am very happy with the Fenix 3.


----------



## peacemaker885

I'm also super late to the party. The Fenix first generation refurbished is going for a very reasonable price right now. I bit the bullet and am very excited. Thanks gaijin for the very informative post and lots of support to users. I may hit you up sometime soon ;-) I'm in no was any sort of athlete. I plan to use this on camping trips and geocaching. Looking forward to it!


----------



## gaijin

Congratulations - those refurb units (they appear brand new) are a great deal.

Don't be shy if you have any questions.

HTH


----------



## peacemaker885

gaijin said:


> Congratulations - those refurb units (they appear brand new) are a great deal.
> 
> Don't be shy if you have any questions.
> 
> HTH


Is it possible to lock the buttons on the Fenix 1? In a span of two weeks, I also bought the Fenix 3 but had to return it. I just can't get used to the size - its too wide for me. I'm sticking with the first gen.

EDIT: Ha - ok so I read the manual and found out ;-)


----------



## petmic

peacemaker885 said:


> Is it possible to lock the buttons on the Fenix 1? In a span of two weeks, I also bought the Fenix 3 but had to return it. I just can't get used to the size - its too wide for me. I'm sticking with the first gen.
> 
> EDIT: Ha - ok so I read the manual and found out ;-)


press and hold upper right and lower left buttons at the same time for about 1 sec to lock the keys...same works for unlocking


----------



## pzs72

Hi,

can someone confirm that the fenix 1has the same jumpmaster mode as the tactix?

In jumpmaster mode is the altitude displayed constantly?

How often is refreshed the altitude data in jumpmaster mode?

Thank you for the answers in advance.


----------



## ChrispyCanon

*Re: Fenix Aviation profile*

Does anyone know how to configure the fenix 2 for aviation? I don't see how to configure GPS to Normal, Altimeter to Auto Calibration: Off, Baro and Elev Plot, and Calibrate.

In flight, I can only see altitude. After flight, all that is shown in Connect is elevation gain, time, and track.

Thanks for any advice you can give!


----------



## KiwiWomble

*Re: Fenix Aviation profile*

morning all, haven't posted in a while, quick question for those in the know, my Fenix 1 doesn't seem to be saving the tracks i record. I start the GPS, start the activity and then i finish i save the activity but when i connect to the comp it doesn't show up on the list, other old one do so its something thats checnged


----------

