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Garmin Forerunner 405 with HRM and USB ANT stick - Black | 
| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: £299.99
Buy New: £203.27
as of 9/3/2010 05:49 CST details
You Save: £96.72 (32%)
New (13) from £203.27
Seller: Amazon.co.uk
Rating:  82 reviews
Media: Electronics
Batteries: 1
Batteries Included: No
Display Size: 1.5
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 0.8 x 2.1 x 4.1
MPN: 010-00658-21
Model: 010-00658-21
UPC: 753759075354
EAN: 0753759075354
Release Date: March 15, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
 Out of the box, going back, but then... January 16, 2009
Artybloke (UK)
70 out of 70 found this review helpful
Ive been running and cycling with HRM's for many years now and this is my most expensive foray into a new monitor plus GPS. After lots of web based review studying i decided to bite the bullet and go for the 405. Initially out of the box it all looked chunky and rubbery in a nice way, i then charged the watch and got playing. I had a complete nigthmare with the touch sensitive bezel and the software(Garmin connect) and the install on the PC version for when your away from an internet source, so went to bed feeling like I was going to return the 405 and get a refund.
Having slept on it(not literally:) I decided that Surely Garmin wouldn't release untried technology beta versions onto the market. So perseveared with it and played some more, started to get used to it and as I explored its functions and use started to quite like it. So went for a 10K cross country run and really got on well with it - the touch bezel is way easier to use on the fly than buttons! Got the software soughted - awesome:) now I have used this watch a good few times and it rocks. The chest strap is the most comfortable i have used as well.
The trick is just to take your time, learn about it and how to use it. Initially the watch and the software are not particularly intuitive but be patient and it all just comes together and you wonder what all the fuss was about. It is an extremely clever piece of kit with really advanced technolgy and loads of really useful functions; more of a computer than a watch in some ways. Also on the Garmin web site there are a series of short demo/instructional videos with a guy called Jake which are really worth a look before and after purchase as they really show the watch in its functional state and on an arm(so you get an idea of scale)! The Garmin spec sheet does not do it justice either, as it does alot more than it says on the tin! Including every heart rate type: BPM, %,HRR% and so on(doesn't mention % in the spec)
With reference to the water and bezel thing that has been mentioned this shouldn't really be a problem as you can easily lock the bezel and leave the unit paging through the info on auto. Also the other thing worth mentioning about the bezel, as this seems to bother some people from what ive read, is that you can change the sensitivity of the bezel in the menu, as it is purely electronic rather than mechanical. Similar to i pod but without that mechanical movement you get when you operate the i pod control.
Hope this helps
Nice, if pricey, bit of kit July 9, 2008
R. W. Mackenzie
40 out of 42 found this review helpful
There's no getting away from the fact that this is an expensive bit of kit and, for most people (me included), probably totally unnecessary. I upgraded to this from a Polar HRM without GPS and have been mainly using it for running for the past month or two.
As a bit of kit, it's great and works very well. The heart rate monitor is fine and the GPS seems to work accurately and well where I live (you can check the accuracy by uploading your workout into google earth).
You can customise up to three screens on the watch with up to three bits of information each (including speed, time, distance, heart rate, pace/mile). A slight downside of this is that if you have three bits of information, two of them are quite small.
I like the interface with the software that allows you to programme a workout (say warm-up, 10 x 400m speedwork with 1 minute easy) and then upload it to the watch, which then beeps at you at each change. As I said at the outset, I don't NEED this (I can count to 10 even when knackered), but I like it. The software also allows you to compare workouts with each other (e.g. speeds and heart rate graphs).
My minor niggle is a lack of battery life, which means I end up charging it every day to avoid running out of power (but the power clip device is natty and works fine).
I like the ability to monitor the distance and speeds I've run at, and I think this will help my training. Certainly, it's given me more motivation in the short term, even if my wife thinks that I've turned into a sad stato.
Hopefully a more balanced view November 1, 2008
Dominic Shields
58 out of 62 found this review helpful
I have been running seriously since August 2005 and in that time have owned a Forerunner 101, a 301, a 305 and now the 405 with HRM, I have 900 runs/races uploaded to Motionbased, I have competed in 83 races this year wearing a 305 and for the last month a 405. Apologies for the long preamble but many reviews make me wonder whether the reviewer has actually used the device in anger.
