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Garmin venu sq inaccurate data for run?

Former Member over 4 years ago

this image is from Nike run club app on my android smartphone.Its basically a 400 meter loop and in the last lap I run till my home.The path tracked by Nike run club app is fairly accurate.The distance and pace data calculated by the app is also in the acceptable range.

There is flyover in between.So I start my run under the flyover still the Nike app in combination with my smartphone does a good job.

this image is from my recently purchased Garmin venu sq.Its the same path as mentioned in the Nike app.But look how inaccurate the path is calculated by Garmin watch . The distance and average pace calculations are also wrong with margin of error above 10 %. I have tried GPS,GPS+GLONASS and GPS+GALILEO.

Data recording is set to " every second".

Very frustrated with the Garmin Venu sq.

I bought this watch so that I get more accurate results but it is doing exactly the opposite.i have tried almost everything mentioned in forums.

Waiting two minutes after the GPS signal is acquired.

Rest I have already mentioned in the description above.

I am sure Garmin watches are not this in.accurate,I hope I am right and there would be a fix for this.

Thanks on advance.

0 trux over 4 years ago

Well, the watch is an order of magnitude smaller than a phone, and additionally it cannot use GSM triangulation a WiFi detection for improving the position like phones do. Expecting the same level accuracy from both types of devices is a bit too optimistic.

However, you can perhaps improve the accuracy a bit, by enabling the option Every Second Recording in the globa System Settings of the watch, and enabling the option GPS+Galileo in the settings of the respective Activity Profile.

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to trux

Thanks for your reply..

I have done all the settings which you have mentioned here.

You mean to say an inaccuracy of 600 to 800 meters is expected from a Garmin watch ?

A smartphone is not made to specifically be used as fitness tracker neither it is advertised as one.

But a Garmin smart watch is only advertised for running and other sporting activities.

Garmin mentions that error of 2 to 3 meters will be there.

Shouldn't they stop selling this crap as a fitness watch then?

0 trux over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

You mean to say an inaccuracy of 600 to 800 meters is expected from a Garmin watch ?

It depends on the conditions. If you are in urban environment, close to tall buildings, walls, or under dense vegetation, the accuracy won't be great. Personally, I cannot complain, my watch works pretty accurately, but as I wrote, it depends on the conditions.

You can also adjust the custom stride length in the settings - that is being used for calculating the distance in the case of loss of the GPS signal. Also make sure to sync your device with Garmin Express before the run, to get a fresh Ephemeris data file, which improves the speed of acquiring the GPS signal.

Shouldn't they stop selling this crap as a fitness watch then?

Why they would do it, if people are buying them, and apparently are mostly happy with them? If you do not like the way your device works, get it refunded, and buy something else (other model, or even other brand), or just continue using your phone.

0 trux over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

Garmin mentions that error of 2 to 3 meters will be there.

In the document [Improving GPS Accuracy, Distance and Speed Readings on a Instinct Watch], they tell:

With a strong satellite signal, the GPS position reported by an outdoor wearable unit should be accurate to about 3 meters or 10 feet. A weaker satellite signal ay decrease that positional accuracy, in turn affecting the accuracy of the distance and speed readings that will be reported by the unit.

That's the accuracy of a single point at a strong GSP signal. In the moment the track contains several points where the GPS signal was not great, the sum of the errors will quickly add up. They do not claim anywhere that the total distance measured by the device will be within 2-3 meters.

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to trux

And where did I mention that 2-3 meters they have mentioned for the whole distance?

I will say thanks to you for your replies.

I don't stay in a dense forest area ,the buildings here are 6 floor only and far apart.

Thanks anyways.

0 trux over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

And where did I mention that 2-3 meters they have mentioned for the whole distance?

You wrote:

You mean to say an inaccuracy of 600 to 800 meters is expected from a Garmin watch ?

And since I do not see any deviation of 800 meters on your screenshot (although it misses the scale), the only explanation is that you meant the error in the total distance.