Barometric Altimeters - Elevation maps way out!

Having serious issues with my elevation on my last few runs, they are miles out compared to previous runs of the same route with my FR630 and my wife FR235. Sometimes nothing is even recorded!

Anyone else having elevation issues with the new Fenix 5?

Really wishing I never bought this thing now!!!

0 webvan over 8 years ago

Yes after a full reboot I now see this behavior too, previously there was no auto-calibration. I'll just add that if you have a page setup with GPS Elevation and Barometric Elevation you'll see the Barometric Elevation value be adjusted but actual calibration only occurs if you start the activity, if not it keeps its old value.

As for what value to use I suspect (and hope) that it would use GPS Elevation and not a manual calibration if the last time you calibrated manually you used GPS elevation ? Haven't tried that yet.

Now to figure out the pattern of the "Barometer" mode in the Barometer settings as you'd expect it to keep a constant altitude to show only weather variations...but it doesn't ;-)

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

As for what value to use I suspect (and hope) that it would use GPS Elevation and not a manual calibration if the last time you calibrated manually you used GPS elevation ? Haven't tried that yet.

Yes, in my experience, it's so.

0 bellostom over 8 years ago

I see you mention for the first time
Do you mean that the device "remembers" the location and altitude, after calibrating the altimeter?

During the last two weeks I have observed how 'auto cal.' works.
My conclusions:

1. when you start an activity in a certain place for the first time, barometric altimeter auto-calibrates using:
a. current GPS elevation, or
b. the manually calibrated value if you had previously calibrated the altimeter manually (Settings > Sensors & Accessories > Altimeter > Calibrate - or through the Altimeter Widget); in this case current GPS elevation is ignored

2. Next activities are then self-calibrated at start using the same value (1.a or 1.b)

3. If in the meantime you recalibrate manually the altimeter, the new value will be taken in account next time.
This is correct, but it sometimes gives me some troubles. My home is 54 mt. (Street level - where I start activities); I live at 3rd floor, 63 mt. When I want to see the correct barometric pressure, I calibrate altitude to 63 mt. GPS 2D coordinates of the two points are roughly the same, so next time I start an activity auto-cal set elevation to 63.

4. 'Saved location' are never used in this process

5. During activities, there is no continuous calibration of barometric altimeter with GPS

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I see you mention for the first time
Do you mean that the device "remembers" the location and altitude, after calibrating the altimeter?

It seems so, but I am not sure.
I will test next days.

0 webvan over 8 years ago

After auto-calibration started working on my watch after a full reboot it does it does it each time, including if I start in the same spot.

As for what value to use I suspect (and hope) that it would use GPS Elevation and not a manual calibration if the last time you calibrated manually you used GPS elevation ? Haven't tried that yet.

Yes, in my experience, it's so.

Just verified that myself too.