GPS Accuracy

gravity-slave It would be interresting if you recorded your next run with your 520 as well for comparison.

Two attachments - not the same time or date but both very typical of the tracks I'm seeing.
Both on 1 second recording.
Both GPS + GLONASS

Fenix 5 plus - ran out and back on the path. Out was OK, but a bit jaggy. Back was quite a long way off. Not a smooth plot.

Edge 520 - going much faster, rural area with trees and barns, very smooth plot and pretty much nailed to the road.

Was the E520 strapped to your wrist as you ran (swinging backward and forward and not pointing skywards like a watch would)? It’s amazing how those little things can make a huge difference to the track you get from a device; the difference between bar mounting a watch vs wearing it on wrist when riding is another clear indication of this.

520 was on my bars but point taken.
Fenix on my wrist, but is designed for running.
Riding MTB on smooth roads with the watch pointing skywards and pretty still (very similar to stem mounted 520) gave very similar results to my run though.

It's fine for what I want it for so no real issues. Just adding to the discussion with some examples.

I am very disappointed with the F5+ accuracy. It's ridiculous. I can't believe I sold my 735XT and spent $800 on this.

Yesterday I did a group run and 5 other people uploaded theirs. Everything from phones, Suunto's, other Garmins. There is one track that is obviously the worst. Where everyone was more or less converging on the road, one track was off, zig-zagging 30ft into commercial buildings. Also one track that completely missed a turn. Yes, that one track is the latest-greatest watch from the largest company asking for the most money.

I feel stupid and cheated.

I am very disappointed with the F5+ accuracy. It's ridiculous. I can't believe I sold my 735XT and spent $800 on this.

Yesterday I did a group run and 5 other people uploaded theirs. Everything from phones, Suunto's, other Garmins. There is one track that is obviously the worst. Where everyone was more or less converging on the road, one track was off, zig-zagging 30ft into commercial buildings. Also one track that completely missed a turn. Yes, that one track is the latest-greatest watch from the largest company asking for the most money.

I feel stupid and cheated.

What was your GPS firmware version ? Did you install the last firmware V 5.0 ?

I returned my Fenix 5X plus in july because accuracy was very bad but since I read that recently version of GPS firmware seems good I decided to order the 5X plus titanium but I amaffraid after reading you. I will receive my watch in 20 days... I think I can cancel my order.

Do you have you Garmin connect trace or a KML file to see he accuracy of the GPS ?

What was your GPS firmware version ? Did you install the last firmware V 5.0 ?

I returned my Fenix 5X plus in july because accuracy was very bad but since I read that recently version of GPS firmware seems good I decided to order the 5X plus titanium but I amaffraid after reading you. I will receive my watch in 20 days... I think I can cancel my order.

Do you have you Garmin connect trace or a KML file to see he accuracy of the GPS ?

FWIW... I was having GPS accuracy issues as well with the F5+, especially with open water swimming. This was corrected for me after I installed Beta 4.65 that came with an update to the GPS firmware on 9/5. I believe that same GPS firmware was pushed out as a stand alone update (GPS 2.3) on 9/25. I have since updated to FW 5.00 and continue to have very good GPS tracks overall. I have my device set to "GPS + GALILEO" for Run and Bike; and "Normal (GPS Only)" for Open Water Swim.

I will add that I don't usually run around tall buildings. I recently completed the Augusta Half Ironman and did see a couple of GPS issues during the run where the track clearly showed me passing through a building while I was running downtown. But this is the only instance I've seen of this with the current software. At the time I was on Beta 4.65. Here is that activity...

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3038145400

Thanks JlGranth for your feddback. Your activity seems very good, even if I don't understand why trace are more accurate riding bike than running. My previous trace with firmware 3.10 were horrible. If I will have trace like yours with the new watch I will be happy. I hope also that all these accuracy problems will be corrected by updates and that it's not an hardware issue.

Thanks JlGranth for your feddback. Your activity seems very good, even if I don't understand why trace are more accurate riding bike than running. My previous trace with firmware 3.10 were horrible. If I will have trace like yours with the new watch I will be happy. I hope also that all these accuracy problems will be corrected by updates and that it's not an hardware issue.

Well... I would add that by the time I was "running", it was more of a poorly controlled stagger. It was around 95F and I had stopped sweating...not good. That GPS track during my run might not be too far off of reality!! :p

What was your GPS firmware version ? Did you install the last firmware V 5.0 ?

I returned my Fenix 5X plus in july because accuracy was very bad but since I read that recently version of GPS firmware seems good I decided to order the 5X plus titanium but I amaffraid after reading you. I will receive my watch in 20 days... I think I can cancel my order.

Do you have you Garmin connect trace or a KML file to see he accuracy of the GPS ?

Here the run with the latest, greatest firmware.
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3060351747

Take a look at the run on North Avenue -- both times we ran on the east side of the road, on the sidewalk. You'd never be able to say that. That actually leads to a wide open field ("Sun Microsystems campus") that is on top of a hill. There are no obstructions, trees fairly far away on only one side. Ideal conditions, yet I go through a building.


I returned it yesterday. The Fenix 5 Plus GPS is bad, no way around it. Compare it to the Forerunner 935 run I had today https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3065180917 -- clean lines, it neatly nailed down the sidewalk I was on for the majority of the run. No comparison.

I would not get the Fenix, I can not live with the truly terrible GPS. Don't reward poor engineering.

I’ve similarly seen these odd ‘blips’ on a couple of activities, but also noted they make no impact on speed/pace nor impact the distance accumulation. So they are just odd blips that make viewing the track after messy, but don’t actually damage any of the data you observe or rely on whilst in an activity.

Has anyone seen these blips after we got GPS v. 2.30?

I experienced them three times between August 22 and September 17, running with GPS v. 2.23 and 2.24 . I must have updated to GPS v. 2.30 around September 26. After that update, I have not had any blips. But with less than 1 incident per week before the update, the lack of blips after the update could just be normal randomness.