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Polar s625x
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My birthday is in a couple of days and this was going to be my pressie.
I have scanned most of the posts would appreciate you opinion.
Knowing what you do now, would you still buy one?
Also, where is the cheapest anyone has got one?
I'm hoping it will have the same effect of me. I'm up fpr a spring marathon and hope to be able to take a more planned approach to my training.
Like Eeyin, I have run loads more miles, just because I love getting home and looking at my graphs.
Ok, this makes me sad - but I don't care.
Love it.
Im sure it will be JJ ...... Like a fine wine, better with age ... Happy 40th when it comes. So whats it like being a veteran for the last 5 years?
I've only ever raced as a veteran and was most shocked when I found out what the V next to my result was!!!!!
I've finally got mine. More reasons to run and more reasons to post.
Hope you had a great birthday JJ.
Vince can't help you there still trying to figure things out for myself. Maybe Tallgirl will come along soon.
Went for a run last night waiting for the infrared interface so I can down load everything.
Could anyone help with the IR will it work with any IR riecever on your pc or just the polar one..??
Regards.. Jezter..
I got mine to work with the IR on my laptop but I had to change the settings on it before it worked. It's all a bit hazy but there seemed to be something about different types or speeds of IR. I think the page below helped...
http://www.jimcarson.com/archives/000094.shtml
Great news that lots of people have got the gadget - it is still great.
Can I help? Vince - for the callibration is is apparently best to do the 'run' calibration on a track (recommended to run at least 1600m to make sure) but if you have some other run that you are confident of the distance - you can use that to recalibrate the correction factor. So, I went to the track and ran 400m - the wristwatch showed 440m (I didn't know at the time that 400m isn't really enough of a run to calibrate by) so - the calibration factor after the run was (1000/440)*400 = 909. (1000/recorded distance) * known distance.
Eeyin, I had a problem with my HRM strap as well - thought it was bust, but I tried tightening it up a bit, and it has been fine since!! Can't really believe that was the problem, but since I haven't had any more periods of no signal - which I started getting all the time, I have to think that it must be that. Worth a try?
And finally - the IR, I use mine on my (work) laptop - and it just worked - if you just press the down arrow on the wristwatch so that it goes to the 'connect' option, then hold it close to the IR port - if it is set up right, the computer should recognise that something is talking to it, and away you go! We did try an old Lego Mindstorms IR interface that we have - but that didn't work - too tight to spend more money on another interface for the desktop.
Especially as I spend £35 on the bike option before I went away.
And holidays are expensive..........
Anyhow. I am trying to stay awake - this is helping. 9 hour flight home, 8 hour time difference, no idea what is going on - but it doesn't feel right.
I just got back from Sydney, Australia, where I also did some running with the 625(along the harbour). Isn't this thing great for running in unknown places?
Anyway, back in Ottawa now, and still recovering from a 14 hour difference...
Everyone may be interested in the fact that my Duracell battery in the foot pod "gave up the ghost" at 25 hours of running time. Seems that Polar's 40 hours statement is a little optimistic...
It was fabulous - despite the weather.
Just back from a race - in case anyone was wondering, not a good way to recover from jet lag!! Not only did I feel crap all the way round, but I had to sit down at the end for fear of falling over! Well, that was my excuse for being nearly a minute slower than usual
On the 'up' side - I do have a new maximum heart rate - 3 beats higher than previously recorded. Which is nice. And the 625 recorded 9.96km - which I can't complain about.
Also highlighted the fact that the organiser's km markers were a bit randomly spaced - which helped me because otherwise I would have been a bit disheartened to see that although I ran the first 2 km in 4:30mins each (yes, ok, I went off way too fast - for me), I ran the third in 6:30min!!
Noticed a lot of people wearing Bodylink things.
Not another footpod in sight though.
I feel so special.
First impressions of its speed/distance monitoring are very positive; I haven't had a chance to calibrate it yet, but the overall accuracy/pace seems pretty good based on comparisons with pedometers/maps/pace/treadmill estimates -- and it is certainly consistent. I ran the same route (around 10km) on two consecutive days at vastly different speeds, and in opposite directions (the route is a loop), yet the overall recorded distance was just about identical, as it should be. The altitude/topological measurements also seem to match up with what I was expecting.
