# Instinct 2 Solar



## Odie

Credit to "Worker" for providing the original story:

https://www.tizenhelp.com/instinct-2-solar-coming-with-solar-charging-pulse-ox/

Expanding a bit on the story is more detailed information:


__
https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/comments/e9q66n

Discussions can begin!


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## watch-ing

veeery nice. so excited and curious about the release date, design, price, (downloadable?) watchfaces, solar action, weight, ...etc. 

will they enlarge the display, removing the round eye, will the solar power really work fine and useful? imagine the solar power to run the watch all the time, except for long gps- and heartbeat sensor use. this would be a huge buying reason for outdoorguys and fans of classic watches.

will they change the pushers or bezel material? ah man. cant wait. this model might encourage other manufactors to create a similar model.


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## randb

I hope that don't mess with the format. The layout of my instinct is pretty close to perfect for me. Please keep the eye, very well implemented. Looking forward to seeing what's in store. 

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


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## Odie

I would think due to the popularity, they’d keep the “eye” in some capacity. If they have a Solar version with Pulse Ox, expect that version to probably be north of $400, with the “base” model probably getting a $30-40 price increase vs. it’s 1st Gen brother.


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## Servus

Now we wait for the things to come.


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## Nemo_Sandman

Great thread !

I think they will keep the closed system, the eye, the high bezel, the black and white.

If not it would be a Fenix and lose all its charm.

The Solar Instinct should be a real outdoors watch with a great battery stamina. Very impatient to know more about it.


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## Ottovonn

The Garmin Instinct has surprisingly been one of my most worn watches since I purchased it about a year ago. Battery life's really good, and I often charge it every two weeks (I rarely use the GPS functions as the watch is mostly a gym timer and HR monitor -- though I think the HR can be inaccurate at times). Definitely love the monochromatic display. I prefer a highly legible almost E-Ink display over a less legible and power hungry color display. So here's hoping the new Instinct retains a lot of the old: light weight construction with an easy-to-read black & white display. 

I'm eagerly anticipating the next rendition with a more accurate HR monitor and solar charging capabilities.


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## randb

Ottovonn said:


> The Garmin Instinct has surprisingly been one of my most worn watches since I purchased it about a year ago. Battery life's really good, and I often charge it every two weeks (I rarely use the GPS functions as the watch is mostly a gym timer and HR monitor -- though I think the HR can be inaccurate at times). Definitely love the monochromatic display. I prefer a highly legible almost E-Ink display over a less legible and power hungry color display. So here's hoping the new Instinct retains a lot of the old: light weight construction with an easy-to-read black & white display.
> 
> I'm eagerly anticipating the next rendition with a more accurate HR monitor and solar charging capabilities.


Couldn't agree more. I get a good week out of mine with 3 to 4 ativities per week with GPS. When I charge mine it gives me an opportunity to wear something else.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


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## Maddog1970

Love my instinct....got so tired messing around with watch faces on my 3hr, and the 5 was worse....
Instinct is pretty much perfect in my eyes, used 2 times every day for GPS (dog walking, combined 2 hours per day minimum) and gym timing 3-4 times a week......gets me 7 days before recharging!


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## Mhutchuk

Was literally about to buy an instinct after having a play with a colleagues at work and downloading the manuaI love variable intervals (I do a lot of circuit training) and this has them perfectly....

Then I saw this thread 

DEFINATELY going to wait and see what 2020 brings with regards a solar model.... GPS isn't a feature I'd ever use apart from a quick clock sync occasionally

So I'm sort of hoping using it mainly as a watch and timer and some HR and sleep tracking I might get away with not having to charge with a wire as I live and work in Sunny Western Australia so exposure to consistent daytime outdoor sunshine will never be an issue

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Smartwatcher

Soooo looking forward to the update. Hope they go about the update as they did with e.g. Fenix 5 -> 6 update: Keeping what works (which is almost everything on the Instinct as you can tell from this forum or the plentiful great reviews on Amazon) and improving on technical details (switching to Sony GPS Chipset for even longer battery life, fixing the positioning of the venting holes for the Barometric sensor) and adding features like PulseOX. 

Solar is another welcome (outdoor) feature to bring the Garmin Instinct into Casio G-Shock territory. 

The only thing left on my wishlist: adding another case material like steel, titanium or even ceramic.


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## watch-ing

any news on the new model?


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## Dracer

maybe tomorrow


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## Odie

Garmin Instinct® Solar | Outdoor Solar Powered Smartwatch


Instinct Solar is a smartwatch built to conquer the elements featuring a solar charging lens, GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO, and built-in training apps.




buy.garmin.com


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## Mhutchuk

waiting for it to hit Australian shores

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rocket1991

I think Garmin is priced right, functionally right and has incredible usability as many other Garmins. On g-shock subforum there is a thread about how we can improve Casio GBD-1000 and i just posted there about new Garming. Since they go against each other. both price 400$ vs 400$ and target audience vise. 
But i can't think with all my experience with GPS watches for runners and smartwatches ... why i will choose Casio over Garmin? Why? 
With all my love and respect for Casio... Garmin does things way better. 
With solar it just put last nail in Casio efforts so far. 
Arguments by G-shock aficionados like it's tough just don't cut with me. Most of digital watches and most of GPS runners watches are study enough and i have old Garmin GPS from about 2012 which is still good despite literally 1000s of km on it. 
Casio is good but has flaws. Garmin is just better especially for what you want in running, sports etc. And it already better not after updates, next model etc.


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## Wolfsatz

Rocket1991 said:


> Casio is good but has flaws. Garmin is just better especially for what you want in running, sports etc. And it already better not after updates, next model etc.


I agree with the whole statement. If Casio would just improve the user interface and make it more user friendly; it would go a long time.

I am very satisfied with the Instict; and I would be more incline to spend $400 on the new Garmin than $100 on a G Shock.


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## Rocket1991

Wolfsatz said:


> I agree with the whole statement. If Casio would just improve the user interface and make it more user friendly; it would go a long time.
> 
> I am very satisfied with the Instict; and I would be more incline to spend $400 on the new Garmin than $100 on a G Shock.


There is 400$ Casio vs 400$ Garmin.


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## GaryK30

Here's a new video about the Instinct Solar lineup.


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## Rocket1991

here two nice videos


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## Nolander

Stopped at Besy Buy is this afternoon and they had 1 in stock. I couldn't resist. 

































I haven't had a chance to charge it yet, but the battery estimate went up from 28 days to 31 in the last 2 hours. I was outside part of that time, and have everything turned on except heart rate. We will see if solar charging turns out to be better than advertised, but I definitely need more time to see.

I know there are a ton of reviews out there already, so I won't do that.

I do think the display is just a hair better than the original instinct. It's just more clear somehow. I'll try to post pics of them both together at some point.


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## jcombs1

Dang, that was fast. Saw a review on my news feed and hoped to get one before I leave this weekend on a trip. Didn’t think about Best Buy, maybe try them in the morning.


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## jcombs1

Best Buy had a couple in stock, one less now. I'm interested to learn all of the things this can do. 
Potato pic.


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## Nolander

From wearing it today outside in cloudy weather for a couple hours and indoors for the rest of the day it gained another "day" of charge. It appears with Bluetooth on and HR off it will be able to maintain a charge without the need to plug in (not including GPS of course).








If that's the case this thing is awesome. I am not using the "battery saver" mode either.


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## Nemo_Sandman

Nolander said:


> From wearing it today outside in cloudy weather for a couple hours and indoors for the rest of the day it gained another "day" of charge. It appears with Bluetooth on and HR off it will be able to maintain a charge without the need to plug in (not including GPS of course).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If that's the case this thing is awesome. I am not using the "battery saver" mode either.


Days are estimations, projections from calculation. 
I can gain a day in bonus just by changing the backlight setting from 20% to 5%on my Fenix.

