Not sure why...I was wearing the F5 on the right wrist today vs the left one yesterday but I can't see how that would have an impact. Will monitor again tomorrow.
Ha!! Same experience as with F3. For the F3 it seemed to be just a wrong implementation of the compass data. I used to run short circles in the wrong direction if I took a sharp turn. Thats why I shut off the compass on my F3 completely. Maybe the same algorithms are being used on the F5 also...
Its nice to have compass, accelerator, gyroscope, whatever data. But they should be implemented right! Otherwise each GPS devices without these stuff and with a cheap plasics casing is superior for 1/10th of the costs....
But overall, I'm also of the opinion that the F5 has improved against the F3. The remaining question is, how much has it improved... :rolleyes:
Data point 2 for me. 18 miles where I did exactly the same route through 16 miles as last week with my trusty 235. By mile 16 they hit within ~50 feet (FR235 to F5). This was pretty easy conditions but looking at the track it mostly had me on the proper side of the road and all looks good. No corner cutting, or completely reasonable amounts to me. Night and day better than my miserable experience with the F3 that was a complete disaster and basically hacked off any 90 degree corner and would lose 0.02-0.05/mile. (Disclaimer I only had the F3 for the first ~90 days they were out so no experience with any fixes). Simply put I believe it based on feel and experience. Something the F3 never gave me. I'll get my normal boring 5 mile route Tuesday. If that goes well I'll all but stop paying attention to tracks as it'll have pretty much already proven trustworthy to me.
what does everyone want in terms of gps accuracy (ie not with glonass)
is it
just measuring the overall distance correctly?
giving accurate instant speed/pace (independent of other sensors)?
precisely following a track that covers typical 'hazards' that are difficult for GPS
just knowing accurately enough where you are so you can be given a correct TBT instruction
estimating altitude in the absence of a barometric altimeter
it's difficult to really pin all of that down especially when you can do the exact same route the following day and get different results. If your route goes near a building it CAN make a difference which wrist you wear the watch on. If you go through a tunnel and emerge the other side and it seems to be right is that because the GPS quickly finds position or because the algorithm had a lucky guess predicting where you'd be? I have looked at two identical non-Garmin watches and a 3rd that should have the identical componentry yet the 'accuracy' is WAY different between the 3 devices (repeatably so). Do components get changed/fixed without us being told (probably)? Is that why the reputation of a device gets better over time or is it just algorithm improvements? Could there actually be variations in the assembly or manufacturing processes?
Personally I'd just take the accurate running pace. But I've been holding my breath for that one for years (sans footpod).
I have no idea either - it seems like OCD to get concerned about the gps accuracy to the degree it gets discussed, it's not like the Fenix gps accuracy is a life or death decision maker , not sure how ppl coped without gps ....
I have no idea either - it seems like OCD to get concerned about the gps accuracy to the degree it gets discussed, it's not like the Fenix gps accuracy is a life or death decision maker , not sure how ppl coped without gps ....
I'll speak for myself to say for the 90 days I had a F3 when they first came out, the accuracy was TERRIBLE for me. Like why bother with gps. It would lose 0.02-0.05/mile on the same run day in and day out and badly cut corners which made the distance loss obvious. Every other Garmin I've had before and since were all acceptable. Buying the highest end watch to get the worst performance was not acceptable for me. I was very concerned whether the F5 would be more like my others or the F3. 2 runs in and all seems good so far. If it stays that way I'll quickly not be pouring over my tracks and whatnot once I feel it's trustworthy. In fact once I trust them it's very rare I ever look at a track.
