Hey guys, i've had my fenix 5x for 2 weeks now, i think after the sw update 2.90 something happened with the barometer, meaning the msl adjusted pressure it indicates for a specific location (i know the exact altitude and msl pressure from the metar-taf report of an airport) is 4.5-5 mbar higher than it should be, with the watch on my wrist. If i'm not wearing it, it shows roughly 3 mbar more. I know that the algorithm through which the watch calculates the pressure from the user-input altitude or viceversa takes into account the temperature too, but what could the cause be for such an error? I do not know the specific moment when the value started to drift from the correct value, and some people on suunto forums said (and it is also stated in the suunto manual, suunto core that is) that if you use the watch in baro mode for a long time, with the watch not being in the exact same spot, meaning both the altitude and the ambient pressure change, the msl pressure can be erroneously calculated. But i haven't done that, it was always on auto mode. Thx!
Thank you! Didn't search the forum except for the 5x version :) So I see it's a problem that only affects the 5x version? It's unacceptable that garmin does not let you input the msl pressure and get the current altitude, as many others do..I'm waiting for an answer from the shop I bought it, given the fact that I preordered it on January 15th, and received it on April 3rd (Bucharest, Romania), I don't even wanna think about when I'll get a replacement..do you also have the annoying screen flicker problem?
Ok so the situation got even stranger. I went to my reseller today, having in front of me my watch - 5x, another 5x and a 5s, dialing in the same elevation (say it, 80m, the aproximate elevation for that location), my watch displayed in the barometer widget 1023 mb, the 5s displayed 1020 mb and the other 5x said the pressure is 1010 mb!!! I am even more intrigued now, how can 3 different watches display 3 totally different values, given the fact that all 3 should roughly measure the same absolute pressure and when you input the same altitude, all 3 should be at aproximately the same value?? Can someone shed some light here? 😁
My 5x Barometer/altimeter are spot on. I had a F3 and the numbers were all over the place. I am very pleased to see the numbers are working as they should in the new version.
Ok so the situation got even stranger. I went to my reseller today, having in front of me my watch - 5x, another 5x and a 5s, dialing in the same elevation (say it, 80m, the aproximate elevation for that location), my watch displayed in the barometer widget 1023 mb, the 5s displayed 1020 mb and the other 5x said the pressure is 1010 mb!!! I am even more intrigued now, how can 3 different watches display 3 totally different values, given the fact that all 3 should roughly measure the same absolute pressure and when you input the same altitude, all 3 should be at aproximately the same value?? Can someone shed some light here? 😁
I am interested in this "strange event"? :) Was the other fenix 5x and 5S new? And what did the retailer say about that?
My fenix 5 barometer value is higher about 2-4hPa than the value in barometer app (in my iPhone 6).
Actually, I do not mind if it's show inaccurate absolute air-pressure as long as it can show the altitude change correctly while I wearing it for run. So is it possible that inaccurate absolute measurement of the f5 can track altitude change correctly (assuming no change in weather)?
No, the watches weren't new, 2 employees there were wearing them. They didn't have any other fenix 5's in stock to compare, but it is very strange that calibrated to the same altitude, they showed 3 totally different values in the barometer widget.
My watch also displays 4-5 mbars more than the pressure indicated by some trustworty weather stations at home and even the one showed in the metar-taf report for an airport nearby. If i take it off my wrist and leave it to show the correct ambient temperature, the difference drops to 2-3 mbars. Something is unclear here..
The man to whom i spoke there said that Garmin is aware of this issue and they might sort it out in a software update soon, but I really don't think it is a sw issue, but rather a hw one. Renton82 said that he got a replacement and the new one is spot on
My local airport approx 20kms away at 20m elevation - 1022.5
My 5x and my elevation of 28m - 1023.8.
A couple things to bear in mind. Most airport METAR stations only update once an hour, so their reading could be quite aged. 20 km is enough distance for some variability in readings between those two points. This doesn't strike me as an extreme difference. If it was windy when you took this reading, that's another factor - wind is caused by rapid pressure changes and would easily account for this difference.
