Review: Garmin Forerunner 10

Garmin Forerunner 10 Review
Hayley James

With the release of the new Garmin Forerunner 10, I have been asked to try it out and give my honest opinion, so here it goes...

A bit of background

First here is a little background on me, I wouldn’t consider myself fit or very knowledgeable about fitness and health although I do like to keep active and have fun. My current activities of choice are walking, skateboarding and playing tennis twice a week.

Since I have started working at Highly Tuned Athletes as the Marketing Coordinator I have been interested in getting a GPS watch but have always put it off because I could never really rationalise a reason to spend a bunch of money on a GPS watch that I knew I’d never use or understand 90% of the features on.

Early September, when the Forerunner 10 was announced and from what I had read of it, the answer to what I wanted was on its way. I’m not interested in knowing my heart rate so purely a GPS watch was right up my alley and I couldn’t wait to try it out.

Out of the box

Setting it up for the first time was simple. I opened the first page on the Quick Start manual so I could understand which buttons did what and taught myself from there. To be honest, if it was going to be a complicated process I probably would have given up and it would have sat in the corner of my desk for another couple of weeks.

The set up process didn’t take me more than 3-4 minutes. You get prompted to choose your language and from there you go through the setup menu to put in your weight and change the clock to the correct time in the Settings menu. You do need to manually adjust it to Day Light Saving time, and I assume you’ll have to do the same when Day light Savings ends unless there will be a firmware update between now and then.

You also get 2 screens to customise so you can look at the data most important to you by going Run Options>Data Fields. Personally I set my first screen to time and distance and my second screen to pace and calories, this is the way I prefer my screens for walking and playing tennis but if I were to go skateboarding I would set my first screen to distance and pace.

The Fit

Overall, I find the Garmin FR10 comfortable to wear. The watch itself is quite chunky so it does sit a bit out from my wrist but I understand why it is this way, it needs to fit an antenna to have built in GPS functionality so I’m happy to look past its thickness. It is still smaller than other Garmin GPS watches I’ve seen. Also admittedly I do have a wrist size of a 5 year old so really any watch seems chunky on me. See images below.

Garmin Forerunner 10 - Fit

In action

The first time I used it I went walking with my dog, Buffy. It took approximately up to 3 minutes to get a satellite lock. The guys in the office succeed this will be quicker the next time I use it. Finally we were away, with one press of the button to Start. With every Kilometre we reached, the watch alerted me with a beep and flashed the time it took. I liked this feature a lot, it made me feel like I was accomplishing something. At the end of my walk I pressed the “Select” button and you get the choice to Resume, Save or Discard. Once you press ‘Save’, it then proceeds to list out all the data it’s collected. I especially liked the feature that told you your fastest kilometre and that you have made a new personal record.

The second time I used it I took it to tennis. I found the satellite lock a lot quicker this time, approximately 1 minute. I’ve always been interested to see what sort of distance I cover when playing a game of singles. It turns out I run just under 2km in a 1 hour game of tennis. (See image below)

Garmin Connect Map - Tennis

The mapping is a great feature of Garmin Connect. You may have noticed that the red line is slightly off from where I actually was on the court. This is because I made a rookie mistake, I was walking and moving around while I was trying to get a satellite lock, therefore it has slightly misread where I was. It couldn’t accurately calibrate where I was because I kept moving around. So my advice is to try and be a little more patient than me and stay still while you’re FR10 is finding satellite.

Below is a graph displaying my pace against time. Obviously because I was playing a game of tennis the graph is showing bursts of pace, but you would get a lot smoother line if you were to go running or walking at a constant speed.

Garmin Connect Graph - Tennis

In conclusion

After using the FR10 at its most basic level, I really like it. It is not only a tool to track your data but a fantastic motivational tool as well. Just knowing my distance and keeping track of my personal records really motives me to keep going. At the moment I clearly don’t use the FR10 as a proper running watch, but what I found was its versatile enough to take it skating to see your speed and to take to the tennis courts to see what distance you are covering.

