Garmin Forerunner 305 problems anyone else ?

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  • I hope it's ok you use this thread to mention the supplier who sold me my 305.

    My unit (purchased in October 2007) recently stopped working for no apparant reason. I sent it back to the supplier to be looked at under warranty. I posted it on Monday and in Wednesday morning's post received a brand new unit without question. How about that for speed of service?!

    If it's ok to do so - the supplier was BHIP Ltd whose website is www.bhi-partnership.co.uk
  • The charger is useful if you go away for a week or so and want to use your 305 but not to take your PC along.

  • Does anyone have a problem with the heart rate monitor strap rubbing. Where the battery goes, there is a groove to help open it. It is this that feels like it cuts in, any suggestions. Or am I the only one to have this problem.
  • I've recently had a couple of problems with my 305.
    About a week ago I found I could not charge my 305 using the USB connector to my pc. After searching on these forums I found a link mentioning the four connectors on the rear of the watch. One of mine had turned black and so I did what the link said and used a pencil rubber to clean it. Problem solved. 305 now charges ok.
    Since then I found I could not get the unit to download my history to the training centre. After spending a few hours getting nowhere I emailed garmin with the problem. 3 days later they replied, but the only solutions they offered, I had already tried. They stated at the end of the email that if I still had problems I had to phone them during the day and they would talk me through the problem. The number they supplied was for the United states!!!!
    As I didn't fancy spending god knows how much money phoning uncle sam I decided to go it alone again so I backed up my history on the training centre. Unistalled everything to do with garmin. (Some files are hidden so you have to do a search) Did a full re-install with the most up to date training centre from garmin's home page, downloaded and updated the usb drivers and updated the GPS chip set. It could of been blind luck but eventually I got it to work again.
    From now on I think I'll spend a bit of time cleaning the unit and keeping the software up to date.

  • Hi

    Something I thought may be useful. I have had my Garmin for about 14 months and always read this forum, but thought myself lucky as mine never gave me any issues.

    Then I went to turn it on and nothing - put it in the USB and nothing - dead!

    I then put it in the wall charger and still nothing. So I went off in a sulk and rather upset as I had bought it in the States.

    But when I woke up this am it was fully charged and working. So I think that the charging from the USB was not enough as I had been using it a lot recently and it needed a good all night charge.

    Just my story. But a good bit of kit, I would be lost with out it, helps with heart rate training and motivation I find.

    Ben
  • the sound has just died on mine,anybody know if theres a volume control? 2 months old,it did get wet when i went for a run yesterday,but it is water resistant to a metre.
  • Phone Garmin, they will replace it under warranty without question takes less than a week just hope the replacement doesn't do the same!

  • cheers robin i have emailed them but i will give them a ring on monday,cracking bit of kit though,i just wont take it out in the rain again. :-(
  • I've had my unit for a couple of weeks and have had no problems with it, and hope to continue that way.

    However, I am having some teething problems with the Training Center software. When I went to try and transfer my run data from the device it wouldn't connect and I've noticed that my history has disappeared.

    As I've been using SportTracks for a couple of years to manually input my data, the data is in there but the Training Center data has upped and left.

    Does anybody have any ideas? Does the history get saved in a file somewhere?

    Thanks in advance.
  • Is antone else having trouble downloading maps on to the divice. only one map loads on the screen although all the map names are in the courses file. if i download more than one , the same map shows but under a different name. I have been able to get diferent map on it but only one at a time. but i have to delete all other maps from the training center or else they all download. confused? me too. how do i explain that to the Garmin person on the end of the phone without sounding like some sort of ejit who doesn't know how to use the damn thing.
    I have to say the rest of it is pretty cool so far. so many training and workout options.:lol:
  • Have only had 305 2 weeks, am very concerned after reading about all the problems that everyone has had. The only issue I have so far is that the HR monitor seems very erratic, any suggestions or similar issues.
  • I'm on my 3rd HRM in so many years. They're not broken just up graded. I find if you clean them with antibac hand gel it sometimes does the trick otherwise I wiggle it about when I'm running (looks strange). hope this works for you.
  • The software that comes with the Forerunner is very feature poor, I think their aim is to push you towards their Motionbased website for proper analysis of your data (only available with a substantial subscription fee!).

