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Garmin AB watch

Is there a article or video on using terrapin with the watch? I’m connected to the terrapin with the watch. But nothing I do will change the range unless I do it manually.
 
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Nevermind. Apparently the firmware update didn’t take. It wasn’t displaying the extra BT option on terrapin. Just the app and kestrel. It will connect to the Garmin in the kestrel mode, but won’t work with the AB.

Reinstalled firmware and got the extra option. Now it will update. Connection is very fast and seems to work perfectly.
 
I had a 20% off code so I went ahead and ordered this to replace my Fenix 5. I use it mostly to track my dogs with the Alpha 100 but I see this watch also has a Federal public lands map just like the new Montana 7xx series. That will be fantastic hunting birds on BLM land. The AB is just gravy.

I have the Sig 2400 ABS. I should probably look at the other rangefinders that'll work with this specifically for hunting.
 
Ran it today in a local team match with terrapin-x and an e-dope data card for iPhone.

I’ll write more later, but this combo is awesome. Once connected to watch, terrapin reconnects almost instantly (when it doesn’t, couple seconds to turn terrapin BT off and back on). It sends data to watch instantly.

Most of the stages were multiple target and went like this:

Laser target.
Look at watch
Type in solution to e-dope app

Laser next target, etc etc etc.

Then send data to e-dope card. Done. No pushing buttons on kestrel or writing down ranges. Just laser and look at watch.

You can also use it in a spotter shooter setup where your partner lasers target and you get solution to watch. I’ve now realized the BT issues with terrapin/kestrel are kestrel related as this connection is solid.

I had the Garmin Tempe sensor clipped onto my wind flag that’s on my tripod. This is now my main data source and kestrel is the backup or I’ll bring it out when the wind gets finnicky or high.

Bottom line: it’s awesome
 
I ordered one from the same place using your link. After seeing a local shooters watch. He also purchased it from Miyar outfitters. They also had the in stock/ delay thing with he and I. But it seems like they deliver so it will be well worth it.

I used the T-X -> 5700 -> Edope for about a year. Once I got the HUD it was streamlined the whole process. The HUD is a joy to use. They should probably just put AB directly in it so I can own 3 redundant AB systems lol.

I thought this watch was ridiculous until I saw one in-person. The idea of going directly from Terripan to watch is pretty awesome. I doubt it will be my primary though bc I really like to use the HUD and as I understand it, the watch doesn't talk to the HUD.

I currently have the Tactix Charlie. It's okay but I miss the buttonology and GUI of the Bravo. It was a direct influence from the 401. Not a fan of the applets in my last Fenix and current Charlie. Hope applicability of the widget environment grows and they actually become useful.

I prefer data on my shooting hand, otherwise I’d be using the HUD. I had connectivity issues with T-X and my kestrel. So I was always manually inputting rather than deal with the connection. The watch hasn’t exhibited any issues.

The only complaint I have with watch is the target card (not the range card). I wasn’t able to get it to show a list like the range card does. So I had to scroll which means both hands off rifle. My e-dope had an issue (restarting phone fixed it), and I had to use watch target card for a stage. Luckily we had time since team match, or it would have been tight.

It’s very possible I just don’t know how to make it show the target card as a list. Hopefully that’s the case.
 
I set up a couple profiles on my Tactix Delta AB. For example:
6.5x47L
140gr Berger Hybrid, 2785fps, G7
Zero Range=100 Yards
Sight Height=2.15" Spuhr Mount on top of Surgeon 591
Zero Height=0"
Zero Offset=0"
SSF Elevation=1.0
SSF Windage=1.0
Twist Rate=8.00 in

Why is my 100yrd showing 0.11D on elevation?

Just an initial set up, haven't had a great deal of time to play with this yet. Bought it, headed for the mountains, just GPS and Tracking on ATV trails, just getting warmed up to the AB side of things.
 

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I set up a couple profiles on my Tactix Delta AB. For example:
6.5x47L
140gr Berger Hybrid, 2785fps, G7
Zero Range=100 Yards
Sight Height=2.15" Spuhr Mount on top of Surgeon 591
Zero Height=0"
Zero Offset=0"
SSF Elevation=1.0
SSF Windage=1.0
Twist Rate=8.00 in

Why is my 100yrd showing 0.11D on elevation?

Just an initial set up, haven't had a great deal of time to play with this yet. Bought it, headed for the mountains, just GPS and Tracking on ATV trails, just getting warmed up to the AB side of things.

What's your DOF?

It's prob ADJ causing the issue... just a hunch.
 
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Ya, turn adj off and see if it goes back to zero. Unless you zero inside or somehow get an actual zero wind day when you zero, it’s factored in and having it turned on will either add extra or double it.
 