But do you got any raise of the % of the battery?

Envoyé de mon SM-G985F en utilisant Tapatalk


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## batosai117

I've watched every instinct solar review I can find and what I would like to know is:

Will the triple sensor still work in battery saver mode? If so it would basically make the instinct a G-Shock triple sensor with solar in that setting. 

Mine arrives Monday and I cant wait. I ordered the black tactical solar. 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## Nolander

Nemo_Sandman said:


> Days are estimations, projections from calculation.
> I can gain a day in bonus just by changing the backlight setting from 20% to 5%on my Fenix.
> 
> But do you got any raise of the % of the battery?
> 
> Envoyé de mon SM-G985F en utilisant Tapatalk


I'm not sure about the %, I don't think the instinct displays that anywhere. If it does I would love it if you could tell me where I could see the battery %.


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## Nemo_Sandman

batosai117 said:


> I've watched every instinct solar review I can find and what I would like to know is:
> 
> Will the triple sensor still work in battery saver mode? If so it would basically make the instinct a G-Shock triple sensor with solar in that setting.
> 
> Mine arrives Monday and I cant wait. I ordered the black tactical solar.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


The Black Tactical Solar is a looker, congratulations !

The new Instinct is a solid upgrade and seems to be sold as a pure solar only when the power saving mode is on.
(No bluetooth, no heart rate but still ABC which are permanent.)

And that wide octogonal solar panel seems to make it a much better solar watch than the Fenix Solar.
We are getting closer and closer to a .... Fenix (non pro) killer. 

Anyway, Solar Instinct lucky owners, please keep us informed as IF the battery is really recharged by the sun... that would be such a fun watch to wear !! 

Switching to the best stamina Power Mode and wait for the watch to suck up solar beams before using the GPS tracking again for example. 

_"In Battery Saver mode with solar charging, Garmin claims you'll never have to recharge the watch. Battery Saver mode turns off most functions, but you can increase battery life by tinkering in Power Manager. For example, I created a personalized mode that turns off maps and turns off the backlit display, which extended the battery life several days."

"...I created a personalized mode that turns off maps..."_

Maps on the Instinct ?.... What does he means ?

From:









Garmin's New Instinct Is a Solar-Powered Hiking Partner


The Instinct Solar is a rugged outdoor watch that will help get you where you need to go in the backcountry.




www.wired.com





Wired last Review


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## watch-ing

finally its there. i waited much for it  each day for months i clicked on garmin news info.

must say im surprised and disappointed they kept the exact same design and materials. sorry, very lame, garmin. u can even see they used the same mold for this model, just inserting "solar" at 6 o´clock in slighty different letters. lower the price, then its ok, garmin. dont try to deceive us.

specs are better than expected, batterywise. much liking to see the progress in technology.
but why isnt it running "forever" on solar, when only timekeeping is active? with the big solar panel it should be possible. mip´s take less energy than lcd.

for my need its a relief to see, no upgrade from vers.1 would be needed. would love solar, but not at that price. 200- 220€ should be ok. its a glued smartwatch from garmin, after all.

now hoping for a big price reduction on vers.1 !


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## Nolander

About maps- it’s a breadcrumb trail with an arrow. No maps like a fenix.


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## belandj02

watch-ing said:


> finally its there. i waited much for it  each day for months i clicked on garmin news info.
> 
> must say im surprised and disappointed they kept the exact same design and materials. sorry, very lame, garmin. u can even see they used the same mold for this model, just inserting "solar" at 6 o´clock in slighty different letters. lower the price, then its ok, garmin. dont try to deceive us.


About the design and materials, I'm surprised to see that nobody has brought the idea that the non-solar shouldn't have been a thing. It's pretty obvious from v1 that it was designed with those solar panel in mind but it seems like it wasn't ready and Garmin thought it still could have succees without it (point made as it did).

So the black sheep here is v1, it basically is a 1/2 or so Instinct when you think about it. I'd bet they will stop producing it in a few months if they haven't already.


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## Nemo_Sandman

belandj02 said:


> About the design and materials, I'm surprised to see that nobody has brought the idea that the non-solar shouldn't have been a thing. It's pretty obvious from v1 that it was designed with those solar panel in mind but it seems like it wasn't ready and Garmin thought it still could have succees without it (point made as it did).
> 
> So the black sheep here is v1, it basically is a 1/2 or so Instinct when you think about it. I'd bet they will stop producing it in a few months if they haven't already.


Black sheep in your head.

Have you been an Instinct user ?
If yes, did you feel it like it wasn't ready ? ....
Me not.
From the very beginning, the Instinct has always been a very balanced and well thought ABC GPS HR sturdy watch with a good week of battery stamina.

For the record the Instinct has been released two years ago and really it has since made every owners very happy. Just look at the length of this thread.









Garmin Instinct - light and powerful


New strap today.




www.watchuseek.com





Is it a thread of complaining about a not ready watch ?
I don't think so.

True, that solar version is a major upgrade in term of battery stamina but it is at the double price of the previous one.
I have been even asking for the tide charts (available now on the 450 euros Surf version) for almost two years.
It s just a natural evolution of great design.


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## belandj02

Nemo_Sandman said:


> Black sheep in your head.
> 
> Have you been an Instinct user ?
> If yes, did you feel it like it wasn't ready ? ....
> Me not.
> From the very beginning, the Instinct has always been a very balanced and well thought ABC GPS HR sturdy watch with a good week of battery stamina.
> 
> For the record the Instinct has been released two years ago and really it has since made every owners very happy. Just look at the length of this thread.


Oh yeah, I didn't mean to sound harsh on that watch. Sorry about that I should've expressed myself better.

It indeed released in a more than ready state and is an amazing piece. I've actually ordered one 2 days before the release of the Solar. I'll return it and wait for a sale on the Solar.

And note that I flirted with the idea of a refurb Fenix 5 but once I had it to test it I found out that I wouldn't be able to live with the less than stellar display readability (at least compared to the Instinct and even my cheap Timex gps watch that I was using to run).

So yeah, my point was more that it was weird for Garmin to decide to release it without the solar feature since it was a huge design deciding factor. Now, pricing makes it a big reason and one that totally makes sense.

The only analogy I can think of would be like in 90's car when you'd choose a trim that doesn't come with the CD charger of A/C but would have the empty spaces for those control on the dash. You know and see they designed the dash for this but you are reminded often that you do not have those.

The instinct already had great battery life, only matched by the Fenix series, but with Solar AND the new sensors/chip I get the feeling that with my use I might not even have to charge it or at least get 1.5/2 months out of it which sounds truly amazing.

Again, sincèrement désolé.


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## jcombs1

After switching the pulse ox tracker to on, the projected battery life in days instantly dropped from the fully charged 24d to 11d. 

This is estimated only and I will see what this function actually means as it’s used overnight.

on a side note, the watch received its first update overnight.


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## Rocket1991

belandj02 said:


> About the design and materials, I'm surprised to see that nobody has brought the idea that the non-solar shouldn't have been a thing. It's pretty obvious from v1 that it was designed with those solar panel in mind but it seems like it wasn't ready and Garmin thought it still could have succees without it (point made as it did).
> 
> So the black sheep here is v1, it basically is a 1/2 or so Instinct when you think about it. I'd bet they will stop producing it in a few months if they haven't already.


At the time of original instinct release solar smart watch was not a thing yet, so say within instinct footprint.
Casio offerings are still twice as big even on second generation. Yes it G-shock but its' still huge.
Materials come with weight and you know price tag. You don't get premium steel and sapphire for 300$.
Again not the thing especially for ABC watch.
Garmin releases mostly well prepared products and not like 0 day patch products. For sure not for everyone things but nothing in this world is for everyone.
Are disliking Garmin because they "lazy" or you think first gen was a bad product?
Yet, i am curious what made you think Garmin had solar in plans for first model. Adding solar to the watch mans your internals are designed differently and several modules in power management and charging are different. In same line of thought you can say when Casio designed first G-Shock they did it as 0.001 version and it was done for solar just they deiced to wait (for about 20 years... greedy Casio!!!!) since first square G and latest solar BT etc. share same looks and outside shape.