Firstly the 405 is a vast improvement on the 305 in three ways
1. The size (obviously), I only ever take it off in the bath or shower, if this was the only improvement that would be sufficient for me.
2. Connectivity to the PC/Laptop - the 305's USB cradle was a constant struggle with intermittent connections, the ANT stick has performed flawlessly for me.
3. Reduction of the button count, the 305 has seven (yes seven) external buttons, the 405 just having the two external buttons is ergonomically much better.
Now - the Bezel - it seems people fall into two camps, those like me who start running and concentrate on the job in hand and those who during a run or race have to explore every conceivable menu option on the Garmin. I don't have any Bezel issues because I don't mess about with it - I haven't seen the rain affect it either.
In summary I think this is a superb product, if I was being hyper-critical then I'd like a firmware revision to implement distance alerts (not laps, I don't want laps) as in the 305 but that's it.
Update - tonight I had some insight into why people find the device hard to use as I watched someone new to Garmins have a total nightmare with the device simply because he appeared to have not taken the time to find out how the thing works. You can't make up for that by simply hitting buttons and the bezel at random. I have worked as a computer programmer for 19 years and it still amazes me how people think they can win an argument with an electronic device. You won't, you have to work with it.
Update 2 - Software You can still use the old-style Motionbased as well as Garmin.Connect which I am hoping is a work in progress as its well short of being an improvement to its predecessor. As for Sporttracks being brilliant and light-years ahead of Training Centre, that's so obvious it amazes me that many people appear to need convincing of this.
Update 3 - I can't quite believe that I omitted to mention the time to satellite lock which is dramatically faster than the 305 and seems far more tolerant to being moved around during the process.
Update 4 - I was showing the 405 to a non-runner the other day and remarked on the bezel angst and he said "Presumably they [the critics] haven't ever seen an iPod".
Update 5 - Having been faultless from October 2008, in July 2009 I noticed condensation under the glass and the unit began to suffer from lockups requiring resets. I telephoned Garmin, was given an RMA and had a new 405 in my possession 6 days later, that's quality support! Though no doubt the 405 haters will have some problem with this.
Fantastic Product! June 20, 2008
M. Devine (Beaconsfield England)
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I've only had a 405 for a few days, but here are my initial impressions:
I like;
It's small and does what it says on the tin.
You can easily configure the display you see as you run (speed/distance/heart rate).
Once it's working it is very easy to upload your data to a PC.
Seeing your run (with all biometric data) on Google Earth (desktop software) or Google Maps (online site) is amazing.
It finds GPS satellites quickly and reliably.
I don't like;
It took me an hour to get the ANT stick upload working, although that might be me!
The battery life is on the low side (4-5 hrs running use after a full charge). GPS usage seems to burn the juice for all devices as I have the same problem on my BlackBerry.
Overall I would say this is a fantastic device and would definitely recommend it. It makes all competing products seem like the previous technology generation.
At last we have a gps WATCH June 10, 2009
J. Pike (Guernsey, Channel Islands)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
In 2006 I decided to run the New York Marathon which was quite a challenge for someone who last ran going to buy some cigarettes before the local shop closed.
As someone who goes all or nothing I stopped smoking and looked into every gadget I could get my hands on. I was amazed when I found the Garmin 205. It was a fantastic product. It kept me updated with my training progress and goals. I completed the Marathon in about 4 hours and decided to take a break. 2 ½ years, 2 stone and one sold 205 later I decided to buy another GPS Watch.
I've had my 405 for about 2 weeks now and I couldn't be happier with it. This time it is a watch also. The 205 while great was not something you would wear unless you went running. The 405 in my opinion is a nice looking timepiece and while it seem a little large at first I now don't even notice it.
Many people have complained about the Bazel, in short if you visit the Garmin website and spend 10/15 minutes following the video instructions it is very easy to use. Some say it is too sensitive while you are running. It is easy to lock it and still show your data on screen.
The Ant Stick took a while to link to my watch but after reading through Garmins problem page I found the answer.
Now I'm not one for manuals but after spending the first hour getting pretty peed off I found it was the best way to go and far quicker.
Battery Life if you have the gps off seems to be about 7 days.
All in all this is a fantastic product.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 25
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