Garmin 620 Issues

Over the last couple of weeks my transition to the Garmin 620 hasn’t been exactly a smooth. Today for example, a rock slides down inside my shoe. While stopping to remove it, I also stopped my 620. When a 620 workout is stopped, it automatically displays a “save” screen. Giving the runner the ability to either save or delete the workout.  Pressing the start button continues the most current workout.

Well, as I moved my hand across the face of watch to restart it, I accidently brushed the touch screen which caused it to the save the most current workout to memory and reset it. Not really what I wanted.

Ugh, its touch screen is most frustrating.

Then, there is there are the elongated mile splits issue.

For years, my Garmin 310 XT gave me great service. Running over the same routes so often I knew exactly where the mile splits would occur. Being the 620 was a later model, I expected no less from it. However, this hasn’t been my experience.  

Take for example, my regularly 10 mile course. Within 20 to 30 meters, I know every split on it from the 310 XT. For about 5 miles, the 620 is pretty much on course. Then, over the last 5 miles it seems to get lost. The splits get further and further off. By the end, there is nearly a ¼ mile gap beyond where I should have finished and where I did finish.

When I first noticed it, I chalked it up to the overcast clouds. After 5 different runs, a trend starts to show up.

Enter now a few Google searches on the 620, and it seems like others are also seeing the same issue. The 620 loses its signal, and I magically move further down the road. Then, it reconnects with the satellites and the workout recording continues. But it doesn’t seem to take into account that I was still running while the signal was lost in its overall mile calculation. Thus, I run further and mile seems slower. Fyi, the time function doesn’t stop with the loss of the satellites signal.  

Some runners said the 620 patch does help. While other said that it didn’t. I am planning to the download the patch and install it. We shall see.

Overall, I like the look and feel of the 620. But if I don’t have confidence in its accuracy, it will land in my shelf unused items. I will find another GPS watch. Maybe, I get another 310 XT.

Time will tell.

The Cool Down Runner