VIRB Elite Sensor dropouts

I think it is time that Garmin stopped working on new features and concentrated on getting the core of the system working properly first.

+1

I tried 'GPS while recording' for my race yesterday, that was a bad move... even turning it on 30 sec before the start. GPS track was off and sync with data was off. The GPS should be on so it can sync with satellites, then there should be a setting that only records fit data when recording video.

I've been spending way too much time fixing & sync'ing fit data with the video. Virb Elite should be doing this for me, that is why I bought it. please fix.

What's worse is when you've come to terms with the fact that you spent FAR too much for a device that only performs as well as the standard Virb camera. You turn off all the sensors and GPS (since they are likely not going to work anyway) only to find out that doing so doesn't improve battery life AT ALL and you are still just as likely to hit all the other bugs with the camera locking up or failing to record video.

:(

My last time using my VIRB Elite went flawlessly. All of the sensors stayed connected (cadence, HR, Tempe) for a total of 3 hours and 9 minutes. The initial altitude wasn't ridiculous. But I had to replace the track in the end anyway because VIRB Edit couldn't get the duration/distance right because I turned the VIRB off twice during the MTB ride (this is OS X VIRB Edit). VIRB Edit really needs a way to set those numbers by hand.

Completed a two hour bike ride. Before setting off I had fully charged my Virb and pulled the battery, as I said I would. This time the sensors picked up immediately without having to re-pair them. No drop outs whatsoever during the ride. I am beginning to think that some kind of magic is at play here, but if I have to pull the battery, before a ride, it is a small price to play. I still have a problem with the time and distance using the recorded GPX tracks it produces and if, instead, I use the FIT file then I have trouble setting the start position because the Virb starts the track from when it is switched on. If I change the setting for GPS to be 'When Recording', then I have trouble with the elevation being all over the shop, the only way to get better accuracy is to switch on the Virb about half hour before the ride and leave GPS set to 'ON'.

I am testing the sensor drops as well. I'm using firmware 3.70. With two sensors paired (HRM and cadence/speed), both disconnect at the same time after 5-10 minutes of ride. With only 1 sensor turned on, no problems with either HRM or Speed/cadence.

I am trying to test if the order in the turning on of the sensor makes a difference. At this point, if I turn on first cadence/speed and afterwards HRM, it doesn't fail, but I need to test on longer rides.

Yes, it's a kind of magic...

I am testing the sensor drops as well. I'm using firmware 3.70. With two sensors paired (HRM and cadence/speed), both disconnect at the same time after 5-10 minutes of ride. With only 1 sensor turned on, no problems with either HRM or Speed/cadence.

I am trying to test if the order in the turning on of the sensor makes a difference. At this point, if I turn on first cadence/speed and afterwards HRM, it doesn't fail, but I need to test on longer rides.

Yes, it's a kind of magic...

If possible, could you try pulling, then replacing, the battery before your next test. See if it concurs with my tests.

I will.

My theory about the order of the turning on of the sensors doesn't work.

One strange thing is that when I turn on the speed/cadence, the dashboard shows a value of -1 for the cadence until I start moving. I don't know if this negative value is a problem for the firmware...

I did another test turning on the speed/cadence sensor when I was already moving and I could manage to keep both sensors working for more than 30 minutes.

Regards.

I will.

One strange thing is that when I turn on the speed/cadence, the dashboard shows a value of -1 for the cadence until I start moving. I don't know if this negative value is a problem for the firmware...

The speed/cadence on the Virb shows -1 with mine until it detects movement. I think that is easy for them to fix in firmware. I've still not had a problem with the sensors being detected when I remove the battery before setting off. I'm about to go for a short evening ride in about 5 minutes and this time i'm going to try without removing it and see what happens. ...."There can be only one"

I'm about to go for a short evening ride in about 5 minutes and this time i'm going to try without removing it and see what happens.

Ok I went for a ride and didn't remove the battery before hand, I just powered the unit on for about ten minutes before I slid the record slider to 'ON'. Both the cadence and HR monitor picked up straight away and suffered no drop outs throughout the duration of the ride. I compared the reading with the Edge 510 and they were consistent. I did notice that when I changed from one dashboard item to another on the Virb that it was also changing screens on my 510 at the same time. It also was doing this if I took a photograph on the Virb.
My greatest concern, during this test, was the elevation reading on the Virb. It started the ride at 580 feet asl and ended at 575 feet asl. The edge 510 started at 48 feet asl and ended at 60 feet asl. Nearly a difference of 500 feet between the Virb and the Edge 510. The actual reading is about 45 feet so the edge was pretty close. The ride is mainly flat, following a canal towpath. At the completion of the ride I slid the recording slider to the off position at the elevation still showed 575 feet. I then switched off the Virb, left it half an hour, then switched it back on. The elevation was still showing 575 feet. Now I applied 'the magic' to the Virb and switched off and pulled the battery. Re-inserted and switched back on. This time all the sensors connected and the elevation showed 56 feet, back to an acceptable reading.

So my conclusion to these tests is that I don't have a conclusion to what is happening but I will be pulling the battery before every recording. A bit of a pain to do but up to now that is the only way I have found to record reliable data.

Hope this helps someone else with similar problems.