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Fenix 6X Pro GPS and altitude problems

Majasako
over 5 years ago

Once again, the Fenix line has failed my trust. I was expecting better calibration of the GPS chipset and the altitude sensor, as my earlier watch was a 3 HR, but no. The altitude randomly and unexpectedly rises/sinks without any warning. Auto calibration is ON, and my altitude changed from 168 meters to 82 meters just now. If I calibrate with DEM, it will set the correct altitude. It can keep it on the correct altitude for a few days, but it then calibrates it at least 100 meters less, usually. Very frustrating.

Also the GPS track will wander all around the place too much. The older F3HR was much more spot on, the Fenix 6X will have an error distance of 20 meters from the actual position at worst.

Luckily, there's something good in this watch still: it's way faster than the 3HR, battery lasts quite long and the HR sensor is a tiny bit better than the 3HR, but still awful and not usable for any real training.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to gspinoza

    i don't know the answer to that. there are numerous contributing factors. They use different hardware, arranged differently, they use different firmware algorithms. The only simple thing you can do it to compare several F6 against each other to see how consistent the same watch is, and also compare several of the other watches with themselves in a group to see if there is any deviation there. You may find other watches are using GPS altitude, or they auto recalibrate every N mins or maybe something else. It may be mechanical as to the placement of the pressure plate on the watch, does it get blocked etc etc etc. Without taking watches apart and doing a proper survey and comparison, only those inside Garmin will know the right answers as they have information we are not privy to.

    Lets face if, Garmin will never admit they have a problem too much money at stake.

    I have to say that it isn't a generic problem across all F6's as I did a 17k hike yesterday and got an elevation gain of X, I then accurately plotted the same hike on the OS 1:25000 maps, and got an elevation gain of X - 4, so 4 meters difference which I though was bloody amazing. So the watch is capable of accurate altimeter readings, but it seems they have a QA issue with the hardware. This is my second F6x sapphire as the first was just brain dead after a few months.

    What I would say is that once you get a complicated bit of hardware, quickly and systematically test every sub system to ensure you have a working device, so within a few weeks you should have confidence its working or it isnt.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 2572376

    Mine is way, way off. This route is 2600-3000 feet of elevation. For sure not over 100,000.