Forums >Gears and Wears>Life Expectancy of the FR 305?
rectumdamnnearkilledem
I think my 305 is dying. I had to hard reset it recently after I removed it from the cradle (where it said "battery charging complete" and it was non-responsive when I tried to turn it on). It's also having issues holding settings and seems to respond kinda slower than normal, too. But it's nearly 3.5, which seems to be a pretty typical life expectancy, I think (and it is used nearly every day, either for running or as my bike computer...I've also dropped it a few times and the top half of the case is starting to separate from the rest of the unit, so it's not been babied, exactly).
Perhaps my issues could be firmware related...? It's been ages since I did a firmware update, but I'm thinking maybe it's up-to-date. Has Garmin even done any updates in the last couple of years (since the 310XT came out)?
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OK, just answered my own question re: the firmware. It is up to date at 2.9 with 3.0 GPS.
an amazing likeness
Recommend you delete all the history from it, hard reset it, then flash it (Geez! I know what you're thinking -- No not you flashing it in that way).
The Garmin webupdater (here for MAC and here for PC) will do the work for you. Yes, there have been a steady set of updates for the Forerunner 205/305, both GPS and device sets.
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Flash it...explain. Is this reinstalling everything...?
Flash it...explain.
Well, basically you grab the front your shirt and....ok, sorry, that's weak. And a bit pathetic.
Yes, by "flash" techno speak I mean to let Garmin WebUpdater update it with the latest device and GPS firmware. I also find that every now and then the device gets something stored in its internal history that can make it flake out -- so first thing I do when trying to troubleshoot run is delete the history for all: run / bike / other.
Well, basically you grab the front your shirt and....ok, sorry, that's weak. And a bit pathetic. Yes, by "flash" techno speak I mean to let Garmin WebUpdater update it with the latest device and GPS firmware. I also find that every now and then the device gets something stored in its internal history that can make it flake out -- so first thing I do when trying to troubleshoot run is delete the history for all: run / bike / other.
Yeah, I already delete history for everything about every-other week...mostly because it makes uploading to RA go smoother. So if my firmware is already up-to-date does it do any good to reinstall?
I've got a fever...
When you re-install firmware, I believe anything on the device gets erased first. So if there are some corrupt files or something, this might help.
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Ok, this is what I wondered. I'm going to give this a try to see if it helps.
Re: the top half of the case starting to separate from the rest of the unit, has anyone ever used any sort of silicone sealant or anything around the edge to prevent water from leaking in? What stops me from trying this is my assumption that Garmin wouldn't have anything to do with any sort of replacement, after that mod.
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Zoom-zoom, You could try the sealant - it may help. The reason I suggest trying to seal it is based on my exp with the 205. I had it 3 years and it died (used 3-4x per week running). It was acting real wacky the last few weeks of life. Finally, all It would say is "charging complete" on the charger, but would not do anything else - powering off immediately after removing from the charger. When I cracked it open and did a post-mortem, I noticed the battery terminal connections were corroded (a few had broken off). It may have been caused by moisture in the unit. Had it not been for that, I think it would still work (I thought about fixing it, but not sure how - the little copper prongs are disintegrated). Anyway, the factory sealant between the 2 halves of the watch is pretty minimal. I was still happy with the unit, so I bought the 305 to replace it :-) Good luck! Steve
I'd bet money that there is some serious salt corrosion going on in my Garmin, too. At this rate I'm inclined to see what Garmin can do for me in terms of a replacement. I'm not at all averse to the idea of simply buying a brand new one, either. I think they are about half what I paid 3+ years ago and I feel like I've gotten my money's worth, given how much use it gets and the relative reliability until very recently.
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I've had my 205 for three years at least and works just about like it did when I bought it. I've been caught in some heavy rains with it on, it's been sweaty, I've dropped it a few times. It's got some scratches on it but the casing is still intact.
I got my money's worth I guess.
Not at it at all.
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Just had to get a new one. Mine was 3 years old give or take. I started having problems with it about 6 months ago and then just like that it died. HOWEVER, it will still connect with my pc, it just won't turn on when I want to use it. We have tried to reset it per Garmins instructions etc..no luck.
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pretty much what mine was doing...
I could not wait so I ordered a new one off of Ebay. I enjoy being able to run wherever and hate being restricted to running a certain route to be sure of the distance AND I hate mapping.
Send me your old one.
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