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Projected elevation plot when navigating an auto-route. Is it correct on the F6? Looks like FINALLY FIXED.

Tcornall
over 5 years ago

Some of us using the Fenix 5 and 945  have noticed a problem with the predicted elevation plot/profile for an autorouted path, even just a straight-line path. It's discussed in https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-5-series/139809/projected-elevation-profile-still-wrong-since-v-7-10-when-navigating-a-route

Note that the problem DOESN'T appear for a saved activity or a downloaded course.
The problem shows up as a predicted elevation profile that is twice as 'bumpy' as it ought to be and apparently is for a 'there and back again' rather than a one-way route. It doesn't happen all the time though... if it did, it'd be better, but it's unpredictable.
I'd be fascinated to know it the Fenix 6 has the same problem.


Easy to test, you don't actually have to follow the path as this is about what the watch is predicting your elevation  along the path will be, not the elevation that you actually do (that's another bug), just choose some point to navigate to, preferably something with a predictable elevation difference from where you are now. Saved locations are good if you have any but 'around me' features and 'points of interest' work too. You can have Activity set to Direct Routing in your "navigate settings->routing"  settings if you want, that'll get you a straight line path but the elevation graph should still show you the ups and downs along that path. (You do need a map with elevation data but on my watch at least, the default maps have that)

Using the F5 menus, it's like: navigate->points of interest->cities->choose something->goTo->hit Start, wait for it to get gps fix and finish calculating and then scroll down until you see the elevation graph for your path. Is it suspiciously symmetrical? Does it show a ridge where you would expect only a slope? Or twice the expected number of ridges/mountain/bumps between you and your destination?  Test it a number of times, say up to 10 times, to see if it is consistent. Using the same destination is OK.

Thanks in advance for any results!   Here's a picture of a 'bad' result. Note how symmetrical it is about the centre. There should only have been one big ridge, not two. BTW, the distance shown is actually correct, just that the elevation graph is wrong.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Oldenburger

    No, I think it depends from how differ in altitude point A from point B.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to renton82

    Which one is correct? I haven't seen this variation myself, (admittedly on Fenix 5X so maybe not applicable) usually it's correct or  doubled. What sort of routing was turned on? Direct (no routing just a straight line) or possibly was it using tracks or roads and somehow decided to route to a point over the other side of the hill? Either way, it's broken...

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Tcornall
    In this variant, the scale of the plot, the distance and elevation to do seems to be a little bit wrong. The plots are almost the same. One is correct, the other not; or are both wrong? This is the question. You can only know, if you know the area...How can a user trust this shown elevation plots for navigating to a saved location, if it is an unknow area for him???
    The elevation plots are almost the same, but litte differences in length, ascent...
    Have taken screenshots from renton82 video:
  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

    Sadly we can't trust it. This is why this bug really needs fixing if we are going to use this watch for serious navigation. Otherwise we could have saved lots of hundreds of dollars and bought a fitbit.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Tcornall

    I totally agree. I am asking myself, why Garmin hasn´t fixed this serious issue asap. But yoga videos etc. on the device seems to be more important...

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

    This bug also affect Fenix 5X, Fenix 5 Plus lineup, Fenix 6 lineup, Forerunne 945, and i bet Marq also... It's unbelievable that we are reporting this since years and still has to be fixed! It seems Garmin cares only about music and other stupid things and doesn't care about real important stuff! 

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to renton82

    Only we 3 here seems to care about this prob? The others are not interested or have have surrendered? That may be a reason why Garmin isn´t spending much energie to fix it...

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Volker

    I just sent a query to fenix5.Beta@garmin asking for what they are doing about it. I'll let you know if and when I gt a reply...

    Reply came in from the Fenix 5 team:

    "We currently have a ticket open for this issue and continue to update it when someone reaches out with more information. I am sorry for the amount of time this fix is taking and will raise the matter with the team to see how we can escalate this ticket further. I am happy to add any other observations you may have noticed about the issue or any videos and screenshots you have documented as well.

     Thanks for reaching out, "

    I gave them the links to the fenix 5 and 6 forum discussions and some youtube places that people have posted, just to make sure...

    I also re-inforced that this affects Fenix 5,6 and Forerunner 945 and maybe Marq.

    Terry

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Oldenburger

    I really hope it's before fenix 9. I am not going to buy another fenix any time soon until they get the bugs out of the current software. New hardware features like improved battery life are great, and I applaud Garmin for them, but firmware or user interfaces or app software or connectivity issues or phone/computer support software  that just doesn't do as advertised is plain infuriating!

    Thanks for keeping the dev team reminded. (I have a lot of sympathy for them, but even so...)

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Tcornall

    In my reply coming from [email protected] they told me they have also link my video to the open ticket and hope their engineers will solve this case soon... I don't know what they mean for "soon".