I purchased a new Garmin 610 watch about 2 months ago. I've noticed on the satellite map after a workout that it rarely seems to accurately show my actual path. Each time, I've started the watch and let it acquire satellite signal 5 to 10 minutes, and also checked the watch accuracy to make sure it gets down to between 10' and 15' before beginning. After logging several workouts now, it seems that the path on the map is very consistently off between 20' and 50' (regardless of what the accuracy says on the watch, or whether it is on 1-second or smart recording) and almost always to the left. I thought at first that the satellite map image was just off, but it became more evident that was not the case when I went out 2 miles and then came back on the same path, and it was off to the left almost the whole way both coming and going. I've tried resetting the satellite reception on the watch, with no difference in result. What I want to know is whether this is within expected error for this watch, or whether I may have a faulty unit?
Can you compare your track to others that use the same route? Maybe use garmin connects explore activities if you don't know anyone to ask. I don't have any experience with the wrist mounted devices, but even on with my marine gps's under an unobstructed sky with a large external GPS antenna, I sometimes am in the center of the channel physically, but the gps shows me out of the channel by 40 to 50 feet. And with my edge500, I get a pretty good track when mounted on my bike, but if I put it in my pocket and go for a walk, I can see quite a bit of difference on the same trail. Especially when the leaves are wet on the trees, and I'm in low areas of the terrain. And if you are in an urban area with tall buildings, you might get better info from a smartphone, which can use cell tower info to assist the gps.
Couldn't find a similar course on Garmin connect. The courses I'm doing are mostly in areas with few trees, and no tall buildings, so I don't expect much of an effect from that. I read about the accuracy before I bought the watch, so I didn't expect it to be on the actual path I was on all the time, but at least sometimes. What lead me to believe something may be wrong is that it almost always is off to the left, even on repeat trips of the same course. Do you normally see the GPS error off to the same side that consistently?
It might be the map. Sometimes the position info on the maps is not quite lined up with where the roads, trails and other stuff are. It's partly because of the way the data is compiled for the map. If your tracks from day to day look consistent, then I'd not worry about the unit.
And to answer your question, yes I do see some parts of my activities consistently to one side of the trail.
I thought at first that it was the map that was off. However, when I go out on a course, and then return back on that same route, I'm off to the other side coming back by about an equal amount, which is again to the left. It makes sense to me that if it were the map that was off, I'd be closer to the same route that I took or more random than that at least. It's as if the watch always thinks I'm 30' over to the left of where I actually am all the time.