Like Gunner, I input a couple profiles as well. I was playing around with the data fields on one of the screens and added remaining energy. Strangely, the energy on that screen did not match what was on the range card it printed. I played around with a few different distances and it was consistently different at ranges from 600 - 1500 yards. Maybe those are two different values?

I was hoping to find a widget or app that will show station pressure, altitude and temperature (from my tempe) all on one screen. I write all those values down once I get to the range from a Kestrel Drop or the 5700. Come to find out all the pressure values given by the watch are adjusted pressure. After doing a search I found that the watch doesn't give developers the ability to show station pressure unless it's part of an activity. AB on the watch, though, does show station pressure but it takes a number of clicks to see the environment values AB is using. Anybody know of an app or widget thats shows those?
 
The adjusted pressure is the only one available for the regular watch home screen settings. But on the “tactical” side, uncorrected station pressure is available for the screen settings. It comes up as ‘ambient pressure’.
 
Anyone know what app/widget I need to use for the "tactical" side? I imagine some clever developer/shooter out there has one showing those.
 
Target Screen T1
100yrd Range
Direction of Fire 0 Degree (altered several times=no change)
Inclination 0 Degree
Speed 0.0 mph

Environment:
Auto Update ON (turned off, no change)
Wind Speed 1 10mph
Wind Speed 2 5mph
Wind Direction 3:00
Latitude 37.7
Temp 86F
Amb/Stn Psi 27.59 Inches (HG)
Humidity 38% (my input)

I'm getting used to the watch but need an hour or two more to really get the hang of it.
 
Target Screen T1
100yrd Range
Direction of Fire 0 Degree (altered several times=no change)
Inclination 0 Degree
Speed 0.0 mph

Environment:
Auto Update ON (turned off, no change)
Wind Speed 1 10mph
Wind Speed 2 5mph
Wind Direction 3:00
Latitude 37.7
Temp 86F
Amb/Stn Psi 27.59 Inches (HG)
Humidity 38% (my input)

I'm getting used to the watch but need an hour or two more to really get the hang of it.

ADJ, Coriolis, and Spin Drift are turned off or on in another menu.
 
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It's on the watch by default. It's under settings->map->map theme. You'll see public lands there as a choice.
 
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I just used mine today in an NRL22 club match. Connected it to a Tempe I had for my Tactix Charlie. It worked well. Very easy actually. Data was true, button-ology was easy to navigate and use. Range Card is the most easily read. The Quick Edit function is very handy and pretty easy to use. Scrolling through number for MV, range, or what have you is not nearly as easy as a kestrel. Way too easy to overshoot or under shoot when scrolling. I used the target card on one troop line stage. I really don't like the way they have that setup. It is usable but I did have to move my support hand to navigate with a scroll button every two shots. The target card is normally my favorite function along with my HUD but the range card is laid out much better on this device.

One note about the Tempe, it will appear to be frustratingly disconnecting from your watch but it is just saving it's battery. It will only periodically send temp when you're using an app that needs temp. If you scroll to your temp widget and open it, the tempe will update it. AB will automatically pull this last data. When you close the temp widget and open AB you will see the latest temp. So don't worry. It will pull it. But ai haven't seen AB wake the tempe up and pull it on its own yet without the temp widget being used.

I haven't been able to connect my Terripan yet bc of registering and firmware update issues but that will really check all the boxes. Id feel pretty confident running it as my primary.

Edited to add: I started the match with 14 days left on the watch and ended with 12 days. 10 stage, 4.5hr match. Fully charged is a 21 day prediction.

What was the easiest way to "wake" the tempe? Did you just scroll to the temp homes screen and wait for it to connect/populate?
 
Are you guys running Environment on Auto Update?

Got mine in the mail - messing with it now. Trying to figure out when it will update environmentals.

I do. Haven’t paid much attention to when it updates. I’ll have to check. It claims every 5 min.
 
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Opened up the various widgets that make up nearly all environmentals. Guessing that cycling through them refreshes and allows AB to pull the most recent data. The only one that I'm not able to get to refresh is Humidity. I'm in Texas. I know it aint supposed to be Zero.
 
I don't believe it has a humidity sensor. Mine read zero which, could be a possibility here in Colorado, so I just put in 25% which is a decent guess most times.
 
Humidity can be set to 50% on any solver out there and it will do fine. It’s the environmental factor that matters the least.
 
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Not to derail the thread but the Davis weather station I have at my house has shown some darned low humidity this year. Here's just this month.
 

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Opened up the various widgets that make up nearly all environmentals. Guessing that cycling through them refreshes and allows AB to pull the most recent data. The only one that I'm not able to get to refresh is Humidity. I'm in Texas. I know it aint supposed to be Zero.
Who cares it’s really an irrelevant number
 
@DocUSMCRetired

If possible, please pass along to Garmin to do a software update that allows the target card to show as a list view like the range card.

