Is it accurate?

So how is the accuracy compared to a F3?
Did Garmin make a step forward compared to the F3 or go backwards like they did with the rollout of the F3. My F1 is always more accurate to this day than my F3 when used at the same time.
Hopefully, Garmin stepped it up and made great improvements with the F5.
Let see some comparison between the F3 and F5 results.
Thanks

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Perhaps this was a good time to improve over a previously disappointing result but when these corporations present a patent, you can't change design so soon otherwise the stockholders...

As far as I can tell the 5X static GPS tests show a slight but consistent improvement, time and time again but it's surely misleading to think the GPS has improved when you look at its direct competitor, which is the Ambit3 (and not the SSU). Garmin lost an opportunity on the GPS... and creamed the Ambit3 on everything else as expected.

Fellnrn has judged the 5X GPS as MEDIOCRE but he hasn't placed the 5X on the wiki/GPS_Accuracy picture yet. Curious to see if he's noticed any improvement at all but we're still talking of mediocre (5X) after mediocre (3/3HR)... Whaddayaknow... maybe a patch will help. We'll see.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

https://twitter.com/fellrnr/status/853339917015035906 ;)

0 John Biruld over 8 years ago

No it isn't accurate. According to me, Fenix 5x is worse accurate than the fenix 3, and the @fellrnr's test seems to go in the same direction... :(

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

No it isn't accurate. According to me, Fenix 5x is worse accurate than the fenix 3, and the @fellrnr's test seems to go in the same direction... :(

Hi

Just curious as to which settings you are using? Mine is set to 1 second recording, GPS only (no Glonass). Firmware is 2.90. It is definitely better than my previous F3HR, so it seems people are getting mixed results. Mine was worse on smart recording and with Glonass, so changing these settings helped me. It could have the reverse effect for others!

0 John Biruld over 8 years ago

Hi

Just curious as to which settings you are using? Mine is set to 1 second recording, GPS only (no Glonass). Firmware is 2.90. It is definitely better than my previous F3HR, so it seems people are getting mixed results. Mine was worse on smart recording and with Glonass, so changing these settings helped me. It could have the reverse effect for others!

GPS (no Glonass) + 1s recording. Speed is crazy (more than my fenix 3 with same setting) and accuracy is not good at all.

To be precise, I use it to run.

I'll test it tomorrow with Glonass...

0 bglover11 over 8 years ago

GPS (no Glonass) + 1s recording. Speed is crazy (more than my fenix 3 with same setting) and accuracy is not good at all.

To be precise, I use it to run.

I'll test it tomorrow with Glonass...

Same exact experience I've had.. forced to just use my foot pod for anywhere near consistent pacing readouts. At least the distance is accurate

0 tickerguy over 8 years ago

I've found the F5x to be approximately equivalent to my former F3 in terms of GPS accuracy. Both are materially worse than my 910XT was, which was by a small but notable margin better than my 310XT.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I could say that my Forerunner 920XT es far more accurate than the fenix 5X. Because of it price it MUST be extremely accurate. I hope ot could be fixed with updates.

0 budish over 8 years ago

I went for a short run yesterday in downtown Boston, MA, USA. The route started and ended in an area with narrow streets surrounded by buildings. The middle of the route was along a river. The start and end track was predictably bad alongside the buildings, while the middle section was really good. Today I ran a wooded bike path, and the track was pretty good but certainly not perfect.

Would a 935 have been better? Probably, but I don't have one to test. That said, I imagine that both would have struggled in the urban jungle of Boston.

As for pace, I watched my instant pace rather closely throughout the run, and I saw none of the wild swings that others have reported. Generally my pace was between 8:45 and 7:05, and the instant pace generally tracked what I was doing (e.g., slowing up hills, generally getting faster through the run, etc.). The only time I saw a spike right when I left a wooded trail, and it dropped to 6:45.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I've done 4-5 runs now with a F5 on one wrist and F3HR on the other of 3, 6 and 11 miles. The tracks both have the same margin of error for me. Both are within my expectations of accuracy of a consumer device of this type and size. Total distance matched within 0.05 of each other on the 10-11 mile runs. On shorter distances it was identical. The routes have moderate tree cover. I don't have a hard option to confirm the distance by actual measurement though.

I have seen that typically my F3 finishes me anywhere from 5 to 20 seconds early on most races of 10k or longer, once or twice it ran slightly long, my race workout end and the actual race end are never at exactly the same time. I don't expect it be though.

Both watches displayed better tracking accuracy in one direction than the other, the routes were predominately north-south out and back. I haven't bothered to check which direction worked best for each watch. If I had to guess it would be the direction that had a given arm and watch facing east as west has heavy trees.

I've also gone back and sampled a few of my older F3HR only runs and the F5 seems no more, no less accurate to me.

The F3 was 1 sec, Glonass on, the F5 was 1 sec, Glonass off. I've turned on glonass on the F5 as of today after my long run but no data yet to see if it makes any difference.