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Latest 20.22 version has affected GPS accuracy

MikeSOT59
3 months ago

Is anyone else having issues with the latest version where the GPS accuracy has fallen off a cliff? Well actually it started with 20.16 but watch updated to 20.22 a couple of days later so I thought maybe Garmin were on the ball. Unfortunately not.

I do alot of walking with the wife. She's got a Venu 3s. For last 14 months the distances have been pretty close maybe a max of 0.1 miles difference. I looked at the distances on the same trails when I used another tracker and distances were similar to what i was getting with my Epix Pro before 20.16 came out. Now though the difference is considerable. On a 10 mile walk mine is showing 0.8 miles LESS than hers and it gets worse the longer the distance. I've checked on other watches its definitely my watch AFTER it updated to 20.22. Before it was fine.

Contacted Garmin support - very painful experience - and their verdict "ah its GPS drift and that discrepancy is acceptable". That's not GPS drift, that's a continental shift!! 0.8 miles out in 10 miles. Over 1.6 miles out in 20 miles!! I could be in another town at that distance!!

I've seen a few hits where people have had issues but Garmin thinks its not a big problem.

For a £700 watch, that is pretty damn crap.

  • 0 3 months ago
    MikeSOT59 said:
    For a £700 watch, that is pretty damn crap.

    +1

    More people reported and described it (e.g. forums.garmin.com/.../1910404, but Garmin doesn't give a damn.

    This watch is no longer even suitable for simple distance measurement - basic functionality that should always work flawlessly.

    I don't care that they released a new flagship (Fenix ​​8). For half a year they've been ruining basic functionalities in watches from the Fenix ​​7 family. This is unacceptable!

    The only thing I can suggest is a downgrade to version 19.41 :)

  • 0 3 months ago

    if using SATIQ: it uses gps at the incorrect times and I have in the past found some very unusual results, so i stopped using and haven't done so since (over 18 months since last used). So no idea if its been improved (for me it would have to remove gps from the equation and stick to all or multi), but if you are using it maybe try using multi or all systems for your gps for that activity type going forward.

    Been using my Epix on All systems for my local walks - and while one route is only around 2km each evening there has been no material variation (if not exact difference usually the max difference is 0.01km occasionally 0.02km). Looking at slightly longer routes around 3.5km - same thing - mostly same, occasionally 0.01km and very occassionaly 0.02km. Ths is comparing back across a couple of weeks so its a mix of of the 20.xx versions.Checked all the way back to 18.16 vesion with same results. And I notice the variance of 0.01 or 0.02 doesn't seem distance specific seems more more just inherit built in level of accuracy.

    PS - if you aren't hard rebooting after each update I cannot recommend it enough (long pressing light button until watch turns off).

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to jaamgans

    Thanks for reply

    Mine was set for All systems. Then changed it to all systems+Multi Band. No difference. Even on a 1 mile walk it's 0.1 to 0.15 miles out then just gets bigger and bigger as the trail gets longer.

    Haven't re booted after the updates so will try that

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to gaterobs

    Thanks for reply.

    How can you downgrade it. 

  • 0 3 months ago

    hi, i saw something strange on a regular run course for me, i will verify this ASAP.

    i confirmed that GNSS Fix was green before starting.

    green course is the latest with 20.22 and the others (blue and red) with 19.xx. i have check many other activities since 2-3 years and this is the first time i encounter this issue.

  • 0 3 months ago

    Over the years, I saw GPS issues after a firmware update rather frequently at diverse Gamin watches. Deleting the CPE file and hard-resetting the watch, and downloading a new CPE file with Garmin Express usually fixes it. No guarantee it helps in your case too, but it is definitely worth of trying.

    Hard-reset: sync, then press the Light button for some 30s till it completely shuts down (hold the button through the emergency alert, if it comes), wait little bit, and then restart. No worry, no data or settings will be lost with it. [more details]. 

  • 0 3 months ago in reply to trux

    where is located the CPE file?