Forerunner 301

[Deleted User]

Interestingly David, when I first tried the HR monitor, It recorded peaks of 199 bpm (I was at the beginning of the run and would have been lucky to hit 100bpm). Then I realised that the electrode contact would have been a little suspect until I began to sweat. Solution; good old KY jelly! No spikes and reliable data.

[Deleted User]

Great unit,especially when you download info to motionbased web site which is now owned by garmin, i believe, amazing the information you can obtain. As said before not 100% accurate but great running tool and tremendous for storing information about previous runs. Most frustrating thing is length of time it takes at start of run to lock into satelite, fine if you have been outside for up to 5 mins but frustrating if its winter run and you meet pals inside, it means you are billy no mates outside waiting for satelite to lock on, also its loses signal very easily under trees, so not so good on trail runs but great piece of kit and now could not do without it !!

[Deleted User]

I solved the 5 minute wait to lock on by putting it outside while I have a cup of coffee. It will stay locked on if you then drive to a run, even though it won't lock on while in the car. If it's raining put it in a plastic bag - it still works.

[Deleted User]

Good idea. I wonder if aerial boosters (strips, attached to mobile phones) would boost the sensitivity?

[Deleted User]

Previous postings refer re problems with a forerunner 301...

In anycase I upgraded to the latest ersion of software for the (unit & PC), it made no diference with the unit still giving wildly inaccurate readings and only working as a stop watch (no dependably GPS or HRM)

As it looked like a faulty unit I tried to contact Garmin, the phone no on the website either rings out or cuts off as soon as its answered. So tried to contact Via e-mail, after several weeks the e-mail was returned with a message could I resend it to the another address - the exact same address as the request to resend came from.

I guess its time to just give up on this and go back to using my old heartsafe and accept that at the very least I have been a victim of a company with no interest in customer service or a straightforward scam

I have considered legal action against Garmin Uk but have to accept that its probably just putting good money after bad.

I just hope that this post prevents others wasting money on a product which in my experience does not do what is says on the box.

[Deleted User]

I've had a bit of a rough time with the 301 like David Reed. I bought one from Amazon and whilst it worked, it wouldn't download to my PC. After countless calls to Garmin (December), thay asked me to return it.
I did and waited six weeks for a replacement which worked great until one of the pins came away so the unit was only hanging on by one pin.
I called Garmin who offered to put some pins in the post.
After two weeks, still no pins, I decided to tape it up (very unsightly) and go for a run. After six miles of cross country running I came home and only had an armband on !!!
So I complained and sent back the armband, waited 7 weeks and was phoned last Friday to say Garmin were sending me a new unit on my old armband that should arrive today.
Tech Support are so overstretched it is not even funny. Garmin need to sort this area out, the TS people are really helpful. If this product lets me down, I will never go back as I've just read the new Nike + review :-)

Hope this helps,

GMI

Legal Beagle

Help needed - I just downloaded my run from this morning, clicked on the entry and the programme closed itself down - no message, just closed.

When I logged back on  all my records have disappeared - that's the last 2.5 years training all gone!

Anyone any ideas how I can get it back - have emailed Garmin as well.