Ultra marathoners perspective on the 6x Pro / Solar

The Fenix series has a wide range of options to suit a wide range of activities and individuals.

For those ultra marathoners out there. What your take on the 6x Pro and 6x Pro Solar? We've all been out there (unless you are an elite, I suppose) with a portable USB battery to help juice up an Fenix to keep it running for a full 50 to 100. Carrying a usb battery isnt the end of the world, especially since the Fenix charges pretty fast.

The thought of solar, even if its first incremental step is pretty cool. However, with a softer crystal, coupled with the ever present possibility of a tumble into rocks or tree, it may be a gamble for a Solar version rather than a sapphire version.

All recent Fenix has had troubles with firmware at launch. Fenix 6 appears to follow suit. I expect it will calm down in the next month. So all the sensor drops, and everything else will get fix. So I dont see that as prohibitive issue to jumping into a new Fenix.

So to you ultra runners ----- The question is.

- Solar just gimmicky new tech, keep the sapphire

- Solar gimmicky new tech, I want a part of it (possible with a screen protector)

Cheers

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0 jburchm1 over 5 years ago

Any improvement in battery life is worth it to me. I would not have purchased a sapphire screen anyway—I scratched the crystal on my 5x Plus despite it being sapphire and prefer the lack of reflections and better transparency of glass. I don’t plan on using a screen protector.

0 Volker over 5 years ago

Perhaps you can contact the user of this post?

www.strava.com/.../2670139178

0 jetguat over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

I've chatted with him. Thats a simply amazing amount of battery life. The big story there was his 42hr finish. Wow!

I was fixed on getting the solar, and I'm waffling now about just getting the Sapphire. Probably minority, but I find my sapphire 5x to be a bit dark, and reflective. Harder to read in the shadows in the forest (especially with my aging eyes). So say little different in clarity.

0 Volker over 5 years ago in reply to jetguat

Have you informations about, which setting he used? Did he use also the map page?

Yes, sapphir is a little bit dark in a dark environment. Are you worried about the used gorilla glas DX on the Solar?

0 jetguat over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

I'm an odd ball compares to some on these forums. I think $800+ is a huge amount to pay on a watch. I'm a trail runner. And I do trip and fall. I'm also a handiman so I word with my hand also. A watch bezel or crystal is alway in jeopardy with me. One thing that would drive me crazy (and has in the distant past) is a scratch on watch display. So even with a 5x sapphire, I put a screen protector on it. And hit it square on and cringed at the metal that hit it. I used my thumb and wiped the smudge away. Maybe the sapphire would have been fine. Maybe not. but my face is still pristine.

So 6x sapphire or some reduced battery drain during ultras. I'll probably get a protector no matter what. I'm just know myself and cant chance a scratch on a $800-$1000 watch.

0 jetguat over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

As for which setting, I think his strava post has comments on that.

0 flape over 5 years ago

I have the fenix 6x solar , last week i was running 100 km race .its take me 14 hour , i start with 99% batt and finish with 70% batt ... except music everything was ON .

0 jetguat over 5 years ago in reply to flape

Not sure for you, but thats about a 13min pace. Impressive. I'd probably be thrilled with a 15min pace myself. Or whatever gets me to the finish before cutoff. Everything was on? huh. Did you have a 5x prior? are you already seeing other positive improvements ? No concern about scratching the display for you?

0 flape over 5 years ago in reply to jetguat

i switch from fenix 5x , Nav was on + HR was on + BT was on + Backlight on 20% + gesture on and time out is 4 sec ...

0 GJRodenburg over 5 years ago

I switched from the F5X to the F6X Sapphire, after having had the F5X crap out after 18 Hours (everything on, small recharge at 50K point) on the Eiger Ultra (101K/6700m vert) I am looking forward to not having to worry about that anymore :) Choose the non-solar because of the sapphire, and therefor had to let go of the solar.