fenix 5x GPS to distance discrepancy

at least the fenix 5x has a problem (or is this a feature?) with the recorded distance in comparison to the GPS-track.
Determiantion of the distance out of the GPS-track leads to a different total distance!
My sunday-run of 21,1 km (running wearing fenix 5x, fenix 3 HR and Polar V800) had the following result:
- fenix 5x displayed 20,88 km and measuring a track length of 21,16 (checked within excel and GPS-Track-Analyzer).
- fenix 3HR displayed 21.07 km and measuring a track length of 21,23km (same as above).
- Polar V800 displayed 21,11 km and measuring a track length of 21,13km (same as above).
The worst deviation is km 14:
- the track is shown (within google earth) nearly the same - no severe deviation
- start-distance (13km-flag from kml-file) 3HR to 5x (3HR ahead):33m (determined by googel earth)
- end-distance (14km-flag from kml-file) 3HR to 5x (3HR ahead):157m (determined by googel earth; linear measered)
And this is what the 5x told me during the race: that I needed about 35 seconds longer for this km!!

I did not check all gps-tracks for their real length, but in fact I have very often severe distance deviations fenix 5x to 3HR (Polar V800 very similar to 3HR), two weeks before there was a deviation of over 500metres!

That the distance shown is shorter thane real is unacceptable. Some competitions fenix 5x recorded 20,8 km instead of 21,093km , e.g.

Resetting the 5X is the first suggestion of GARMIN!

No improvement!

I'm really disappointed from 5x. - Since I evaluated some tracks I know that there must be a software problem (calculation problem).

0 ignacioeml over 6 years ago

Hi, Fenix 5X tracks are horrible. These days I have been analyzing tracks and....poor tracks. Its not problem of reseting its problem of fenix 5x.
Regards

0 jose.cboliveira over 6 years ago

I noticed that too in the 5, are you using 1s or smart logging? It should be the same result but one never knows.

What is strange is that is a pure sum error and not GPS problem.
It looks like a roundup problem due to the points being too close.

0 jupjap over 6 years ago

try changing 1s recording VS. smart recording .
glonass: off !

0 beta-L-user over 6 years ago

I noticed that too in the 5, are you using 1s or smart logging? It should be the same result but one never knows.

What is strange is that is a pure sum error and not GPS problem.
It looks like a roundup problem due to the points being too close.

I use 1s.
Yes it seems to be a sum error.
Same settings with 3HR and 5x, but 5x's results are worse.

half marathon / competition ends up with 20,8 kms (instead of 21,1km). - and I'm sure that it is impossible to stay on the shortest track!
attached you'll find two tracks - comparing the good track from my Polar V800 and the bad one from fenix 5x! unbelievable!ciq.forums.garmin.com/.../1309068.jpg

0 jhenley28 over 6 years ago

I’m having the same issues.

3 5k Park runs with a 5x and it reports them as 4.6km. Have tried with Glonass on and off.

0 MichaelAnderberg over 6 years ago

If you have the 5X have you checked whether it is set to try and follow rods or not? I was doing some orienteering a few weeks back and the track was completely bananas - it showed me hundreds of meters from where I knew I had run... turns out I had follow roads on and the watch subsequently tried to move me out to the closest road, although I was running in the woods. After changing that it was much better.

0 beta-L-user over 6 years ago

If you have the 5X have you checked whether it is set to try and follow rods or not? I was doing some orienteering a few weeks back and the track was completely bananas - it showed me hundreds of meters from where I knew I had run... turns out I had follow roads on and the watch subsequently tried to move me out to the closest road, although I was running in the woods. After changing that it was much better.

"the follow the roads" - method is always off. Otherwise one of my standard routes gives peculiar tracks because a path is not within open street maps. You can decide bad tracks as standard or bad tracks because of "follow the roads".

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

Si se quieren distancias precisas, utilizad un foot pod. Yo lo tengo y los valores son muy precisos

0 RyanClats over 4 years ago

Hi All,

Have found my way here after completing the Redbull wings run. My Fenix5x is showing such bad timing data.

We used the app which the race provides and basically you start 30mins ahead of a chase car which picks up speed until it catches you. Long story short, my mates watch (we ran side by side the entire way) showed smooth km splits increasing in pace the entire way, and so did the app. Both the app and his device (Suunto) showed roughly 31.1km while the Fenix 5x showed a total of 28.1km. it was showing over 5min/km pretty much the entire way and never registered a single km under 5mins while his device showed splits under 4:30 and one under 4min / km. I have attached an image of his splits Vs mine. We progressively picked up the pace through and his a Edgar pace was about 4:45/km whereas mine was about 5:20/km. The app also showed an average pace of 4:48/km for the 31.1km...

Any suggestions? I don't have track roads set, the software is up to date, think it's just the Fenix 5x which is poor at tracking which is surprising considering it was a top of the range device?

Thanks very much!

0 Viruango over 4 years ago

Hi all, I have the same problem. My girfriend bought Germin Venu and we went on a run... My Fenix 5 logged 11.6km while her Venu recorded 12km. I've tried various setups (1s, smart, 3d on, 3d off, GPS only, GPS + Glonass), nothing worked. What I notice from time to time is that I run a strady pace and my watch all of the suden starts showing me far slower current pace.

Anyway, I alway log 3-5% less distance than my running partners and its starting to be a little frustrating.

I even did a factory reset on the watch, didn't help!