Garmin Forerunner

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The Garmin Forerunner is a Global Positioning System (GPS) device designed primarily for use by recreational road runners. It is designed as an accurate, precise method of measuring distance, speed, time, altitude, and pace, all of which can be important to athletes in training for races.

Three models of the Forerunner exist: the 101, the 201, and the 301. The 201 and 301 models include a docking station and software for uploading run track points to a personal computer, where a user can view a map of their run, see their progression over the course of the run in pace and altitude, and even apply the map of their run over a satellite image of the area where they ran.

In 2006 Garmin introduced versions [205] and [305], which are smaller and which use a much more sensitive GPS receiver chip, the SiRF III.

Criticisms

Since the Forerunner is based on GPS technology, it requires a relatively clear view of the sky to the satellites in order to function properly. Consequently, if a user wears their Garmin in an area with heavy tree cover or other blockage of the sky, the Forerunner may not record track points. In doing so, the readout of distance traveled may return a shorter value than the actual distance. Users from the Pacific Northwest have reported regularly encountering this problem.

The Forerunner 101 is the only of the three versions to use disposable battery power (the others are rechargable). Consequently, battery life is limited to about four hours, which for long-distance runners (and marathon runners in particular) is usually not long enough to record an entire run. The Forerunners 201 and 301, however, have a battery life of approximately 15 hours.

External links

[Garmin Official Site]

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