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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Epson Runsense SF-510 Review}} If you're looking for a watch for ultramarathons lasting for 20 to 30 hours, the Epson SF-510 is worth serious consideration. For..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Epson Runsense SF-510 Review}}
If you're looking for a watch for ultramarathons lasting for 20 to 30 hours, the Epson SF-510 is worth serious consideration. For everyone else it's best avoided as there's little to like about the SF-510. The Epson range feels like it's 5-10 years behind other companies which with the rapid advances we've seen in ergonomics and functionality is an age. The Epson looks rather clunky, with cheap feeling materials and a design that does not seem to have had a lot of effort. If the SF-510 were ultra-budget, it might be more viable, but they'd need to drop the price down much further to be value for money. My overall score for the SF-510 is a cheerless 1/30. Looking at the four basic questions I use to evaluate the foundational capabilities of a running watch, you can see the weaknesses.
* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and Epson make a big deal about their "highly accurate GPS tracking." Epson created their own chipset to ensure accuracy, but my testing indicates that the SF-510 is one of the least accurate devices I've tested, even worse than the [[Epson SF-810]]. This is a major disappointment given how far behind the state-of-the-art Epson are in other areas. However, if you compare the accuracy of the SF-510 with other watches in extended battery mode, where they wake up and check the GPS signal periodically, then the SF-510 does much better.
* '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because GPS never really provides the level of accuracy you need for good pace information, the best watches support the display of current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPS. Sadly, the Epson does not have this feature, and doesn't even support the use of a Footpod at all.
* '''Where am I? '''The SF-510 has no navigation capabilities.
* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. The SF-510 has an internal accelerometer and will display cadence, but there is no option for a [[Footpod]]. Typically an internal accelerometer doesn't do a great job, and the SF-510 seems superficially rather poor. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get the Cadence data out in a format that can be analyzed for accuracy, so I can't be sure how bad this is. (For some reason, Epson call Cadence "pitch" which is a little unusual and slightly confusing.)
The only bright spot in an otherwise dismal device is the SF-510's battery life, which I tested at 30 hours, almost exactly what Epson claim. I think this makes it a worthy contender for your money if you need a watch that will give more than 24 hours of running without recharging and without crippling the GPS accuracy. See [[Best Running Watch#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
=Epson SF-510 Pros=
* The biggest advantage of the SF-510 is its long battery life, lasting for 30 hours. This is a chunk longer than other devices can provide with their GPS fully on. Other devices can go even longer, but they have to keep their GPS off most of the time, which can produce vastly inaccurate results.
* The SF-510 is fairly small and looks like a normal watch. Admittedly, that's a normal watch from the 1980s, but that's better than looking like a wrist mounted dive computer. I found the strap to be comfortable and easy to use, something I wish was true for more running watches.
* The SF-510 can support a Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor. Normally this wouldn't be noted as a pro for a watch, but the [[Epson SF-810]] lacks this support, so it's more the absence of a con than a pro.
=Epson SF-510 Cons=
* The [[GPS Accuracy]] is terrible; I'll add more details soon, but for now I'll just say that it's at the bottom of my GPS accuracy table.
* There's no support for a [[Footpod]] to give a more accurate [[Cadence]]. Of course, that also means no support for displaying your current [[Pace From A Footpod]]. The Cadence that is provided is from the internal accelerometer which does not seem great.
* The display is old-school LCD, which is a mixed blessing. It's rather low resolution, and not as nice as a new color display, but it's easier to read without needing a backlight.
* The charging dock for the SF-510 is enormous and would make challenging the watch on the run impractical even if it was supported. However, even if you are prepared to shove the watch, charging dock, and USB battery in your backpack it wouldn't work. Plugging the watch into its docking station terminates any activity.
* The smart phone to feels rather like something from a small startup rather than a major corporation. There is no ongoing communication, so you have to explicitly go through the watch menus to put the watch into Bluetooth listening mode. Using the app is a test of patience and reminds me of the days of recording computer programs on audio tape (a grim memory at best).
* It's theoretically possible to load a satellite pre-cache into the SF-510 for faster satellite acquisition. Unfortunately, this is rather impractical as you have to mess around connecting the watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth, updating the satellite pre-cache, which is then only valid for a few hours. You can't upload the pre-cache via the computer link either. Without the pre-cache, the time to lock onto the satellite signal is painfully long. This is made worse by relatively poor sensitivity; most modern Garmin watches will get a lock inside my house, but the Epson needs a clear view of the sky.
* The SF-510 can upload your workouts via a Bluetooth link to your smart phone, but yet again this proves rather impractical. The Bluetooth link takes so long to upload your workouts that this is unworkable for regular use. The upload via a PC is less painful, but still feels rather crude and unfinished.
* Epson will upload your workouts to their website, which is rather rudimentary. There are various options for syncing your data with other sites, but if you want to have your lap splits included then things get tricky. I had to sync my Epson data with Strava, download CSV data from Epson, download TCX data from a Strava, and then write code to combine the two. You can consider me thoroughly unimpressed.
=What's Missing=
While I don't consider these missing features as 'cons', it's worth understanding the features that are missing compared with other watches. You'll notice that the SF-510 has a rather long list of missing features.