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## jcombs1

batosai117 said:


> I've watched every instinct solar review I can find and what I would like to know is:
> 
> Will the triple sensor still work in battery saver mode? If so it would basically make the instinct a G-Shock triple sensor with solar in that setting.
> 
> Mine arrives Monday and I cant wait. I ordered the black tactical solar.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


It doesn't appear that ABC functions work when battery saver is turned on. Weather info isn't available either.


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## belandj02

Rocket1991 said:


> Are disliking Garmin because they "lazy" or you think first gen was a bad product?
> Yet, i am curious what made you think Garmin had solar in plans for first model.


I answered my own post already, but I don't dislike Garmin nor thought the first gen was a bad product, I actually just bought one right before they released Solar this week (so I'll be able to return it).

You can tell by the watchface design that it was made with solar panel in mind. I don't believe in the "hey it turns out our watch is already perfectly designed for a solar panel! What were the odds", and certainly not for this type of outdoor enthusiast watch.

That's what I think and I have absolutely no reference for it other than the design, but unless a Garmin employee passes a polygraph in front of me stating the opposite we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Note that they even bumped the price of v1 up, making it less of a deal now and less attractive than the v2 imo. But when it was around 200 usd it was another story though.

That said, both are great products that have incredible value and I can't wait to get my hand on my solar tactical black (getting tactical for the black color alone, brings out an even more Casio look imo).


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## SSingh1975

Saw the dark blue one at my local Bestbuy today (last one remaining). Pretty nice but considering no sapphire and a all resin body, I personally think $400 is a steep price..solar or not. 
Historically, Bestbuy discounts most smart watches during Black Friday sale(my F5X sapphire was $299 when I bought last BF). Wouldn't be surprised if the solar gets discounted to $299 or $350 during Black Friday.


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## samael_6978

@belandj02

Just keep in mind that $200 you paid for Gen 1 is discounted price. It originally sold for $300. I bought mine several months ago, and one had to look for it.

Instinct is an amazing watch and solar is icing on the cake. With that being said I'll stick with my Gen 1 for a while.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## belandj02

samael_6978 said:


> @belandj02
> 
> Just keep in mind that $200 you paid for Gen 1 is discounted price. It originally sold for $300. I bought mine several months ago, and one had to look for it.
> 
> Instinct is an amazing watch and solar is icing on the cake. With that being said I'll stick with my Gen 1 for a while.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


True, for some reason I thought it was dropped to 200 USD as its msrp for a while and then bumped back to 300. Seems like it wasn't the case, thanks for the heads up.
If I'd be tied to a gen 1 I'd also find it not reasonable to upgrade, particularly since the day to day experience is unchanged (the custom battery saving modes are neat, but other than that it's hardware only).


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## kramer5150

Awesome news... I will wait for holiday season sales and further long term reviews. I am in no hurry. thanks to all who contribute.


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## Nolander

Well, true WIS form, I returned mine. It’s a great device, but I think it caused me more stress not really being able to wear my other watches if I was to really use the instinct solar. 
I did find that’s the solar power was really under estimated by Garmin. It seemed to be able to keep a charge and add “days” to the battery life with only solar charging. I never used the GPS, however. I guess it’s just not for me at this point in my life, but it really is a great device.


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## batosai117

It made it! I've owned the instinct before so the learning curve was about 5 seconds. Very happy with it and excited to charge it later when I'm not moving around and see how long it will last.

If I find anything significant out I'll report back.









Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## SSingh1975

Well..I ended up going back to Bestbuy and buying the graphite version. I havent been wearing my F5 as much as it's too bulky/heavy. *Does anyone know if the band from the non solar Instinct fits the Solar version?* I might order the orange one from Amazon. Liked the Tidal blue color but blue is hard to match up with different bands/attire.

Black can easily with be matched with white/orange/red/grey bands or all black for that stealth look.


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## jcombs1

Overnight the PulseOx used a days worth of battery and dropped from 12d to 11d. I didn’t wear it today and it sat on my desk out of direct sunlight, still on 11d.
I’m still on a steep learning curve so if you have a request just send it to me, it might help me better understand more features of the watch.
I’ve watched some videos but still learning.


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## Nolander

SSingh1975 said:


> Well..I ended up going back to Bestbuy and buying the graphite version. I havent been wearing my F5 as much as it's too bulky/heavy. *Does anyone know if the band from the non solar Instinct fits the Solar version?* I might order the orange one from Amazon. Liked the Tidal blue color but blue is hard to match up with different bands/attire.
> 
> Black can easily with be matched with white/orange/red/grey bands or all black for that stealth look.


The band is the exact same for both


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## SSingh1975

2nd day with my solar. Other than the price, loving the watch. Did treadmill cardio and it's pretty on par, stats wise with the reading on my treadmill. Took a pm walk with wife and used the GPS and then the 'trackback' feature. Worked as designed but the real test would be out in the woods/rivers where I kayak sometimes.

Watch is PERFECTLY sized at 45mm (next to my 42mm Breitling which is my daily wear). Very sharp text (better monochrome display compared to the color Fenix 5 display). At this point, I'm keeping it and selling my Fenix 5. Ordered 2 bands from Amazon...orange and tan/white which should go well for summer.


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## SSingh1975

4 days now and loving it. Solar charging is not a gimmick. Watch was at "23d" 2 days ago and since then, I've used GPS for 2 street runs and a small hike and it's still at "23d". I'm in Sacramento so it's super hot right now so plenty of sunshine for the watch when I'm out and about during the day.


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## Mhutchuk

Got mine in Australia 2 days ago, I only have Bluetooth on to sync sleep data once a day, but heart sensor on 24/7, one 30 min run with everything going, plenty of time in the sun and battery hasn't moved 

Just gave it a full charge and am away for 16 days from tomorrow away at work... curious to see with regular sunshine if I'll have to take the charge lead out of my bag at all....

Will report back in 16 days

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## SSingh1975

Keeping this thread alive!! Never get tired of orange/black combo!


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## randb

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


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## Mast11b

Hello all,

First time post. I have been wearing this watch for the past 13 days or so. First time using a Garmin watch. Thought I would share my initial thoughts. 

The reason for purchasing was to get a GPS watch for outdoor fitness. Always helps a little to have some motivating factor to stay active. Sometimes new running shoes, or perhaps new attire of some sort. Sometimes a gadget of this nature.

I liked the fact that I could track my runs, hiking, walking, etc. Nice to challenge yourself. I sync with MyFitnessPal to monitor diet and calorie burn as well. So far so good. 

So why this watch and not another brand? Apple, Samsung, and a miriad of companies sell very capable wrist bound computers. A few reasons for me: battery life and an always on display. 

I've tried numerous other "smart" watches only to fret about them dying in the middle of the day (they did). I was constantly checking battery levels, slapping my wrist like a child misbehaving to shut off the screen, and calculating how much the latest watch face burned the last hour. This watch solves this issue for me. The updated hardware and solar charging really do work. 185 min of running and 37 min walking with GPS on. Multiple strength workouts. And me playing non-stop with my new toy and I still have 10 days of battery left. Solar charging does work. Battery level went from 19d to 21d after a few hours in full sun. Not enough to toss the cable, but enough to meaningfully extend your play time. 

Last but not least, a very legible AOD. Better than any digital I own. I hated to have to raise my wrist to wake the screen on the others. Dorkus factor 10. Sitting at my desk looking like I was practicing taekwondo or perhaps having a seizure. A quick glance will now suffice. 

