Polar RS300X G1 Heart Rate Monitor Watch with G1 GPS Sensor (Black)

I consider myself a beginner when it comes to running. After looking around for several options, I decided to get the Polar RS300X G1 because of its multisport capabilities. I could easily run or ride my bike with it, and I would be able to measure distance and pace with the same device, without having to install/uninstall things to my bike every time I wanted to change excersices. After considering the Garmin 305 I decided to go for the Polar because of the extremely big and uncomfortable size of the Garmin. Everything looked nice in the website, but the story changed after only a few weeks I''ve owned the training computer.

1) The watch itself is incapable of transmitting data to the Polar site (or any other running website) which makes it a little boring for you as a user to log in and "manually" enter your data every time you complete an excersise. I was very sad to know that in order to do this automatically I have to separately purchase an extra device (Polar Flowlink @ $55.00).

2) I have been experiencing some problems with the accuracy of the distance. Since I just got my watch a few weeks ago, I entered in several forums to see if any other user was experiencing what I was going through, and to my unpleaseant surprise, yes... they were. Basically, the battery life of the G1 GPS Sensor is so short that you can only use it for up to 8 hours. More than that and you will start getting incorrect data from your runs. What is the purpose of a GPS sensor if you can get accurate data from it? Now I will have to constantly purchase batteries just to keep my distances correct.

Very sad that Polar hasn''t come with better solutions for this issues. I saw several users unhappy about this same thing in their own web site.

I bought this watch about six months ago and have been pretty happy overall with its performance. I also bought the Flowlink along with the watch (and GPS arm band), but I have yet to use it because of the hassle of downloading the Polar software from its website. Even without being to download my workouts, I still take pleasure in using the watch and GPS. It has been invaluable to know what my pace and distance have been, although I''m not sure if the speeds, and therefore distances, are totally accurate. I say this because I have run with my boyfriend who has a Garmin with built in GPS and his watch says that we''re going slower than mine does. Regardless, it gives me an idea of where I''m at.

The only issues that I have had with the watch have been one, if you accidentally hit your arm against something while not intending to exercise, you can start the timer. Two, while running in lightly wooded areas (big paths cut between fairly dense trees) the watch will lose satellite connection and will beep at you until it finds them again. I have found that turning the GPS off and then back on again seems to work. Of course, you have to stop and fumble around with it, but that''s what it is. Issue three is the fact that the chest belt transmitter sometimes loses the ability to "talk" to the watch while working out. I have found that before each workout, one really needs to wipe down the chest strap (warm water) before starting. Like the instructions say, the strap needs to be moistened before working out anyhow, but a good wipedown is essential to have uninterrupted transmission for the duration of your workout.

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After reading the other reviews, I have just a few comments. This watch/gps works well for the most part. I have had several gps units, including Garmin, and they all EAT THE BATTERIES, they all LOSE SIGNALS in shady areas. The lower your battery, the longer it takes to connect. Some of the GPS watches come with an optional lithium battery you can buy. If that''s an option for the one you have, I highly recommend it. I have good quality rechargeable batteries which I swap out on all my GPS units right before walking out the door. I also always have spare batteries in my car and my backpack just in case I forget. It seems like a pain, but if you get into the habit of doing this you won''t even think about it after awhile. And I guarantee you, if you change the batteries before each use, you will get good signal reception, except in shady areas. However, once you are back in an area where the unit can get reception it "catches back up". So the fact that it temporarily will lose a signal is not the end of the world. I have a Garmin eTrex which I use for hiking and geocaching and horseback riding and it has the same issues if the battery is low it takes forever to get a signal, when you are in deep shade you lose a signal. So overall, I am really happy with this unit it works pretty much like I expected it to. And I was glad to get rid of my Nike+ stuff which never worked well for me anyways even after calibrating several times on a treadmill. This unit is way more accurate.

As far as uploading the data yes, it''s irritating that you have to buy a separate piece of equipment for this when usb works so well with all my other GPS units. But once set up, it''s easy to use.

So, while not perfect, this is a good solid unit which does the job.

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The GPS pod works on and off and eats batteries. I have found the fastest way for it to aquire satellite lock is to take the battery out at the end of each run. If you simply turn the device off it doesn''t recieve the GPS signal the next time you need it. As for the HRM and watch it is what you would expect from Polar but the start/stop button is cheap and I can see that failing first. The averages for speed vary greatly also but for the quick check during a long run it works fine and coupled with the HRM it will keep you honest

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First this watch and GPS can work very well. The GPS can report extremely accurate distances and can on occasion perform well in lightly wooded areas.

But, the watch/GPS gets completely confused about 25% of the time. The manual says that you should let the watch find your HR before you turn on the GPS. Once you turn on the GPS it seems to takes a minute or so for the GPS to find Satellites. (I have not timed this....perhaps it is an extremely annoying 20 seconds, I just know I am ready to go but am standing around in my driveway waiting for my watch) "So, why not just turn on the GPS a bit before I am ready?" you may ask. Well, I have NEVER gotten it to work any way other than standing outside well away from my house, with the watch entirely ready to go other than the GPS and then turning the GPS on last. Assuming you do that you have a decent chance that it will work. If the watch starts complaining about the GPS once you are a good ways down the road there is probably about a 50/50 chances you are out of luck for the day. Sometimes it has just lost the Satellites. Lose of satellite it usually recovers from this fairly quickly and the lose will probably not effect your total distance. However, if your watch wants you to check the GPS it is done for the day. When I do check the GPS, the GPS indicates that it is on and is tracking satellites but the watch continues to be periodically unhappy with it. Sometimes will continue to track your pace reasonably well. You may also be encouraged to see your total distance increasing. This probably means your moving away from your starting point. If you are on a closed coarse, by the time you get back to your starting point your total distance is zero. If this is a coarse you know, then I suppose this is no great loss, except why did you spend so much money on a watch with GPS.

Also, you must let the watch know if it should or should not be expecting a GPS sensor. This is a global setting. I think it would make much more sense for this setting to be associate with the exercise. I have tried to use the watch with different exercises. (e.g. jogging / resistance training / stationary bike) I don''t really wanna wear the GPS unless I am jogging. But, the use must change both the exercise and the S-Sensor setting separately. I suppose which way is better is a matter of opinion. I can also see where this complaint on my part might be considered whining. But, I think most users who would be notably impacted would be happier with the S-Sensor seeing associated with the exercise. As a software engineer if I can do a little extra work to save users a handful of seconds everyday, I do it. I consider that fact Polar did not, a sign of apathy and complacency. I have similar feeling about the apparent fickle startup procedure for the GPS.

Finally, I trust the watches calorie approximation very little. If you set your VO2Max manually instead of trusting the watches test it does get closer to every other reference I have used as a baseline for comparison. Since I didn''t know mine, I self tested using the Rockport test and if you are having a good GPS day the Rockport test is easy to perform. In any case I feel the Rockport test is destined to give much better results than the at rest test Polar performs. It seems to me that building in a Rockport test in addition to the at rest test would have been ideal for a company that would enjoy selling more GPS units. They may have very good reasons for not doing so, but reading between the lines, I again find myself assuming it to be a sign of apathy and complacency.

The watch is still a cute toy and I am not exactly throwing it away, but I can''t help but feel I could have gotten a better value elsewhere and were it more than a toy to me, I would be replacing it.