"GPS altitude" LOGGING, and wrong speed log during flight

Former Member over 8 years ago

Hello everybody,

I have experienced two issues during flight at my fenix 5S:

a) It appears the LOG has stored barometric altitude data, since it never goes beyond about 1000m during the flight. At the screen I had added an altitude field "GPS altitude", which showed correct values during flight. (LOG read-out via CONNECT and BASECAMP the same wrong values.)
b) Speed in CONNECT never goes beyond 200km/h, though the same app tells the flight was about 400km in <1h... BASECAMP gives correct numbers here.

Any idea on how to get the correct log data?

Thanks and regards, fussfolk.

0 Teekman over 8 years ago

Unfortunately I can't answer the question, but would like to concur that I experienced something similar on my 5X, as it only reported a max 6000ft when we were travelling at a high of 30,000ft as reported by the pilot.
I have not looked any further into the issue yet.

0 mcbadger over 8 years ago

I don't think GPS altitude is logged by Garmin watches with barometers. Showing the field doesn't determine if it's logged (though you could possibly make a connect IQ field which would log it).

The standard speed field in fit files maxes out at something like 236 km/h. Intriguing if Basecamp is showing the right value. There is an extended speed field which handles much higher values. Could be the watch is recording that too, but connect is using the standard field. What did you log it as?

0 DBate01 over 8 years ago

Unfortunately I can't answer the question, but would like to concur that I experienced something similar on my 5X, as it only reported a max 6000ft when we were travelling at a high of 30,000ft as reported by the pilot.
I have not looked any further into the issue yet.

That is quite simply because the cabins on airliners are pressurized and your 5X was simply indicating the pressure within the cabin, corresponding - in your case - to an altitude of around 6.000'. If you would fly at an altitude of 30.000' without a pressurized cabin you would loose consciousness within a couple of minutes (check for 'Time Of Useful Consciousness' on any search engine).

My fenix 5 was off by a couple of 100' compared to the actual cabin altitude during the last couple of flights, but considering that it is an end consumer product it is most probably not as accurate as the cabin pressure controller on an aircraft.

So your 5X was is working fine in that regard :).

Cheers

0 mcalista over 8 years ago

Unfortunately I can't answer the question, but would like to concur that I experienced something similar on my 5X, as it only reported a max 6000ft when we were travelling at a high of 30,000ft as reported by the pilot.
I have not looked any further into the issue yet.

Probably because the cabin was pressurized to that altitude.