Garmin 1000 any good?

meanredspider

Let's face it, there isn't really a middle of nowhere in Essex. And phone coverage in the Highlands is pretty good. BS - I think you must have missed the millennium celebrations - it's nearly 2015. I remember (almost) when phones only made phone calls. I imagine you thought that was plenty.

Bar Shaker

There are plenty of places in Essex that O2 don't know about!

I love technology and gadgets but I also see that gadgets can get spoilt when they try to do too much. I seriously considered getting Google Glass instead of my 1000. The nav function that paints your path on the road junctions ahead looks like great fun, as does the metrics in the Glass Strava app.

But as with all such things these functions are something that it *also* does, rather than what it was designed to do. Battery life is more an issue with Glass than it is with my iPhone 6 and both devices don't take ANT+.

But then that's my point. From a software point of view any modern media device can be made to overlap functions with your Garmin, but it won't be waterproof, light, have a long battery life, survive the vibration/shocks. If my iPhone did all of those things, it would weigh as much as a tablet. That isn't what I want.

As you've pointed out, you can get phone apps for emergency contact. As a GPS would need a phone that it can talk to, why would Garmin or others spend time and money writing the app to duplicate what you already have, especially when I suspect I am not alone in saying I would never, ever use it.

I got my first mobile in 1985. I've enjoyed seeing them develop and had the first smart phones when they came out too. I am not too naive to recognise the limitations of what you can do with less than 150g and a finite amount of battery power. Chip development has opened up a lot of possibilities too but I don't ever ride and say "If only my Garmin 1000 did...."

So yes, I am a satisfied owner. But then those on here who know me would attest that I am a very content person, in life.

meanredspider

Absolutely - there were whole sections on my commute between Cambridge and Colchester that my phone had zero signal. The point is, though, it's not the middle of nowhere. Essex is infinitely more densely populated than the Highlands (thankfully). And Garmin tracking is equally useless with no phone signal.

I'm not talking about the 1000 - it has taken a step forward. I was responding to the point that there's nothing more to add. And I agree on not replicating phone functions. That's why it would begin to make far more sense for the device to simply be a robust screen and GPS receiver. The rest could be done on the phone as you've taken away two of the key power drains. Of course there's not much value in that for Garmin.

Being content in many things is good. But it's healthy dissatisfaction that pushes us forward.

stueys

What's the view on battery life now with the latest firmware updates? Last review I saw said that 5hrs with navigation on killed it, which would be a problem especially as I've seen 10hrs+ on my trusty 800

Bar Shaker

I've done two 100 mile rides in the last month. The Autumn Leaves was done in 6h50 and used just over 60% of my battery. It had been consistently around 10% per hour up to then, when using navigation and sharing views between data and maps, or just leaving it on the mapping page.

An upgrade at the start of Oct meant the New Forest 100 used around 40% in 7h20.

Battery life is adequate for all of my needs.

dodgy

Stueys wrote:

What's the view on battery life now with the latest firmware updates? Last review I saw said that 5hrs with navigation on killed it, which would be a problem especially as I've seen 10hrs+ on my trusty 800

I got about 5% left (with the warning that I was on low battery) after a 100 mile / 6.5hour ride on Monday. On the 810 I would have been on more like 40% or so for same mileage/time.

meanredspider

dodgy wrote:

Stueys wrote:

What's the view on battery life now with the latest firmware updates? Last review I saw said that 5hrs with navigation on killed it, which would be a problem especially as I've seen 10hrs+ on my trusty 800

I got about 5% left (with the warning that I was on low battery) after a 100 mile / 6.5hour ride on Monday. On the 810 I would have been on more like 40% or so for same mileage/time.

Sounds like you're still getting the type of battery life I experienced on the early version of the firmware - are you on the latest version?

dodgy

Yup, latest version. I was navigating a route, I think that takes some battery (as does calculating said route at the start). I only had the map showing for some of the more complicated parts of the route.

I reckon I might get more like 8 to 9 hours maximum if I disable all bluetooth features and just use core functionality (data logging and no navigating). The navigation is pretty solid on the 1000.

meanredspider

Yes - 8 hours is the best I got. That's not really enough. I'd assumed it had got better but it doesn't sound like it has much.

apreading

dodgy wrote:

I only had the map showing for some of the more complicated parts of the route.

Did you have gloves on? If so, did this mean that you had to stop and take them off to switch to map for the complicated parts and then again when maps no longer required, to save battery?

This is what I do on my 800 while riding, and it works with gloves on too. I know capacitive touch screen is better experience and for advanced features but I think the resistive you get on the 800 makes more sense for a bike.

dodgy

I don't have any problems operating the touch screen with gloves, but on this occasion it was warm and I was just wearing mitts.

rocket1

Thought this might be of interest,
How to put Strava segments on your Garmin 1000.
http://gniza.org/segments/
It does work .
cheers Ronnie

stueys

Thanks for the battery feedback. Shame it's not better, that stops me upgrading.

meanredspider

The one really excellent feature of the 1000 (dunno if the 810 has this) is the incredibly fast satellite lock. If, like me, you swap countries regularly, you can get bored of waiting for the 800 to find where it is (especially if the view of the sky is poor - in the Alps it took about 10 minutes). Despite at lot of what I've written, I do think the 1000 is a step forward in some key areas. I just wish they would (mostly) finish the product before they launch it.

dodgy

Yes, satellite lock is pretty good. Amazed they placed the power port where they did, though. Not so much for me, I rarely get the battery flat, but some of the Audax types like to charge the device as they go, bit tricky with the unit on your stem!

