Apps & Software Archive

VIRB Edit Windows Virb Elite Altimeter Problems

Virb Elite Altimeter Problems

Former Member over 11 years ago

I did a good deal of testing the virb elite over the weekend and comparing its altimeter to other S model handheld GPSs. I drove to the beach and up and down garages. It looks like it has a good steady sensor but we need firmware improvements. Garmin please help asap.

1. The altimeter simply cannot read accurate unless I can enter a calibration altitude. See for yourself by turning the unit off and on a couple times while staying in place. The altitude will be +/-40 feet each time. My other GPSs will do it to if days have passed, but it holds fairly accurate on short term reboots(They must save my last calibration altitude). How can any altimeter be worthwhile without being able to set it up?

2. The altimeter apparently will not read unless it has GPS lock. This is a flaw. The altimeter shouldn't and isn't tied to gps fix on other units. If I turn off GPS (on VIRB), altimeter will never read anything. Having a working altimeter could save someone in a pinch if unable to get GPS lock (not saying that Virb was intended for navigation).

I am fairly new to this forum. It is encouraging to see that Gamin's folks are listening and making progress and that this isn't just an place for us to whine about are issues to each other.

I would appreciate hearing something back concerning these problems and any possible fixes.
Yes-I have a told tech support...

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Thank you for your input. I've forwarded it to the device team.

0 mtbikexcski over 11 years ago

I am finding the altitude is frequently 500+ feet different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P1N9390LfY

Occasionally, the elevation will be very close to correct but more often than not it's hundreds of feet off.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

mine is about 100ft too high

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

At the see level I had a 48-72m readings...:confused: few times.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

http://youtu.be/BpYObmZSucY - Having the same issue, airport elevation 153ft, and the VIRB is reading negative.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

I've just turned my Virb Elite on and off a few times (allowing it to get a satellite fix each time).
The first elevation was -79 ft the next three or four ranged from 140 to 190 (the elevation here is 210 ft), as long as I'm aware of this and check the displayed elevation before I start a ride, I'm not too worried.
It seems the elevation displayed when first switched on may be a fair way out, switching off and back on again tends to improve the situation.

0 Former Member over 10 years ago

I am located at Elev 1050ft and my VIRB Elite typically reads around 1550ft but I have seen it as low as 650ft at this same location for similar atmospheric conditions. The local barometric pressure (not corrected to sea level) was 29.03inHg at 58F when it recorded elevations around 650ft, whereas todays local pressure was 29.14inHg at 54F and it was reading 1689ft. A difference of 0.11inHg only accounts for a relative elevation change of about 110ft (i.e. about 1.0inHg/1000ft). The first time I turned it on today it read 874ft, with the local press at that time being 29.02inHg at 50F.

Update for the following day: When I first turned on the camera the altitude was reading 1068ft for a local press of 28.67inHg at 63F. I then turned it off and back on and It wouldn't read altitude at all. I turned it off and on again and the altitude then read 1412ft for the same conditions.

Further update for the day after the following day: When first turned on the camera read 924ft with a local press of 28.58inHg at 66F. The second time it was turned on it read 1207ft for the same conditions. The third time it was turned on it read 1128ft, again at the same conditions.

0 Factory-fit over 10 years ago

Seems like an issue, mine's bought to use in a light aircraft open cockpit, and is exposed on an external structural tube, I've got into the habit of carrying a Garmin Zumo 220 along and importing the GPS track from that when editing videos using VIRBedit. Zumo reads perfectly correct, camera? Variable by 300-375' at times.

This is a nuisance is an unexpected from Garmin, who make probably the best and toughest GPS devices around; I had a 111Pilot for around ten years which worked perfectly.

How to calibrate please?

Kev

0 Former Member over 9 years ago

This is also one of the few really bothering issues of the otherwise so great device named Virb Elite. Please consider providing a fix to the everlasting completely random altimeter data that is displayed and recorded! Only on very special days - God himself knows the holy circumstances for them - correct data is stored. Please fix this behaviour of the otherwise so great Virb Elite!

I was accidentally given a more than ten years old Garmin Edge 305 (you could name it a gadget from the stone age compared to nowadays). BUT it does a perfect job in providing rock-solid altimeter data although you can't even calibrate the sensor. It just works like a charm out of the box.

This I would consider the way the Virb Elite should work in 2016, the heydays of electronic sport equipment.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Dear Garmin people,

are you listening?

The said problem persists, and any help would be highly appreciated.

Please give us any hint what to do!

I asked your guys at the huge bicycle exhibition called Eurobike in Friedrichshafen - twice: once in 2015, once in 2016. Both times they had no better suggestion than to clean the device (which of course was the very first idea that came to my own mind dozens of months before).

So what's up with the altimeter? Can we hope for a last firmware update that corrects this misbehaviour once and for all?