Bushwalk Australia

potential tech specs for upcoming fenix watches

https://the5krunner.com/2022/01/02/garm ... st-update/

Interesting. I have a 5 sapphire now, and have now and then looked at the lineup to see if I'm tempted. The Enduro (I think that's what it was called) was interesting to me with the longer battery life... but no maps. The Fenix 7 might take that a step further. I bet it will cost a pretty penny though.

Bit underwhelming... but it's hard to top the 6 series with hardware.

I have a 6x and it's great. Love the onscreen map and long battery.

Can't see the touch screen being that useful for bushwalking and a potential battery hog.

Though a map zoom/pan function via touch would be nice.. but then how to prevent it activating via your shirt button/foliage and if you lock it you may as well be using buttons.

All the other features seem software related and don't seem to different than what is currently on offer in the Garmin range.

Biggest improvement Garmin could make is to design a new operating system for their watches that was easier/faster to use and less buggy. Software is their Achilles heel. Though maybe some changes as they mention all settings can now be changed on watch and app.

Best part of Fenix 7 announcement is this will cause the 6x models to come down in price.

thers been a lot of big price reductions on existing models. i got a $1000 forerunner watch for half price..

wildwanderer wrote:Biggest improvement Garmin could make is to design a new operating system for their watches that was easier/faster to use and less buggy. Software is their Achilles heel. Though maybe some changes as they mention all settings can now be changed on watch and app.

See, I've come from a handheld Garmin GPS straight to the fenix 7, and found the UI incredibly intuitive. Took about an hour to setup, but zoom, map changes, marking waypoints, and switching apps is super fast with shortcuts and it works no matter how wet. (and now I don't need a dry bag for the GPS anymore, and canyoning is easier too)

wildwanderer wrote:Bit underwhelming... but it's hard to top the 6 series with hardware.
...
Can't see the touch screen being that useful for bushwalking and a potential battery hog.
Though a map zoom/pan function via touch would be nice.. but then how to prevent it activating via your shirt button/foliage and if you lock it you may as well be using buttons.
...
Biggest improvement Garmin could make is to design a new operating system for their watches that was easier/faster to use and less buggy. Software is their Achilles heel. Though maybe some changes as they mention all settings can now be changed on watch and app.

Agreed... other than being able to swipe across maps I can't see much benefit from it, and likely a lot of issues with sweat causing false/dodgy inputs. The 6X already does more than enough stuff... I got 5 years out of my old F3 and plan to get the same from the 6X before upgrading.

And yeah, it would be great if Garmin actually spent some time refining their software platforms. Between BaseCamp, Connect, Connect IQ, Earthmate and Explore (why two separate apps for different InReaches? Seriously... integrate and update DeLorne's code and move on...).

review of fenix 7

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/01/gar ... eview.html

Interesting.

Like
- the extra battery life.
- all Garmin Topos are free to download.
- touch screen will be good to zoom/pan maps. Not sure if it's quick to disable touch. Quick disable would be good to have in wet/long sleeves.

Don't like

-new software features doesn't add anything new for bushwalking or navigation.

- some of the new features seems weird.. eg stamina. Supposed to tell you how much you have left in the 'tank' during exercise. Really don't need my watch to tell me I'm 'stuffed'.. I already know that by how much I'm struggling up this hill.

I have the Fenix 5 now and I’m trying really hard to justify getting one of these

To be honest, the 5 does everything I need but the battery (esp with solar) and the maps could tip me over the edge.

Anyone want to buy a used Fenix 5?

Re the “Stamina” function - could be useful on long hikes to make sure you don’t go too hard at the start and run out of puff before the end.
Or you could just listen to what your body is telling you.

if i listened to what my body was telling me, i'd never walk past the fridge...

