| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| gpspassion |
Posted - 18 févr. 2007 : 12:57:55
UPDATED20070528GLOBALSAT GH-615B WATCH - REVIEWED
SiRFstarIII, Mouse GPS, IPX7, 66,000 Points
After last year's GH-601 watch first shown at the CES show that had an excellent battery life (18+ hours) but came short in a few areas (form factor, limited memory, slow interface), Globalsat are back with the GH-615 watch :
- nicer and more compact casing
- taller screen with a better display
- faster interface
- 66,000 points (about 18 hours of continuous logging).
UPDATED 20070529 : software and firmware upgrades, more details here
PICTURE GALLERY
  
Compared to the Garmin Forerunner 205
  
Small connector in the back for the PC USB Cable
Encounter with the Suunto X9 watch in Chamonix
FIELD TESTING
GENERAL COMMENTS
After several days of testing on the runs, the GH615B proved to be a valuable tool with better dynamic response than the Forerunner 205 that seems to have more aggressive filtering, a typical example would be the speed that is updated faster on the 615B. While pretty large, it's possible to wear it throughout the day at least when you're in the mountains ;-)
The SiRFstarIII GPS module performs as expected with tracking in all outdoor environments including under heavy tree cover, as well as many indoor environments. In fact having a powerful chipset is especially useful in devices where the antenna has to be made as small as possible. Users of the Suunto X9 watch who struggle to get and maintain a fix will be appreciative of this.
ACCURATE TRACKS
Good news compared with the GH-601 that tended to inflate travelled distance measurements (probably not enough filtering of the "micro-movements"), the 615B now gives accurate measurements similar to those of the FR-205 and can be seen below the tracks are very similar
GREEN : GH615 - RED : FR205
 
REDUCED BATTERY LIFE
Battery life is no longer the 18 hours of the GH-601 unfortunately, I need to do some controlled testing, but it seems consistent with its 11 hour rating UPDATE #1 : well maybe not, I wore the 615 today and it turned itself off after about 8h45' of logging, with most of it indoors, so that might explain the difference, will test again. UPDATE #2 : confirmed a battery life of just under 9h hours in normal reception condition outside. The FR-205 has a battery life of 10h30 minutes.
THE PC SOFTWARE
The GH615 comes with "Globalsat GH615 PC Utility" that lets you access the data recorded in the field and analyze it with some graphs :
Viewing a track in Google Maps
Using the GH615 as a "mouse GPS"
The waypoint menu - with a waypoint recorded on the GH-615
Unfortunately, I was not able to create waypoints with the PC sofware for uploading
The various export formats that are available
WISHLIST
Here is a list of items to add/fix to improve the usability of the GH615. It has been sent to Globalsat and they are looking into it.
- GPX export lacks time and altitude information so its use is going to be limited (no importing into motionbased or sporttracks or picture geocoding) - hopefully this can be fixed in the PC software
- Unlike the Forerunner there is no lap option so to split tracks you have to stop the current recording and save it. A bit difficult to do while excercising
- Creating waypoints in the PC Utility and uploading them to the GH-615
- Editing of tracks in the PC Utility to remove unwanted parts
- One advantage over the Forerunner is the separate time/date screen, that allow it to be used as a watch, unfortunately if you turn off the GPS to save on battery life, the time is no longer updated. Maintaining time information would be useful - UPDATED 20070329 - fixed with the latest v1.03 firmware
Questions, comments ? |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| gpspassion |
Posted - 05 mai 2010 : 21:26:44
Isn't it on the Globalsat site anymore ? |
| sagasy |
Posted - 04 mai 2010 : 06:49:50
Hello,
i'm looking for GH-615M firmware.
Is someone can tell me where can I found it ?
Thank |
| dsjbabykimo |
Posted - 31 janv. 2009 : 15:37:02
Hi
You need to create waypoint and connect them as a route one by one.
|
| jervanheg |
Posted - 07 nov. 2008 : 11:53:19
I'm trying to use the "navigation" from WP to WP (arrow), but I'm looking for an application that can create waypoints, and export + upload these to a format that the GH615 understands.
So basically, if I wanted to get navigation directions (with the arrow) for a route that I created using subsequent waypoints, how could I accomplish this?
Thanks for your help! |
| Pelle |
Posted - 13 oct. 2008 : 20:40:35
Hehe did by misstake install soft for 615M :)
/Pelle |
| gpspassion |
Posted - 13 oct. 2008 : 11:28:44
Can't help with that don't have a 615B model sorry, you might want to check with GS support. |
| Pelle |
Posted - 13 oct. 2008 : 11:20:59
Ok! maybe I miss understod,it happens some times :)
About HR monitor? is it suppose to work whit 615B after you update? |
| gpspassion |
Posted - 12 oct. 2008 : 23:54:48
Welcome to the forums.
Laptimes are available on the GH-625 (see its topic), hadn't heard of an update to allow that on the GH-615 ? |
| Pelle |
Posted - 12 oct. 2008 : 21:08:33
Hello:)
I just updated my GH-615B whit the latest Soft "2.20" (F-0TH-0N-0804282)and now i have HR monitor!
But i cant get it to work,have a HR belt from a HR watch. maybe that the problem I dont know?
And read that whit the new soft would be possible to take laptimes,but it dosent work either |
| jcfolke |
Posted - 12 oct. 2008 : 18:34:50
Anyone who can tell me how to import data saved with the Old GH615 utility into the new GS-sport software? I have tried with all the formats the old program can export, but i will get the data without pulse-data, and for some formats, just garbage. When i manage to import data (without heart rate), the data is added to the today's date, and not to the date the data was saved originally. |
| Speigei |
Posted - 30 août 2008 : 16:35:40
FYI: I updated my python libary to be compatible with the new beta firmware (adding the features of the GH625) -- http://code.google.com/p/gh615/ |
| zingo |
Posted - 30 juil. 2008 : 12:35:20
It would be nice to have a "moving average speed" e.g. the average speed for the last 2-5 min or for the last km or so. I find the today avalible total average almost perfect but it hard to see if after I have getting slower and start to run faster is above total average, e.g. if I run slower for a km my avarage drops then I want to run above total average to be sure to "get" back the slow period... Or maybe a view with both average and current speed viewable at the same time would be the trick... |
| hantipanti |
Posted - 18 juil. 2008 : 08:56:34
Now the cheap cover of the usb connect has broken off. No more waterproofness. |
| hol1 |
Posted - 14 juil. 2008 : 13:45:33
Hantipanti, you may use "average speed". Speed is inaccurate at theese "slow speeds" |
| hantipanti |
Posted - 14 juil. 2008 : 13:21:07
I just bought a GH-615M to use it as runner. Unfortunately the displayed speed sways wild and thus is not usable for runners, who want to watch their speed during the run. Has one made similar experience or got I a faulty device ?I just bought a GH-615M to use it as runner. Unfortunately the displayed speed sways wild and thus is not usable for runners, who want to watch their speed during the run. Has one made similar experience or got I a faulty device ? |
- 
- 
