[pcsronbo]

<p>Any opinions?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>concern re: 310 is the breaking of the face - several comments on amazon about that. $100+ repair not covered by warranty!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>personally, I'm not pleased with me 405 on multiple counts.</p>

 

[AdCo]

<p>I broke the face on mine week 1.. I shattered it on the side of the pool. garmin replaced it.. since then, i've dropped it a few times, but nothing major and i love my 310 xt <img alt="wink.gif" class="bbcode_smiley" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies//wink.gif"> </p>

 

[niemsco]

<p>You mean the 310xt I assume.  I've had mine for a year, no complaints face is still there.  I had a 405.  This one is light years better dude.  Plus the new swim upgrade is pretty accurate for OW swims.  You can wear it at the start of IMCdA and finish with it.   All that lovely data from swim to run with power included, whats not to like? </p>

 

[Alaska Mike]

<p>Can't see the face on the 310xt being any worse than the 305.  My ex did break the faceplate of her 305, but it happened she hit a bump on the bike and it popped out of the quick mount.  I looked at Amazon and the complaints are all by people who have dropped their 310xt's on hard surfaces and then are pissed because Garmin won't cover it under the warranty.  Gee really?!  You dropped your expensive electronic device with a glass faceplate and it cracked and you're pissed the company wants you to replace it?  Really, they are relatively rugged devices but you need to take care of them.  And when my ex broke the 305 faceplate, Garmin gave her a new unit for $99 (about 1/3 of the price that they were selling for at the time).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You may also want to consider the 305.  IMHO, the 310xt has two primary advantages.  First, it reads ANT power.  So if you have a PM and don't have a computer that reads power data, this may be useful to you.  Second, it works in the water.  So if you can now get GPS data for open water swims.  But I still can't figure out how you use the 310xt during an IM race and don't get it ripped off by the wetsuit strippers.  Plus the 310xt is twice the price of the 305.  That may be worth it to you, it hasn't been to me yet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I would never consider the 405 given the small display size and the crappy bezel interface that I just sucks during Chicago winters.  Give me buttons every day of the week and twice on Sunday long runs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mike</p>

 

[xflbk43]

<br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Alaska Mike</strong> <a href="/forum/thread/70627/garmin-310-vs-405#post_1954186"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p>Second, it works in the water.  So if you can now get GPS data for open water swims.  But I still can't figure out how you use the 310xt during an IM race and don't get it ripped off by the wetsuit strippers.  </p>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
<p>The only problem with it in the water is that it does lose signal when your arm goes under.  Sometime later, I'll post the course it mapped out for me in one of the tris I did.  Nobody swims 100 percent straight OW, but I'm positive I didn't go in circles as the map shows.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As for the wetsuit problem...that can be resolved by not wearing one.  <img alt="wink.gif" class="bbcode_smiley" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies//wink.gif"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I love my 310xt due to all the features...don't know how I got by so many years without it.</p>

 

[niemsco]

<p>On the water issue... yes it does map out a goofy path, but the distance seems pretty accurate.  During the summer I would swim the same stretch of land 2 times a week, and it always measured the same distance +/- 0.01, however the path it generated was sort of silly.  The new software must use some estimation on the true path and compensate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It did measure 2.7 miles in my last IM, but I'm confident I did swim 2.7 miles <img alt="smile.gif" class="bbcode_smiley" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies//smile.gif">  I don't have much issue getting my wetsuit off.   Put on a half I did earlier it was spot on.</p>

 

[pcsronbo]

<p>I just ordered a 310</p>
<p>my 405 is going up on ebay</p>

 

[xflbk43]

<p>Ok, here is a link to the swim portion of one of my races with the 310xt.  Click on "View Details" and then go to the "Player" option and you will get a kick out of the supposed path I took.  This was supposed to be a 500yd swim, so if the distance is accurate based on the Garmin calculations (subtracting my loop de loops), it explains why everyone is so slow every year.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/41813615" target="_blank">http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/41813615</a></p>

 

[niemsco]

<p>Here is an example of my im swim:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49040630" target="_blank">http://connect.garmin.com/activity/49040630</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I assume when they measure the course its right on the buoy line.  Its a congested course being two loop rectangle so typically I'm wide.  I don't know if that can account for the extra .3, but I imagine its somewhere between an extra .1 to .3.   I hope to next year swim right down the line and see what happens.  I just need to get faster so I don't get clobbered.</p>

 

[pcsronbo]

<p>No, you just need to swim straighter <img alt="" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/hello.gif" title=""></p>
<p> </p>
<p>my 310 came in. Got it less HRM, because I have multiple HRM straps... saved $99 - which is weird the replacement HRM is $29... duh</p>

 

[fox-runr]

<p>i used it for a swim this summer, wore it on my wrist and it had me swimming WAY too fast.(maybe I had an excellent day--but doubt it)   We took it to a lake that we have a pretty good idea of distance by guesstimating people's abilities (we've had groups of 25+ with IMs of 52- 1:30.....my friend wore the 310 under swim cap and it appeared to be spot on.</p>

 

[Stitcher]

<p>I wonder if the acceleration that comes from the arm circles affects the signal at all?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even though your arms swing while running, they're mostly swinging horizontally.  Whereas in the water, they are making definite circles.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Where are the GPS experts?</p>

 

[pcsronbo]

<p>I think the GPS isn't designed to handle these movements nor work under water, so it's gonna be screwy</p>