Interesting review. One comments and graphic had me wondering. Looks like some excellent gains in battery life in some categories, but where it notes the GPS modes there was no indication of change over the 6. The reviewer says if you’re indoors a lot of doing a lot of GPS activities you’re probably going to charge it as much as you used to. That seems odd given how significant the gains are in most other areas of use. I use a F5 sapphire for walking and what I really want to upgrade is battery life and maps / navigation / GPS accuracy. My 5 works well as a fitness tracker but if you try any kind of navigation on it, you get around 2 days max before it’s dead.

What I rarely see mentioned is whether you can put custom maps on the watch like you can on an eTrex for example. Would be great to use OSM maps on it.

There’s a number of focussed watches Garmin make. I wish they did one that was geared mostly towards multi day walks and navigation. I don’t really need 90% of the features. And the ones I do need, would love to see some improvements on still. The Enduro was close to that from memory, but must have been a specific feature missing for me to write it off. I can’t remember now.


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The Garmin Enduro has much better battery life, but no maps. guess they made way for a bigger battery and ditched the extra memory for the maps

Yeah okay. That what would have been the reason I dismissed it.


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they are small devices with small batteries, hardware technology is only increasing incrementally now, far less than it used to, unless some major breakthrough comes in battery technology, they arent going to increase in battery life that much
some new watches have oled displays that are brighter , look better but suck more power....
need to make sure you trawl through all the settings for maximum power saving...

Slightly off topic, but maybe not too far....
I'm considering getting a Garmin Fenix 6 or Garmin Instinct.
I use an iPhone, and have Garmin InReach Mini for 2-way messaging and the "help me, I'm in a spot of bother" button.
For navigation/tracking I use Avenza app on iPhone, but also check out EarthMate for validation that Avenza isn't too far wrong at times and tracking too at times.
What I'd like is a watch that notifies me when I've received an SMS, call (I usually have phone on silent), or even InReach message.
I want to be able to track altitude during a walk, not just location, so I can see/record how much altitude I've gained/lost and a profile of the altitude changes.
If the watch also allows navigation and has maps, even better.
The Instinct seems to have the altimeter and smart phone messages for about $300 or so (less at Anaconda I think), and the Fenix 6 has all that and maps I think about $450-$550 at JB and other joints.
The Fenix 7 seems too hefty an outlay.
Anyway, for a person going out in the bush, which would be the better (and more unbreakable) watch in your opinion?
Cheers.

I have the 6x and an android phone, so can only promise the following is true with the same setup.

Baeng72 wrote: What I'd like is a watch that notifies me when I've received an SMS, call (I usually have phone on silent),

will do if BT is on on both

Baeng72 wrote: or even InReach message.

If your phone gets a notification with an InReach message, then so will your watch.

Baeng72"I want to be able to track altitude during a walk, not just location, so I can see/record how much altitude I've gained/lost and a profile of the altitude changes.[/quote]
will do it.
[quote="Baeng72 wrote: If the watch also allows navigation and has maps, even better.

it will
can even upload AndrewA's custom garmin OSM maps

Baeng72 wrote: The Instinct seems to have the altimeter and smart phone messages for about $300 or so (less at Anaconda I think),

Don't know, don't have one.

Baeng72 wrote: and the Fenix 6 has all that and maps I think about $450-$550 at JB and other joints.

I would order direct from Garmin. Good warranty, with good support.
Mine broke after being out of warranty for over a year and I got a free replacement

Baeng72 wrote: The Fenix 7 seems too hefty an outlay.

Possibly, that's your choice.

Baeng72 wrote:Anyway, for a person going out in the bush, which would be the better (and more unbreakable) watch in your opinion?

If you are going bush, sapphire screen is a must-have. The rest is all just preference.
I go rock climbing, crack climbing, caving, kayaking and canyoning with mine, and the screen is unscratched.

icefest wrote:If you are going bush, sapphire screen is a must-have. The rest is all just preference.
I go rock climbing, crack climbing, caving, kayaking and canyoning with mine, and the screen is unscratched.

