Garmin USB ANT Stick for Garmin Fitness Devices

I opted for the official Garmin version of this over less expensive options because I was using it with all Gamin devices and software and was hoping for it to just work and let me get on with my workouts. I wasn't disappointed. I plugged it into my laptop, opened the Garmin Tacx Training App and it showed up immediately under Devices. it was completely set up in under 40 seconds and I was seeing my heart rate within the training app. Problem solved.

I'm using this Garmin USB ANT+ stick with my LG Nexus 5 phone with great success. In order to connect it to the phone you will need a USB OTG (on the go) adaptor which does add some tech-bulk to your running setup. I ended up getting an armband case and modifying it to allow the USB OTG cable to exit from the bottom and then clip to the headphone elastic loop.My setup is as follows:- LG Google Nexus 5 phone (Android 4.4)- ANT+ Drivers (free download from the Play store)- Endomondo fitness app- USB OTG 6" cable adaptor- Garmin USB ANT+ Stick- Garmin soft-strap ANT+ Heart Rate MonitorUsing this combination I can get accurate HRM integration for my runs. I've never had any issues with communication between the HRM and the ANT+ stick.The device itself is tiny, equivalent to a "thumbnail" drive profile. The four contact leads are fully exposed and there is not a full shield surrounding the plug area so I would have some concerns if I was constantly plugging/unplugging this from a computer. For my circumstances it was a one-time plugin. The device is not really designed for being used outdoors so if you are using it with a mobile device as I am then you will need to cover the connection or keep it inside a case. I applied some waterproof heatshrink around the ANT+ stick/USB OTG cable connection and it's worked without issue in light rain.I'm investigating getting the Garmin Foot Pod (for ANT+) to integrate a stride sensor into my workout. If I do I'll report back with my results.

MacBook Pro and go! Windows 10 desktop and go! I was Zwifting in minutes without any action other than to plug it in, log into Zwift and pedal one or two revolutions to wake up the sensors.I did buy an extension USB cable and used a Velcro cable keeper to strap it to the chain stay near the ANT+ cadence/speed sensor (not a requirement). No drop outs whatsoever in over 100 miles of Zwifting so far...Zwift registered continuous input from all sensors including heart rate without issue. I haven’t tried it at a distance by plugging the stick directly into the computer to check range...but I doubt I would have any issues there either as when I’m not on the bike and sit at the computer, it still picks up my heart rate strap when it’s back on the bike...so it’s effectively the same distance away...about 9 feet. I’ve even left the room and come back and it was still registering heart rate when I came back in...didn’t need to reacquire. It just works.

This does the job, with a catch. I run OSX, and for the life of me I could not get the native Garmin ANT+ Agent to detect my HRM and cadence sensor. Fortunately, I bought this specifically to use with the TrainerRoad cycling software, and TR picked up both of my devices almost immediately. The range seems somewhat lousy - my trainer is about 5 feet away from a Mac Mini, and even with a direct line of sight between my devices and the USB stick, TR reports the signal quality as "Poor". I also have an Edge 500, and as a test, I walked about 20 feet away from the Edge and the Mac. The Edge kept tracking my heart rate, while the USB stick lost comms with the HRM.All in all it does what it should, though the range could be better and the software implementation could be a bit more helpful. The ANT+ agent should pair with devices easily, and could be a source of frustration for anyone not using it with third party software specifically designed to make use of it. Other than that, it works just fine.

I bought this to connect my Garmin Speed and Cadence sensors to my Surface 4 Pro and use Zwift (a virtual cycling program, if you don't know it and ride a trainer, I highly recommend it).This thing is super easy to use. Just plug it in, start riding and it automatically picks up the sensors. Nothing to configure, nothing to do other than ride. The range of ANT+ is pretty bad compared to bluetooth, but that's not the fault of this dongle, it's inherent to the standard. Consequently, I put this dongle on the end of a USB extension cable and dropped it right under my crank. It's perfect there, never losing the signal and starting up perfectly every time.This is a must have if you are using any online trainer app and have Garmin sensors.

When using the onboard blue tooth adapter with my older Lenovo laptop, the Zwift virtual online cycling app would not detect my Tacx Neo 2 smart trainer, even though I was running Windows 10 and my bluetooth adapter appeared to meet all requirements (note that Windows could see my trainer, but Zwift could not). This ANT stick provided the needed bluetooth connection in seconds. It has run flawlessly.Update: March 2021: I bought a new computer (from Amazon!) to use with my Tacx Neo 2 Smart Trainer. I installed this ANT stick in a USB port on my new computer, and guess what - NO DRIVERS were found for it. I went online to the Garmin site - NO DRIVERS. I emailed Garmin Support - NO RESPONSE.

This allowed me to connect my Garmin watch to Zwift so that Zwift can see the heart monitor data. IT was really easy to set up, plug this into the USB port, turn on broadcasting on your watch, open Zwift and select your watch device for the heart monitor.