Generally speaking, the 625x is basically the 610i with speed/distance functionality (and with bike compatibility; yet another bonus, I'd like to get more seriously into cycling when I can afford it... with the Polar power output sensor you additionally get cadence, cycling speed, power, and left-right pedal indexs; what more could you want?); which is entirely a good thing, as far as I'm concerned, since the 610i is an excellent piece of equipment.
I find the foot pod to be negligible in weight once on my foot. I was initially concerned that I might find the extra weight irritable, but to be honest I am not even really aware of its presence. The new soft-style Wearlink transmitter belt is also very comfortable.
Everything is working just fine, the Polar software is pretty decent (shame there is no version for Linux...) and seems to be updated regularly, providing all the information you could wish to have for a very effective electronic exercise log/diary. (I use my Polar HRM for just about all exercise I do, whether it be running, weight training, spinning, gym sessions, etc...).
The only minor quibble I have would be the fact that for some bizarre reason the wrist strap is slightly thicker (in width) and more (illogically) tapered than the 610i, with the result that the strap securing loop doesn't slide very far up up the neck of the strap; given that I have skinny wrists (I use it set on the third hole), this means that the end of the strap tends to be flapping around rather too much! And the 625x, as already noted, is somewhat bulky (rather similar in size to those Casio G-Shock watches), being almost twice the girth of the 610i. But no major big deal. Despite its size, it is quite stylish looking, albeit in a rather brutal, serious appearance.
Overall I'd have no hesitation recommending it as a running (or indeed, general exercise) aid -- the term "running computer", as opposed to a mere HRM, genuinely seems justified for this beastie! To me it represents the logical choice for any serious or enthusiastic runner.
Of course, one could ask for even more; why, for example, is it not quite as well specified in some regards as the 810i (in terms of exercise set flexibility, testing functions, etc.; I wonder whether an "825x" will appear in months to come...?), and it would be nice if it had yet more memory.
But these are merely technological refinements rather than essential features, and so nevertheless the 625x serves all my purposes excellently.
John.
All I need now is a really good bike (or two; a nice road and mountain bike would do nicely) and the Polar power output sensor and then I can make full use of the 625x... oh well, I can dream! (I currently have one crap bicycle that is badly in need of a serious service).
Very impressed with the accuracy, especially considering it was uncalibrated and I was run walking :-)
It is the one area that I am really unchuffed about - the first battery (that came with it) lasted 11 hours, the second (duracell) 17 hours, and the last one only 15 hours!!
I know I am a bit rubbish at remembering to turn it off straight after a run, but this doesn't seem quite right.....
jj- how did you go? pleased?
has anybody used the altimeter/temp function yet?
Were you able to move the pod to a different
pair of sneakers without having to recalibrate? Did it keep it's accuracy?
The biggest thing I have noticed is that if my lower laces work loose, so the pod can wiggle around - that really seems to make a difference.
Phatz - I have the altimeter/temp function on all the time, mostly because I love the altitude graph on the download!
I find that the altitude is great on a run by run basis, but because it is all done by atmospheric pressure, it varies in it's base reading day by day (hour by hour, etc).
I am not convinced by the temperature readings - I am pretty sure that they are are affected by the heat of your body. I didn't think that previously - but have noticed that running recently in the much cooler weather, the temperature readings are still pretty high - usually 25 - 26 C.
I'll let you know how my temp reading is .. but i spose it must pick up ambient and if you have sleeves or gloves it may influence the true temp? i dunno ... another geeky/gadgy thing to obsess over !
Back in action with a vengeance yesterday as I did the Great North Run as my first run in 3 weeks. Used the S625 purely for recording purposes and tried not to look at it too much as I didn't want to get too geeky about times etc. in case it spoilt my enjoyment.
My run was a bit erratic as I stopped dead at the first water station, walked a bit at the other water stations and varied my running pace due to crowds, going off too fast etc.
Anyway the point of all this is that the footpod measured 12.4 miles which is obviously significantly inaccurate.... Next stop running track for calibration.
On battery life I got about 11 hours on the original and similarly to tallbird have exhausted a duracell in about 25 hours. Also quite annoyingly I didn't get any red light warnings, battery just conks mid run with no warning.
Phatz- Best way of finding correct altitudde for your home is to try an ordnance survey map or website.