More to come hopefully. Thanks if you read this far. Sorry for the windy introduction.


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## Damienr8

Mast11b said:


> Hello all,
> 
> First time post. I have been wearing this watch for the past 13 days or so. First time using a Garmin watch. Thought I would share my initial thoughts.
> 
> The reason for purchasing was to get a GPS watch for outdoor fitness. Always helps a little to have some motivating factor to stay active. Sometimes new running shoes, or perhaps new attire of some sort. Sometimes a gadget of this nature.
> 
> I liked the fact that I could track my runs, hiking, walking, etc. Nice to challenge yourself. I sync with MyFitnessPal to monitor diet and calorie burn as well. So far so good.
> 
> So why this watch and not another brand? Apple, Samsung, and a miriad of companies sell very capable wrist bound computers. A few reasons for me: battery life and an always on display.
> 
> I've tried numerous other "smart" watches only to fret about them dying in the middle of the day (they did). I was constantly checking battery levels, slapping my wrist like a child misbehaving to shut off the screen, and calculating how much the latest watch face burned the last hour. This watch solves this issue for me. The updated hardware and solar charging really do work. 185 min of running and 37 min walking with GPS on. Multiple strength workouts. And me playing non-stop with my new toy and I still have 10 days of battery left. Solar charging does work. Battery level went from 19d to 21d after a few hours in full sun. Not enough to toss the cable, but enough to meaningfully extend your play time.
> 
> Last but not least, a very legible AOD. Better than any digital I own. I hated to have to raise my wrist to wake the screen on the others. Dorkus factor 10. Sitting at my desk looking like I was practicing taekwondo or perhaps having a seizure. A quick glance will now suffice.
> 
> More to come hopefully. Thanks if you read this far. Sorry for the windy introduction.


That's a sell for me. Tell me something though. If you have 2 days of battery life and then say leave the watch in the full sun for 1 whole day - would it charge the battery to full? In effect, negating the need for the charging cable if you leave the watch out to take in sun?


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## Mast11b

A very lawyer-ish answer: depends. Garmin states "unlimited" battery life when the watch is in battery saver mode. So basically if you disable most of the features of the watch, and have 3 hours of 50,000 LUX sunlight, yes, you will not need a cable. That begs questions of other variables that may arise. What happens if you have 8 hours of sunlight, you turn on all the smart watch features, you're monitoring pulse oximetry all day, etc? Results may vary as you can see. After about 2 hours in full sun with basic smart watch features enabled, I went from 19d to 21d of battery. So, the watch did charge with sunlight. Day after day usage though, shows a net battery drain. Of course I was using GPS, monitored my pulse ox one night through the night, etc. One thing I noticed about solar charging was that it does best in full sun around the middle of the day. Evening light, even though sunny had a hard time of 100% charge capacity. Also, if you're wearing the watch, you are likely to move around and the charge will fluctuate. The day I saw the increase, I was working outside, full sun, mid-day, and was on my computer with my wrist still and pointing directly at the sun. I think most importantly, the solar charging augments already stellar battery life, making this watch easy to keep on your wrist for extended periods of time. My plan is to pop it on the charger while I shower everyday. I'm expecting to have pretty much unlimited battery life then, even while using most of the features extensively. Hope this helped!


----------



## Mast11b




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## Damienr8

Mast11b said:


> A very lawyer-ish answer: depends. Garmin states "unlimited" battery life when the watch is in battery saver mode. So basically if you disable most of the features of the watch, and have 3 hours of 50,000 LUX sunlight, yes, you will not need a cable. That begs questions of other variables that may arise. What happens if you have 8 hours of sunlight, you turn on all the smart watch features, you're monitoring pulse oximetry all day, etc? Results may vary as you can see. After about 2 hours in full sun with basic smart watch features enabled, I went from 19d to 21d of battery. So, the watch did charge with sunlight. Day after day usage though, shows a net battery drain. Of course I was using GPS, monitored my pulse ox one night through the night, etc. One thing I noticed about solar charging was that it does best in full sun around the middle of the day. Evening light, even though sunny had a hard time of 100% charge capacity. Also, if you're wearing the watch, you are likely to move around and the charge will fluctuate. The day I saw the increase, I was working outside, full sun, mid-day, and was on my computer with my wrist still and pointing directly at the sun. I think most importantly, the solar charging augments already stellar battery life, making this watch easy to keep on your wrist for extended periods of time. My plan is to pop it on the charger while I shower everyday. I'm expecting to have pretty much unlimited battery life then, even while using most of the features extensively. Hope this helped!


Thanks for your detailed reply Gary. Totally now understand the "Recharge rate vs Battery Mode" relationship. That makes perfect sense. I really adore the longevity of the watch use now present in the solar. I must now acquire one! I was just quoted a great deal on the tactical! Tactical Solar in Black - $399 shipped, no tax. I think i'm going to go for it, even though i don't need the solar. Also, this one is "Black" compared to the "Graphite" color in the original instinct solar - cant wait to see how it looks!


----------



## Mast11b

Great price! Congrats on scoring such a good deal! Let me know how you like it.


----------



## Mast11b

Interesting tidbit, the seconds on the main watch face disappear after about 30 seconds of non-movement. They pop back up with any slight movement. Thought that was interesting.


----------



## Fullers1845

Mast11b said:


> Interesting tidbit, the seconds on the main watch face disappear after about 30 seconds of non-movement. They pop back up with any slight movement. Thought that was interesting.


Same on the original Instinct. I suppose reducing constantly moving pixels saves battery power.


----------



## Odie

jcombs1 said:


> It doesn't appear that ABC functions work when battery saver is turned on. Weather info isn't available either.


This isn't entirely accurate. The ABC functionality works just fine, aside from obtaining DEM altitude information. The Weather naturally doesn't work due to the lack of connection to GCM if you have "Phone" disabled during BS mode.


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## randb

This watch sucks. I've had it since the 20th of July and there hasnt been any sun at all. I dont get it, it is supposed to be solar. Fortunately I still have 18 days battery left. Adding insult to injury the Garmin site is down.


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## randb

Mast11b said:


> View attachment 15359397


This is so weird I just bought the exact same knife too. We have great taste


----------



## jcombs1

Odie said:


> This isn't entirely accurate. The ABC functionality works just fine, aside from obtaining DEM altitude information. The Weather naturally doesn't work due to the lack of connection to GCM if you have "Phone" disabled during BS mode.


You are correct and thanks for pointing this out. I'm not sure what I was looking at when I checked this, still learning about the watch.


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## Facelessman

Just got mine yesterday. I could be happier if garmin connect doesn't have current issue. Hope they can fix it soon


----------



## nonconformulaic

Any Instinct Solar owners besides me noticing bizarre altimeter behavior? Mine drifts like crazy and will only "sort of" accept a manual calibration. Detailed thread available here if anyone's interested.


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## Mast11b

I do not. I read that thread and I'm wondering if you have a faulty uni? Once Garmin is back, I would contact them and see if you can send it back for replacement.


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## nonconformulaic

Agreed Mast11b, sure seems like I got a dysfunctional example. I don't usually buy initial production runs of new tech to make sure the manufacturing process is "fully sorted" before they make mine. Hopefully Garmin will make it right once they've beat back the ransomware attack. Fingers crossed Instinct Solar altimeter problems, or any problems really, aren't widespread!


----------



## Fullers1845

Garmin Explore app seems to be working (and sync'inc) fine.


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## Facelessman

Finished my run and enjoy the view. Also able to use smartwatch feature such as notification as I just able to pair the watch with my phone via garmin connect for the first time after i got it. Now I'm a happy man.


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## Rocket1991

Fullers1845 said:


> Garmin Explore app seems to be working (and sync'inc) fine.


