F5 - Barometer settings/modes/issues

So there it goes ;-)

A bit disappointed that there is :
- no altimeter calibration using local MSL pressure from an airport (calibration using known or GPS altitude only)
- no fine tuning of barometer so that it matches the local MSL pressure after the altimeter has been calibrated. In my case MSL pressure is 1020.6mb and the F5 is showing 1022.1...

Am I missing something ?

On the plus side the barometer module can be set to :
- Altimeter : it assumes constant weather so any changes in pressure will be altitude related
- Barometer : it assumes constant altitude so any changes in pressure will be weather related
- Auto : it selects the mode based on "movement" per the manual. Not sure if that's GPS or accelerometer movement ?

UPDATE : after a week no issues with erratic Altimeter/Barometer values like those reported on the F3HR

F5 compared to Motorola X :

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

1) You didn't address the fact that this is a very specific edge case and likely not worth Garmin's time. Note: They've taken out many "edge case" features like listing specific satellite reception, etc..

2) I was making a similarly unfair comparison.

3) This has to do with not understanding an ABC non-data recording watch, but it being MUCH simpler than a data recording GPS + ABC watch.

If you don't like this, don't buy the watch?

0 bellostom over 8 years ago

And ? This does not address the issuesI highlighted in my first message in any way, shape or form.

@bellostom - does your Suunto allow for setting of the altitude using the local MSL pressure ? And can the pressure reading be fine-tuned so it coincides with the local MSL once the altitude has been set ? My $40 Pyle ABC watch can ;-)

[SUB]You can adjust the altimeter by setting the pressure yes. But that is as far it goes[/SUB]

0 webvan over 8 years ago

ok thanks, so if there's a "calibration" error on your particular watch you may end up with the wrong altitude (now 1 mb is about 8 meters so it's never going to be huge) then if you set it using the MSL pressure from your local airport. It's such an easy fix to allow the user to tweak it ever so slightly...oh well, anyway there's no such setting on the F5 so there's no risk of getting the wrong altitude ;-)

0 mcbadger over 8 years ago

I have an Ambit 2, and it doesn't let you microtune the calibration either.
The absolute calibration of my F3 seems to be about 1mbar off. It'd be nice to be able to fix it, and calibrate by MSL, I agree. I do suspect that more people would end up ruining the calibration completely than improving it...

0 webvan over 8 years ago

Maybe that's why they removed it then, still that setting can be done on a $40 ABC watch it should be possible to have it on a $500 watch...

I went into the "secret" menu and found an altimeter/barometer page so I took a picture next to my Motorola X (micro calibrated) that has a built-in barometer :

Raw values are virtually identical : 1005.82 vs 1005.29

Slight difference when the MotoX is set for Garmin's MSL : 49.13 vs 52.08

Anyway the good news is that ater a week I have not noted any issues with erratic Altimeter/Barometer values like those reported on the F3HR.

0 renton82 over 8 years ago

Just got my Fenix 5X yesterday and i noticed that barometer is off by almost + 2mb, i noticed also there is no way to calibrate it, i only decide if having correct pressure OR correct altitude... very disapponted that a 800€ watch hasn't this feature that is present in my 1999 100€ watch...
I immagine that this is the same story on Fenix 5/5S...

0 webvan over 8 years ago

Yes unfortunately no change with v2.72beta. Since you can't use MSL pressure to set the altitude it won't give you the wrong altitude I suppose like what happened on the Fenix 2.

0 renton82 over 8 years ago

Site gardie

Yes unfortunately no change with v2.72beta. Since you can't use MSL pressure to set the altitude it won't give you the wrong altitude I suppose like what happened on the Fenix 2.

With Fenix 2 it was possible to set 2 values separately, just went to "set altimter", refused to set by GPS and the watch ask you to enter the correct pressure!

0 webvan over 8 years ago

Right and since you couldn't "mico-adjust" the pressure there could be a difference with the actual altitude.

0 renton82 over 8 years ago

Right and since you couldn't "mico-adjust" the pressure there could be a difference with the actual altitude.

Just wrote to beta team to inform them about it , hope they consider to add this feature. I think that who spends these prices for a watch claims that all festures work as they should (sorry for my english).