Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue) by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue)
Digital camera Review: A very good COMPACT all in one unit
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been using the 405CX for a couple of weeks now and connecting it to my new iMac 27 running Snow Leopard. I'll break this down into 2 sections:
The Watch
I got rid of the plastic strap and use the velcro one instead. I love this strap, very comfy, good for different wrist sizes. The GPS locates very quickly and judging by the google map uploads it tracks extremely accurately, even down to 5 meters in some cases. It found my ANT+ heart rate monitor straight away and works very well. The customization for the scrolling multi pages is great. It's also a nice feature that it beeps AND lights up when you finish/intermediate distance. The pace monitor means you know how fast you're running each kilometer/mile. My wife has the more advanced triathlon watch but for me, the 405cx works perfectly for running and cycling.
The Software
I've read loads of OLD reviews about how flaky the upload software was particularly with a Mac. I can report that as of now, Feb 2010, I have not had any of these issues. The ANT+ stick is permanently in my imac and picks up the watch every time. The upload AND download to/from the ANT agent is perfect. The training center software is OK but nothing special. I don't bother with it anymore. I skip straight to the online Garmin Connect website which is awesome. The Google maps and google earth feature is fantastic. And I love the splits and playback function. The latest drivers fix all the connectivity problems with the mac.
Overall, a great device considering it looks like a normal watch and therefore does not make the owner look like a dork. The fact that it contains a GPS with playback course setting is also amazing. It's a very good product.
And for all the reviews before 2010, I would ignore anything about reliability as it's all been fixed now.
Digital camera Review: Ain't What It's Cracked Up to Be
Summary: 3 Stars
Quite simply, the heart rate monitor does not work, period. Garmin needs to team with Polar. The GPS functions are great. Now I wear the 405CX on my left wrist and my "old" Polar on my right wrist. When I bought the 405CX from Amazon, I also received "free" a Forerunner 50. It didn't work. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement. It didn't work. I gave it to my daughter. It didn't work for her. Junk. I guess it still works OK as a watch.Digital camera Review: All that I expected
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading through the other reviews here, I had a good sense of what to expect (and what not to). The watch's UI isn't the most intuitive, but after 15 minutes or so, it made sense. My first run was great; although a little bulky, the 405 is very light and comfortable. The real surprise came when I paired it with my Mac though...wow, what a great example of hardware and software designed under the same roof...very, very nice. The only real criticism that I have on that end is distinguishing between [...] and Garmin Connect (where you get your dashboard and all data)...but that's pretty minor. Facebook upload felt pretty clunky, but that's honestly frosting anyway. As you'll read elsewhere, sweat and the touch interface aren't friends...and to that end I'd lock the bezel. All in all, I could not be more pleased.Digital camera Review: Amazing
Summary: 5 Stars
After using a Polar RS100 and switching for the Forerunner 405 cx I have just one opinion:
Awesome watch!
Digital camera Review: Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
First and foremost, do not expect to be able to just put it on and it will work properly. Like anything that costs a bit more, you have to read the instructions. So if you cannot follow directions then you will have a heck of a time trying to use it. I took it on a test run just so I could get a feel for it.
The only problem I had with it was that it wasn't connecting to the satelites in order for the GPS to work. I had to go back in and re-read the instructions.
*Note- If you want to use the GPS, make sure the power save mode is off because that mode interferes with the satelites.*
Once I figured out the satelites, it took several minutes for the watch to locate them, which kind of sucks if its cold outside. You have to stand still until it picks up on the satelites.
Also, make sure the GPS is turned off while you are inside because it will try to connect to the satelites and use up your battery life.
There are so many neat features on this watch but what I thought was so cool was auto-pause setting. This feature will pause your watch if you get below a certain speed. This is good for when you are at stoplights.
I also liked how the watch is set up to transmit your watch data wirelessly. Once transmitted, you can go on garmin connect and view your results.
This is a complicated device, but once you have it all set up and figured out, it's very easy to use. I really recommend this watch to anyone who wants something that will help them with their training and to track their progress.