Garmin Instinct Tactical

Today, Monday the February 21, 2022, I brought home the Garmin Instinct Tactical for Rs 17,000 from Nikita Distributors. It's in khaki colour. The original Amazon price is Rs 23K (or perhaps 24K). I got it for a discount as the box was opened. They said it is new and unused. I take their word for it. I have been dealing with them for years now.

The watch is a little complicated, as it comes loaded with various features and abilities. I will probably take some time to fully utilise its potential. As of now it is doing the work of a regular watch. I am also using its heart rate monitor feature. 

There is a youtube video by DCRainmaker. I will have to check it often to learn about various features of the watch. 

Why Another Garmin - My only go to and every day wear watch for a very long time was the Timex Ironman. It got damaged in water after years of dedicated service (a screen change and several strap changes later). In the last couple of years I could just not find a suitable replacement for it. I think this is just it. The Forerunner 15 would have done just fine if it had a longer battery life or a more easy charger. The Tissot, with its dainty leather strap and no day/date is not suitable for adventure trips. I mean it does show the date but one has to adjust it every time the month is of 31 days or 28 etc. I don't bother with it any more. I have another Titan given by Exide as a long service award but it is entirely metallic which hurts my wrist. The main problem with these watches is they do not show the day and date, which is a major requirement for me as I keep forgetting them. And after retirement, which is  pretty imminent.

But then the Instinct is not a watch. It's a GPS with ability to track my movements and all sorts of complicated calculations. It also has its own ABC - altimeter, barometer and compass. I intend to use it for all my outdoor and indoor activities like cycle touring, hiking and trekking, running, swimming and everything that can be done by a human being. It can run for 16 hours on GPS mode. And if I switch off the GPS it will go for a very long time, working just as a basic watch. But more importantly it can be recharged with a USB type charger (the pins are different though) like a mobile phone. My Forerunner needs a special Garmin charging pad kind of thing. This watch is actually a few generations ahead of the Forerunner and the two should not be compared. Another problem with the Forerunner is that its battery is getting weaker. It still works fine as a basic running watch. But if the activity is a little longer than usual the battery gives out. If the battery, for any reason, dies out, it takes a long time of charging to revive it. It is nearing its service life, quite obviously. I think I will gift it away to Ranjanda. He will appreciate it.

Another very important upgrade for me is the wrist based HRM that comes with this watch. My chest strap (from the Forerunner) is becoming increasingly difficult to keep in place during certain activities. Also it gives wrong signals in winter, particularly before the body has warmed up and sweated a bit for the contact to work properly. In fact Garmin recommends making it wet with water before wearing it in winter. 

However, I do not know how to add the heart rate readings from this watch to my Edge based cycling activities. I shall see when I cycle tomorrow or the day after. (I have since cracked this. IThe watch can broadcast HR to any nearby paired device. I have paired the Edge and the Instinct without a problem and went for a ride on 23rd February.)

The three tiny lights on the back of the watch I think is the HRM. I hope they are accurate. 

When we were young, one would need a super computer to do what the Instinct does. 

I shall have to also see if the cycling speed sensor and cadence sensor can be paired with this. In that case the Edge 130 becomes redundant. I might even sell it off, if that is the case. I think it can be done. Let me see.

The Watch Faces This watch has many faces (14 to be precise) that the user can pick and choose and change as per his mood. Seven of them are black on a white background, seven more are their reverse (like in the photograph above). The faces can be changed by first pressing the menu button and then scrolling down with the ABC button. The face you like can be accepted by pressing the GPS button with the prompt apply. 

The face has various elements. For example, right now it has the main time plus sunrise and sunset, day and date, battery life indicator, Zulu time (which is the modern name for GMT) etc. These can also be changed as per the user's requirement. I am yet to customise them. (I have done it since. Now I have the temperature displayed rather prominently.) 

The Activities This is a multi activity watch. It can be used for various sports like running, walking, cycling etc. As of now, I have just learnt how to use it in walking and cycling mode. One can also add activities that are not there. I have added hiking. I might even add climbing just to see what exactly it is. 

Different activities have different metrics that are measured and displayed. Obviously these can be customised too. I have not done any of that yet. It is very much on my list of things to do/learn.