They been hacked. Ransomware issue. Garmin kind off not admitting but it's probably ransomware and they paid it off.
It would of been much worse if it was hack with data stolen.


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## Damienr8

Thanks to a WUS member and someone who is participating in this thread, i was able to purchase a brand new Instinct Solar *Tactical*, at an even cheaper price than the "regular" Instinct Solar. I was not looking for the tactical but i'm glad i had the opportunity to get it.


I will not use the tactical-specific software features but if you have any questions regarding the features, post them and i'll try my best to explain.
I'm a huge fan of the color on this tactical version. The regular watch has a grayish/graphite color but this tactical version is all matte-black. It looks awesome in person. I like also how the color of the solar panel contrasts the watch-face and casing, so that it doesn't look like a black dull block on your wrist.
I've been a Fenix 3, 5 and 6 owner in the past. I do weightlifting, calisthenics, indoor biking (just starting this week) and the occasional (or non occasional) hike. The Fenix line was overkill. The instinct is much better for my needs
While you live with a lower resolution and smaller screen, the speed of the menus make it significantly quicker to operate than the Fenix series. I use the hotkey timer functions during training workouts and its a joy to operate.
The screen contrast and readability is much better than the Fenix in my opinion, especially outside.
The fact that the battery life shows 25 days and can be boosted with solar, removes any anxiety about forgetting your charging cable on longer trips.

Very impressed overall!


----------



## SSingh1975

Almost 2 weeks in ...Still no signs of battery dying. Lol. Good ole California sun keeping it at bay (literally!).
GPS, for once, came in handy during a state park hike over the weekend. We got lost in the trails but the "track back" feature saved the day.


----------



## RobandPatch

Welcomed Improved GPS, heart rate monitor, and battery life.
Same old flawed altimeter/Barometer sensor placement that is not fit for purpose due to sweat, water, sunscreen etc easily blocking the sensor.


----------



## Facelessman

I was wondering about accuracy of altimeter too. Even i turned off auto calibration during activities, elevation plot during my runs were improved from before i turned off auto calibration but still not very accurate. Thanks for pointing out that this issue is not new and not limited to solar version.


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## RobandPatch

Facelessman said:


> I was wondering about accuracy of altimeter too. Even i turned off auto calibration during activities, elevation plot during my runs were improved from before i turned off auto calibration but still not very accurate. Thanks for pointing out that this issue is not new and not limited to solar version.


I've worn both my Instinct and Ambit3 peak on many hikes and runs and they are always within 1 or two metres elevation of each other. 
The main issue I have is the sensor placement, which allows sweat to enter very easily. 
The only way that works for me is to use a sweatband with the right side of the watch where the sensor is overlapping. 
If I don't use the sweatband, the altimeter ends up getting blocked and this results in lots of dropouts.

For normal hikes it's not a problem, however yesterday I went on a decent walk and everything was fine until my friend who was wearing sunscreen borrrowed the watch to check her heart rate and the altimeter must have got blocked as there was a drop and increase in descent. 
Looking at the elevation plot of the recorded walk as I went, you could see the quick drop and then back to normal.


----------



## RobandPatch

A few examples. 
￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼￼u


----------



## SSingh1975

Bought the watch on July 14th and finally "killed" the battery just now (approx 3 weeks of heavy use). The 7 hrs remaining displayed here was a garmin lie . Did a 45 min HIT treadmill run, finished the workout/tracking. Watch synced the data to my phone and then blank screen. Threw it on the charger for the 1st time since I initially charged it 3 weeks ago.

I average about 3 street runs (with GPS) per week and 1-2 gym sessions so all things considered with workout tracking, I'm very pleased with the Instinct solar performance. I already sold my Fenix 5 last week. This is perfect for backpacking trips out in the wild as well. With good "solar" days, you can control the battery consumption. If I have to replace this , I wouldn't even consider a non solar model...period.

On the side note, I haven't worn my Breitling since I bought this. The Instinct also made me ebay 2 divers and the Fenix 5. Between my Breitling and this, I really have no need for another watch..lol.


----------



## Damienr8

I'm finding it very difficult to kill the battery in "Smartwatch Mode" - Which is a good thing!. I started at *25* days and since my last post 7 days ago, I've done 3 HIIT workouts (45-mins each with heavy use of timer), (2) 20 minute indoor rides on the bike, smartphone notifications on for text, call, google hangouts. Over the weekend i was outside quite a bit, averaging about 2-3 hours in full sunlight but outside otherwise. I'm still at* 22* days!


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## Mast11b

Damienr8 said:


> I'm finding it very difficult to kill the battery in "Smartwatch Mode" - Which is a good thing!. I started at *25* days and since my last post 7 days ago, I've done 3 HIIT workouts (45-mins each with heavy use of timer), (2) 20 minute indoor rides on the bike, smartphone notifications on for text, call, google hangouts. Over the weekend i was outside quite a bit, averaging about 2-3 hours in full sunlight but outside otherwise. I'm still at* 22* days!


Battery life on this watch is stellar. My original plan was to charge everyday when showering. Not necessary in the slightest.


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## Slac89

Hi guys
I have a quick question. Why is my weather showing snow? It is up to date with garmin app. Thanks in advance. 
cheers


----------



## nonconformulaic

Update for any/all Instinct Solar owners&#8230; (Detailed thread available here)

I have now tried three Instinct Solar units, and ALL of them are exhibiting the same dysfunctional behavior with respect to the altimeter. To quickly recap I've seen the same two issues described here on all three Instinct Solar units I've owned so far.

*Issue 1:* The altimeter value wanders like a drunken blind man when there is zero change in actual elevation, even when the alti/baro sensor is set to "auto". A bummer for sure, but this could _theoretically_ be an inherent limitation to the algorithm Garmin is using to discriminate between weather and elevation changes when the alti/baro sensor is set to "auto". However, owners of other Garmin watches report that their altimeter values are very stable when there is zero change in actual elevation and their alti/baro sensor is set to "auto", so this behavior is _probably_ not related to the algorithm.

*Issue 2:* When the altimeter value wanders as described in Issue 1 and I need to recalibrate it by entering the correct elevation value manually, the manually entered value IS NOT instantly accepted, even though I get the "calibration OK" message. Instead it VERY SLOWLY starts moving in the right direction, but it's as if the watch interprets the manual calibration value I enter as a "gentle suggestion" rather than a "direct order". I have timed this operation numerous times and it often takes MINUTES to get close (but rarely exactly) to the value manually entered. The values change faster at the beginning of this operation (10-20 feet per second), but then slow to a crawl (1 foot per second) when approaching the value I manually entered. Rarely will the entered value be perfectly accepted even after this lengthy process, usually stopping within around five feet or so.

If you have an Instinct Solar I HIGHLY recommend doing some rigorous manual elevation calibration testing to make sure your unit is working correctly and help Garmin sort out the issue if not. Try manually calibrating your altimeter and move the current reading a few thousand feet up or down. If the elevation values you enter manually aren't instantly accepted by the altimeter, your watch isn't working right and Garmin needs to know about it.

Here are the relevant settings I'm using:

MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Altimeter > Auto Cal. > During Activity [Toggle Off]
MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Altimeter > Auto Cal. > Not During Activity [Toggle Off]
MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Barometer > Watch Mode > Auto

I sincerely hope I'm just supremely unlucky and that most Instinct Solar units are just fine, but I know at least a few other owners are experiencing the same issues. I REALLY want to love this watch, but these altimeter issues are deal breakers for me at present&#8230;

Thanks in advance to any/all Instinct Solar owners who test their watches and report back here.

*Stay healthy!*


----------



## Mhutchuk

Ok my update re power and battery...

Charged the watch on the 19th July before I flew back to work for 16 days, had only had the watch 2 days at the point and was hoping to get by without charging during that time

Hadn’t had a chance to explore its functionality fully and set up for me... had to charge it again 8 days on the 27th July but to be fair I was working midnight to midday shifts and it really saw no sun in that time....

