Garmin Foot Pod: replace or alternative brand?

William Jenks

I seem to have to replace my Garmin foot pod almost annually.  It has started with the usual deterioration where sometimes I am apparently running twice as fast as I actually am; sometimes the watch can't pick up the signal at all.  I have replaced the battery and done all the normal "resetting" I know how to do.

Is there a more reliable foot pod from another company or should I just suck it up and buy another Garmin?  (They are $50 on Amazon.) My only requirement is that it be usable with a Garmin 910xt.  It looks like Wahoo sells one for the same price, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has paired it with a Garmin.

I think this has been discussed before, but I can't get the search function to come up with the right thread.

Thanks!

Brad Marcus

Officially subscribed to this topic, William. Never have had a footpod - one piece of equipment I don't own! Either The polar vortex is for real,mor I'm tolerating the cold less, since I'm finding myself on the dreadmill more often this season. The only metric I've been using is heartrate since my TM is easily 12 years old and the speed and even timing mechanism can't be trusted. I guess somewhere below 10 degrees with wind (snow and ice) is my new threshold outside!

So...I'm in the market too!

Steve West

Wow, that's really odd. I've had my current Garmin foot pod for at least 6 years and never have trouble other than just before I need a new battery.

Back in the early 2000's I had the big clunky one and that seemed to suck. Got the newer version and have been quite happy since. It lives on my running shoe and so is used for every run I do. Not sure why you've had so much trouble.

No experience with any FP other than the Garmin's. Check DCRainmaker.

JeremyBehler

I had some problems with mine as well, but realized it was caused by me switching it across different shoes. Apparently the positioning on the shoe plays a big role, so even if you keep it on the same pair but move it it could change the calibration factor. Ever since I kept a dedicated FP on a single pair of shoes it's been consistent for my treadmill runs.

Stephanie Hartmann

maybe DC Rainmaker has a review on another brand.

William Jenks

@Jeremy...I agree that accurate calibration does depend on where the sensor is placed on the shoe, and your solution is certainly convenient. Just so you know, though, that's not the issue. My problems (which seem to occur roughly annually until I somehow resolve it...which has been replacing the foot pod previously) are that I am running along during my intervals, when suddenly the watch registers that that I am going at a 3:10 pace instead of 6:20 or whatever. It's pretty clearly a factor of 2 error, which sounds like something that has to do with bad interpretation of some signal....which goes along with the "error" of not being able to read the signal at all.

@Brad...these are great devices that work great....until they don't :-)

Dino Sarti

I hade the same one three years. A couple battery changes is all i have ever done to it. Mine seems bullet proof. Sounds like you may have had a few lemons.

Peter Greagg

I've had mine for about 5 years with just batteries needed.

Ralph Moore

William, I have a Wahoo Fitness foot pod that is Ant+ compatable and I have not had any issues with it. I have only had it for about 2-3 years tho. Might be worth a try.

http://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-Fitness-Stride-Sensor-iPhone/dp/B0047841FG/ref=sr_1_1/191-9859428-6464714?ie=UTF8&qid=1424382088&sr=8-1&keywords=wahoo+foot+pod

They are on sale at the wahoo store so they may be phasing the item out? http://www.wahoofitness.com/devices.html?gclid=CO-Y0P_87sMCFUMvgQodTmAA0g

Hope that helps

Shaughn Simmons

Hard to beat an accurately calibrated Garmin foot pod.......mine has even gone through the washer a couple of times with no issues.....

Scott Alexander

I've had my Garmin foot pod for 5+ years, only replaced a battery a few times during that timeframe.

William Jenks

OK... I bit for a new one. Let's hope I've just been unlucky. Thanks all.

MattAaronson

I have never had to replace a footpod except once when I physically broke one and it ended in pieces.

Emily Brinkley

If it happens again, I would see if its the watch with the issue, not the footpod? I'm sure it's crazy frustrating.

Stephanie Hartmann

So, as soon as we start talking about the garmin footpod and I am so thrilled I've never lost mine...it's gone. Came off somewhere. How weird is that? Order a new one I guess...the pairing is a little tricky but once the watch finds it, it is good to go.

Maybe the footpod doesn't want to work in Ames, where it's so cold? maybe it's a hawkeye fan?

William Jenks

That must be it! :-)

Actually, that did make me think.... I tend to have this problem in the same LOCATION... a particular indoor gym that I do 90% of my running in. (It has a great indoor track.)

I wonder if there are any electronic gadgets that a university building might have that would interfere with the ANT+ transmission?

Joe Matchette

Posted By William Jenks on 01 Mar 2015 11:21 AM




I wonder if there are any electronic gadgets that a university building might have that would interfere with the ANT+ transmission?

My wife and I had been having problems with our Joule 2.0s getting their respective signals while we are on the trainer.  The wi-fi router is in the same room and can interfere with ANT+.... Since changing the wi-fi to Channel 1 only, the dropouts have decreased significantly.

Stephanie Hartmann

BTW what a great game yesterday!!! I went to Drake but I root for ALL the Iowa teams. Go 'clones, panthers, and hawkeyes in the tourney!

AND my foot pod reappeared! so now I have two...since I reordered one.