Friday, July 1, 2022

Today while I was walking to the swimming pool with the walk mode on (I measure my walk every evening while going to the pool with the GPS on), the watch froze. This was the first time this happened. After coming back home I did a hard reset by pressing the ctrl button for about 20 seconds. After a few minutes I restarted the watch and it was fine. 

I have been using the Pool Swim mode every evening except tonight. It's a very poor one for measuring my swimming laps. It measures the lap at its own free will. Sometimes it measures more than I swam, sometimes it's less. A couple of days ago I turned on the rest mode - which is another name for what we call auto pause - and I think the watch is now behaving properly. But one thing I have not yet been able to hack, that is, how to set the HRM on in swimming mode. I have to find it out. There is a hack available online. I will try it one of these days. In the new Instinct the facility is there. The old Instinct demands a hack.

Strauss Foam Roller

 

The other day I got for myself a foam roller off Amazon. It's from the sports goods brand called Strauss. I had bought a few exercise bands from them. Inexpensive and they work fine for me. The foam roller also seemed to be descent enough. 

It's essentially a plastic cylindrical shell over which there is a moulded rubber that is wrapped. There is nothing special about the grooves. All foam rollers have similar pattern. 

I worked it on the glutes, hamstrings, calves and quads. Worked it on the neck also. It works fabulously well. Perhaps I was a little more overwhelmed than I should've but this was my first experience with the roller. 

The roller, rather foam rolling, is recommended everywhere these days. It works by releasing myofascial tightness and knots in the muscles. This is what a masseur does too. My muscles felt really good after foam rolling for some time. I would recommend this for any one who does any physical activity. Only problem is you need a certain amount of physical fitness to effectively use it. Rolling it on the thigh muscles or glutes is not easy. One has to pivot the body on the palms and raise oneself and then gently roll up and down to effectively use it.

I saw an Amazon reviewer say that it broke for her. I don't know if she got a cracked specimen but my specimen looks sturdy enough.    

Bosch Circular Saw

Almost seven years ago, on the eve of my 50th birthday Monisha gifted me a Bosch circular saw. Of course it was my idea and she readily approved of it. I went all the way to the Taher showroom on Prinsep Street and brought it home. But after reading up everything and seeing a few videos I realised this was a little dangerous to handle. Also, I did not have the necessary work place and bench to regularly use it effectively. So after a cursory look at the item I kept it packed.  

A few months ago, Partha my anaesthetist friend, suddenly showed me the photographs of a patient who had chopped off his thumb with a similar saw. It is one of the most ghastly photographs I have ever seen. Apparently the gentleman collected the finger and went to the hospital and it was stitched back. I have no idea as to how it is healing. 

Of late I have been meaning to use the saw. When I discussed it with Kushu-da he said use the stair case as your work bench. Hold the wood with your leg. This was the most practical ingenuous idea to use it under the constraints of my house.

I wanted to make a small vegetable chopping board for Monisha that would be handy so that she could easily chop some chillies or a lime etc on the dining table itself and not bring the big chopping board from the kitchen. This is a daily requirement for her. 

We have some old plywood cut pieces in the house. I thought I would cut a six inch square board out of one them. As it turned out we found a board that is about 2 feet long and six inches wide. I decided to cut six inches off the length to get a 6x6 board. 

To cut a longish story short - it went off perfectly. Well almost. I say almost because I should have been more careful towards the end of the cut. The corner got a bit chipped. But I am reasonably happy that it went off smoothly. 

Ideally one should clamp the wood with vices on something unmovable and then cut. I was using my left foot as the vice. What I did not know was how the wood would react after the force of the moving saw hit it. It did move under my foot. But I managed. 

As I realised the saw has a protective cover kind of thing. It is not a naked saw. Unless one is terribly careless or something slips out there is hardly any chance of an accident. Of course one has to be careful with any moving machinery part. 

I did wear a pair of gloves and covered my mouth and nose with the face mask. But I must say, I was not prepared for the sound it made :-) 

Cycle Repair Tools

Today four tools arrived from Ice Toolz for cycle repairs. Exadsports is the official importer and I bought from them directly. I had to wait for them for a long time. As they had run out of all their tools and were waiting for the new consignment to arrive from Taiwan. Even then I didn't get everything that I wanted. The chain whip for taking out cassettes is still not available. 