    However free software SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/ gives me all the analysis I need with maps/splits etc.
  • Does anyone have an email address for Garmin I emailed them over a weeek ago and have heard nothing yet.  I can't see any graphs on my training centre this happened before and they came back on their own but it doesn't look like that is going to ahppen this time Maybe I should try uninstalling and reinstalling?

    Any ideas anyone?

  • I rang them. the number is on the website. they where very helpful.

    you could try installing the latest software. they wil prob tel you that too.

  • I have already done that ( latest software bit) - no joy isn't it a US number to call?
  • Europe

    (for all Garmin products except Apollo aircraft)

      Hours of Operation
    • Monday - Friday
    • 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
    • U.K. time
    <!-- -->
      Phone
    • Free 0808 238 0000 (within U.K.) image
    • 0870-8501242 (within U.K.)
    • +44-870-8501242 (outside U.K.)
  • Thanks Caff

    I did phone the /europe number yesterday and they were quite helpful - told be to do a reboot which I did and it got a signal much quicker than actual yesterday but after my ru when I went to move the history to the training centre it asked if I wanted the profile on the training centre and I said yes then got no graohs again- maybe I need to uninstall the training centre then reinstal and start profile all over again.  I'll try that before I phone back for the returns address because I would rather not send it away unless it really won't work.

    Is the tool bar new or have I just not noticed it before?

  • i'm prob stating the obvious but you only get graphs on the history setting and when you have a history on the screen if that makes sense.

    not sure about the tool bar thing, i've always had one i think.

    glad to help.

  • I knew I wouldn't have my old graphs from the old history because I think I wiped that when rebooting the unit but I did a run last night and transferred the history and expected to get a graph for that but none appeared.  although actually all old runs were there just no graphs so that is why I think I need to uninstal the training centre, or may be I should not have accepted the profile from the training centre.

    I'm begining to confuse myself.image

  • Blimey

    you guys are talking about features that I never even knew were possible.

    Here's a quick question. image


    If I go out into unknown territory and get lost after 20 miles (not exactly unknown) can it help me get back to my starting point?

  • Good question I think it probably could if you had uploaded a route from a map, but I haven't really figured that out yet.

    Does any one know if you can upload a route from Gmaps?

  • Hi,

    I have had the 305 since Feb and have used it for about 4 runs a week.  In the last coupe of weeks it has been discharging the battery.  E.g. after about 3 runs of around an hour the battery decided it could last no longer.

     Has anyone else had this problem?  I had a look through this thread and couldn't find anything about battery discharge (although some v useful tips!).

     Thanks

  • Blisters,

    You can do that. Not entirely sure how as I haven't done it. I think that you have to set your start as a way point (?) When you get lost you can ask it to take you back to the stored point. It will then show which direction you should be heading in.

  • there is a back to start option on the navigation menu which will point you back to star as the crow flys. or you can put in a location "HOME" for example the press find location and goto but it will only point you as the crow flys. you can put in a map. I export from Mapmyrun.com. that way if you happen to lose your way (as i do regally) you can get yourself roughly back on track.

  • Can anyone answer this?

    How can I tell for sure if my 305 is charging?  Plugged it into my father's laptop as my pc is broken and it does the following, one or the other so to speak:

    1. Switches on and tries to locate satellites etc.

    2.  Says "battery charging" for less than a second before I gets "usb device not recognised" from windows.

    3. Does nothing whatsoever.

    Do I need to install the software that came with the 305 for a driver or something?

  • i think the laptop should tell you that it has found new hardware then ask you to insert disk.
  • Just used the wall charger in the end as couldn't be bothered installing anything.....now fully charged again image

  • Has anyone experienced the problem of the Garmin remaining stuck on the Locating Satellites Screen?

    I cannot get any reaction from any of teh buttons at all. Is there some special reset technique? 

  • I have noticed this recently. I press the mode button and just carry on. it seems ok.
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