Hello everyone,
During today’s hike, I calibrated the barometer before starting the activity. Using DEM, the calibration was completely inaccurate, showing at least 100m less altitude than the actual value. With GPS, the situation improved, but there was still a 20m discrepancy below the actual altitude.
Interestingly, before the calibration, the altitude reading was closer to the correct value for the area where I was. Additionally, it seemed that the GPS tracking was less accurate. I was precisely in the center of the trail, yet the track sometimes placed me slightly to the right or left. It’s a minor issue, but this never happened with my Fenix 7X Solar, where the tracking was precise, and DEM calibration worked perfectly.
At this point, I’d like to understand something: are Garmin’s DEM data inaccurate, or is this an issue with the firmware update affecting the sensors’ precision?
The location where I was had an actual altitude of 1,360 meters. DEM calibration gave me 1,290 meters, while GPS calibration provided 1,340 meters.
For someone engaging in outdoor activities, having accurate data is essential. DEM data, in particular, should be precise as they are preloaded into the watch along with Garmin maps. Previously, they seemed reliable, but if the data is as inaccurate as it is now, I wonder if there’s any point in keeping them.
Over these weeks of use, DEM calibration has consistently proven to be useless. Either the data is entirely incorrect, or the GPS isn’t accurately detecting my position.
I look forward to your feedback.