I bought these four items. One pedal wrench. A cassette remover lock nut with pin. A chain link breaking tool and a nipple driver. Without taking the items out of their packaging, I placed order for a tool box from Stanley. I think I need a dedicated tool box for my bike tools. The Stanley box seemed to be going quite cheap. It is supposed to arrive tomorrow. 

I have been using the adjustable wrench to remove and instal my pedals. While it does the job, it is better to have a dedicated tool for it because the adjustable wrench can and does put scratch marks on the crank arm. Because they are not as thin as the professional tool. The dedicated tool that I bought is much thinner and should be able to do a cleaner job. 

The nipple driver is not really what I wanted and I didn't know what I was ordering. It is meant for driving nipples using a power tool (like a Bosch type drilling machine). I have such power tool but I am not sure I want to learn driving nipples on spokes using a power tool right away. I might damage the spoke or the rim or both. I would rather carefully hand turn the driver. It will be a slow process and take time. There is another dedicated tool for doing it manually. But I cannot see it on the Exad website now. The Park Tool version is almost Rs 1500 and out of stock.

GoPro Hero 8

Last night I pulled the trigger on the GoPro Hero 8. Surprise of surprises. Amazon delivered it this morning. Less than 12 hours I guess. As if someone was waiting with it next door to Exide. I don't even have a micro SD card to update the camera (though I cannot quite understand why the card will be needed to update the firmware but looks like that's how it is). Have ordered one since. Let me see when it comes. Same Appario but they say it will take a week :-( 

The cost came to Rs 30,990. But I went for a zero interest EMI of six instalments through my HSBC card. Tanvir had it for Rs 26,500 but without bill. 

As of now I have downloaded the two apps on my phone. These are to operate the machine and to edit the media on the go. I will wait for the card to arrive before doing anything else now. I have also ordered for an adaptor to attach the unit to my Gorillapod. It's a third party cheap plastic thing. I don't know how good that will be. But as is, the GoPro cannot be attached to a tripod. On the radar is a sand coloured silicone lanyard and a Chesty. But first let me get comfortable with using the unit then I will order these frills. 

This is a made in China product. My distaste for anything Chinese is well known. But I must say I am impressed by this unit's finish. GoPro has been making waves for a long time now in the field of action cameras. There are very few such Chinese companies who have created a product category and have been dominating the scene for such a long time. This was unbelievable say 20 years ago. I may not like China or the Chinese government but this product is a beauty. 

It lived upto my expectations. Small enough to vanish in one's palm. But powerful enough to do a lot of things in the field of action videos. I plan to use it to make small instructional videos and my travel vlogs. I am looking forward to the pelagic trip with Sujan when I plan to use it. Let me see how it goes.

Monday, 23rd November, 2020 

Today the two ordered items arrived. One is the micro SD card (I bought the 64 GB version) and a tripod adapter. I am at office now. Can't wait to go home and update the camera firmware first. 

Sunday, 6th June, 2021

I had not been using the GoPro too much since buying. It's too feature laden. So much that it overwhelms me a bit and intimidates me. Also I didn't feel inspired enough to make any video. On 3rd June, however, I took it out to record my ride of 9 kms around Southern Avenue, Gariahat. Before this I had bought a very cheap handle mount. The result can be seen here. This is just an experiment on how to use the GoPro really. Do not look for flaws or meaning in this video.

I also recently bought a GoPro shorty for about Rs 3K off Amazon. It is a very well made small tripod. Ideal for travelling or for desktop shooting. It can also be used for selfies. I had earlier bought a chest strap which can be used while trekking or while cycling or motorcycling also. The bicycle mount that I bought off flipkart was a cheap Rs 350 (the original GoPro mount costs upward of Rs 5K). It broke off the next day on its own, being unable to keep the pressure of the bolt. I guess I will get the real thing before another epic ride.

