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: Buy a 305 instead
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought one of these to replace my old 305 which was stolen, and that in turn was a replacement for my original 205. The 205 and the 305 were brilliant devices that worked very intuitively and I was expecting the same standard with the 405.
But no. Unlike its predecessors, the 405 is annoying, hard to use and buggy.
These are my main gripes:
1. There is no "off" button.
Seriously, you cannot turn it off. So if you go for a run then toss it in the drawer the battery will go flat. The only solutions are to leave it on the charger, or plan your exercise long enough in advance to give this time to charge.
2. The screen is too small.
When I run I like to know my distance, time, speed and average speed. The 305, with 4 data fields, was fine for this. The 405 has only got 3 data fields of which only one is big enough to read on the go, which is not enough because;
3. The controls are completely useless.
The touch bezel is incredibly frustrating to use even when you're sitting on the couch. Trying to use it while running is like trying to thread a needle while running. The only way to manage it is to set the screen before you go and then don't touch it. So no scrolling through data fields on the go (and auto-scroll means you have to wait for ages to fleetingly see the data you are looking for). I've also heard that wet fabric will trigger the bezel if it comes in contact. I don't run in long sleeves but if you do it's one more thing to be wary of.
4. The backlight only stays on for 30 seconds. If you run at night or in the mornings with such a small screen you cannot read the display without the light. Turning it on requires touching the bezel which means you're just as likely to stop the clock or turn off the GPS as succesfully turn on the backlight. Doing that every 30 seconds is not practical or fun.
5. The speed readout does not seem to be accurate. Sometimes when I speed up I look at the screen and it says I've slowed down, and vice versa. It usually corrects after a minute or so but that never happened with the 305.
This is one of those rare situations where you can get a much superior product for a much lower price by just getting a 305 instead.
Hopefully the next generation will be better.
Digital camera Review: Can'r recommend
Summary: 1 Stars
I've used a Polar 625 for many years but wanted a GPS unit for pacing accuracy plus the map. The 405CX is a great GPS unit but I've been very disappointed in the quality of the watch as well as its general useability. I hate the wheel - after the first couple of uses in winter before I learned how to lock the display I nearly grabbed the thing off my and stomped it. My long sleeve running jacket rubbed the touch sensitive bezel and TURNED OFF THE GPS. Plus once it gets wet you can't do anything with it. Sorry, but this sucks. And the "8 hour" battery, a joke. I left the watch in my running bag for I think, three days, and then when I went for a long run on Sunday, after an hour the thing died. Come on, its been sitting unused for a couple of days and the battery has been discharging? I'm eating the $300 and buying either a 305 or a 310. Highly do DO NOT RECOMMEND the 405CX. Oh and I forgot to mention I've had to send this unit back TWICE because of internal fogging. TWICE IN ONE YEAR. Two new watches. Now the warranty is up. If it fogs again its into the river.Digital camera Review: Comparison to the Forerunner 305
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this to replace my old Garmin Forerunner 305. I thought it would be a lot better, but it is actually mainly worse. First, it does not do multi-sport like the 305 can. What this means is that you will not have accurate data for a triathlon. The watch will always think you are running. The 305 can be set on "bicycle" or "other." Not a deal-breaker ... yet.
Second, it is not waterproof, but neither are any of the Garmin's except the Forerunner 310XT, which is probably the next one I will get. They are all considered water-resistant, but not recommended for swimming ... Still not a deal-breaker.
One of the advantages of this watch was it's small size (better for a woman's wrist) and it's functionality as a sport watch when not being used as a GPS. Unfortunately, this multi-functionality makes it difficult to use. Just when you are ready to use the GPS, it will automatically switch back to "watch" mode. This is not really a problem once you have figured out how to use it correctly, but I read the instructions, then took it out for a run only to find I couldn't figure out how to get it back to the GPS mode. Very frustrating.
Finally, there is the touch bezel feature. Great idea, but not well executed. The buttons are very finicky and often don't work as they should. When you are in the middle of a long run, the last thing you want to be doing is fighting with your watch to get it into the mode you want. Just the last straw in this sub-par edition of the Forerunner. I returned it and got a replacement of my Forerunner 305 for $79 directly from Garmin. When I upgrade next time, I will buy the waterproof 310XT, which also has the multi-sport feature.
The reason I purchased this model in first place was for its charging cradle (one of the things that went bad in my 305) and for its ability to remotely sync with your computer. Both of these things do seem to work better than the 305.
Digital camera Review: Cumbersome heart rate monitor
Summary: 3 Stars
I researched this product before purchasing it for my wife. I don't recall ever learning, in that research, that the heart rate monitor requires the user to wear a big nylon band with electrodes and a transmitter around their thorax.
That sort of negates the value of a very compact GPS unit that you can run with. Why couldn't they design it so that it measures it through the wrist, where the unit itself is attached? High-end electronic stationary bikes can measure the heart rate if you squeeze the conductive ends of the handlebars; that is, through the hand. Why would Garmin expect runners, of all people, to wear a massive nylon band between their shirt and their chest, all the way around their chest?
One other quibble: They've tried to approximate the iPod experience by making tactile controls, like a poor man's touch-screen. But it's not the screen itself, it's the bezel. To scroll through menu choices, you have to move your finger around the bezel, lightly touching it. Half the time it doesn't work, and that's when you're indoors and stationary. That will be a lot of fun when my wife is bounding along a road in 40 degree mist.
Other than that, it's OK; the GPS receiver works well, so far.
Digital camera Review: Decent device, but a few shortcomings
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this because I needed something that could track my heart rate accurately during my workouts and wanted the extra GPS flexibility that doesn't come standard with the Polar devices. It's a very solid device for monitoring your heart rate, though some Spectra 360 Electrode Gel Parker Labs, Each 250GM Tube will come in handy for getting a good heart signal.
The GPS is outstanding, it tracks just fine under heavy tree cover and in other environments where lesser GPS' would lose signal. The only major downside that I've found is that you can only enter waypoints or view your location using deg/min/sec, and I find it much easier to work with UTM references. Hopefully Garmin will fix that in a firmware upgrade. You can of course enter waypoints on your PC and upload them to the device, but it's good enough that it's replacing my etrex on short hikes and it'd be nice to more easily cross reference with a topo map.
It also integrates nicely with Garmin Connect and lets you publish your trail details - here's one of my hikes [..]
You can configure the ANT wireless to automatically download your track and heart rate data when the device is within range of your PC. It's definitely the easiest GPS i've ever had for accessing my trail data.
The battery life isn't wonderful, but it does charge from a standard USB connector so it's easy to keep charged when you travel.