Garmin Forerunner 305 - Running GPS Receiver User Manual - page 3
The Virtual Partner function makes your
workouts more competitive.
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.
Choose from three workout modes that
help you target your training goals.
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larger
.
The 305 features rudimentary mapping
and location marking functions.
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larger
.
The simple docking cradle makes charging and data
connectivity a snap.
Design
The 305's design is a radical departure from Garmin's previous generation of wrist mounted
GPS devices, which reached a pinnacle with the Garmin
Forerunner 301
. While the 301
delivered accurate heart rate monitoring, good performance tracking, and decent GPS
reception, it didn't quite deliver in the design department. The form factor was bulky and
wearing it wasn't much different than duct taping a full-sized GPS device to your wrist.
Not so with the 305. Garmin's engineers obviously burned the midnight oil and have come up
with a waterproof design that, while certainly not as small as a sports watch, feels just as
comfortable. The curved casing allows the unit's antenna to face the sky when you're running,
while the widescreen display is perfectly positioned for viewing when you need it. And the
display certainly deserves a few kudos. While it's smaller than the display found on previous
Forerunners, its resolution is far higher, offering incredible clarity and crispness.
Garmin has smartly given the 305 a simple button layout and the buttons have a nice tactile
feel with good pressure response. The right side houses the menu selection and enter buttons,
while the left houses a power/backlight button and a mode button. This simple and elegant
solution is a big improvement over the sometimes confusing button functionality of previous
Forerunners.
View button layout
.
The underside of the 305 is pretty nondescript, except for a row of contacts that interface with
the included charging and data cradle. The cradle is small and unobtrusive and its single
mini-USB port connects to either an included AC adapter, or a USB cable that connects to your
PC. In addition to data transfer with the USB cable, you can also charge the 305's embedded
lithium-ion battery via a powered USB connection from your computer.
GPS Performance
The big news about the Forerunner 305 is that it features an integrated, high-sensitivity
SiRFstar III GPS receiver. What does this mean? It means that the 305's ability to both track,
and maintain a lock on, your position is better than anything before it. After an intial battery
charge, the tester had the 305 on his wrist and was tracking speed and distance with GPS
satellites within 3 minutes. The next time we used the 305, satellite acquisition was nearly
instantaneous. A run through dense trees didn't faze the unit either; tracking remained true
and steady. Performance on a bike was equally impressive. Whatever witchcraft has been
cooked up by the designers of the SiRF technology, we like it!
While the Forerunner 305 isn't billed as a GPS
navigation device, it does have some
rudimentary mapping, waypoint marking, and
routing capabilities. In addition to marking
locations along your journey, you can zoom in
or out of a simple map that displays your
current direction and path. There's also a "go
to location" feature that routes you back to
your starting location, or to any location you
have defined. Once you have defined several locations, you can save this
information as a route, allowing you to travel the same path in the future. As you'll
see below, the 305's new "Courses" feature gives you new levels of control over
how you define your favorite runs and rides.
Training Functions
The 305 is first and foremost a training tool, and its ability to organize a ton of data types into a user experience that is intuitive
and simple is no small feat. Whiz-bang technology aside, if you can't use it and make it a natural part of your exercise routine, it's
worthless. When it comes to these factors -- and here's the take home message on the 305 -- this device is successful where many
other devices fail.
The heart and soul of the 305 can be found on the data screens, which give you real-time information about all aspects of your
workout. In fact, the 305 can display a dizzying array of data, such as calories burned, distance, elevation, grade, and heading, as
well as multiple lap and pace modes. The 305 adds the ability to track heartrate, lap heartrate, average heartrate, and heartrate
zones via the included coded heartrate chest strap. With the purchase of a separate wireless cadence and speed meter, you can also
track bike performance data.
Thankfully, the device makes it easy to define how much or how little data you want to view during a workout. You can arrange the
data that's most important to you and then make that data appear front and center on the device. Indeed, within a few minutes of
skimming the manual and fiddling with the device setup, you'll have your most important data displaying just the way you like it.
The ability to display heartrate is a big plus, too, as it's a fairly good indicator of excercise output, fatigue, and fitness level. The
305 has all the heartrate functions you'd expect from a full-function monitor, including the ability to set target zones and alerts to
maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
Garmin's Virtual Partner function was cool feature of previous Forerunners and they've decided to keep a good thing going with the
305. If you're the type that performs best when you've got a competitor egging you on, you'll love this function, as it allows you to
set up virtual running or biking companions that compete against you.
If you're looking for an complicated workout with a variety of intervals and intensity levels, or just a quick three-mile jog against
your best time last week, the 305 has you covered. Navigating to the Workouts menu on the device yields three options: Quick
Workouts, Interval, and Advanced Workout. A quick workout is just that; set the distance and time, distance and pace, or time and
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