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Problems with Ant+ connectivity

Does anybody NOT have problems with third party ANT+ devices and the F5? My experience is as follows:
- Stryd: not usable; tons of drop-outs on runs. Most importantly long pauses of 30-60s with zero values
- Powertap P1 pedals: around 10-20 drop-outs on a 50 mile ride; most of these drops are really short
- Stages: Useless - zero connectivity - tried Bluetooth and ANT+

Wondering if the F5 is just flawed (weak antennas?) or if I got a bad model. Spoke to Garmin support two weeks ago and they asked me to wait for further software updates.

Are there people out there that do not have these kind of problems?

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

I was using the APAC version of the 5S. Terrible connectivity to even Garmin's own RD Pod. Garmin support did well and I was given a new set in exchange. Didn't help unfortunately. Same issues persisted. Sold it.

Swapped to the 935 and all the problems went away. I won't say Bluetooth is much better on the 935 but ANT+ and GPS have tremendously improved. The 935 feels and looks cheaper but it works. Putting a tempered glass screen protector helps to resolve the "no sapphire glass" problem and in fact improves on the 5S' sapphire display (935's display with tempered glass SP is clearer and retains the glass feel).

I have knocked the 5S around a bit but the paint, etc from the rim of the watch never got scratched. I was using the black version. So that is one data point against the common narrative here.

Just posting this to contribute and share my experience. Have been following this forum closely due to 5S issues and am glad I would not need to do so again any time soon. Hopefully Garmin changes the chipset in future and allows buyers to do an exchange.

I'm in the same boat. Will try one more time with Garmin support and if no luck sell the watch.

Where did buy the screen protector from the 935 ? Do you have a link ?

0 bfso over 7 years ago

Hi, i own a Fenix5 and like many of you, i also have problems with ANT+ conections. I use a HRM RUN or HRM TRI band and the watch in my left wrist.
The problem is that with some body positions I had constant dropouts (hyperextension lying on a floor, extension of the arms when i hang on a pullbar, arm behind head, arm resting beside body, arm behind body). Summarizing, any interposition of my body, between the watch and the band, causes a dropout. I had test the band connection with a Edge 25 and a Oregon 650 in the same body positions and I didnt get any dropout

I have contact Garmim Iberia's Support and they ask to send the watch to them so it can be evaluated. However when i received the watch back (4 days after) it come with a relatory saying that they had performed a "reset and update" (i was running 4.10 firmware?) and it had passed all tests (with multiple garmin bands and phones) without any dropout. So to them the Fenix 5 was perfectly "fine"
That was completely surprising, since even they said it's perfectly normal, I still have dropouts when I interpose my body between the sensor and the band !?
I contacted Garmin Support again. Initially did not want to accept a new shipment, however after insisting and exposing the problem, they accepted it, this time together with the HRM TRI band to be tested again. I will send it today...
When I have some news, I will post again.

(Sorry for my english, not my first language)

Garmim support have send me a new fenix 5.
Apparently with this one I haven't got any dropout (I just did a quick test, testing the positions that usually and almost instantly caused ANT+ dropouts)
In relation to bluetooth connectivity I still could not see if there was any improvement or not (bluetooth dropouts were more occasional)

0 bfso over 7 years ago

@bfso...that is good news for you :)

is this with no CIQ stuff on it, just unboxed ?

please, could you tell the serial number(partly) range

enjoy the Fenix 5...

Yes, i just unboxed et and updated the firmware to 5.30
S/N (new one): 536055xxx
S/N (first one): 536019xxx

Now i will install some CIQ apps/widgets/watch faces and test it in some real life situations to see if still get the dropouts or not.
I will post again...

0 FredJensin over 7 years ago

Yes, i just unboxed et and updated the firmware to 5.30
S/N (new one): 536055xxx
S/N (first one): 536019xxx

Now i will install some CIQ apps/widgets/watch faces and test it in some real life situations to see if still get the dropouts or not.
I will post again...

Mine is 539000xxxx and has terrible ANT+ (and GPS in NYC) problems.

0 ColinvZ over 7 years ago

Mine is 539000xxxx and has terrible ANT+ (and GPS in NYC) problems.

The first three digits relate to the model (Sapphire, non-spapphire etc.). The last five digit should give you sense of where your watch ranks in production order.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

another F5 here with ANT+ connectivity issues :(

I was blissfully unaware of any issue until buying Stryd footpd and on first use it's dropped out every few seconds

I'm already on my 2nd F5 (first one had a faulty button) can't see how Garmin are going to fix in firmware or be willing to swap out the watch for a new version

guess we've been sold a dud :(

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Got my Stryd working
Moved it to the outside of my foot directly under my wrist, disabled my RD pod and no drop outs at all over 5.5 miles

now just to fix the HR issue introduced by 5.30

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Is it just me but does the connection seem to hold better now after 5.30? Not that I had many drop outs before. Just an odd drop out once or twice a week.

Could this also be linked to the OHR getting stuck issue. Something leaking from the external sensor code that was not tested properly with OHR...

Just guessing here.

BT connection has also gotten better lately. I even got my activity uploaded while taking a shower phone behind the wall. Something that has not happened since I switched from FR235.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Is it just me but does the connection seem to hold better now after 5.30? Not that I had many drop outs before. Just an odd drop out once or twice a week.

Could this also be linked to the OHR getting stuck issue. Something leaking from the external sensor code that was not tested properly with OHR...

Just guessing here.

BT connection has also gotten better lately. I even got my activity uploaded while taking a shower phone behind the wall. Something that has not happened since I switched from FR235.

It is not better, It drops whenever the body is getting slightly in the way. I am thinking of getting back to my Fenix 3 :-( The OHR is so much off that I cannot even use that as an alternative. Yesterday when the HRM connection was dropping and at that time it was showing 155 bpm the OHR took over and it was showing 90 bpm. So bad...

0 MurphyCorp over 7 years ago

Just want to update about Stryd. I have a Fenix 5 Sapphire and have never had any real problems with heart rate dropouts (a few couple seconds on the odd run), but I just got a Stryd and ran a marathon with it. Not a single dropout. You can see the plots below. This was on 5.10SW.
ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1246256.png