Why the GPS signal error with latest V5.4 software in Fenix5

Former Member
Former Member
we are running for a Marathon in the same place and same road, most of us have this error in the same place: a very high TV signal tower.

I'm not the only one have this error, most of us have the same result with Garmin Fenix3/Fenix5 device, but also found some Fenix3 device don't have this error.

which reason will cause the GPS signal error ?


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  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    this happen to me everytime I pass in front of the US Embassy here in my country. With both the Fenix 2 and now with the F5.
  • Tall buildings are bad for gps reception generally, especially if there's a lot of metal in the construction. Also, a tv transmitter may well be generating enough noise at the gps frequencies to cause position errors by drowning the satellite signals as you go by - it won't be for long, there are strong regulations about interfering with gps reception and the frequency is much higher than tv signals anyway, but could be enough to contribute. Why do you think it was specifically F5 units with 5.40? If you're on Strava, try looking at flybys of your route to see how other devices were doing; if you aren't, go on there anyway and search for the marathon and look at flybys when you've found a record of it. You'll see how other devices do. My guess is everything will be compromised there, though maybe not as badly as your watch.
  • It's not exactly surprising that close proximity to a high power radio source like a TV transmitter tower might cause interference with the radio frequencies used by GPS.

    The power of radio waves decreases with the inverse square of the distance, so you shouldn't have have to move far away from the tower to resume normal GPS reception.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    Thanks all for your reply!
    For Fenix5 v5.4, I just mean I'm also using the latest software version.
    as I found some Fenix 3 device can works well, (maybe some Fenix 5 may works well, I'm not sure, as most of my friends using Fenix 3 and I can found they have the right result )
    some device have the right result and some device got the error result, what's the reason? the same day and the same place, this is my question.