anyone have experience with a Garmin 305

[horsepower]

I am in need of a gps, mainly for horse (trails, distance measurements, etc) but also would record trap sites and fishing/hunting sites like most folks do.  I am interested in the 305 because it can be altered to display my horse's heart rate as well as gps stuff--I do endurance racing and need to be able to measure recovery times and know if/when I am pushing him to hard.

All of that is just to say that the convenience of all in one unit is appealing but if the 305 isn't a great plain gps unit, I might be better off getting two separate items.  Has anyone used the 305 to have firsthand knowledge of it?

[Siskiyou]

My response does not fit your criteria on first hand knowledge but I am doing some research on the 305 because a relative wants one.  He does bicycle road races on weekends.  Many of these are approximately 100 miles.  If he has not bought a 305 he knows somebody that has.

If you are doing 50 and 100 miles endurance rides such as the Western States Trail the Garmin 305 may not be the unit for you.  It has a rechargeable lithium battery with a life of approximately 10 hours.  On a 24-hour ride you would need to have a least two fully charged replacement batteries.  A critical element in your activity is the health of you animal.  If the heart rate does not pass the vet check you are out of the event.  I believe a key would have a team member put a fresh battery in the unit at a checkpoint at the 6-hour point.

I am including a link to the 305 manual. 
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/984_OwnersManual.pdf


I think your idea of two units is smart, the Garmin Legend HCx or the Garmin Vista HCx with high sensitivity receivers, 25-hour battery life, micro SD memory card, and the ability to use Garmin’s Topo 2008 MapSource software would be very useful.

This is a full-blown lightweight handheld, mapping gps with good battery life.  You can create Proximity Waypoints with a warning tone out from the waypoint at a desired distance.  You can also store tracks and routes on it.  As an example you train on a course and store your track.  On the day of the event you get off course you can look at the screen and see your relationship to the course and find your way back.  Encountering a sow bear and cubs on a trail does put the rider off course.

A link to the Garmin Legend HCx manual:

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/eTrexLegendHCx_OwnersManual.pdf

The 305 is not a mapping gps, and does not have a Basemap or the ability to use mapping products.  The Garmin Mapping gps units have a basemap, and you can load TOPO 2008 or other MapSource products on it.  The nice thing is that it will give you the ability to have trail maps of the area you are riding.  Be it the Alleghenies, the Rockies, or the Serrias.

[horsepower]

thank you.  That was a very informative bit of info.  I will check out the ones you recommend.  Right now, I monitor the poor boys heart rate by watching my wrist watch and just feeling for it but this only works when his heart rate is up.  Otherwise, it is not able to be felt or easily confused with feeling your own pulse by mistake.  I sometimes use a stethoscope also but would like to be able to increase or decrease on the fly by watching his rate in action.  Our first 50 is in November but I am shooting to do a 100 mile race by next fall.  Thanks again.

[horsepower]

  Encountering a sow bear and cubs on a trail does put the rider off course.


My guy is still young and green.  I encountered turkeys yesterday and it was enough to put us off course!!  But they scared the snot out of me too.  I saw one running through grass nearly tall enough to hide it and set out after it to get it to flush and see what he would do.  About 5 strides after him, a whole stinking covey of turkeys blew all around us.  Can you say WE HAVE A RODEO.  But he got it back together again relatively quickly.  Jury is still out on who was shaken the most, my horse, me or the turkeys.

[Siskiyou]

At the time the Turkey flushed it would have been interesting in having a couple 305’s, one hooked up to the horse and the other to you.

I did a little checking up on the bicycle rider today.  Plus it was an opportunity to talk to my daughter.  Her husband received his unit yesterday, and he is rather excited about it because he did a short ride and then hooked the unit to his computer to download the data.  I’ll have to make a trip to town one evening and get a briefing on it. 

[horsepower]

I"ve no idea what his rate did.  I think mine hit about 200 and then bucking started and may well have flat lined in there for a while but bounced around on him enough to be jolted back into beating!!

I'd be interested in hearing the report.  I looked for a yahoo group to join and learn more but they were all honking huge groups that would be way more e-mail than I would want to wade through.

[SURVEYOR]

I got my wife a Garmin 305 a couple of weeks ago. She going to do a 26 mile walking marathon. Works great! Downloads her daily training data in to a couple of programs that brings in a map, photos, pace, distance, heart rate, and compares it to past workouts. Then as she goes to future marathons, the route can be down loaded. Water stops, and rest room areas as way points. I mention to her about the horse stuff, and she knew all about that. Well given time I'll have her give a report. The 305 has made me look good as a trainer!!!!

[Siskiyou]

horsepower:  Son-in-law showed me his Garmin 305 today and he explain how he could track his performance in a 100 mile bike ride and later charter it on his computer.  Sound like a great item for an endurance athlete.   He says the battery life is more then adequate for a 100-mile bike ride.