Garmin touch screen - aarrgh!

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HappyG(rrr) Apr 2019 12:16pm, 8 Apr 2019 31,104 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Bit of a niche one this, but aaargh to the Garmin touch screen in the rain (which we have quite a bit of in Scotland) and a wet, flappy jacket sleeve! Now, the Vivoactive 3 that I have now, has a Lock function (an improvement on the original VA that did not!) But I still managed to have the following fail after my 10 miler (honest, I did do it - even if the Garmin doesn't know it!). Trotting along at 3 or 4 miles I could feel the watch buzzing away - so thought, better lock it. Normally what it does is records a load of spurious "laps". The lap instruction being a double tap, which a few wet jacket flaps can easily equate to. But this dextrous flappy wet jack somehow managed to navigate the following - Settings (which is a long hold), Data Fields, 2 fields (was 3), back, back and it was on the 2 field screen. I mean, wtaf?! I couldn't have done that with my soggy, gloved fingers, even if I wanted to. How did Mr Wet Rainjacket Sleeve manage to? Anyhoo, locked screen (an easy long button hold then choose the padlock on screen - bit hit or miss but I got it. I could have asked my wet sleeve to do it, but it was busy choking the blood out of my upper arm, where I had to stow it, while fiddling with the watch. So, sleeve back down, waiting for some warmth to return to the sodden and blue lower arm, and went on to do rest of run. Home at 10 miles as planned (though watch recorded 21 "laps" with all that flappy screen double tapping before 4 miles) and hit stop to end the run. But you have to long hold the button to unlock, then press button again for stop. Didn't think twice about it, but stepped inside tout de suite, trying not to get fatally drowned to death in the rain at my door. By time looked at watch to remove it, it's just displaying time. Funny, I don't remember saving it. And it hasn't flashed up to say synced with phone on Garmin Connect. Hang on, let's just check. No, it's not in Garmin Connect. Well, I'll just re sync it from the history. Nope, last run is Friday's lunch time plod. Sheesh. Somehow the clever little wet jacket sleeve has managed to hit Done, and then (brilliant design by Garmin this) the Discard rather than save option, which is in the SAME PLACE on the screen as Done. I mean, why is there even a Discard? Who wants to discard and activity that they had to press a button and a screen option, the another button to start, and has then spent nearly 2 hours diligently recording. "Oh, my mistake, I didn't mean any of that, I'd better just delete it." Why not "auto save"? Or at least put hide the Discard button somewhere other than immediately under the Done button, such that a Done and Discard combo is an easy, highly sleevable, double tap command away. And the watch knows I did it, cos that 23000 steps for the day. I didn't do them shuffling to the loo or making cheese on toast you know. And 20 floors of ascent, that wasn't up and down to the bedroom, cos even though my 50s are upon me, even I don't leave my teeth on the bedside table or forget what I've gone upstairs for 20 times a day. And breathe. I added it manually to GC after and it's in Fetch. But no Conq zones, no map Circles, no Fetchpoint bugs, no elevation. No need to add to this thread. Should have been a blog really. Private. To myself. And Garmin, to whom I have whinged. Grrr! G
Badger Apr 2019 12:47pm, 8 Apr 2019 10,607 posts	0 Badger Yup. I have had exactly one touchscreen Garmin watch - FR 620, which was a great running watch in many ways, but oh that screen. It was far too easy to save or delete your run rather than resuming it. Weirdly, on my current Fenix 5, resume is the default, you need to scroll up to get to discard, and it asks for confirmation first. Four very specific key strokes. Not saying there is no place for touch screens in sports watches (and I did like being able to change fields on the go by long-pressing them) but not the ones Garmin sell.
Carpathius Apr 2019 1:00pm, 8 Apr 2019 16,883 posts	0 Carpathius I have a 310, and can operate everything on it through my sleeve without looking. Your post has made me even more determined to avoid touchscreen Garmins.
HappyG(rrr) Apr 2019 1:24pm, 8 Apr 2019 31,105 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Bring back buttons! G
DoricQuine Apr 2019 2:04pm, 8 Apr 2019 4,421 posts	0 DoricQuine I have the original VA and never had that problem - must be a male thing!! ducks
Alice the Camel Apr 2019 2:13pm, 8 Apr 2019 3,754 posts	0 Alice the Camel Sympathies, G. I had a 620 which drove me nuts. When it got stolen I replaced it with the cheaper and far friendlier 235.
HappyG(rrr) Apr 2019 2:58pm, 8 Apr 2019 31,106 posts	0 HappyG(rrr) Lol DQ - maybe you never ran in the rain also ducks Alice, I love the watch as an all day wear thing but pretty crucial that it can perform when in contact with the elements. G
westmoors Apr 2019 3:00pm, 8 Apr 2019 3,161 posts	0 westmoors I also used to have a 620 and the touch screen drove me mad, but not as mad as the bezel on the 405! Have upgraded to a 935 which is all buttons.
DoricQuine Apr 2019 3:12pm, 8 Apr 2019 4,422 posts	0 DoricQuine 20 mile marathon training in pissing rain and no problems
K5 Gus Apr 2019 3:22pm, 8 Apr 2019 2,966 posts	0 K5 Gus G - to get your Conq zones, circles, etc then create a Route of what you ran. Add a new training entry based on that route, That gives all the games stuff. Then delete the entry from your log ( either the original one, or this new one ) so your distance totals are not double counted. When I was looking for new watch immediately discounted anything with touchscreen for this very reason