I plan on getting further into running and soon I’m going to start training to participate in a Trail Run in February 2013 and I think that the FR10 will be the perfect training tool for that. The features that I look forward to exploring during my training will be using the Run and Walk Intervals and using the Virtual Pacer.

Final Statements

The Forerunner 10 is a great GPS watch that has all the basics plus a little more. It’s an attractive watch with very easy functionality. The buttons are easy to press and easy to understand.

My favourite feature of the watch is that it identifies your personal records and that it alerts you each kilometre you accomplish.

Remember this is not a watch for someone who wants to know their heart rate as this watch does not have this functionality.

The Garmin Forerunner 10 is available at:
Highly Tuned Athletes
579 Hampton St, Hampton VIC 3188

Or online at www.highlytunedathletes.com.au

Hayley James
Highly Tuned Athletes

New Product Announcement: GoPro Hero3

The new GoPro Hero3 has been announced!

The new camera from GoPro is 30% smaller, 25% lighter and 2x more powerful than previous models.

The Hero3 is available for purchase in 4 different ways:

Hero3: White Edition5MP, 1080p30/950p30/720p60fps, Wi-Fi Built in

Hero3: Silver Edition11MP, 1080p30/950p48/720p60fps, Wi-Fi Built in

Hero3: Black Edition – Adventure12MP, 1440p48/1080p60/720p120fps, Wi-Fi Built in + Wifi Remote included

Hero3: Black Edition – Surf12MP, 1440p48/1080p60/720p120fps, Wi-Fi Built in + Wifi Remote included

Each of the White, Silver and Black Cameras come with different specifications, features and accessories.

Expected delivery for the GoPro Hero3 is by the 1st of November 2012
Place your pre-order today to be first in line for the GoPro Hero3

For more information click here

New Product Announcement–Contour+2 HD Action Camera

CONTOUR+2 THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN ACTION VIDEO
Contour took the most coveted features from the ContourROAM and the original Contour+ and created a camera that is not only easier to use, but brings an entirely new perspective to your adventures. Now, for the first time you can share beautiful, 1080p HD video with speed, distance, and elevation across the social networks you use most. The Contour+2 features an Instant On-Record switch, even better video quality, a 60-meter waterproof case for those underwater adventures, and is compatible with our vast array of mounts. The Contour+2 will bring your stories to life like never before.

YOUR DATA, EVERYWHERE
Unique to Contour, a built in GPS receiver allows you to capture and share a different perspective. The Contour+2 provides beautiful HD video with overlays for speed, elevation, and distance, so what you share to Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo just got a lot more interesting.

LOCKING INSTANT ON-RECORD SWITCH
No power button, no problem. Simply slide the Instant On-Record switch into its locking position to ensure you shoot exactly when you’re ready.

MOBILE CONNECTIVITY
Use your mobile device to preview your shot before and while you’re recording, as a remote control, or to tweak your camera settings in the field.

IMPROVED ACTION VIDEO AND RECORD UP TO 120FPS
Contour have used their roster of top-notch athletes in the world’s most diverse conditions to help test and fine-tune the sensor in the Contour+2, which features our highest quality action video, ever. In addition to shooting in four different HD modes including 1080p, the Contour+2 also shoots 120 frames per second in 480p. That means super slow motion video is now at your fingertips.

WATERPROOF CASE INCLUDED
Want to take your Contour+2 on your next diving expedition or down a crazy water slide? Included in the box is the waterproof case designed specifically for the Contour+2. Rated to 60 meters, you’re able to take your camera virtually anywhere without fear of water damage. The Contour+2 is designed to withstand tough impacts, snow, and light rain without the case.



Place your pre-order now if you wish to be one of the first customers to own the new Contour Camera, expected first delivery will be 17th of September 2012. For more information or to order the Contour+2 click here.

