Instinct not very instinctive!

Doesn’t Garmin Connect update the firmware automatically? It is showing me the firmware and EPO is current. 

vikramsingh said:

Doesn’t Garmin Connect update the firmware automatically? It is showing me the firmware and EPO is current. 

Firmware is upgraded automatically or manually, only when you connect to the computer with Garmin Express over the USB cable. As for the EPO, it is unclear - Garmin's support document about EPO tells you need to download it through USB from Garmin Expresss too, and it is what I observed - each time I connect to Garmin Express, the file is renewed, while I never saw any update over BT from Garmin Connect. On the other hand, I never let the watch without connecting to the PC more than some 4-5 days, so do not exclude the EPO file updates once expired. However, even if it happens in that way, the file does not update at each connection, like with Garmin Express.

It is also possible that your watch reports a current EPO, while in fact it is expired. I'd definitelly suggest updating it via USB+Garmin Express

Garmin Express shows software is up to date.  

Do you have the APAC version, or some special edition? EDIT: yes, you do  - and that's the reason. 

Af for the firmware version, you are all right. But to be sure you have a recent EPO file, you better connect to Garmin Express each couple of days. 

okay.

It will not necessarily help, near those tall buildings, but making sure you have a fresh EPO is a good precaution

okay. thanks much. 

I have the Garmin Instinct and also have the Suunto Ambit3 Peak with the large GPS nub antenna that is highly rated for its GPS Accuracy.  Walking and running out in the countryside including in heavy tree cover and areas that are difficult for GPS, I have found that the Instinct is slightly under records but is always within 1-2% of the distance the Ambit records and the same for the plotted route distance.  The Instinct underecords on a 10 mile run by around 0.15 - 0.2 miles.

Whennit comes to high-rise buildings and built up areas, the Instinct doesn't seem to do as well. 

This recent review of another watch included the Instinct in the testing and during the downtown area, the Instinct performed the worst.   It may be the case that the Instinct is not the best choice for this type of environment. 

"A) Garmin Instinct: Winner of the most suck – it’s drawing mountains in my buildings"
www.dcrainmaker.com/.../polar-grit-x-gps-watch-review.html

When I start an activity, I always let the GPS Soak (leave it another few minutes after it connects to GPS before hitting start. It's important to start in an area with a clear view of the sky. If I start outside my house the GPS track starts slightly offset due to high trees.

The only time the GPS has been innacurate for me is when the EPO expired, you can tell as it takes much longer to connect to GPS. 

My only real issue with the Garmin Instinct is that due to the placement of the sensor for the barometric altimeter, if you do an activity that involves sweating, the sensor can get blocked easily. The elevation readings were off for all my runs until I looked on here and found out about what was happening. Now I use a sweatband and place the part of the watch with the sensor just over the corner like this.