5x...seriously broken by flawed software.

I've had the 5x since Friday. Not my first dance with Garmin devices, including the F3 sapphire I've owned since it was released. My experience with the 5X has been frustrating to say the least. Most issues seem to be centered about a broken sync between setting on device, GC mobile, GC, and Garmin Express. Issues include:

1. Setting alarm on watch (6am every day, for example) will be immediately turned to "off" once watch syncs with phone.

2. Set manual resting HR on watch in never saved (even without sync to phone). One you set the value and leave the menu, going back in it returns to "=".

3. Notification sound/vibrate set to one (individually or together) - immediately turned "off" after sync with phone.

4. All notifications stop showing up on watch (despite phone still connected in both phone BT settings and GC mobile app). Didn't happen until I awoke this morning. I assume rebooting the watch with temporarily reset...

5. Watch Face light set to gesture - just stopped working this morning, then several hours later began working again. I verified watch was NOT in DND and it was also outside of the "regular" sleeping hours set on the watch.

6. After a sync with G Express...option to "eject" watch is grayed out in GE. Can only eject from Finder.

7. If synced with GE, then disconnect and sync with GCM, when reconnected to computer GE no longer sees the device, and also the device doesn't mount in "Finder". Requires rebooting of the watch.

8. Unable to get Basecamp to see the watch.

9. Unrelated issue --- Ant+ connection to Kickr : frequent drops of PM (while maintained connection to Edge 820) despite watch on stand 3 feet from trainer. Doubtful this will maintain stable connection to the Vectors on outdoor ride...just haven't tested yet, too busy trying to get watch to work:-)

10. Frequent spinning "update" notification on watch when navigating through various widgets, and after spinning update notice finishes, display reverts to watchface from whichever menu I was in.

So for $900 (metal band), is this really what I should expect? I have spent HOURS trying to get this device into some form of a reliable and stable working state, to no avail. I think my time is a bit more valuable then being a beta tester for Garmin.

I'm about to give it one more try...will "Remove" device from GC, GE, and GCM. Delete GCM app from phone. Forget device from phone BT. Factory restore device settings (Bye Bye custom watch settings), and start from scratch. Beyond that, I'm returning to the F3.

=======================
F5X, F3 Sapphire, Vivoactive HR, Vivofit2, Forerunner 630, Vivoactive (1)
Edge 520, Edge 820, Vector 2, Varia Radar
HRM Swim, HRM Run, HRM, G Footpod,
MBP 2016, Iphone 6, all OS up to date.

0 Angioman over 8 years ago

didn't get very far....

So after doing complete wipe, restore, and carefully following instructions in manual on how to initially setup watch, i first paired with GCM, synced watch and phone. Then set a few settings on device (gestures, vibrate, HR, widgets). Then resynced watch with GCM...ERROR. "Your device seems to be busy, and your sync request timed out. Try again later." After multiple tries, finally synced without error.

So I am not going to sync watch with GE for now, and see how it behaves. I believe the core issue is with conflicts between device settings on GE/GC and watch.

0 NYanakiev7 over 8 years ago

Sorry to hear about your experience so far...truth be told, I have never had ANY of these with my unit...

0 savvase over 8 years ago

Unfortunately the same exact issues with my 5X i hope garmin can sort them out on the next firmware release

0 Angioman over 8 years ago

Watch is possessed...

So after complete restore, and only syncing device with GC mobile (did not connect to computer and sync with GE), and only setting menu options from device (not GCM), they eventually all reverted back to their defaults.

- set resting HR, now back to blank
- set alarm to 6:15 every day, set to "ON", now back to "OFF"
- set button push to "vibrate", - now back to "nothing"

Initially I confirmed these changes by exiting menu, syncing with GCM, and then rechecking setting. At first they stuck. Then couple hours later, went back through menus and sure enough they have reverted to their default settings.

BTW, the only CIQ app I have is Watchface Actiface.

UGH!

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I feel for users that had had this weird non sync or discrepancy syncing between computer/app issues.
That has to be frustrating!

I haven't had anything like that happen with my 5x. I synced it with the computer first and set up the alarms and gesture settings and notifications that route(on my computer first). Then after it was set up, then synced with my mobile app. I haven't had alarms reset or blank out nor have had other settings mysteriously change, even when I've changed things since then both on the watch itself on the fly or via the app.
It makes me wonder if you watch is actually saving any of the changes. Or isn't recording the time the change was made so that the latest setting is indeed the current setting vs constantly reverting to the original default settings instead.

0 Angioman over 8 years ago

Good point, perhaps I went about this wrong by using the device and GCM as the foundation of the changes. Just not sure I have the time and energy to start again... At this point its a matter of whether its worth waiting for an update (beta not even in pipeline yet) or bailing. Too bad, since the actual watch (not OS) is pretty nice!

0 Angioman over 8 years ago

Corrupted settings file?

So tried syncing with GE on computer. Found device (had to plug in a couple times before device found). Went through the initial setup, but when GE synced with device, it gave error message "Some files could not be uploaded to Garmin Connect". Based on the timestamp of the file, it looks like it is the "Settings.fit" file.

Also, if I go to Garmin Connect, and try to change device settings from their, when I hit "save" it gives an error "We had a technical problem, your changes could not be saved"..

Now what should I do? Do I delete the file from the device, then sync with GE?

Any advice appreciated!

0 Dr Phil over 8 years ago

If you have not already done so remove the Actiface watch face, and any other 'stuff' you've added. Try with the watch in its native out of the box state/

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I've bugged for offline syncing to the phone, for a while. So it temporarily or permanently (depending on user setting) stores information on the phone itself and then syncs with the server. This would not only help sync issues but would be a benefit if you wanted to keep backups of the .fit files. The idea has been deemed unnecessary by the majority and shot down.

0 Dr Phil over 8 years ago

Why not save the .fit files when you recharge the watch? I do that once a week with my 920XT. Drop it in for charge, mount the GARMIN drive, remove the .fit files to a safe location on my computer. Done.

The removal of the files can be automated so that it effectively becomes a process that entails you to do nothing more than connect to a computer to recharge the watch. As well as moving the activity files, I also copy the contents of the GARMIN drive at the same time.