Garmin Connect and ErgData issues with wrong data

Hi! I’m a Concept 2 rower with the PM5 monitor. Also using the Instinct 2x Solar. Is anyone else having issues with importing your Concept2 rowing data correctly to Garmin Connect for iOS?

The workout is transferred to GC but the numbers is off. It shows higher splits, total times and more. Some things are correct, but a lot is wrong.
I’ve tried two ways. First I synced GC with ErgData (app to app) and did not involve my watch at all (with data being off several seconds in GC). Then I tried to directly connect my Garmin watch to the PM5 monitor and have the watch itself transfer the data after starting and finish a rowing activity in the watch (disconnected the link between ErgData and GC). This had no luck either, the results is still not correct when looking in GC. I think this time the GC app thinks my rowing times are from when I started the activity and stopped it instead of taking into account that my workout was set to 5000m.

It’s like GC reads the data in its own way and not like ErgData and PM5.
Any ideas or experiences would make me grateful!
  • I think this time the GC app thinks my rowing times are from when I started the activity and stopped it instead of taking into account that my workout was set to 5000m.

    Yes, that's how it works. If you want to record just the 5000m, then you can either start and stop the activity accurately, or you can trim it later in Garmin Connect.

  • Yeah, but the numbers also wasn’t correct when linking GC and ErgData. At that time I didn’t even involve my watch in the workout. The PM5 monitor was synced to the ErgData app on my iPhone which later transferred the results to GC. Still GC misinterprets the numbers..

    When using my watch it makes more sense, but it’s not very smart of Garmin. I mean it would make more sense importing the real numbers coming from the monitor since that is my real results. 

    Anyway, in some way it would be neat to have my numbers sync automatically without having to change them.

  • Still GC misinterprets the numbers..

    And are you sure the data coming from ErtgData is correct? If you, in reality, row longer than 5000 m, then I find it more logical that both ErgData as well as your watch, show the true distance you rowed, and not just the 5000 m that you wished to record. Or perhaps I just do not understand your problem. If you post the data files from ErgData and from your watch, I can perhaps understand better what's going on, and find some clues how to handle it better.

  • Thanks for the help! I have made som calculations and I think your on to something.. GC reads the wrong "fields" or data coming in. It's correct but not the right "field" or "box" or what its called..

    Like this:

    I set the workout in the PM5 monitor to 5000m. ErgData reads how fast I'm going for 5000m and stops the timer at zero. But it looks like GC imports the reading of the metres until the fly wheel in the machine stops entirely (in ErgData those extra metres is called "Rest Distance"). So the distance is perhaps 5085m. So when I manually change the metres to 5000m it adds up during steady state workouts.

    GC is more off when doing interval rowing though, but it looks like it's due to the same problem. When doing 10x500m with rest 2 min in between each 500m interval GC thinks my workout is the total time, not just the rowing time. So its something like 5200m in 35 minutes when in fact its 5000m in like 17:35 minutes. 

    ErgData is only displaying the actual time I row which is what rowers want, we don't care how many "rest metres" we do or how long the workout is in total. That's not the real result..

    Are you following? ;) Is it possible to have GC importing the "real" distance and the actual rowing time and ignore the rest distance and time?

  • That's the way Garmin measures all activities - from the moment you start it, to the moment you stop, unless you use the start/stop button for pausing the activity.

  • I guess so, but at least for rowing it’s just plain wrong. If the avarage split time is based on all minutes including rest time it’s pointless to have an avarage time shown. So from that perspective they should update their rowing activity tracking a bit..

  • It works in the same way for running and for their activities too. if you stop running and do not use the pause (or auto-pause) function, the total time is used. If you want to exclude those rest times, use the pause. Otherwise, you can suggest improvements to Garmin at Share Ideas | Garmin, but if ErgData sends data including the entire workout, and not only the 5000 m, then I doubt Garmin can do much about it. If you post the data file here, I can perhaps tell you whether there is something could be theoretically done or not.

  • Nice, yes please do! I’m trying to upload a FIT-file but it isn’t allowed. Can I upload in another way?

  • Can I upload in another way?

    Yes, a zipped version can be uploaded. If you still have troubles with it, you can put it on any public file server.