Monday, 15th June, 2021 - Handlebar Mount (old style)

Much to Monisha's chagrin I bought yet another attachment for my GoPro ;-) . It's a bicycle mount. The original but the older model. When I saw it was available with Iamastudent at Rs 2880 I thought it was a steal. I placed the order immediately. The new model costs Rs 5550.

This older generation has two problems. A. The rotating head has to be adjusted with an Allen key (in the new model which costs double this older one it is matter of just turning it with a click by hand). B. In fact all the three screws  need an Allen key to tighten or loosen. These are not thumb screws. The three screws are a. for attaching the unit to the handle bar b. for tightening the rotating head c. for tightening the GoPro. 

That I travel with my multitool is a different matter but those who do not, must keep this Allen key safe yet handy while travelling. 

The pack came with five different rubber inserts to fit a range of diameters. The diameter sizes are written on the ring itself. I knew the size of my Surly handlebar so it was not a problem. Before I realised this i had to do some trial and error. 

My next item on the wish list is a GoPro protective housing. Unfortunately it costs upwards of Rs 4300 :-( But if I was to go on a long trip I would like to put my camera in one of those. 

Having bought a few cheap 3rd party mounts as well as a few original ones I have realised why the GoPro items are so very expensive. My Rs 350 bicycle mount, bought off Flipkart, lasted a day. It could have broken on the road as well, potentially damaging the camera.  

I created a short video about this mount. Here you can watch it on Vimeo.

IceToolz Y-shaped hex key set

 

Today, while I took delivery of the Garmin speed and cadence sensors from Exad Sports, I also got for myself an IceToolz 3-in-1 hex key set called  70Y2. It's basically a Y shaped tool with each end being a hex key. This makes wrenching easy because you can hold it in your palm and put considerable torque by twisting your wrist. This is useful where there is room to work on the bolt. In certain situations you might need to use a longer wrench. I think the original design was developed by Park Tool. But they are super expensive.

This is the most commonly used combination of wrenches for a modern cycle. All the bosses, the stem, head cover, the carrier etc use 4 mm bolts. The seat post and the seat need 5 and 6. I have one set of metric hex keys from. I have two T-shaped hex keys in size 4 and 5. Both from Taparia. I also have a Crank Brothers multitool that has all the hex wrenches one could need. Now this :-) 

Am I obsessed with tools. Of course yes, I am. Too bad that modern cycling tools are not stocked by any retailer in Calcutta. And right now even Exad has run out of stock with IceToolz.

Various Specialist Shops

There are various specialist shops in Calcutta that deal only with a particular line of products that you don't find anywhere. Of course Amazon is there but sometimes even Amazon can be difficult to deal with. For example, recently I needed a very small lithium ion button cell battery. It was available in Amazon but you had to buy 5 of them for Rs 350. I went to this shop in Chandni and bought it for Rs 40. You don't get such things every where. So here I go with my compilation. It's a work in progress. As and when I find more such shops I will write them down.

I will not write here the commonly found items and well known shops here. For example I will not mention the details of camera shops or engine oil shops here. There are many. And most Calcuttans know them. At least the ones that are worth knowing are known already. I will only write here about the odd items that you don't find commonly. 

If you know of any such shop please let me know.

Only caveat - most Indians don't realise the value of maintaining the same phone number. They change their service provider at the drop of a hat and change the number. So phones may not always work. 

Batteries of Various Types (Dry Cells and Lithium Ion etc) - 

Plastico - 16 Dharamtalla Street; Calcutta 700013 - 9163912254. This is a tiny shop in front of Chandni Market. 

Elgin Road - 9831146695. This is a tiny shop in front of Bhowanipore Education College, next to Titan showroom. Needlessly terribly expensive. Buy only if you cannot go to Chandni. A Panasonic 2032 that costs Rs 40 at Chandni costs Rs 140 here. Daylight robbery.

Chandni Wholesaler of button cell batteries - 8777368424 (largish shop somewhere on Chandni Chowk Street)

Nuts & Bolts

Princep Corner - 17, Prinsep St, Esplanade, Chowringhee North, Bow Barracks, Kolkata, West Bengal 700072

The Prinsep spelling is wrong but the shop stocks a very wide range of industrial grade nuts and bolts of every kind. It is very unlikely that you won't find a bolt or nut here.