New Product Announcement: Garmin Forerunner 10

 


The New Garmin Forerunner 10 Has Been Announced!
The Forerunner 10 running watch is a vibrant, intuitive and affordable solution for runners, joggers and walkers of all levels. The Forerunner 10 provides runners with the most essential data: how far and how fast, while also identifying their personal records along the way.
Every mile counts. Capture each one with the new Forerunner 10, Garmin's simplest GPS running watch . It accurately tracks how far and how fast you run, as well as your calories. It also keeps you motivated by identifying personal records and comparing current pace to your target with its Virtual Pacer™ feature. When your run's done, upload to the Garmin Connect™ site to see your run on a map, get more detail on each km and share it with friends - all for free. Today's run is tomorrow's motivation.
Ready to Run
The Forerunner 10 is Garmin's first running watch designed specifically for runners who want to simply lace up their shoes, push one button and just run. The Forerunner 10 is so easy to use, you can start your run with the press of one button. As you run, you can see your time and distance clearly displayed on one screen and calories and pace on another. You can also customise the settings to show pace and distance on the same screen.
Water-resistant (50m) and lighter than any other Garmin running watch, the Forerunner 10 is armed with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver which can quickly acquire and sustain satellite reception, perfect for wooded trails under dense trees or in the urban canyons of skyscrapers.
It Fits
It's Garmin's lightest, most comfortable watch yet and is available in sporty green, pink, or black with red accents. The black and red model has a slightly larger watch face and wider wristband. All models can be worn as a regular watch, so your running partner is always on hand.
Motivating Feedback
As you run, Forerunner 10 automatically alerts you when you complete each km, giving you a friendly beep and a screen that flashes your time for that km. When you complete your run and save it, you'll see a summary of how you did, including your total time, distance, average pace and calories. The watch even lets you know when you achieve a personal record, like your fastest km or longest run to date.
Training Tools
For runners who want a little more, Forerunner 10 has a couple of simple training features like Virtual Pacer™, which compares your current running pace to your target. It also has a run/walk feature that's helpful if you're just starting out or your running plan includes walk breaks.
Store and Share
With a simple connection to your Mac or PC, you can upload your runs to Garmin Connect™ to see your run on a map, get more detail on each km and share it with friends - all for free. You'll be even more motivated when you see your miles add up in Garmin Connect and can go back and see how you've improved from last week, last month or last year.
Specifications

• Battery:
  rechargeable lithium-ion
• Battery life:
  5 weeks in power save mode; 5 hours in training mode
• Water resistant:
  yes (50m)
• GPS-enabled:
  yes
• High-sensitivity receiver:
  yes
• Auto Pause® (pauses and resumes timer based on speed):
  yes
• Auto Lap® (automatically starts a new lap):
  yes
• Heart Rate Monitor
  no
• Garmin Connect™ compatible :
  yes

The Forerunner 10 is priced at $149, and the expected delivery date in store at Highly Tuned Athletes is the 14th of September, 2012.
Whether it's running, cycling, or other athletic pursuits, Garmin fitness devices are becoming essential tools for athletes both amateur and elite. For more information, Click Here

New Suunto Ambit Firmware Updates–Coming Soon!

September Updates:

- “With the September 2012 software update you can download routes to your Ambit from Movescount. Select from thousands of routes made by others and share  your own. Use the new on-screen route navigation to view your progress and the detailed path to your next destination.”

- “The new local grids in the September 2012 software update include among others the
American (UTM/ NAD27 & 83), British (BNG), Swiss (CH1903) and common European (ETRS89) grids. With local grids  Ambit will match the GPS coordinates with those of your local hiking map.”

November Updates:

- “In addition to the already existing training features – such as Peak Training Effect and Recovery time – the November 2012 software update brings new training features such as chrono, countdown timer, interval timer, ANT+ compatibility and Foot POD support.”

- “The November 2012 software update will take your Ambit to a totally new and unexpected level of functionality and customization. You can create your own features or select from hundreds of community-created applications/features and download those to your Ambit. For example: Do want to know your speed in knots? The gradient of the slope? Your arrival time on your run? Your imagination is the limit!”

- “This was only the beginning...More to come in Fall 2012”

SPECIAL: Le Tour de France Special Offer - $100 off the Garmin Edge 800 Bundle!

With Le Tour de France well underway, Highly Tuned Athletes is now also offering $100 off the Garmin Edge 800 Premium Bundle!