As it sits, the target card is just better than useless as you need to scroll to each target.

Done, but the more users who send in a support ticket on it the more it gets pushed to the top of the to do list.

Are you guys running Environment on Auto Update?

Got mine in the mail - messing with it now. Trying to figure out when it will update environmentals.

Leave Auto Update on.

Humidity can be set to 50% on any solver out there and it will do fine. It’s the environmental factor that matters the least.

From 0% to 100% has about a 0.3% effect. So setting it to 50% means you realistically shouldn't ever be more than .1% ish off. Basically meaningless compared to other factors.

Now if I can just get the Camp Chef pellet grill app as a widget my world would be complete....🍖

Send in a support ticket on this, and tell all your friends to. Or see if they will share protocol and create it yourself. https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/overview/
 
I'm having trouble with my new Tactix Delta AB -- I can pair my Kilo3k with it as an "Applied Ballistics" accessory and it shows as connected on the watch. However the range never updates on the watch and no solution is displayed on the Kilo3k (which is in ABX mode). Who do I contact for help first? Garmin? Sig? or AB?
 
I'm having trouble with my new Tactix Delta AB -- I can pair my Kilo3k with it as an "Applied Ballistics" accessory and it shows as connected on the watch. However the range never updates on the watch and no solution is displayed on the Kilo3k (which is in ABX mode). Who do I contact for help first? Garmin? Sig? or AB?

1) Make sure the binos are in ABE mode.
2) Make sure the bino firmware is up to date (through the BDX App from Sig)
3) Make sure the watch firmware is up to date (through Garmin app)
4) Set the time out on the binos to a bit longer.
 
Currently no plans to connect to the Leica as it isn't in the AB Ecosystem.

^This is a confusing statement to me.

Kestrel AB connects with the Leica, Why would Garmin AB considered differently or "in the AB Ecosystem" vs the Kestrel? Is the Terripan X that does connect "in the AB Ecosystem"?

Not addressing the Leica's connection is a huge missed opportunity. Leica.com has one of the best diode-controled beams (along with the terrapin) in one of the smallest lightest packages, especially valuable for pack hunters, and does not rely as heavily on the less effective software gating the SIGs trying to simulate a low beam divergence.

I say this as a disappointed purchaser of the Garmin AB watch. I haven't even opened the box, but gave away my Fenix 5X and bummed to read what I just did.
 
^This is a confusing statement to me.

Kestrel AB connects with the Leica, Why would Garmin AB considered differently or "in the AB Ecosystem" vs the Kestrel? Is the Terripan X that does connect "in the AB Ecosystem"?

Not addressing the Leica's connection is a huge missed opportunity. Leica.com has one of the best diode-controled beams (along with the terrapin) in one of the smallest lightest packages, especially valuable for pack hunters, and does not rely as heavily on the less effective software gating the SIGs trying to simulate a low beam divergence.

I say this as a disappointed purchaser of the Garmin AB watch. I haven't even opened the box, but gave away my Fenix 5X and bummed to read what I just did.

Different communication protocols.
 
Different communication protocols.
BT is a global standard...so I don't understand your answer @DocUSMCRetired. I know you're not necessarily in the know as you are a third party to this but neither Garmin nor Leica appear forthcoming with a logical answer.

My guess is that they are running Bluetooth LE and do not necessarily support all of the profiles that a full featured BT transceiver, like in a laptop or mobile phone, will support. Hell, they may even be operating at different speeds so the devices can't communicate properly. That is the downside to BT. There can be a mishmash of standardized and unstandardized wireless connections that have never been tested for coexistence.

In all honesty, it isn't super difficult to solve this with a bit of mutual cooperation.

Really too bad.
 
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BT is a global standard...so I don't understand your answer @DocUSMCRetired. I know you're not necessarily in the know as you are a third party to this but neither Garmin nor Leica appear forthcoming with a logical answer.

My guess is that they are running Bluetooth LE and do not necessarily support all of the profiles that a full featured BT transceiver, like in a laptop or mobile phone, will support. Hell, they may even be operating at different speeds so the devices can't communicate properly. That is the downside to BT. There can be a mishmash of standardized and unstandardized wireless connections that have never been tested for coexistence.

In all honesty, it isn't super difficult to solve this with a bit of mutual cooperation.

Really too bad.
@christopher.dow a CTO for a large and successful SF based company using BT heavily, I am sure would fall off his chair to see this kind of misstep in 2020.

The idea of having a more controlled beam divergence in a tiny package for hunting (vs the Sig) with AB on your wrist giving drop as a backup to a range card (that the way I meant to say it), is super appealing
 
I would bet it is a Garmin issue. They are probably using the bare bone profile set. It really maximizes battery life.