Tweaked the watch to my personal settings... HR 24/7, back light 10%, GPS only on my runs, PUlse Ox occasionally but manually, used interval timers with vibration and sound most days too.

It finally died overnight on the 6th Aug after that last charge on the 27th, 11 days after last full charge but again at best it’s only really seem direct sunlight for around 40 minutes a day... keeps tucking up under my shirt sleeves

So I reckon then in 19 days it’s been charged once... just around midway... 24/7 HR monitoring little or no sunshine due to shifts, odd sleep hours and shirt sleeves covering it...

Once it gets a bit warmer I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have needed that half way top up... that’s pretty amazing...

I could have put battery saver on quite easily on but it was a bit of an experiment

Mark


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## randb

OK, so today is day 7 after a full charge (1st Aug). I have been using the watch in smart watch mode and have used the GPS for a total of 109 mins in this period (cycling to work, a short commute). I use my VA4 for runs and walks. The watch gets all the normal notifications, heart rate monitor constant, alarms, backlit 20%, activity tracking on etc. I turn do not disturb on when I sleep. This is my current daily wear. As of writing my battery is at 74% and I'm using the latest software 9.91 beta (just checked 9.94 beta is out now), which is cool because when you go into settings it will show days of battery plus battery %, alternating between the two. I live in Queensland, Australia so plenty of sun. FYI.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


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## Facelessman

For altimeter issues, as i mentioned earlier, during my runs, elevation plots were inaccurate. Auto calibration "off" setting during activity seems to help but does not solve the problem. The reason could be where Garmin place sensors as RobandPatch pointed out previously and how accurate it is when he use sweatband to prevent sensors getting blocked. So i assume there is a room for improvement on this and there are nothing wrong with our watch. I personally doesn't care enough to wear sweatband just for the sake of altimeter accuracy. I also noticed that altimeter seems to be just fine during other times (pretty stable).







Not really a deal breaker for me as there are many others positive things on this watch. Not a perfect but i like it quite a lot from the first day i got it.







I monitored battery power too. In general, with baterry saver off, default power management and 20% backlight. I use HR, smart phone features and notifications all the time, daily alarm as well. Without additional activities, the watch power consumption is pretty much in line with Garmin's estimate (From (x)d to (x-1)d in about 24 hours). With activities, running with GPS seems to consume considerbly energy (1 hour of activity could consume 1d of battery). I didn't get much sunlight but when i do battery power bounce back a bit sometimes +1d.

Disclaimer: I'm totally newbie in ABC and smart watches. I own protrek prw-3000 (my only ABC before this instinct solar) for years but only used altimeter just once so very limited experience.


----------



## nonconformulaic

*Thanks for sharing your experience Facelessman!*

I'm glad that you're happy with your Instinct Solar, but as you mentioned in the other thread you're seeing the same exact same dysfunction when manually calibrating your altimeter I experienced with all three Instinct Solar units I've owned. I don't mean to sound condescending, but my educational/professional background involves lots of atmospheric science, especially adiabatic processes, and I can absolutely and unequivocally say that your watch IS NOT functioning correctly. If you manually calibrate your altimeter and the value entered isn't IMMEDIATELY accepted by the altimeter, the watch is not working properly and I really hope you'll reach out to Garmin with your insights so they can come up with a fix.

Only obliquely related, but don't put too much stock in RobandPatch's criticisms of the Instinct's alti/baro sensor opening placement. Most barometric altimeter watches have the sensor openings on the wrist side, and for anyone who understands the ideal gas law and the displacement effect of gaseous water molecules on standard atmospheric gasses in an unconstrained container (i.e. the "free atmosphere") it's an obvious non-issue. The alti/baro sensor port opening on the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak for instance, which RobandPatch also owns and readily admits is more accurate than the Instinct, is actually positioned so that it is much more readily filled with sweat/sunscreen/etc. The sensor port opening on the Instinct is just fine, no matter how much sweat you get in it.

But back to the topic of faulty altimeters on the Instinct Solar, let me recap for any/all users in hopes we can, as a community of watch enthusiasts, 1) identify just how widespread this Instinct Solar altimeter drifting/manual calibration issue is (my suspicion after owning three faulty units is that it's pretty prevalent), and 2) reach out to Garmin with our experiences so that they can come up with a fix ASAP (they are VERY interested in sorting out the issue, as evidenced by the several hours of conversations I've had with customer service and the two replacement units they've sent me via next day airmail).

*TL;DR: Try manually calibrating your Instinct Solar altimeter and move the current reading a few thousand feet up or down. If the elevation values you enter manually aren't instantly accepted by the altimeter, your watch isn't working right and Garmin needs to know about it.

Stay healthy!*


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## Facelessman

Thanks for further clarifications on sensor placement and Yes, nonconformulaic. I already went through manual calibration. Altimeter does not change immediately. Guess that's just inline with your experience. As long as this is widespread issue across the model, i'm sure garmin will try to fix it if they can. Wondering if non solar instinct behave in the same manner?


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## nonconformulaic

*Thanks for reconfirming your Instinct Solar is also faulty, Facelessman!*

Yes, Garmin is actively working on a fix, but PLEASE reach out to them yourself and let them know you're also having the same issues! The more data they can pull from dysfunctional units, the faster they will be able to address these altimeter issues and (hopefully!) get these watches working right. I'm semi-optimistic that they will be able to provide a software fix because when I completely wiped/reset any of the three faulty units I had, for about five minutes I was able to manually calibrate the altimeter and the manually entered value was instantly accepted, but then manual altimeter calibration reverted to "slow" mode.

It appears right now that this dysfunctional altimeter behavior does not affect original Instinct (i.e. non-solar) models. Gaijin, a very helpful and thoroughly knowledgeable user, helped me trouble shoot the problem here using his non-solar Instinct, even providing screenshots of numerous successful manual altimeter calibrations.
*
To any/all other Instinct Solar owners, PLEASE try manually calibrating your altimeter and move the current reading a few thousand feet up or down. If the elevation values you enter manually aren't instantly accepted by the altimeter, your watch isn't working right and Garmin needs to know about it.
*


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## Mhutchuk

randb said:


> OK, so today is day 7 after a full charge (1st Aug). I have been using the watch in smart watch mode and have used the GPS for a total of 109 mins in this period (cycling to work, a short commute). I use my VA4 for runs and walks. The watch gets all the normal notifications, heart rate monitor constant, alarms, backlit 20%, activity tracking on etc. I turn do not disturb on when I sleep. This is my current daily wear. As of writing my battery is at 74% and I'm using the latest software 9.91 beta (just checked 9.94 beta is out now), which is cool because when you go into settings it will show days of battery plus battery %, alternating between the two. I live in Queensland, Australia so plenty of sun. FYI.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


Where did you get that beta of the instinct solar software? Thanks

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## randb

Garmin forum. Under instinct solar which is under outdoors and recreation.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


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## RobandPatch

nonconformulaic said:


> Only obliquely related, but don't put too much stock in RobandPatch's criticisms of the Instinct's alti/baro sensor opening placement. Most barometric altimeter watches have the sensor openings on the wrist side, and for anyone who understands the ideal gas law and the displacement effect of gaseous water molecules on standard atmospheric gasses in an unconstrained container (i.e. the "free atmosphere") it's an obvious non-issue. The alti/baro sensor port opening on the Suunto Ambit 3 Peak for instance, which RobandPatch also owns and readily admits is more accurate than the Instinct, is actually positioned so that it is much more readily filled with sweat/sunscreen/etc. The sensor port opening on the Instinct is just fine, no matter how much sweat you get in it.


I would have to say that I completely disagree with this statement, and so would dozens of people on the Garmin Instinct Forums, many much more knowledgeable than I am, that have come to the same conclusions. It is in looking for a solution that many came to the same conclusion.

