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 ChevronLugs over 8 years ago

I'm not doing ultras, but I'd imagine a track is a track, and a waypoint is a waypoint, right?

Since I'm a GPS watch switch hitter (Suunto and Garmin), I use what's available and easy. Movescount has the easiest to use route creator I've seen. I'll create a route on it, save, then export to GPX. From there, I'll either make the original route available to sync onto my Suunto, or I'll use the GPX on my Oregon 700 and will be doing the same with my new f5X. Drop it in the GPX folder on a Garmin...done.

There's tools available to transfer a GPX from iOS or Android to Garmin, but I haven't looked at those yet.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

I'm not doing ultras, but I'd imagine a track is a track, and a waypoint is a waypoint, right?

Since I'm a GPS watch switch hitter (Suunto and Garmin), I use what's available and easy. Movescount has the easiest to use route creator I've seen. I'll create a route on it, save, then export to GPX. From there, I'll either make the original route available to sync onto my Suunto, or I'll use the GPX on my Oregon 700 and will be doing the same with my new f5X. Drop it in the GPX folder on a Garmin...done.

There's tools available to transfer a GPX from iOS or Android to Garmin, but I haven't looked at those yet.

and how/where do you transfer the gpx files to the F5x. do you use GC from desktop pc? or do you use USB from watch directly to PC?
I've looking around from a simple "recipe" on how to (starting with a gpx file) you get it onto the F5x and the activate it for use.

0 ChevronLugs over 8 years ago

and how/where do you transfer the gpx files to the F5x. do you use GC from desktop pc? or do you use USB from watch directly to PC?
I've looking around from a simple "recipe" on how to (starting with a gpx file) you get it onto the F5x and the activate it for use.

I just received my f5X yesterday, so I haven't used any GPX based routes with it yet, but it's just like any other Garmin. Connect the f5X to your computer via USB, browse the drive created by the f5X, go into \Garmin\GPX and drop the GPX file in there. That's the somewhat manual method, though there exist other ways of doing a wireless transfer to the f5X, like with routeCourse and other IQ apps.

0 jetguat over 8 years ago

I just received my f5X yesterday, so I haven't used any GPX based routes with it yet, but it's just like any other Garmin. Connect the f5X to your computer via USB, browse the drive created by the f5X, go into \Garmin\GPX and drop the GPX file in there. That's the somewhat manual method, though there exist other ways of doing a wireless transfer to the f5X, like with routeCourse and other IQ apps.

Ok. once installed in the GPX folder.
what next? do you start a navigation activity? or if its a gpx for a trail race. do you start up a trail run activity and then activate the navigation somehow?

0 FryeX over 8 years ago

Since I'm a GPS watch switch hitter (Suunto and Garmin), I use what's available and easy. Movescount has the easiest to use route creator I've seen. I'll create a route on it, save, then export to GPX.

Awesome. I totally missed the option to use my movescount account for this. Thanks!