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Detailed and up to date user's manual ?

Is there a detailed and update user's manual ???

1) the manual is not updated after each software upgrade
2) most of advanced features are somehow mentioned somewhere on the web but in English, when you use the watch in another language you have to guess about the translation, espescialy for the fields names. A clear translation table would be most helpful
3) some fields are not properly documented, ex : vertical speed (how is it calculated ?)
4) most of the screens are not documented. When I do an interval training, some screens are shown for 1 or 2 seconds. Not knowing what they display a) I do not have enough time to read and understand (or grab my phone and take a picture) b) the writing is so small that I woud only be able to read it under a good light and with my glasses (and I have neither of them during interval trainin training)
5) when I write to Garmin support to have the answer to a specific question, they answer back "please call the customer center". But if I decided to write, this is because I have decided not to call.
6) the multisport feature uses less than half a page on page 2, is it serious ?
7) when doing an interval workout :
- the difference between the gauge and the pace in the center is not documented (seem like the gauge is mor or less real time where the pace in the middle is the average pace of the interval)
- there is screen poping up once and only once, a few minutes after the beginning with a big figure (2 ou 4 for me). No clue of what it is, to fast to read it and too small
- during the interval, I have a screen poping up with a pace which pace is it ? This screen is rounded in green, orange or red, but sometimes it is green even if I am way below the targeted speed...
None of those screens are documented at all.

I have had this watch for 2 weeks only and I have already dozens of similar questions.

How is it possible to make such a complex device, with so many feature and not willing to provide a documentation to understand and use those features ?
There must be one, because you do not develop this type of software with general and detailed specs...

Bottom line : am I too much psycho rigid, how do you do, do you have a solution ?

Last but not least : the software is the same (or almost) on the Fenix 3, 5, FR 935, 635, maybe others and there should be a dedicated forum for software related issues... that would prevent us for searching for solutions in multiple places...

0 snortingbull over 7 years ago

This will not make you feel any better but I've been using Garmin run/bike devices for over 10 years now...maybe 8 different devices. I can't recall the documentation ever being great or being updated across firmware releases. It just doesn't seem to be a priority for garmin and never has.

0 timgrose over 7 years ago

If you have dozens of questions, you have come to the right place to see if we can answer. What are they?

Written documentation seems to have increasingly reduced levels of return these days. In my experience, very few people will read it and just prefer trial and error, Googling and coming to forums like this.

0 Sergey_Kessel over 7 years ago

Never felt I need a manual actually. Most of the time was happy with what watch was showing me (sometimes not happy with what it shows). Except time/ pace/ race results of course (not happy most of the time :-) )
Don't think you wil ever get exact algorithm on how values are calculated simply because they change it from time to time (gradient % in EDGE devices is an example, pace rounding is another example) - and having lots of devices with lots of languages it is _huge_ work to keep it up-to-date. The work that don't pay off, as mentioned above.

You may get some understanding on Vo2Max algorithms, TE etc in PDFs posted here and there, but not exact algorithms.

Now to your questions:
- big figure popping up with figure "2 or 4" is your Performance Condition. Is is shown on minute 6 of your run (and minute 12 of your bike I think) and shows how watch assesses your readiness/ recovery to this session. -1... +3 is "average", +10 is good.

- doing intervals you get beep and screen with next step shown (I normally have no issues seeing it) - i.e. "Run Z4 for 2:00" or "Cool Down Until Lap Press", or custom note that you have set in your structured workout (online or in mobile app). You get another beep with "rest for XXX" after the interval.
- you get laps notifications after each lap (auto or not).
- you get alerts just showing your alerted issue (never set it up, but assume it is similar to alerts during intervals that you get when out of target value)
- on interval screen it shows average pace (never tried gauge)
- so your pace in green is (I think) moment pace out of target. Totally not sure since GPS pace is tooo wonky (and you may run 4:00 while it shows 3:30 or 4:30 - that is limits of GPS tech). So I most of time use HR-targeted workouts and just know what pace I shall be in (but not have alerts for pace). It may be working better with pod pace (it is much more stable), but just used to do this way.
- for me it is much more convenient to have custom screen with Lap pace and instant pace on the same page. And I get footpod that I have set up to "pace always from pod" - thus having pace not wonky as GPS pace

PS: Just a question. Have you ever read manual to your mobile phone? It is much more complicated device, but I never saw apple/ android phone manual (the last one I saw was Nokia 6021, I think or E51 - somehting from that period)