Timex GPS

Both...comes with attachment to shorts. However I have read that using it on shorts causes it to
lose connections...haven't tried it. Also owners manual leaves alot to be desired and figured out on
your own. "JAC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have experience with this product? Do you attach it to a belt

or

Quoted message said:

use the arm strap?

Thanks John Clarke

I have this product, and strapping it on the belt causes it to lose connections, which introduces
errors in the calculation of the distances.

When I strap it to my arm I have no problems at all, and it's not at all uncomfortable.

I do have one question that has been bugging me: Does the GPS reciever calculate altitude? If not
then the distance it measures on a hilly course will be short. Anyone know about this? The manual
should be much more detailed in its explanation of how it calculates distances.

JAC said:

Does anyone have experience with this product? Do you attach it to a belt or use the arm strap?

Thanks John Clarke

JAC said:

Does anyone have experience with this product? Do you attach it to a belt or use the arm strap?

Thanks John Clarke

I use the arm strap.

The primary advantage to this product vs. Nike's sdm[triax 100 is that it doesn't require
calibration and so will work with different users and shoes. However, it has (in my opinion) several
significant drawbacks. First, it takes a while to lock onto the satellites which can delay the start
of your run by as much as several minutes. Second, it won't automatically record splits (oddly
enough, the watch can be set to beep at periodic intervals -- every mile, for example -- but it
won't record your split time); you have to do this manually and that is very difficult to do during
winter when wearing gloves. Finally, the watch will not store your runs for later recall. It will
just append one on top of the other so that you really can't tell when one begins and ends unless
you erase and begin over. I can't understand how the company could have programmed their product
with such deficiencies.

On the other hand, the Nike will automatically record split information and it will store individual
runs (with their splits) until it runs out of storage space (after which you clear it out and begin
anew). It doesn't need any time to lock onto anything and is fairly easy to use once you get
accustomed to it. However, it has to be calibrated before its accuracy can be relied upon. Even
then, it is very sensitive to one's foot strike. Changing shoes or even a change in stride length or
cadence will produce errant distance measurements. Also, the Nike is very prone to interference from
other Nike units. My wife and I cannot use ours simultaneously regardless of how we tinker with the
frequency settings.

I have both the Timex and the Nike and can't say that I really prefer one over the other. The Timex
is more accurate for distance and not subject to variation from changes in my stride on a particular
run but it is inconvenient to use in some respects. The Nike is very easy to use but I have to
accept that its data is sometimes suspect (when running over a known distance, however, I can live
with that problem but it's always interesting to observe the variation). Generally I use the Timex
for races and long runs, and use the Nike for my regular, shorter training runs.

Road Runner said:

I have this product, and strapping it on the belt causes it to lose connections, which introduces
errors in the calculation of the distances.

When I strap it to my arm I have no problems at all, and it's not at all uncomfortable.

I do have one question that has been bugging me: Does the GPS reciever calculate altitude? If not
then the distance it measures on a hilly course will be short. Anyone know about this? The manual
should be much more detailed in its explanation of how it calculates distances.

Yes, it does, but it has to have a critical number of satellites fixed for it to do so. I think 4 is
that number. There was a post on it here not too long ago in another Timex GPS thread.

-jeremy
--
+================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
Astronomy, University of Michigan [email hidden]::[email hidden] "Audentis
Fortuna Iuvat"

Robert Karp <[email hidden]> wrote:
: "JAC" <[email hidden]> wrote:

:>Does anyone have experience with this product? Do you attach it to a belt or use the arm strap?
:>
:>Thanks John Clarke
:>

: I use the arm strap.

: The primary advantage to this product vs. Nike's sdm[triax 100 is that it doesn't require
: calibration and so will work with different users and shoes. However, it has (in my opinion)
: several significant drawbacks. First, it takes a while to lock onto the satellites which can delay
: the start of your run by as much as several minutes. Second, it won't automatically record splits
: (oddly enough, the watch can be set to beep at periodic intervals -- every mile, for example --
: but it won't record your split time); you have to do this manually and that is very difficult to
: do during winter when wearing gloves. Finally, the watch will not store your runs for later
: recall. It will just append one on top of the other so that you really can't tell when one begins
: and ends unless you erase and begin over. I can't understand how the company could have programmed
: their product with such deficiencies.

: On the other hand, the Nike will automatically record split information and it will store
: individual runs (with their splits) until it runs out of storage space (after which you clear it
: out and begin anew). It doesn't need any time to lock onto anything and is fairly easy to use once
: you get accustomed to it. However, it has to be calibrated before its accuracy can be relied upon.
: Even then, it is very sensitive to one's foot strike. Changing shoes or even a change in stride
: length or cadence will produce errant distance measurements. Also, the Nike is very prone to
: interference from other Nike units. My wife and I cannot use ours simultaneously regardless of how
: we tinker with the frequency settings.

: I have both the Timex and the Nike and can't say that I really prefer one over the other. The
: Timex is more accurate for distance and not subject to variation from changes in my stride on a
: particular run but it is inconvenient to use in some respects. The Nike is very easy to use but I
: have to accept that its data is sometimes suspect (when running over a known distance, however, I
: can live with that problem but it's always interesting to observe the variation). Generally I use
: the Timex for races and long runs, and use the Nike for my regular, shorter training runs

Finally a good fair comparison by someone who owns both units. I have the Time and ab blewssed to
live in an areas where I generally pickup 8 satellites and rarley drop to fewet than 6 (results from
my stand along Garmin GPS 78 MAP receiver). I tried wearing the receiver at waist level one time and
that was the only time I've had any known errors in distances being reported so I stick to the arm
band mount. The only minor inconvience witht he arm mount is that with my arem it's hard to adjust
the strap in such a mahor so that the tail end of the strap is not a little loose. Not a big deal
but the velcro has snagged and been rough on some shirts and singlets.

Test wit the proper number of signals it will calculate slope distance. I have one place I run that
in one two mile streach climbs then decends about 500 feet and the distance does match the marked
miles. I know the person who laid out the miles on that course and every mile was verified at least
twice with a jones counter.

Since I alternate training shoes and sometimes run tails wit trail shoes in tat case I hate the idea
of always having to readjsut the Nike.

I don't really use the current speed/pace information so I won't comment on the accurace (or lack
there of according to some) of that feature. I too hate not supporting logging of multiple workouts.
The manual is very weak. For a first generation device not bad but not as good as it could be. I
would consider waiting for a second generation of the watch to be released and then get the new one
with improved features or get one of the current ones if the new features are not important to you
at a clearance price. The only problem is I don't think Timex has announced any plans for an updated
model so far.

Whould I buy it agin? Most likely, my main interest was to have a device that that. Tom