I wish they'd either stop the unit from powering up when disconnected from a power source, or make the behaviour user configurable. Left mine plugged into my PC on charge not long after getting it, was almost 100% as I stopped using the PC. The PC 20 minutes later went on hibernate, the unit powered up and chewed through its battery so when I came to use it next morning it was flat

Live and learn.

meanredspider

Ah yes, forgot about that little powering up feature - bloody irritating!! I was feeling a little more positive about my old 1000 for a moment there but you've successfully put my feet firmly back on the ground with this. What were they thinking? I think that's my overriding feeling about the 1000 - a potentially great product spoiled by poor execution.

northpole

meanredspider wrote:

Yes - 8 hours is the best I got. That's not really enough. I'd assumed it had got better but it doesn't sound like it has much.

That's a b*mmer! It would only affect me a few times each year, but those are the times I would most want to have the ride stats recorded for posterity if nothing else! It seems a general point (not just Garmin) that with bigger, more power hungry screens and processors, battery technology continues to fall behind.

Peter

stueys

northpole wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

Yes - 8 hours is the best I got. That's not really enough. I'd assumed it had got better but it doesn't sound like it has much.

That's a b*mmer! It would only affect me a few times each year, but those are the times I would most want to have the ride stats recorded for posterity if nothing else! It seems a general point (not just Garmin) that with bigger, more power hungry screens and processors, battery technology continues to fall behind.

Peter

Exactly, same here. Only need that kind of battery life for the weekend away trips but those are the epics where I need nav and recording. To be honest I think the manufacturers need to work out what are the critical features and build around those instead of compromising core features to throw a load of stuff in that is nice but not critical. Battery life is pretty core to be honest.

sloppyschleckonds

Stueys wrote:

To be honest I think the manufacturers need to work out what are the critical features and build around those instead of compromising core features to throw a load of stuff in that is nice but not critical. Battery life is pretty core to be honest.

But a lot of their customers want non critical features? As has been shown by this thread.

stueys

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

But a lot of their customers want non critical features? As has been shown by this thread.

Think we all want lots of features but my point is that the core functionality of the device shouldn't be compromised for them.

meanredspider

I had everything turned off (including the screen, HR, power, cadence etc) and ran only Live Tracking and it barely lasted 8 hours. I believe the 810 can manage better with Live Tracking enabled. Power management is obviously a key part of device design these days.

frazered

Based on personal experience. It is like a really disappointing smartphone but worse and with a (non-PC) club foot. Load of balls. Garmin should drop and suck.

Bar Shaker

Interesting.

This may help some of you out. I'm looking to buy a second 1000 as a present for someone so if any of you would like to get shot of your rubbish 1000 and get something/anything in return for seeing the back of the wretched thing then please pm me.

Boxed, unmarked with performance accessories only, please. I will buy the cheapest one.

meanredspider

Bar Shaker wrote:

Interesting.

This may help some of you out. I'm looking to buy a second 1000 as a present for someone so if any of you would like to get shot of your rubbish 1000 and get something/anything in return for seeing the back of the wretched thing then please pm me.

Boxed, unmarked with performance accessories only, please. I will buy the cheapest one.

Anybody sensible for whom it didn't work will have just returned it for a refund

dodgy

So defensive

Bar Shaker

dodgy wrote:

So defensive

I thought I would accused of being oppurtunist.

It's a serious offer to buy. No offers of sale yet, though.

I will readily admit to finding the 'power up' on disconnect a pain and a strange thing to write into the OS. I was also caught out by this, on my second ride. Once you know about it, you can live with it but the 800 method of staying off when unplugged is preferable.

dodgy

There's been a beta firmware update out for a few days, only discovered it today. Initial impressions are good in that my phone and edge 1000 have remained in BLE contact for over an hour now (only a desk test).

It's 'beta', so, you know.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download ... sp?id=7609

meanredspider

dodgy wrote:

There's been a beta firmware update out for a few days, only discovered it today. Initial impressions are good in that my phone and edge 1000 have remained in BLE contact for over an hour now (only a desk test).

It's 'beta', so, you know.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download ... sp?id=7609

Cool - a beta update 7 months after I bought the thing. I think 2 years might not be a bad estimate for it to be "ready"

dodgy

I don't recall Garmin ever doing a beta update for the Edge before (that's not to say they never have). Quite encouraging. Now has landscape mode which I don't particularly like, but it will be a boon for those who like to charge their device while on long rides.

meanredspider

At least it will match Connect. I planned a route on the new Connect today and got a map like a letterbox to plan it on. No matter what I tried, I couldn't make use of more than half the vertical space on my huge iMac screen.