This special, along with the Edge 500 Tour de France special will run until the 23rd of July, 9AM AEST or while stocks last

New Product Announcement: Garmin fēnix

The Garmin fēnix is almost here! The Garmin fēnix is the first GPS navigator+ABC wristwatch to include Garmin GPS navigation. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, it satisfies the strict requirements of the serious adventurer. It’s very easy to use and packed with many of the same features found on Garmin's popular outdoor handheld GPS products. As a true GPS navigator, it can guide you off the trail and back to the safety of your vehicle, trailhead, campsite or home. All while conveniently strapped to your wrist.
You can create and follow routes, mark up to 1,000 waypoints, store up to 10,000 track points, and actually navigate to them. Share data wirelessly with other compatible Garmin GPS units and smartphones. Naturally, as a navigating GPS+ABC watch, it also includes altimeter, barometer, 3-axis electronic compass and temperature sensor. Rugged, stylish and waterproof to 50m, it’s as comfortable in the cement, steel and glass jungle as it is escaping the beaten path to life’s greatest adventures.

Key Features
• Navigation by Garmin
No other navigator GPS+ABC wristwatch offers you the GPS navigation capabilities of Garmin -- The world’s most trusted name in GPS navigation.  fēnix tracks where you have been, but it can also guide you into the wilderness and, more importantly, guide you back out again. After all, what good does it do you to collect data, if you can’t use it to find your way back to your computer to download it?

It records a track log creating a GPS “bread crumb trail” as you move. It also allows you to mark waypoints such as your campsite, vehicle location, or other points of interest. With fēnix, you can create and follow routes, mark up to 1,000 waypoints, store up to 10k track points. You can even create routes that can be downloaded to fēnix from Garmin BaseCamp free trip-planning software, from a computer. Then, just follow the navigation arrow to waypoints. To get back, just have TracBack show you the way.

• Chronometer
Rugged and attractive, the fēnix is also a highly accurate timepiece that can be worn everyday. It includes settings for alarms, chimes, and vibration alerts. It also functions as a timer, stopwatch and world clock.

• Altimeter
fēnix has a built-in barometric altimeter that provides accurate elevation information so you can keep track of your ascent and descent.
• Barometer
The built-in barometer can help you monitor and predict weather changes by showing you short-term changes in the barometric air pressure. If the barometric pressure begins a steady decline, this could be a warning of an impending storm.
• Compass
fēnix includes a 3-axis electronic compass that shows your bearing from any position or attitude even when you’re not moving.

• Temperature Sensor
You can gain insight into temperature trends from the built-in temperature sensor.  Knowing how rapidly the temperature is rising or falling can help you determine clothing and shelter needs or whether it’s time to turn back.

• Wireless unit-to-unit communication
You can easily share tracks, waypoints, routes and paperless geocaches wirelessly with other compatible Garmin GPS units and smartphones. fēnix is equipped with both ANT+ capabilities and Bluetooth® technology. That means you can also pair fēnix with several external devices, such as:

• Tempe external temperature sensor attaches to your pack, jacket, shoes, etc. to provide even more accurate ambient temperature readings not affected by your body heat (sold separately).

• Garmin heart rate monitor that give you heart rate information.

• Speed/Cadence sensor tracks your distance, speed and pedal cadence.

Specifications
• Rugged, tough outdoor watch with a mineral glass lens to resist scratching and a high-strength thermoplastic alloy housing to survive shocks
• Fashionable everyday watch with stainless steel case and buttons along with stylishly designed and coloured polyurethane bands (leather band offered as an optional accessory)
• Waterproof to 50m
• Li-ion battery: Watch mode: 6-weeks / Sensor mode: 3-weeks / GPS mode: 16 to 50 hours depending on tracklog frequency
• Watch features: time of day, stopwatch, countdown timer, alarms, vibration alerts
• Wireless sharing (Bluetooth) to other devices for enhanced features.
• Compass, Barometer, Altimeter, Temperature on watch (plot vs. time)
• Large, LCD display (70 x 70 pixels) with character navigation guides, and white LED backlight
• Simple and easy-to-use user interface won’t slow you down from enjoying the adventure
• Wireless sensors support (ANT) – for use with Tempe™ (new optional external temp. sensor accessory), heart rate monitor & cadence sensor
• Waypoints, 10,000 point active/current track, TrackBack, active/current track, navigation line
• Sight-n-Go, Area Calculation, Sun & Moon Phases

