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 Former Member over 8 years ago

blume

Let's wait for tomorrow night.
New Firmware, 1st race with stryd.
Setup will be:
Copy of the RUN app with only 2 CIQ Fields: Peters Race Pacer and Stryd Power
Stryd on the left and tempe on the right shoe.
HRMrun2 on the chest.
Pace and Distance from stryd only. GPS just for recording every second. GLONASS off.
Battery will be fully charged to 100% at about 4PM CEST. Marathon starts at 8 PM CEST

Back @ home.
Setup as listed above.
Started the Night-Marathon with 98% battery available.
Finished after 3:46 hours and a few sec with 76% available.
That means 22% loss in 3.75 hours which is 5.9%/hour.

0 peakrodent over 8 years ago

That's pretty good! I think I might have to get an HRM Run2.

0 sis651 over 8 years ago

Today I had a 40 min walk, in which Fenix5x lost %4 percent battery, so I was glad that it consumed about %6 hour battery. It was with no additional sensor and Glonass off, also I used the map and draw a short navigation route too. That was good. In the evening I cycled with my mtb in the forest for about an hour, but with pauses almost one hour and half. There it consumed %13 - 14 which seemed high to me. But my HRM RUN and tempe was on, also Glonass was on. Additionally I used the mapping screen a lot, even changed to different maps during ride. For example, I mapped the tracks in the forest into OSM and has OSM topo maps and another map installed, contour map etc. too. Sometimes I switched to Garmin's own topo maps and sometimes to OSM topo maps etc. So I can't decide whether it did bad or good. Maybe I shouldn't use Glonass at all. :)

0 madmezza over 8 years ago

I did a 100 miler at the weekend using the 5X.

Setup: switched off optical HR, deleted HRM and Footpod from the sensor list (so it wouldn't search for them), disabled vibration and switched off phone connection. No navigation used, normal GPS mode (no GLONASS but not ultratrac either).

Started 100% charged. Reached 54 miles (a bit over 10 hours) with 60% remaining.

Charged with portable pack to 90% while running the next bit (watch strapped onto the shoulder strap on my race vest for about 20 mins).

Finished in 22:49 with 38% remaining.

So overall I used 102% of the battery for 22 hours 49 minutes / 100 miles, which I'm pretty pleased with.

0 peakrodent over 8 years ago

Today I had a 40 min walk, in which Fenix5x lost %4 percent battery, so I was glad that it consumed about %6 hour battery. It was with no additional sensor and Glonass off, also I used the map and draw a short navigation route too. That was good. In the evening I cycled with my mtb in the forest for about an hour, but with pauses almost one hour and half. There it consumed %13 - 14 which seemed high to me. But my HRM RUN and tempe was on, also Glonass was on. Additionally I used the mapping screen a lot, even changed to different maps during ride. For example, I mapped the tracks in the forest into OSM and has OSM topo maps and another map installed, contour map etc. too. Sometimes I switched to Garmin's own topo maps and sometimes to OSM topo maps etc. So I can't decide whether it did bad or good. Maybe I shouldn't use Glonass at all. :)

I'm pretty much 100% sure it's my original HRM Run that's causing my battery drain issues. I consistently get a drain of 10-11% per hour with it connected and 5-6% without.

I've reported it to the beta team and am waiting to hear more. I suspect there's something up with the BT LE implementation with the older hardware.

I've just changed the battery in it just to see if that helps.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

My first ultra test with the F5x

Last saturday, I particpated in a 52m ultra. I got pulled from the course at 34.5, and missed the time cut. But here is what I observed with the F5x (comparing to my prior F3)

Settings:
GPS only (glonass off)
OHRM enabled
Garmin RD Pod enabled
Phone Status - disconnected
started with 100%

10hr 21min into the ultra (34.71 miles) I was about 60%.
I had my USB charger read to go, but when I figured I would miss the cutoff, I didnt bother to use it.
I should have paid closer attention, but I was dealing with my first DNF.

I've not charged the watch yet. At this moment its at 35% still.

0 ChevronLugs over 8 years ago

Has anyone else thought of using a Vivosmart 3 in ANT+ broadcast mode to have HR data, yet save battery on the f5X? Chest straps are uncomfortable to me, and the Scosche Rhythm+ (my fave) wouldn't make it past 10 or so hours, yet the VS3 can go days. The VS3 isn't the most accurate on HR, but it'd be better than nothing, and I've found that rotating it to the inside of the wrist can help quite a bit.

Anyway, just a thought.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

Has anyone else thought of using a Vivosmart 3 in ANT+ broadcast mode to have HR data, yet save battery on the f5X? Chest straps are uncomfortable to me, and the Scosche Rhythm+ (my fave) wouldn't make it past 10 or so hours, yet the VS3 can go days. The VS3 isn't the most accurate on HR, but it'd be better than nothing, and I've found that rotating it to the inside of the wrist can help quite a bit.

Anyway, just a thought.

Good thought. I dont have either. But I long debated with myself if I should leave the OHRM enabled. In the end, I knew I would have the USB battery to charge, so I wanted to try out with OHRM enabled. Surely it took some battery. I dont have a comparision with it disabled to know how much.

I only glanced at the "map" page a couple of times. It seems for some that use that page more often it chews up battery. I cant comment on that.

Last, I never found a gpx file for the event, so I didnt get a chance to try navigation. so no input on how that takes up battery. that said, I'm not even sure yet how to download a gpx file to use as navigation.

0 ChevronLugs over 8 years ago

Just had another thought re: f5X and Vivosmart 3. Since the f5X is tons heavier than the VS3, it would need to be fairly snug to keep the OHRM in place and locked on. The VS3, being so light doesn't need to be as snug, AND a wrist band could be worn over it to help seal out light. All thoughts and entertaining ideas. I'm no ultra runner though, so this is for you folks that go the extra distance.

0 FryeX over 8 years ago

Since this is a guide for Ultras I though to ask what kind of course setup you guys use. Do you build the routes in advance and then use navigation? If yes what is the easiest way to get this done. I would be especially interested in adding waypoints for the tracks. And I found some instructions that use several tools to accomplish this. Thought to see if there is anyone here knows something easier.