Garmin Forerunner 101 Waterproof Running GPS by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin Forerunner 101 Waterproof Running GPS
Digital camera Review: Appallingly Inaccurate
Summary: 1 Stars
This device is terrible are dealing with tree cover, even light tree cover. On certain points on my run, I am in wide open places with a single row of trees far off to one side, and this device loses the signal.
When the signal is lost or weak, the device is supposed to interpolate straight line distances between the good reads it gets. Yet, it does not manage to do this properly or consistently. I have three main routes I alternate among--a 10K, a 15K, and a 20K. All three distances have been validated by my bicycle computer, which I was very careful to calibrate precisely. After the 10K, this device loses track of about 500 to 1000 meters, although ocassionally, will be relatively accurate, and obviously the inaccuracy gets worse at higher distances. Because the inaccuracy is not consistent I cannot make adjustments to any of its readings, particularly the pace. One particular section of all three runs is a perfectly straight 2500 meters, but with very heavey tree cover. On some days, despite the poor signal, it measures or interpolates the distance perfectly. On others, it is under by 500 or more meters.
This device certainly cannot cut it for any kind of structured training. Inaccuracy is one thing, but it is both inaccurate and inconsistent.
Once the leaves begin falling, I am looking forward to some superhuman increases in performance according to this device as my missing kilometers show up again. Since I know the distances already, I do well enough just using this as an over-priced stopwatch, but it would be nice if it could do a decent job of showing my pace. Very frustrating.
I am well aware of the limitations of GPS devices having worked with tests of GPS tracking devices on trucks. But this device is off the charts terrible. By comparison, I have a GPS receiver for my Nokia N800 tablet computer that can track where I am going in my house, and I have a lot of trees in the yard. I suppose If you live on a glacier or in the desert, or go really, really slowly, this device would be satisfactory.
Digital camera Review: Awesome for marathon training!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the Garmin Forerunner 101 for about 6 months. I bought it to help me train for my first marathon. Without this tool it would have been difficult to maintain variety in my training, which I considered a key element in staying motivated. I also recommend this for those who travel. You no longer have to find pre-determined distances--you can just run wherever you feel like. I have used it in a few different countries and love its versatility. I also feel the 101 is a better value than the 201, it's about 50-100 bucks less because it uses AAA batteries, that's the only difference. However, the 201 is slimmer in design. I highly recommend this product--well worth the money!!Digital camera Review: Basic but enough
Summary: 4 Stars
This is my 3rd Forerunner. I used 201,205 and recently bought this 101. Battery in my 201 became weak and started to lose power during the run. My 205 have the same thing now and also does not start up. Since most of the problem seems to start from the battery and the connectors over the years, I decided to go with 101 which does not have any exposed connectors and use batteries which you can (or I should say "must") replace yourself. This one seems to find the satellites faster and hold them better than the 201 which I bought when it first came out. I use a pair of rechargeable 1000mAh NiMH AAA batteries which you can specify in the set-up menu. Battery seems to last over 10 hours. Also, it was cheaper to buy this compared to sending the old ones to Garmin for an repair. I lost the capability to import the data into my PC but I am happy for the price I paid for. I hope they modify the straps because if you don't rinse after the run it will start stinking.
Digital camera Review: Battery eater, but pretty neat
Summary: 4 Stars
Eats batteries, so I would suggest getting a AAA charger. 15 hours isn't very long if you do long runs or walks. Other than that, and it's enormous size, which is a little big for a woman's arm in my opinion, it's really neat. It seems to work well, and I like knowing exactly how far I've gone. Haven't tried it on trails with lots of tree cover yet, but works well in the winter.Digital camera Review: Best Buy For The Buck!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Forerunner 101 is extremely accurate and fun to use. Verified it several times. Advantages are low cost, buy your own rechargeable batteries and don't have to worry about lithiums or replacements. Purchase an inexpensive heart monitor if you want and save all the added expense of getting the combination unit. If the heart rate monitor/belt goes bad you can replace it cheaper. Overall cost is lower, basics are there, batteries easily replaced, keeps good records. A little more effort but not inconvenient. Prefer it to the more expensive models.