* '''Altimeter. '''GPS is far less accurate vertically than horizontally, so a barometric altimeter can provide a much better idea of your ascent and descent. It can also be useful for navigation if you're ascending or descending a mountain. In some races I've been far more interested in how much ascent is left rather than the distance to the top.
* '''Extended battery life'''. Some watches can extend the battery life by turning the GPS reception off for short periods. This can dramatically reduce GPS accuracy, but it's a useful trade-off for some ultramarathons.
* '''WiFi Uploads'''. While the automatic upload of workouts via WiFi is nice, the upload will typically only go to the manufacturer's web site.
* '''Running Dynamics'''. Some of the newer Garmin watches support [[Running Dynamics]] that can show and record Vertical Oscillation (VO) and Ground Contact Time (GCT).
* '''Apps'''. I come to really appreciate the extensibility of the newer Garmin watches, and their ability to run custom applications. Suunto has a much simpler version of this capability, which is still better than nothing.
* '''Activity tracker'''. While I'm not convinced by the accuracy of most activity tracker's, they are a nice feature and can give additional motivation to keep moving.
* '''Smartphone Notifications'''. Having alerts like incoming calls or text messages on your watch is a rather nice, though far from a core feature of a running watch.
* '''Alerts'''. Some watches will alert you when a metric is out of range. The alert for [[Cadence]] is really useful and one of my favorite features on other watches. Of course, you need a decent measurement of cadence for this to be relevant.
=Support This Site=
{{BuyAmazon|AZID=B012D4OE0W|AZN=Epson SF-510}}
=Visual Comparison=
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:EpsonSF510-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Epson SF-510 top]]
|[[File:EpsonSF510-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Epson SF-510 side]]
|[[File:Garmin235-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 235 top]]
|[[File:Garmin235-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 235 side]]
|[[File:Garmin 225-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 225 top]]
|[[File:Garmin 225-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 225 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Garmin 620-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 top]]
|[[File:Garmin 620-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 side]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 side]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Polar V800-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 top]]
|[[File:Polar V800-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 side]]
|[[File:Garmin Epix-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix top]]
|[[File:Garmin Epix-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix side]]
|[[File:Leikr 1-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 top]]
|[[File:Leikr 1-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 side]]
|}
=Comparison Table=
{{:Best Running Watch-table}}
If you're looking for a watch for ultramarathons lasting for 20 to 30 hours, the Epson SF-510 is worth serious consideration. For everyone else it's best avoided as there's little to like about the SF-510. The Epson range feels like it's 5-10 years behind other companies which with the rapid advances we've seen in ergonomics and functionality is an age. The Epson looks rather clunky, with cheap feeling materials and a design that does not seem to have had a lot of effort. If the SF-510 were ultra-budget, it might be more viable, but they'd need to drop the price down much further to be value for money. My overall score for the SF-510 is a cheerless 1/30. Looking at the four basic questions I use to evaluate the foundational capabilities of a running watch, you can see the weaknesses.
* '''How far did I run?''' This is the most basic question, and Epson make a big deal about their "highly accurate GPS tracking." Epson created their own chipset to ensure accuracy, but my testing indicates that the SF-510 is one of the least accurate devices I've tested, even worse than the [[Epson SF-810]]. This is a major disappointment given how far behind the state-of-the-art Epson are in other areas. However, if you compare the accuracy of the SF-510 with other watches in extended battery mode, where they wake up and check the GPS signal periodically, then the SF-510 does much better.
* '''How fast am I running?''' Knowing how fast you're running can be a nice to know, or it can be vital for your training or race performance. Because GPS never really provides the level of accuracy you need for good pace information, the best watches support the display of current [[Pace From A Footpod]] while getting all other data from GPS. Sadly, the Epson does not have this feature, and doesn't even support the use of a Footpod at all.
* '''Where am I? '''The SF-510 has no navigation capabilities.
* '''What's my cadence? '''[[Cadence]]''' '''is one of the most critical and often overlooked aspects of running. If you get your Cadence right, many other things naturally fall into place. The SF-510 has an internal accelerometer and will display cadence, but there is no option for a [[Footpod]]. Typically an internal accelerometer doesn't do a great job, and the SF-510 seems superficially rather poor. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get the Cadence data out in a format that can be analyzed for accuracy, so I can't be sure how bad this is. (For some reason, Epson call Cadence "pitch" which is a little unusual and slightly confusing.)
The only bright spot in an otherwise dismal device is the SF-510's battery life, which I tested at 30 hours, almost exactly what Epson claim. I think this makes it a worthy contender for your money if you need a watch that will give more than 24 hours of running without recharging and without crippling the GPS accuracy. See [[Best Running Watch#Watches for Ultrarunning| Watches for Ultrarunning]] for more details.
=Epson SF-510 Pros=
* The biggest advantage of the SF-510 is its long battery life, lasting for 30 hours. This is a chunk longer than other devices can provide with their GPS fully on. Other devices can go even longer, but they have to keep their GPS off most of the time, which can produce vastly inaccurate results.
