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Forerunner 945 software version 3.15 Beta

Download 

Notes:

  • For any issues that you encounter please fill out the form included in the download and attach it to an email to [email protected]. Please note that you may not get a response to the email unless we need more information on the issue you report.
  • This build contains special test code to debug an issue we are tracking for devices sometimes crashing on activity save at higher altitudes. If you should experience this issue using this beta version of software it would be greatly appreciated that you follow the Feedback Reporting document's procedures and provide the err_log.txt and RAM.txt that you should have from this crash. This should help us expedite a fix for this issue.
  • Although this software is believed to be reliable, it has not yet been released for production and should be used at your own risk.

Changes made from version 3.08 to 3.15:

  • Added test code to track down issue with save at high altitude. Please see readme for beta.
  • Improvements to segment achievements
  • Improve stress readings
  • Improvements to media player
  • Improvements to phone connectivity
  • Fix blocky elevation issue
  • Improvements/fixes for Spotify
  • Fix potential device freeze on activity summary loop.
  • Improvements to headphone connectivity
  • Improvements to sensor connectivity
  • Fix backlight gesture bug 
  • Various other fixes and improvements

Installation Instructions

  1. Connect your Forerunner 945 to your computer using the USB cable.
  2. Download and unzip Forerunner945_315Beta.zip. Place the GUPDATE.GCD file in the \GARMIN folder of your device's internal storage drive.
  3. In Forerunner945_315Beta, go to the RemoteSW folder. Place the GUP3114.GCD and GUP3303.GCD file in the \GARMIN\REMOTESW folder of your device's internal storage drive.
  4. Disconnect your device from the computer, approve the update on the watch, and wait for the update to finish.
  5. If you would like to revert to the last public release software, place the GUPDATE-280.GCD file in the \GARMIN folder. Rename GUPDATE-280.GCD to GUPDATE.GCD before disconnecting your device. To revert the RemoteSW, place the RemoteSW\Downgrades\GUP3114-250.GCD and RemoteSW\Downgrades\GUP-3303-360.GCD in the \GARMIN\REMOTESW folder. NOTE: If you revert to an older version of software, all of your settings will be reset to defaults.
  • Stress readings work much better on this version.
    On the previous one I had long gaps with no stress resul
    ts

  • My GPS seems really unstable and not accurate. Will try again tomorrow, but my run today was really wobbly

  • For me It's working, I will do more test in the next days

  • I can confirm: still no fix for the wildly inaccurate OHR readings when cycling during all-day tracking mode. Starting any activity during cycling still fixes the HR readings instantly, but without my watch keeps tracking 40-50 bpm too low. As if there is a low power mode activated that doesn't recognise the cycling activity and elevated heartrate. Introduced in 2.50-2.64 beta and very annoying (and very disappointing to still be present in 3.15 beta).

  • Finally working volume controls with the JBL Reflect Flow!

  • Copy from FR 245M LOL

  • As funny this is with 3.46 Beta it may give some insides of Garmin's development. The firmware is developed in a pool and build scripts decide what to build for each unit. As you may have realized Garmin increases the number of devices on the market. The downside: not every build for each watch can be tested, the portfolie is too complex and it's not economical. The magic thing is: risk based testing. One assesses the risk whether a feature test can be omitted on certain devices since it is similar to others. This means the person who decides this needs a lot of knowledge of the portfolio and how the software components interact with each other on the different devices. 

    Another hype is to have agile development, the test responsibility is in the teams. I would wonder if a US company isn't on the agile train, maybe on the devOps train - even a step fiurther. devOp means that the release cycle is very short and per feature. This means the person who has to decide which tests have to be executed is not one person but many. In fact each agile team has one. And I doubt that every person has the same knowledge. 

    I haven't more insides in Garmin than any other user here, but this would explain, why so much features don't work. If this is the case, Garmin has to introduce some Quality Gates and Guidelines regarding risk based testing. A watch in such a price segment needs to have a high risk on every deployed feature. just my 5 cents. But I am pretty sure that there will be no improvement in development as long as the Ebit points in the right direction. The wearables market is still increasing and currently the market doesn't answer to Garmin's poor quality and that's the reason why we will get more and more buggy firmwares. 

    A further reason may be why there is no idrift to quality but to feature development is due to missing regulations. In other branches like automative or health sector are so much regulations that development is forced to stcik to a certain quality standard. But there are software wise no regulations on wearable side:-(

  • I love new tech - but will not be an early adoptor of Garmin again  945 = poor GPS (first 3 months),  early battery life problems and sticky buttons at a premium price Disappointed

  • After installing V3.15 Beta, I can see battery improvement. Previously my battery drain is around 0.5-0.7%/hour, now it is around 0.2-0.3%/hour with setting: Backlight OFF (ON after sunset 5% brightness, 8 sec timeout), HR ON, Bluetooth Smart Notification ON, Pulse Ox OFF, no music, default analog watch face with seconds from Garmin, GPS only 50 min/day.

    Well done.

  • My ride home last night, backllight worked and set to 5% is only drained about 5% over an hour or so. Not enough use to say for sure, but the watch felt more stable and the stress trracking is much improved.

    One change is that I removed my HRM strap and hung it up to air but the 945 in non-activity mode as still trying to use it (it showed --% and connected in the menus. From previous questions asked and answered, it's not supposed to try using an external sensor when not in an activity. Is this an intentional change?