The drifting Altimeter/Barometer is a separate issue, which was not a problem with the original Instinct until a recent software update.
The altimeters performance is directly affected by sweat and others things blocking the sensor port, you dont need to take my word for it, here's Garmin's own advice.

"Some factors that might impact the function of the altimeter and barometer include: rapidly moving air entering the sensor port while participating in high speed activities; climate controlled buildings which can have slightly different pressure indoors compared to the ambient pressure outside; and soap, dirt, or salts from sweat which can clog the sensor port."





Troubleshooting the Instinct Series Altimeter and Barometer | Garmin Support


Garmin Support Center United Kingdom is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.




support.garmin.com





I know for a fact, that if I do a sweaty workout, the Barometric altimeter will start playing up, same with a sweaty run, washing the pots etc, enough to trigger false Storm warnings. This is something that is all over Garmin Forums. An example is this thread here, with people going as far as to create a 3d printed sensor port cover. Elevation problem - Instinct - Wearables - Garmin Forums

and an other one here.





Instinct - Elevation readings easily screwed - Instinct - Wearables - Garmin Forums


A dedicated community for Garmin users to ask questions, provide answers, and share feedback.




forums.garmin.com





The sweatband solution completely fixed the dropouts in altimeter data that I experienced before on my runs, it was day and night. That is the solution to the dropout problem of sweator water, temporarily blocking and affecting the sensor, then clearing causing break ups in the recording of elevation which then show up in the plotted elevation graph. The drifting is a different matter.

The issue with the Instinct sensor port is that its on the side/underside and in direct contact with the skin, most watches have the sensor port further up the side of the watch away from contact with the arm. The Ambit sensor port is directly underneath but well recessed into the body of the watch, and there are multiple sensor port holes, so sweat has never been a problem.


----------



## Nemo_Sandman

Excellent video from ChaseTheSummit.


----------



## Miklos86

If you can read Spanish, here is an interesting comparison between the Casio GBD-H1000 and the Garmin Instinct Solar.









Comparativa solar contra solar: Garmin Instinct Solar VS G-Shock GBD-H1000


relojes, casio, g-shock, sheen, edifice, protrek, collection, vintage, watches, baby-g, mrg, mtg, gsteel, g-steel, mr-g, mt-g,




zonacasio.blogspot.com





It represents the personal opinion of the author of the blog ZonaCasio and I feel that it is a bit biased towards Casio (even though I love that company myself). However, such comparisons are rare and there are nice photos of both watches, so I think it's worth a read.


----------



## Dracer

I cant find anywhere what kind of glass instinct solar have. i know that it is powerglass but is it gorilla glass och Mineral?
how scratch resistant is it? anybody got a scratch on it?


----------



## Mhutchuk

Dracer said:


> I cant find anywhere what kind of glass instinct solar have. i know that it is powerglass but is it gorilla glass och Mineral?
> how scratch resistant is it? anybody got a scratch on it?


Pretty sure it's gorilla glass 3, although I've just added a glass screen protector to my solar too with no adverse effect to charging at all 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Mhutchuk

Dracer said:


> I cant find anywhere what kind of glass instinct solar have. i know that it is powerglass but is it gorilla glass och Mineral?
> how scratch resistant is it? anybody got a scratch on it?


On Garmin website....










Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Dracer

Mhutchuk said:


> Pretty sure it's gorilla glass 3, although I've just added a glass screen protector to my solar too with no adverse effect to charging at all
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


i have one on mine too but the screen looks so much better without, never been a fan of screen protectors on phones or watches


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## Mhutchuk

Dracer said:


> i have one on mine too but the screen looks so much better without, never been a fan of screen protectors on phones or watches


Hard to even see mine is fitted.... mine is of the bullet proof glass variety.... I'm a train driver and am usually coupling and uncoupling with my hands in amongst it, I have the screen protector more to protect from a direct blow rather than scratches.... 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Miklos86

So I did a U-turn on the Instinct Solar. First, I ordered a red one to replace my Fenix. My reasons were more readable screen, better battery life, solar charging, and preferred look/design/ruggedness. Got it, liked it, but didn't feel that it was worth the gap between its price and the Fenix sale price. While the red looked great I felt that it was a bit too loud for my taste. So I returned it.

A few days later I got a reasonable offer for the Fenix, which I accepted. Looked around and saw the Instinct Solar Tactical at a discount, for even less than the regular Solar. Loved the moss green, so pulled the trigger:










It is fantastic. I'm not using any tactical features, but it's cool to have them. The watch does everything perfectly, it is amazing how could they put so many functions and features it it for such a reasonable size and price.

I was interested to see the power management, it is useful to tweak it here and there. I found the rule of thumb on Instinct forums to be true - 1 hour of GPS-tracked activity eats up approximately 1 day of battery life of regular smartwatch use. So after almost 2 hours of hike - tracking, routing was impeccable - battery dropped to 18 days from 20.

The yesterday I strapped the watch to the balcony railing, it was mostly sunny with light clouds. Went in to work and after maybe 5 hours the watch showed 28 days in smartwatch mode (up from 18) and 261 days in battery saver (up from 43). Not bad.

Today morning I had a long-long conference call, so just left the watch on the windowsill. Battery is at 72%. Remaining life is... well, see for yourself. It's good to see this on a smart-ish sports watch, even though in not-saving-power mode its "only" 29 days.


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## jeff.morton.589

Miklos86 said:


> So I did a U-turn on the Instinct Solar. First, I ordered a red one to replace my Fenix. My reasons were more readable screen, better battery life, solar charging, and preferred look/design/ruggedness. Got it, liked it, but didn't feel that it was worth the gap between its price and the Fenix sale price. While the red looked great I felt that it was a bit too loud for my taste. So I returned it.
> 
> A few days later I got a reasonable offer for the Fenix, which I accepted. Looked around and saw the Instinct Solar Tactical at a discount, for even less than the regular Solar. Loved the moss green, so pulled the trigger:
> 
> View attachment 15438723
> 
> 
> It is fantastic. I'm not using any tactical features, but it's cool to have them. The watch does everything perfectly, it is amazing how could they put so many functions and features it it for such a reasonable size and price.
> 
> I was interested to see the power management, it is useful to tweak it here and there. I found the rule of thumb on Instinct forums to be true - 1 hour of GPS-tracked activity eats up approximately 1 day of battery life of regular smartwatch use. So after almost 2 hours of hike - tracking, routing was impeccable - battery dropped to 18 days from 20.
> 
> The yesterday I strapped the watch to the balcony railing, it was mostly sunny with light clouds. Went in to work and after maybe 5 hours the watch showed 28 days in smartwatch mode (up from 18) and 261 days in battery saver (up from 43). Not bad.
> 
> Today morning I had a long-long conference call, so just left the watch on the windowsill. Battery is at 72%. Remaining life is... well, see for yourself. It's good to see this on a smart-ish sports watch, even though in not-saving-power mode its "only" 29 days.
> 
> View attachment 15438807


Is the pic not centered or is the date just not centered? Looks the same in both positive and negative displays.


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## gaijin

jeff.morton.589 said:


> Is the pic not centered or is the date just not centered? Looks the same in both positive and negative displays.


Looks like the printed circle around the eye is misaligned.

Here's what it looks like on my Instinct (non-solar) Tactical:










HTH


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## sscob1

Thanks for sharing.


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## Miklos86

jeff.morton.589 said:


> Is the pic not centered or is the date just not centered? Looks the same in both positive and negative displays.


In real life it's fine. My photo is bad.


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## SSingh1975

Anyone used the Kayaking activity? Like once I start it, it tracks my drop off via GPS, then starts tracking as I navigate the riverway ...then any time I wanna head back to my drop off point, I use the TracBak feature?

