Ultra runners quick guide to the F5x

Ok. thought about a thread that would be easy to ask questions in, but be specific enough to find for the Ultra crowd. Of course some answers will apply to everyone, but my own selfish reasons for starting is geared towards ultra marathons. So here's my initial questions for those out there. I am asking questions rather than posting answer, since I've been rehabbing a torn Plantar tendon since Christmas. I'm taking a big big chance and gonna run 52m next week, and training has been left with a couple of back-2-back 10ks. So I cannot yet offer "Ultra" wisdom w.r.t the F5x.

Question: With so many features, and optional device inputs, what have you found that would maximum battery life. The three most obvious are
1) turn off the OHRM. 2) disable BT. 3) turn down backlight. I recall DC Ray saying having things like tempo or the new RD pod connected really down have an appreciable impact to battery usage. What have you found to maximize battery?

Question: What impact to battery life does OHRM enable have? I am curious about trying this out during the 52m. With a rehab foot, its gonna take me quite awhile. Possibly long enough I will need to carry my usb battery from the last drop bag. Normally I would be in the 10 to 12hr range. Possibly 2+ hours more with the foot.

Question: During USB charge (while in use) have you have found works easiest? just carrying the watch in you hand for 30+min or looping it on a hydration pack or belt?

Question: Some here has posted how they download the GPX of their ultra into their watches, and enabled that during the event. How has that worked our for you using the F5X? Does that incur an appreciable battery drain? Lastly, once you have a GPX file. where to you transfer it? a specific folder? how do you activate it on the F5x. Normally you would start an activitity (aka Trail Run). How do you incorporate the gpx nav part?

thanks for these and all other Ultra runners out there that care to put their Q&A here.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

I rambling for 5hrs today using OHRM and Stryd. 1 x IQ field (Stryd), no maps showing. Had fully charged yesterday - was at 99% at start, 52% at finish. Close enough to 10% per hour. Looks like I may have to go without my Stryd for a 100km in September 🙁 What difference does the HRM-RUN strap make compared to the OHRM?

How fast do you run? Doesn't a stryd last only 8hrs

0 LeeEddison over 8 years ago

How fast do you run? Doesn't a stryd last only 8hrs

I'm hoping to go between 9-10hrs. I thought the Stryd lasted longer than that, and checking my Stryd now it says it has 72% left, it had 95% before the 5hr run.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

Fast..

I'm hoping to go between 9-10hrs. I thought the Stryd lasted longer than that, and checking my Stryd now it says it has 72% left, it had 95% before the 5hr run.

Smokin' You are much (much) faster than me. I cant do 50m in under 10, much less 100k. I just read somewhere else that stryd might last 20hours, so I'm sure you are good.

0 LeeEddison over 8 years ago

Smokin' You are much (much) faster than me. I cant do 50m in under 10, much less 100k. I just read somewhere else that stryd might last 20hours, so I'm sure you are good.

You're too kind! It's the watch I worried about not lasting rather than the Stryd 🙁 I can't understand why the battery is going down so much compared to the 20hrs advertised - does the connect to Stryd/IQ field use so much? Am I better using a hr strap instead of optical? At the moment I considering either a USB charger or returning the watch and trying a 935.

0 sis651 over 8 years ago

You're too kind! It's the watch I worried about not lasting rather than the Stryd &#55357;&#56897; I can't understand why the battery is going down so much compared to the 20hrs advertised - does the connect to Stryd/IQ field use so much? Am I better using a hr strap instead of optical? At the moment I considering either a USB charger or returning the watch and trying a 935.

My usual consumption is about %10 hour. But some days ago I rode with both my F3 and F5x. I rode for about 1:30 hour and F3 consumed %9 and F5x %10. Actually that was good as it was not only an hour but an hour and half. Glonass off, tempe and HRM run connected. The issue is I didn't change any screens of the activity, didn't use any maps or CIQ objects during the ride; just looked at the first page. Even no backlight usage. :D

For me it seems map usage is consuming a lot more battery but I'm not very happy with my F5x. Also some days ago I had a two hour ride where I paused and used resume later function a lot. I rode only two hours and had about 4 hours in resume later mode and it consumed %25.

Today from time to time I looked at the map during my train trip and it lost more than %15 bat life in about one hour and half, not doing any activity, just looking at the maps from time to time, zooming in out etc. Seems higher to me but I'll test it more. I don't want to kill my time with the service.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

if it helps i did a couple of longish ones last couple of months.
6hr run from 100% left with 65%
7hr run from 100% left with 60%

both times (and always) I have 1 sec recording. GPS+GLONASS. BT on, notifications on. Wifi on (although what a totally fecking pointless feature this is). Everything else default cos I don't know how to change anything else.

Blooming marvellous battery if you ask me. I reckon with every thing turned on as normal I could go go a good 15hr+ without even thinking about battery.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

Not the longest example. But ran for 1hr24min. Started with 100% ended at 92%. I had 1sex recording, glonass off. O HRM on, RD pod connected, BT off. Even though I have the map enabled in the trail run screens, I didnt look at it.

Got a 52miler next weekend. But with a rehab from. Torn plantars tendon, I will be slow. 12hr is a stretch goal. F5x should do 12hr no problem bit not if I drop 10% per hour. I do plan to have the USB battery in one of my drop bags.

0 peakrodent over 8 years ago

I ran for 3 hours 5 mins today without the HRM-Run connected (old version) and the battery went down 20.9%. This is better than what I've had before but nowhere near what others are getting.

I've got a fairly tough 45 mile race coming up so need to ensure I can get it to last long enough (probably around 9 hours)

0 maxlerchenmueller over 8 years ago

Ultra usage

As the initial question was about ultra usage.

Yesterday it took me 11h to get to the lifebase. Battery was down to 48%. There I took a powerbank out of my dropdbag and put this together with watch into a plastic bag. This I put into my backpack and recharged it on the go. Battery was up to 100% after 1h.
After another 9.5h battery was down to 60%.

Smart recording, ohr, no BT, no maps (only in the second part for short navigation)

Worked out pretty well for me.

0 peakrodent over 8 years ago

11hrs down to 48% is amazing. I'm not getting anywhere near this. Mine went from 97% to 5% over 8:40 at my last ultra. That was with the old style HRM Run (which I suspect is causing issues).

Yesterday's 3:05 run consuming 20.9% (without HRM Run) would equate roughly 50% drain over 8:30 - OK but nowhere near what others are getting. Very disappointing watch....going to RMA it this week.