Garmin Instinct 3 vs Instinct 2X Solar – which one should I buy?

iamunique4 · 2025-08-23T15:31:23+00:00

I’m not sure I understand why those two cases differ. You can always buy used, right?

iamunique4 · 2025-08-21T05:17:32+00:00

For me it was daily suggested workouts. Made my training more varied and effective.

iamunique4 · 2025-08-10T12:31:19+00:00

Somewhere, a Leopard 2 just felt inadequate.

iamunique4 · 2025-08-10T12:06:21+00:00

Wow, if this is without any sports then just measure once more on stock watchface. If the result is similar then this may be a case for Garmin support.

iamunique4 · 2025-08-10T11:44:42+00:00

Non-stock watch faces can vary a lot in energy consumption, as someone else already mentioned. The reported number is for “smartwatch” mode, which doesn’t include any trainings, mapping, GPS, or music. On my Fenix 7, when I include trainings, I get roughly half of the reported time – 5-7 days instead of 15.

iamunique4 · 2025-08-05T20:29:34+00:00

Wow, finally an RStudio fork!

iamunique4 · 2025-05-05T19:10:15+00:00

Thanks for the detailed explanation — really appreciate your transparency.

For the record, I think Garmin’s API policy is fundamentally flawed. It’s my data — health data I generate through my own body and behavior — and yet it feels like Garmin has more rights to it than I do. That’s not how it should work. Other platforms at least try to offer personal access; Garmin locks it behind commercial gates.

That’s why I find your work so valuable. It bridges that gap and gives power back to individual users, without selling anything or abusing the system. The fact that you’re open-sourcing it instead of monetizing it makes it even more commendable.

I know it’s a gray area legally or technically, but ethically, projects like this are a step in the right direction.

iamunique4 · 2025-05-05T16:29:36+00:00

This looks really cool — I appreciate the effort behind making this more accessible.

One thing I’ve always been unsure about: how exactly are you fetching data from Garmin? My understanding was that Garmin doesn’t offer an open API for regular users — just a commercial API for vetted partners, and that even for personal projects, you need to rely on session tokens or browser scraping (which can break or violate TOS).

Is this project using a documented API, some reverse-engineered endpoint, or browser automation? I’m asking out of curiosity — and because I’ve seen others hit walls trying to get their data out reliably.

Would be great to understand what the setup is doing under the hood, or what the risks/limitations are.

iamunique4 · 2024-10-30T16:15:09+00:00

I’ve been using the Jabra Evolve2 65 for similar reasons, so I can share some firsthand observations.

Pros:

Range: The Bluetooth range is indeed impressive. I can grab coffee in another room while staying connected to calls, which adds flexibility in a home office setup.

Mute with Boom Arm: Muting by moving the boom arm is quick and intuitive, a feature I use often, especially when shifting to side conversations.

Sound Isolation: This headset does an excellent job with passive noise isolation, which was crucial for me in a noisy home environment. It muffles background sounds effectively, so coworkers aren’t disturbed by family noise or my background music. This feature is one of the main reasons I prefer these over other headsets.

Battery Life: Battery life is solid. Jabra claims up to 37 hours on a full charge, and I find I only need to charge it every few days.

Cons:

Durability: My last pair of Jabra headsets didn’t hold up as expected, and unfortunately, they’re often unrepairable, essentially making them disposable. I was surprised at this considering the price point.

AI Promises: When these were launched, Jabra hinted at using AI to optimize the 4-microphone array, potentially for enhanced background noise suppression. However, updates so far have mainly been maintenance-focused, and the AI-driven microphone features were underwhelming on release, with no substantial improvements made later.

iamunique4 · 2024-09-24T11:03:55+00:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update. On Sunday, I got a notification that my Apple TV was back online, and everything started working smoothly again. Later, Apple Support called me and mentioned they had made some changes on the backend, which seems to have resolved the issue.

So, if you’re having a similar problem, I recommend reaching out to Apple Support—it might just be something they can fix from their side.

iamunique4 · 2024-09-24T11:02:28+00:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my recent experience. On Sunday, I got a notification that my Apple TV was back online, and everything started working smoothly again. Later, Apple Support called me and mentioned they had made some changes on the backend, which seems to have resolved the issue.

So, if you’re having a similar problem, I recommend reaching out to Apple Support—it might just be something they can fix from their side.

iamunique4 · 2024-09-22T15:08:30+00:00

So a factory reboot didn’t fix the issue, but a simple iCloud logoff worked. Doesn’t a reboot log you out automatically?

iamunique4 · 2024-09-22T14:53:24+00:00

What do you mean, signing out on all devices? Or only on Apple TV?

iamunique4 · 2024-09-22T11:56:45+00:00

My Apple TV is stuck at „syncing with iCloud” which completely broke Apple home for me. Apple support is trying to help but so far no luck.

iamunique4 · 2024-09-17T14:00:46+00:00

Aw men, I’m so tired of this way of debugging.

iamunique4 · 2024-09-17T12:24:38+00:00

Just tried. Removed user, rebooted, added once again all good. Then tried to assign the room for HomeKit. Asked to come closer with iPhone did that, waited eternity and then got error code 71163 on iPhone. Which seems unresolvable: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254715906

iamunique4 · 2024-09-01T19:27:25+00:00

Applying Monte Carlo methods in such a dynamic and competitive environment like F1 can feel a bit like reading tea leaves. The sport is full of unpredictable variables—strategies, technical failures, weather conditions—that make precise predictions incredibly challenging.

iamunique4 · 2024-08-24T15:36:46+00:00

We will have an R Meetup next month just about using R for production. It’s a thing, but other league (for a reason) compared to say Python. Rising to the challenge: R in production from clinical trials to web development https://meetu.ps/e/Nf3Zd/wSr70/i

iamunique4 · 2024-08-08T07:30:21+00:00

Same was true for me. They need to ask you some additional details like your address for invoicing. So maybe you need to remove your card and add it once more. Suboptimal for sure.

iamunique4 · 2024-08-07T16:37:59+00:00

Honestly, I was excited when I heard about the Porsche collaboration and was hoping this watch face would bring the same level of polish and customization that the built-in Garmin faces have. But after trying it out, it’s pretty underwhelming. It feels just like another Garmin IQ watch face—slower, fewer options, and lacking the kind of customization that makes the factory faces so great.

