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Fenix 5x loses GPS signal

8841219
over 4 years ago

I have a Fenix 5X that always loses GPS signal when I'm hiking in the forest. I understand that steep cliffs can cause lost signal if the satellite is on the other side of the bluff but whenever I have hiked in Sequoia NP, Yosemite NP, and Mammoth Lakes, CA my watch will just stop tracking and tell me it lost GPS. when I look at my track after my hike it's obviously shorter and full of straight lines where it connected the dots between lost and connected status.

I was accepting this as "normal" except I started using my Phone and Strava to track the same hike and Strava never lost signal.

Also, my girlfriend used her Apple (I use an Android) and the apple fitness app to track and she also never lost signal.

lastly, I hiked Yosemite with my sister who has a Gamin Forerunner (?) and whiteout fail her watch tracked the hike perfectly.

so, is there a problem with my watch? it's over a year old so not sure if Garmin will cover it but I got it from REI who has a liberal return policy.

it works flawlessly when I'm in my home town (San Diego) doing local hikes and mountain bike rides, the issue is just when I'm away from town in the forest but I have two phones and another Garmin watch that all seem to outperform my watch.

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  • 0 over 4 years ago

    The straight lines sound like you have switched on Autopause. As the current pace is very inaccurate at low pace and difficult conditions (GPS in general, not only for Garmin) it is not very useful for hiking. I only use Autopause for Roadbiking, not for MTB, Running and definitely not for Trailrunning and Hiking.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to RunR

    I agree.  It sounds like auto pause is on for hiking.  Depending where you hike, your movement might not be great, and triggers a  pause.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to RunR

    that looks like the culprit.  apparently on Hike, autopause was set for speeds under 3mph which is pretty fast for a hike.  on my WALK settings which I use for my neighborhood walks, it was also set at that, but since it's flat I can maintain that speed.  after reading your response I checked and changed the settings.  thanks.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I am also having this problem.  However it is repeatable at the SAME position/area on hikes of varying length.  Livetrack, the GPS and of course the GPX are all wrong. and it never recovers.  I even try to stop and start the activity (using Garmin Walk to eliminate and app from the equation.)  Tried GPS, GPS+Glonass, and GPS+Galileo but all fail.

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/6192824065  I am at 105 feet and it is a dark cell area.  I end at the beginning of course.

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/6198665720 this was today.  as you can see by the breadcrumbs my speed was HIGHER then places where I was crawling through brush and bulkheads and rocks.   

    My Strava and Relive API transfers are of course wrong since it all starts with the app.  https://www.relive.cc/view/vevYX5gp5Jq  the funniest part is the later pictures from 1/4 a mile away come up in the same area as if I just stood there and walked in circles? 

    I will go hunting for autopause and see whats up.   does not SEEM like its triggered to do it there every-time when I am under and over an autopause criteria at many other places.

    Any help appreciated!!!!  It so dejecting to "lose" the whole segment.  <frown>  

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ThomasJohnLynch

    You are using a 3rd party app to record your walk and you are in the wrong part of the forum. What do you expect from us?

  • +1 over 4 years ago in reply to ThomasJohnLynch

     

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