Related

Awful GPS track, any fix incoming?

ncelik
over 4 years ago

Based on a few weeks of observations, GPS track on the Fenix 6 Pro is absolutely horrendous, probably the worst I have had on any device. Yet, surprisingly the total distance displayed is about right.

Case in point, I recently I ran a marathon in mostly open/forested area in Maine. Most other GPS devices had no issues, it was easy reception. Check out the traces, I picked a dozen or so other runners around me in Strava flyby; the 6 Pro is the black line

https://imgur.com/a/Lkw6ooH

It's not just these three areas, during the entire 26 miles it was almost always the outlier. It is BY FAR the WORST GPS track of all of them. The guy I was running with had an ancient TomTom and his trace was pretty much the entire time on the road, spot on. Yet, this brand new, premium priced device from the market leader MISERABLY FAILS in the one thing it should do well, GPS tracking. It’s sad and I feel like a fool for purchasing it.

Are we aware of any incoming fixes for this? I have a few more days before I have to return this to REI.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to OEAGLEO

    Yeah, but running on the same sidewalk/side of the road in two directions should not result in diverging tracks 50ft apart from each other.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I spoke to a Garmin rep at a race expo yesterday. I told him about the issue I was having (GPS coming up way short for known distances) and he told me to try two things. He switched my watch to GPS+Galileo and he told me to use Garmin's WebUpdater before activities. 

    Apparently the webupdater pushes a new GPS data file even if it says there are no updates for your watch. Maybe between using the webupdater and GPS soaking it'll make the tracks more accurate. 

    I think it's stupid that apparently syncing with Garmin Connect Mobile App doesn't do the same thing but I'm going to try it tomorrow. 

    There's that for what it's worth. 

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago

    You posted a very small part of the route and expect us to go by that.

    Post a link to the garmin connect activity so we can see the whole picture please.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to VARunner89

    Thank your very much for this information!

    Int early days everybody talked about GPS soaking for a few minutes before starting an activity. I think this really helps to improve the accuracy of the GPS track.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Wow, so may arguments blaming the OP for the accuracy, or not trusting the OP's opinion of how accurate/inaccurate the GPS track is.

    I have the same problem, tracking is horrendous compared to my fenix 5, I've been trying to find out why, I've run the same route using GPS only, GPS + Glonass and GPS + Galileo, and in all cases the routing is bad, my routes have a lot of turns and curves in them which means unlike the OP I can't trust the pace, My watch has reported a 6:30 pace when I know I'm running about 4:30.

    It's not my first fenix and not my first time running with a watch so I know what to expect, I've set 1 second recording etc. with no difference. fortunately I run with a Stryd footpod that I've sent for pace and distance so I'm not dependant on GPS for pacing, but the accuracy is not acceptable for a watch in this category. It's not excusable or defendable not matter how much I like my Garmin devices.

    https://imgur.com/a/lKVzYxn

    The only time I've seen a very accurate track is on trail runs with absolutely no big hills or buildings in sight, as soon as there are any buildings regardless of how much open air there is above that would allow for more than adequate GPS signal, accuracy becomes terrible.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to VARunner89

    Connect mobile aop can‘t install the EPO file at your watch. You need to install this while connected the the pc. You also could download the EPO direct from internet. Without need of WebUpdater.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to bluefish

    Do you have an url for that?
    I found one for the Fenix5 series but due to the different chipset I am not sure that the cpe and the epo files are compatible.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago

    AGAIN... POST A LINK TO THE GARMIN CONNECT ACTIVITY SO WE CAN SEE THE WHOLE THING... PLEASE.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    You want a link? Here is the link

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4130815708

    But, as of this morning, I AM CALLING ALL THIS BULLSHIT AND THE FENIX 6 PRO GPS IS A PIECE OF ***. You can analyse to the wazoo, but there is no other way to put it. 

    This morning I supported a runner doing the BAA Half Marathon and I looked at the tracks. ITS INFURIATING. Before the race, I deleted the EPO file and let it GPS soak for an hour. Still, the Fenix 6 IS LITERALLY THE WORST DEVICE ON THE TRACK BY A WIDE MARGIN. A Forerunner 35 gives a clean track where the Fenix 6 fails.

    I clicked on the first dozen runners showing up on Strava flyby and take a look at it https://imgur.com/a/4Mi5gl4 We ran on the street, all devices show it, EXCEPT the Fenix 6. One device is not like the others. Even in the best of places, it "brackets" every other device (ie, the largest deviation left and right of the track) https://imgur.com/KJenlQY

    You can analyze this this as much as you want. It's just BS excuses. Compare these two identical runs

    Fenix 6 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4144471767

    FR935 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3998393196

    Don't give me different days, different conditions. It's consistently ALWAYS the worst one.

    GARMIN has released a faulty product. I can not recommend the fenix 6 to anyone other than a class action lawyer. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ncelik
    ncelik said:

    You want a link? Here is the link

    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/4130815708

    Wow.... that is unbelievable to me that you consider that track to be "piece of *** GPS". Whatever, to each their own. Some people will never be happy. Return your fenix and switch back to 935 if that's what makes you happy.