My local Preserve has lots of confusing riverways so I'm hoping the Instinct can replace my current Garmin handheld GPS (for kayaking).


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## gaijin

SSingh1975 said:


> Anyone used the Kayaking activity? Like once I start it, it tracks my drop off via GPS, then starts tracking as I navigate the riverway ...then any time I wanna head back to my drop off point, I use the TracBak feature?
> 
> My local Preserve has lots of confusing riverways so I'm hoping the Instinct can replace my current Garmin handheld GPS (for kayaking).


Yes (Navigating to Your Starting Point During an Activity).
You can navigate back to the starting point of your current activity in a straight line or along the path you traveled. This feature is available only for activities that use GPS.


During an activity, select GPS > Back to Start.
Select an option:
To navigate back to the starting point of your activity along the path you traveled, select TracBack.
To navigate back to the starting point of your activity in a straight line, select Straight Line.











HTH


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## Facelessman

Honeymoon phase is over but still love it very much


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## Nemo_Sandman

Facelessman said:


> Honeymoon phase is over but still love it very much


So are you able to recharge it with the sun when used in ABC mode?

Envoyé de mon SM-G985F en utilisant Tapatalk


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## Mhutchuk

I work away 16 days at a time, last charged mine on Sunday 13th Sept, it's now sat 26th and it's telling me I still have 12 days and 42% charge left....

I have HR, sleep tracking, fitness tracking on 24/7. I use GPS for 3 runs of around 30 mins a week, and have interval timers and alerts going when I do circuits and run most days.

I only have Bluetooth on once a day to sync to my iPad to download the days data....

I couldn't be more pleased... it doesn't really get much sunlight either - 1 hour a day at best at the moment due to the hours I work.

Needless to say I won't bother with carrying the charge leads next time I travel to work. 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Facelessman

Nemo_Sandman said:


> So are you able to recharge it with the sun when used in ABC mode?
> 
> Envoyé de mon SM-G985F en utilisant Tapatalk


About battery life, I'm not much of an outdoor guy. I do use the watch heavily and solar charging alone doesn't help much. Not sure whether it charged during activities which require ABC function or not. From my experience, battery last around 2 weeks but i charge it with cable every week or so which i am very happy with.


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## Abah Reza

nonconformulaic said:


> Update for any/all Instinct Solar owners&#8230; (Detailed thread available here)
> 
> I have now tried three Instinct Solar units, and ALL of them are exhibiting the same dysfunctional behavior with respect to the altimeter. To quickly recap I've seen the same two issues described here on all three Instinct Solar units I've owned so far.
> 
> *Issue 1:* The altimeter value wanders like a drunken blind man when there is zero change in actual elevation, even when the alti/baro sensor is set to "auto". A bummer for sure, but this could _theoretically_ be an inherent limitation to the algorithm Garmin is using to discriminate between weather and elevation changes when the alti/baro sensor is set to "auto". However, owners of other Garmin watches report that their altimeter values are very stable when there is zero change in actual elevation and their alti/baro sensor is set to "auto", so this behavior is _probably_ not related to the algorithm.
> 
> *Issue 2:* When the altimeter value wanders as described in Issue 1 and I need to recalibrate it by entering the correct elevation value manually, the manually entered value IS NOT instantly accepted, even though I get the "calibration OK" message. Instead it VERY SLOWLY starts moving in the right direction, but it's as if the watch interprets the manual calibration value I enter as a "gentle suggestion" rather than a "direct order". I have timed this operation numerous times and it often takes MINUTES to get close (but rarely exactly) to the value manually entered. The values change faster at the beginning of this operation (10-20 feet per second), but then slow to a crawl (1 foot per second) when approaching the value I manually entered. Rarely will the entered value be perfectly accepted even after this lengthy process, usually stopping within around five feet or so.
> 
> If you have an Instinct Solar I HIGHLY recommend doing some rigorous manual elevation calibration testing to make sure your unit is working correctly and help Garmin sort out the issue if not. Try manually calibrating your altimeter and move the current reading a few thousand feet up or down. If the elevation values you enter manually aren't instantly accepted by the altimeter, your watch isn't working right and Garmin needs to know about it.
> 
> Here are the relevant settings I'm using:
> 
> MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Altimeter > Auto Cal. > During Activity [Toggle Off]
> MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Altimeter > Auto Cal. > Not During Activity [Toggle Off]
> MENU > Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Barometer > Watch Mode > Auto
> 
> I sincerely hope I'm just supremely unlucky and that most Instinct Solar units are just fine, but I know at least a few other owners are experiencing the same issues. I REALLY want to love this watch, but these altimeter issues are deal breakers for me at present&#8230;
> 
> Thanks in advance to any/all Instinct Solar owners who test their watches and report back here.
> 
> *Stay healthy!*


Hi, im new here, and i have baro problem in instinct solar....









This happened around 2 - 3 days after
i calibrate the altimeter manually at the beach... I send it to warranty claim, so now i'm waiting for garmin solutions. Before calibrating, the storm warning was very sensitive, when i wash my hand, the storm warning triggered, that doesn't happened with my fenix. Ok...i'll tell you when the garmin centre here comes with a solution. I'm in Indonesia, and use the instinct for trail running, running, biking, hiking and climbing. Tks.


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## Dracer

Abah Reza said:


> Hi, im new here, and i have baro problem in instinct solar....
> View attachment 15510459
> 
> 
> This happened around 2 - 3 days after
> i calibrate the altimeter manually at the beach... I send it to warranty claim, so now i'm waiting for garmin solutions. Before calibrating, the storm warning was very sensitive, when i wash my hand, the storm warning triggered, that doesn't happened with my fenix. Ok...i'll tell you when the garmin centre here comes with a solution. I'm in Indonesia, and use the instinct for trail running, running, biking, hiking and climbing. Tks.


Latest update could do this. Check this this link





Altimeter/barometer/thermometer/PulseOX --> Sensor Hub Rollback - Instinct Solar - Wearables - Garmin Forums


A dedicated community for Garmin users to ask questions, provide answers, and share feedback.




forums.garmin.com


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## Facelessman

Edit: I thought altimeter issue get fixed but it's not

Other than that it's just an awesome watch. I wear it almost daily since i got it


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## Miklos86

I continue to like the Instinct. It's my go-to watch when I'm not working. When I'm wearing anything else it just feels outdated. The Instinct is just so intuitive to use and customize. The buttons are better too than they were on my Fexin 5, so I'm a happy camper.

There is only one problem. Ever since the first big update, I lost my native language on the watch. It tells me to plug it into the computer and use Garmin Express. The problem is I use only a work computer and won't install or plug into it anything. *Is there a way to transfer updated language files via bluetooth?* It should be a no brainer, because ever a full software update is possible through BT...

Photos: it works great as accurate speedometer, GPS-assisted altimeter, thermometer and fine addition to any dashboard.


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## Sebastian Torres

Nolander said:


> Stopped at Besy Buy is this afternoon and they had 1 in stock. I couldn't resist.
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> I haven't had a chance to charge it yet, but the battery estimate went up from 28 days to 31 in the last 2 hours. I was outside part of that time, and have everything turned on except heart rate. We will see if solar charging turns out to be better than advertised, but I definitely need more time to see.
> 
> I know there are a ton of reviews out there already, so I won't do that.
> 
> I do think the display is just a hair better than the original instinct. It's just more clear somehow. I'll try to post pics of them both together at some point.


Is that the Graphite color? Some websites offer a Black model and some others offer a Graphite model, and they look the same to me.


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## Odie

Sebastian Torres said:


> Is that the Graphite color? Some websites offer a Black model and some others offer a Graphite model, and they look the same to me.


No, it’s the grey color. The “Tactical” is the all black version.


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## Ron From Texas

Just got my instinct solar from costco for only$230.


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