The recommended retail price (RRP) for the Garmin fēnix will start at $449.00AUD. We expect first delivery towards the end of August. If you wish to be one of the first customers to own a Garmin fēnix don't hesitate to get your pre-order in as soon as possible.

For more information or to pre-order the Garmin fēnix click here.

SPECIAL: Le Tour de France Special Offer - $150 off the Garmin Edge 500 Premium Bundle!

To celebrate Le Tour de France, Highly Tuned Athletes is offering $150 off the Garmin Edge 500 Premium Bundle!

This special will run until the 23rd of July, 9AM AEST or while stocks last

UPDATE: SUUNTO AMBIT New Firmware update V1.5.10

It must be update day today in the Fitness world as along with the earlier announced Garmin 910xt update, we also see that the  Suunto Ambit update V1.5 is also available as of today.

We recommend that owners of an Ambit log in to their Movescount and perform the update.

A video of the new features is available at the following site: http://www.movescount.com/highlights/?p=781

Suunto Ambit 1.5 update available!

Suunto Ambit owners will find a wealth of new enhanced navigation features and friendly improvements in the software update 1.5. It will further strengthen especially the navigation and GPS functionalities. The update includes new features, such as:

Route creation and navigation based on waypoints:
You can create a route based on individual waypoints in Movescount.com. Download the route to your Ambit and navigate through it waypoint by waypoint. Ambit notifies you when you have reached a waypoint and guides you to the next. Release 1.5 also enhances navigation by showing the name of the waypoint you are heading towards.

Points of Interest (POIs):
In addition to route navigation you can still create individual Points Of Interest and navigate to them. In Release 1.5 POIs can be added manually independent of your location. Stored POIs are categorized according to type, making it easier to search POIs in a list.

Logbook:
You can now view and examine all your previous sessions stored in the watch.

Better views:
Compass and Navigation views are now accessible also in exercising mode.
Read more about new features and how to update your Ambit from Suunto Ambit version update. Other languages available: CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, IT, JP, PL, RU, SV.

NOTE: You need to have the latest version of Moveslink2 to update your Ambit. Please restart your Moveslink2 to get the latest version.

UPDATE: Garmin 910xt Firmware Update v2.5 Now available

v2.5 Firmware update available today and is available at this link - https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/fr910update.jsp

It includes the following changes:

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.50:

• Fixed several problems causing shutdowns during biking and running activities.
• Corrected several instantaneous pace calculation issues.
• Major modifications and additions to Bike Power functionality:
  1. Improved support for power based workouts.
  2. Added new power metrics (Training Stress Score (TSS), Intensity Factor (IF), Normalized Power (NP), kJ).
  3. Automatically modify power zones when functional threshold power (FTP) changes.
  4. Improvements to power sensor calibration process.
  5. Added support for left right power balance.
  6. Added support for 3, 10, and 30s power smoothing.
• Improved accuracy of distance calculations for pool swim.
• Rest times are no longer included in the average pace calculation for pool swim.
• Distance alerts for pool swim will now occur during the last length before completing the configured distance.
• Swim distance alert will now reset after pressing lap button.
• Corrected issues displaying history for open water swims.
• Improved calorie calculations during swim mode.
• Corrected issue with barometer calibration improving initial elevation readings.
• Corrected issue where sudden changes in the elevation could be observed on the watch.
• Fixed problem with auto-scroll that could potentially cause a device malfunction.
• Added ability for the user to enter ANT+ IDs for all sensor types.
• Added sensor details page for all ANT+ sensors.
• Prevented HR alerts from occurring when user was in the correct zone.
• Improved accuracy of battery charge information.
• Improved foreign language translations.