Cheers! Good info. I wasn't aware of the Saphirre protective screen option, but that makes it pricey.
I have most of what I need on the phone, and the EarthMate app is handy for composing the InReach messages with BT connection.
I've had trouble with Garmin support with the InReach, they weren't keen on replacement, and it sometimes doesn't talk BT and needs a bit of reseting jiggery to get working.
It still works as a standalone device, just not guaranteed to stay connected with BT.
Anway, thanks again, will check out the options and ponder whether to buy or not.

One of my 'hobbies' or weaknesses... I'm not actually sure what you'd call it... Is collecting watches - usually mechanical / automatic. Sapphire is almost always a must have in the watch collecting world. Some of the vintage watches out there used acrylic crystals, which are still great because even though they scratch easily, they are easily cleaned up with some polywatch/brasso/headlight cleaner/toothpaste. What does suck is mineral crystal which is not as hard has sapphire, and very very difficult to polish out scratches. Although often more clear than cheap sapphire.

I own probably around 12-15 watches. Most of them have a sapphire crystal. I've never scratched any of the mechanical watches, but it isn't impossible. Metals won't scratch a decent sapphire as they are too soft, but anything like sharp glass, or sand can. The one sapphire crystal I have actually scratched is my Fenix 5 sapphire. It got scraped on a rock while swimming in a river. Probably a bit of sand or hard mineral within the rock. But it does also make me wonder whether the sapphire used in a Garmin is as good as what you'd find in a higher end watch brand.

I have decided that my Garmin Forerunner 230 needs an update. I would like a watch that I can use for 'navigating' and providing stats for mainly track walking. Something that means I do not have to rely on my phone or check it for visual updates as to where I am on the track etc.

So I am thinking of either a Fenix 6 Pro which is $574 at Johnny Appleseeds or a Fenix 7 Silver for $849 again at Johnny Appleseeds. The difference is $275. I would prefer an all-black watch but the price jumps from what I can see to $1,149 $929.95 for Fenix 7 Standard Solar [only a couple of days left at that price but]. I can live without the solar.

Is it worth jumping to the Fenix 7 Silver?

I have found that tracking and navigating on my Fenix 5 sucks a lot of juice. Might be better now with the newer models but I think I'd still suggest going solar if you can swing it. It was hanging on with only a couple of percent at the end of a two day walk in Wilsons Prom.

Dexter wrote:I have found that tracking and navigating on my Fenix 5 sucks a lot of juice. Might be better now with the newer models but I think I'd still suggest going solar if you can swing it. It was hanging on with only a couple of percent at the end of a two day walk in Wilsons Prom.

I am starting to head that way and probably the Sapharie version as well given it has three satellite systems. Even my old Garmin Edge 1030 does that.

I am not in a rush so I may watch out for a good deal. I see Elite Electronics have it down to $1,319 so some movement is shown. Not that I would buy from them given the reviews I have seen.

Wild Earth has them at $1350:
https://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/garmin ... 0-02541-24

ChrisJHC wrote:Wild Earth has them at $1350:
https://www.wildearth.com.au/buy/garmin ... 0-02541-24

From WildEarth have the Garmin Fenix 7S Sapphire Solar via eBay $1,119.95. Offer ends 21 August 2022 but. The colour is Dark Bronze Titanium/Shale Gray.

They also have the Garmin Fenix 7X Solar Multisport Watch - Slate Gray/Black Band at $1,280, again on eBay.

Took the plunge this morning and ordered a Garmin Fenix 7 Solar Multisport Watch from WildEarth via ebay for AU$978.45.

Hopefully done the right thing

It will replace my Garmin Forerunner 230 and my use of the phone as a GPS when bushwalking etc.

If anyone is interested there is a guy selling a couple of Garmin fenix(R) 7X Sapphire Solar-Titanium Case Chestnut Leather & Silicone Band, He is taking offers but has two of them listed at $1,200 with 11 months warranty remaining.

Keen to hear your thoughts on it after some time out bush.


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