Related
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Forerunner elevation way off

ADKEDITOR
over 15 years ago

A few weeks ago I purchased a Forerunner 405. It seemed to work fine except the elevation data were wildly inaccurate. For example, when I climbed a small peak in town with an 850-foot ascent, the watch said I had gained 1,500 feet. Garmin suggested I "reset" the watch, which I did, but it didn't help. I was then told the watch must be defective, so I traded it in for another. This watch is just as bad, if not worse. After several tests and bad data, I "reset" this one, too. Today I climbed the same mountain as before, and it says I gained 2,200 feet! Garmin says I must have got another bad watch, even though they've not seen this problem before. I'm thinking that is a coincidence. Has anyone else had similar problems with the elevation data?

  • 0 over 15 years ago
    Relying on a GPS without a barometric altimeter for elevation data can be sketchy at best. The numbers you are quoting seem to be in line with what I have gotten with Forerunners 201, 205,305, and 310XT. There are a few things you can do to ensure you get the best accuracy possible. Make sure you have the latest updates for the device. Make sure you get a good satellite lock before you start your activity. Best to keep the device still with a clear view of the sky for several minutes. Additionally, Garmin Connect will be implementing elevation correction specifically for non-altimeter devices in a future release.
  • 0 over 15 years ago
    Stop swapping watches, and stop looking at the elevation data because it's just not meaningful. The Forerunners are great devices, but they do not provide good elevation data because they don't have a baro altimeter.
  • 0 over 15 years ago
    Elevation fantasy

    MB seemed to do a reasonable job of massaging elevation to get something that was approximately in range.

    But GC is so far off that I don't want to even show that data to anyone.

    On this hike:
    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/9768538

    GC shows 11k feet of elevation gain. This on a hill that tops out at ~2100 ft!
  • 0 over 15 years ago
    Elevation numbers

    Could someone from Garmin at least explain why they have not been able to display accurate elevation numbers after all these years? It is not simply a matter of using GPS and not a barometer. When I export Garmin data and then import it to bikely.com, I get very reliable numbers based on climbs where I already know the exact elevation. So the data appears to be accurate inside the watch, or at least it can be translated accurately using gps and mapping. Why can't Garmin do at least as well as bikely.com, which otherwise seems to be a fairly low budget low tech affair? Garmin is a huge, successful company. Its customers want and need elevation numbers. They should make this a priority instead of making it worse.
  • 0 over 15 years ago
    When I export Garmin data and then import it to bikely.com, I get very reliable numbers based on climbs where I already know the exact elevation.


    I'm not from Garmin, but I suspect they are using some sort of elevation correction algorithm. Similar to MotionBased (MB gravity).

    Elevation corrections on GC are currently not available, but it is being planned for a future update. I agree though, it should be a priority.