Solutions for Garmin Forerunner 301 USB problems

I grew up in California. You could leave just about anything on your
front porch for years and not worry about it. In Florida if you leave
anything outside for a couple days the humidity can start to mold,
rust, deteriorate and just destroy things.

This is the same for my Garmin Forerunner 301. The USB port had
stopped working and after digging for solutions I think I may of
found one.

Spray some WD-40 on a toothbrush and scrub the USB port. The WD-40
will help remove any rust or corrosion and improve the contact
points. Let the Forerunner dry and you are good to plug it in to
charge it or download your running info.

Things on my XMas Tri Wish List - New Garmin Forerunner

As I said before, my Garmin Forerunner has been indispensable. The
new ones (305 and 405) have only become smaller. The 305 is only a
little more expensive than a new 301 right now and there is an
upcoming sale on it at Costco. This will make it almost the same
price.

The biggest advantage that I see to upgrading is the size (and having a working heart rate monitor again). These new ones are small enough that I don't see them getting in the way during the swim. The 301 is large enough that I had attempted to swim with it, but found it cumbersome. All of these Forerunner's are water resistant.I have not had a chance to play with the 305 or the 405, but in looking at the specs here are the biggest differences that I have seen.

The 405 is smaller and newer.

The 305 allows you to do multi-sport with the press of a button. This means that each time you switch to a different sport you can do so by pressing a button. This is great during races because there is no break in your timing. If you press the button at the right times you can even have your transitions. I use this feature whenever I race with my 301 and I love it. I would hope that the 405 has some way to do multi-sport and I'm very weary to buying one until I find this out. This would definitely send me back to the 305 or waiting for a newer model.

The 405 allows you to send your data to your computer via wireless.

The 405 is not compatible with the mac. This was a problem with the 301, so I can live with it, but actually having a compatible Forerunner would be nice, especially with so few other differences.

I am going to need a heart rate monitor for the new season, so I'm probably not looking at waiting for the next model. And with the great price on the 305, there very well may be one under my tree this year.

Things that worked - Garmin Forerunner 301

I've used the Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS almost every time I run or bike
for two years now. It tells me accurately how fast I'm going, how far
I've gone, how to get back home if I get lost, it let's you set-up
training programs like intervals, and soooo much more.

I even race with it. It's great to know your pace on the run, so you don't burn yourself out.

This wasn't my first Garmin. I used a Garmin Ique for my car a few
years before I got this one. I was so impressed that I knew I
couldn't go wrong with GPS.

Combined with the FIRST program, this little device gave me a lot of
motivation. Seeing instant results of how you are doing, without
having to do do the math of minutes per mile, is a huge inspiration.

My biggest complaint is that I have had to send it back to the
company because the heart rate monitor stopped working. I bought a
second one to hold me over until the first one came back. The second
one got lost, and now the first one's heart rate monitor has stopped
working again.

Even without a heart rate monitor, it is one of the best purchases I
have ever made and I definitely plan to continue upgrading.