* The SF-510 is fairly small and looks like a normal watch. Admittedly, that's a normal watch from the 1980s, but that's better than looking like a wrist mounted dive computer. I found the strap to be comfortable and easy to use, something I wish was true for more running watches.
* The SF-510 can support a Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor. Normally this wouldn't be noted as a pro for a watch, but the [[Epson SF-810]] lacks this support, so it's more the absence of a con than a pro.
=Epson SF-510 Cons=
* The [[GPS Accuracy]] is terrible; I'll add more details soon, but for now I'll just say that it's at the bottom of my GPS accuracy table.
* There's no support for a [[Footpod]] to give a more accurate [[Cadence]]. Of course, that also means no support for displaying your current [[Pace From A Footpod]]. The Cadence that is provided is from the internal accelerometer which does not seem great.
* The display is old-school LCD, which is a mixed blessing. It's rather low resolution, and not as nice as a new color display, but it's easier to read without needing a backlight.
* The charging dock for the SF-510 is enormous and would make challenging the watch on the run impractical even if it was supported. However, even if you are prepared to shove the watch, charging dock, and USB battery in your backpack it wouldn't work. Plugging the watch into its docking station terminates any activity.
* The smart phone to feels rather like something from a small startup rather than a major corporation. There is no ongoing communication, so you have to explicitly go through the watch menus to put the watch into Bluetooth listening mode. Using the app is a test of patience and reminds me of the days of recording computer programs on audio tape (a grim memory at best).
* It's theoretically possible to load a satellite pre-cache into the SF-510 for faster satellite acquisition. Unfortunately, this is rather impractical as you have to mess around connecting the watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth, updating the satellite pre-cache, which is then only valid for a few hours. You can't upload the pre-cache via the computer link either. Without the pre-cache, the time to lock onto the satellite signal is painfully long. This is made worse by relatively poor sensitivity; most modern Garmin watches will get a lock inside my house, but the Epson needs a clear view of the sky.
* The SF-510 can upload your workouts via a Bluetooth link to your smart phone, but yet again this proves rather impractical. The Bluetooth link takes so long to upload your workouts that this is unworkable for regular use. The upload via a PC is less painful, but still feels rather crude and unfinished.
* Epson will upload your workouts to their website, which is rather rudimentary. There are various options for syncing your data with other sites, but if you want to have your lap splits included then things get tricky. I had to sync my Epson data with Strava, download CSV data from Epson, download TCX data from a Strava, and then write code to combine the two. You can consider me thoroughly unimpressed.
=What's Missing=
While I don't consider these missing features as 'cons', it's worth understanding the features that are missing compared with other watches. You'll notice that the SF-510 has a rather long list of missing features.
* '''Altimeter. '''GPS is far less accurate vertically than horizontally, so a barometric altimeter can provide a much better idea of your ascent and descent. It can also be useful for navigation if you're ascending or descending a mountain. In some races I've been far more interested in how much ascent is left rather than the distance to the top.
* '''Extended battery life'''. Some watches can extend the battery life by turning the GPS reception off for short periods. This can dramatically reduce GPS accuracy, but it's a useful trade-off for some ultramarathons.
* '''WiFi Uploads'''. While the automatic upload of workouts via WiFi is nice, the upload will typically only go to the manufacturer's web site.
* '''Running Dynamics'''. Some of the newer Garmin watches support [[Running Dynamics]] that can show and record Vertical Oscillation (VO) and Ground Contact Time (GCT).
* '''Apps'''. I come to really appreciate the extensibility of the newer Garmin watches, and their ability to run custom applications. Suunto has a much simpler version of this capability, which is still better than nothing.
* '''Activity tracker'''. While I'm not convinced by the accuracy of most activity tracker's, they are a nice feature and can give additional motivation to keep moving.
* '''Smartphone Notifications'''. Having alerts like incoming calls or text messages on your watch is a rather nice, though far from a core feature of a running watch.
* '''Alerts'''. Some watches will alert you when a metric is out of range. The alert for [[Cadence]] is really useful and one of my favorite features on other watches. Of course, you need a decent measurement of cadence for this to be relevant.
=Support This Site=
{{BuyAmazon|AZID=B012D4OE0W|AZN=Epson SF-510}}
=Visual Comparison=
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:EpsonSF510-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Epson SF-510 top]]
|[[File:EpsonSF510-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Epson SF-510 side]]
|[[File:Garmin235-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 235 top]]
|[[File:Garmin235-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 235 side]]
|[[File:Garmin 225-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 225 top]]
|[[File:Garmin 225-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 225 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Garmin 620-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 top]]
|[[File:Garmin 620-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin 620 side]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit3-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit3 side]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 top]]
|[[File:Suunto Ambit2-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Suunto Ambit2 side]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Polar V800-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 top]]
|[[File:Polar V800-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Polar V800 side]]
|[[File:Garmin Epix-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix top]]
|[[File:Garmin Epix-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Garmin Epix side]]
|[[File:Leikr 1-top.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 top]]
|[[File:Leikr 1-side.JPG|none|thumb|150px|Leikr 1 side]]
|}
=Comparison Table=
{{:Best Running Watch-table}}