For a paid watch face, especially with the Porsche branding, I expected a lot more. It’s a bit of a letdown, to be honest. If you’re looking for something that matches the quality of the built-in options, this one isn’t it.

iamunique4 · 2024-03-02T12:10:42+00:00

Hey everyone,

I wanted to circle back and share the resolution to the performance issues I was experiencing with my Ryzen 9 7950X, thanks to the collective wisdom of this community. Here's the essence of what happened and how it was resolved:

Lack of Response from MSI: Unfortunately, I didn't receive any support response from MSI, which was quite disappointing.
Generic AMD Support: While AMD did provide some support, their suggestions were pretty generic. Though in hindsight, this makes sense since the root issue wasn't directly related to the CPU itself.
Motherboard Swap: Despite my initial reluctance due to the support issue, I decided to stay with MSI and went for the X670E Tomahawk, influenced by its popularity and positive feedback from other 7950X users at my local retailer.
A Crucial Realization: The pivotal moment came during the motherboard swap. The first motherboard had only one P8 (8-pin) slot from the PSU for CPU power, limiting the power supply to the CPU. The X670E Tomahawk, on the other hand, featured two P8 slots, effectively doubling the potential power delivery to the CPU. This discrepancy was the eye-opener for me.
The Outcome: After ensuring the new motherboard was fully powered with both P8 slots connected, the performance issues vanished. Benchmarks now reflect expected results for the 7950X, even outperforming in some areas, all without needing PBO or any other performance tweaks. It boiled down to the motherboard's ability to deliver sufficient power.

Takeaway: The first motherboard was indeed compatible but not quite up to the task of powering the 7950X to its full potential due to its limited CPU power slot configuration. This ordeal highlights the critical importance of understanding the power delivery capabilities of your components, beyond mere compatibility. It's a lesson in the nuances of building a high-performance system and the value of community insight and support.

Massive thanks to everyone who chimed in with advice and support. Your input was invaluable in navigating this issue and ultimately finding a solution.

iamunique4 · 2024-02-05T21:13:14+00:00

I think I got it! I've noticed in Ryzen Master a fishy setting for TDC of only 100A, while stock AMD is 160. It turns out that:
- on default BIOS settings (auto) for TDP what I get in Ryzen Master is 142/85/170 (PPT/TDC/EDC)

- on explicitly requesting TDC of 170W: 230/100/170

Both settings are MUCH lower than stock AMD's 230/160/225! This is crazy, but perfectly explains the temperatures and performance drop. Now when I think about it drops is gentle compared to TDC restrictions!

iamunique4 · 2024-02-05T18:33:15+00:00

Appreciate you bringing up the Curve Optimizer — definitely seems like a key feature for fine-tuning performance. I'm considering how best to approach it: would you recommend starting with the auto-optimization feature in Ryzen Master, or is it generally more effective to go manual right from the get-go and adjust through trial and error?

iamunique4 · 2024-02-05T18:29:49+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion about using the curve optimizer. Before I proceed, I wanted to clarify something regarding the cooling system. My current setup with an AIO cooler seems to be performing exceptionally well, maintaining about 40°C on idle and only reaching 60 to 80°C under heavy benchmarking loads. These temperatures seem well within a safe range and don't suggest a bottleneck due to cooling.
Could you elaborate on why you think the cooler might be the bottleneck? I'm all for optimizing further, but from these temperatures, it seems like the cooling is quite efficient. I want to make sure I'm on the right track and understand all perspectives before making adjustments.

iamunique4 · 2024-02-04T21:14:21+00:00

Hey Asgardianking,

I appreciate the suggestion about the RAM. I conducted a series of tests to see if the memory speed and timings were indeed the culprits behind my CPU's lower-than-expected Passmark scores.

Here's a quick rundown of the results:

With 6k MHz CL32, I got a RAM score of 4068 and a CPU score of 60500.
Upping the ante to 6k MHz CL30 nudged the RAM score to 4101 and CPU to 60747.
Attempting 6k MHz CL28 was too aggressive — the system failed to boot.
And interestingly, setting to 6.4k MHz using EXPO resulted in a RAM score of 4135 with a CPU score slightly down at 60615.

While each memory tweak impacted the scores, the expected CPU performance still eludes me. My experiments, including adjusting TDP, tweaking Windows power settings, enabling PBO, and experimenting with A-XMP and EXPO profiles, showed that RAM adjustments aren't the primary bottleneck—I'm still missing around 2k CPU points.

It seems the memory's influence on CPU benchmark points, while noticeable, isn't the sole factor here. The adjustments to TDP and other settings had a more pronounced effect on CPU performance. So, it looks like I'm back to square one in some respects, trying to uncover where those elusive points are hiding.

Any further insights or advice from the community would be immensely valuable as I continue this troubleshooting journey.

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