How to Connect Your ANT+ Devices with Garmin USB ANT Stick on Windows XP

Garmin's entry into the world of fitness tracking has been nothing short of revolutionary. Their line of GPS watches and training devices have not only taken over the market but also set new standards for what a fitness watch should be capable of doing.

However, one major drawback that many users faced was trying to connect their ANT+ compatible sensors with these powerful devices while using Windows XP as their operating system. This is where Garmin's USB ANT Stick comes into play – an easy-to-use device designed specifically for connecting your ANT+ enabled accessories directly onto a standard USB port on any PC or Mac running either the Windows 7, Vista, WinXP (yes you read that right!), or Apple OS X10.x/9 series.

In this article we will guide through each step of setting up and configuring the Garmin USB ANT Stick for use with your existing ANT+ compatible devices under Windows XP so sit back relax grab those cables because it's about to get interesting!

Step 1: Downloading & Installing The Software

To begin, you'll need to download and install the latest version of Garmin Connect software onto your PC. You can find this directly from their official website by clicking here.

Once downloaded double-click on 'WebUpdater.exe' (or whatever filename it may have been saved as depending upon which browser/antivirus combo you're using) then follow through with all prompts until installation completes successfully - usually just a matter of accepting terms & conditions followed by choosing where to install it; we recommend c:\garmin\connect

Step 2: Installing The Garmin USB ANT Stick Driver

After successful completion of step one, next up is installing the necessary driver for your specific model of ANT+ stick. For Windows XP users this will likely be called 'ANTstick.inf' which can also usually be found within the same folder where you extracted all those downloaded files earlier (c:\garmin\connect).

Simply right-click on it then select 'Update Driver...' from context menu - next choose 'Browse my computer for driver software', navigate to aforementioned location and double-tap on 'ANTstick.inf'. Wait patiently while Windows XP does its magic installing necessary components...this might take a few seconds so be patient!

Step 3: Configuring The ANT+ Stick

Now that we've got everything installed let's move onto actually setting up our brand new Garmin USB ANT Stick! Plug it into any free USB port on your PC (be sure to unplug all other devices first though!) and wait for Windows XP to recognize it. Once detected, double-click the icon representing 'Garmin ANTStick' in Devices Manager under 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers'.

In the next window click on 'Properties' at bottom left corner then scroll down until you see an option labeled 'Advanced'. Checkmark both boxes underneath titled 'Allow Garmin ANT Stick drivers to install' and press OK. You should now be presented with another dialog box asking permission - tick 'Yes' once again before clicking Close.

Step 4: Pairing Your Sensors

With everything all set up on the software side, it's time to pair your actual sensors! Connect them via their respective cables into any available ANT+ ports found at rear of Garmin watch/HRM etc...then press and hold down both 'Start' & 'Back/Clockwise arrow' buttons simultaneously for about 5 seconds until light turns solid blue. Release button combination when you see the words 'Device Paired' appear on screen - voila! Your ANT+ devices are now fully integrated with Garmin Connect!

Troubleshooting Tips

If after following these steps above your sensors still won't pair up correctly here are a few troubleshooting tips to try:

1. Make sure that both your computer and Garmin device(s) are turned off before attempting any further connections.

2. Try unplugging/re-plugging the ANT+ cable from watch/HRM into different USB ports on PC - sometimes loose connection can cause issues!

3. Ensure that you've selected correct serial port in Device Manager under 'Ports (COM & LPT)' section for each device separately.

And there we have it folks! With these simple steps, you should now be able to connect your ANT+ enabled accessories such as heart rate monitors, GPS watches etc., directly onto any PC running Windows XP via Garmin's own USB ANT Stick. Remember always follow manufacturer instructions carefully during installation process and don't hesitate reaching out if faced with any problems along the way - happy training!

Garmin usb ant stick windows xp