Regarding the built-in data field for the GPS signal strength

As you probably already know there are a built-in data field called "GPS" which shows 0-5 blue bars depending on GPS signal strength.

Information from https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix66s6xpro/EN-US/GUID-5176B6E4-F272-4437-BDA7-85B31231CB3E.html

"GPS

The strength of the GPS satellite signal."

But, it doesn't work as it should for me and some other persons. The problem is that it always shows 5 of 5 blue bars within run activities. Even on places when it should show lower signal strength. So I have created a support ticket for the problem and the support personnel asks for the forum threads where this have been discussed before. I know that it have been discussions about this data field before but I cant find the threads now. So, if you have the same problem. Can you please write a note in this thread and also describe your problem with this data field? And if you have time, also register a support case regarding it

Here is some screenshots that shows how it looks like.

No GPS status shows 0 of 5 blue bars (probably correct)

Red GPS status shows 4 of 5 blue bars (not correct)

Orange GPS status shows 5 of 5 blue bars (not correct)

Green GPS status (both un-soaked and soaked) also shows 5 of 5 blue bars. Have no picture of it though.

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0 bluefish over 3 years ago in reply to AndersB

Yes, I know the screen. Would be nice to have something like that on the fenix.

0 sis651 over 3 years ago

I'm not sure it's a problem but maybe it's a design. I've used Fenix 3, Fenix 5X and Fenix 6X Pro. All display almost alays full bars in most places.
It displays one bar missing if I'm indoors. And I remember I saw 4 bars in a moving car in a dense forest.

0 who knows over 3 years ago in reply to AndersB

AndersB said:
The number of blue bars corresponds to the colours on top of the watch face. Red is always 4 blue bars. Orange is always 5 blue bars. I can go back and fourth between red, orange and green and the blue bars follows directly so its a connection between them

Just throwing this out there. Does the bars represent the number of satellites that have a fix and not satellite strength? The fifth bar would be 5+ satellites. This would explain the correlation between the colors and bars.

0 AndersB over 3 years ago in reply to who knows

Dont know. The help text says "The strength of the GPS satellite signal."

Also found this https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/api-docs/Toybox/Position.html

Maybe there is a connection to the section "Quality" on the above link.

0 AndersB over 3 years ago in reply to bluefish

Have you seen 1, 2 or 3 bars in the GPS field on the GPSMAP 65s?

0 TobiasLj over 3 years ago in reply to AndersB

AndersB said:
Maybe there is a connection to the section "Quality" on the above link.

Yes, it is.

I created a datafield that displays the quality using the API's and it is a 1:1 match with the built in DF.

As you can see in the API doc the first two (QUALITY_NOT_AVAILABLE and QUALITY_LAST_KNOWN) is the same as no reception at all.

Problem is that full strength (according to the signal DF) can be anything from a very good accuracy with a small HDOP to a large one but Garmin still think that it is acceptable.

0 bluefish over 3 years ago in reply to AndersB

Yes, it fluctuates.

0 AndersB over 3 years ago in reply to TobiasLj

The API doc has values 0-4 and the bulit-in GPS data field has 0-5 bars so something differs. And I think that is really strange why I have not seen the 1, 2 or 3 bars. Ever. I cant provoce it to show these options. Always shows 0, 4 or 5 bars here.

Have you seen the 1, 2 or 3 blue bars?

0 AndersB over 3 years ago in reply to bluefish

Ok, have you seen 1, 2 or 3 bars on the Fenix 6?

0 bluefish over 3 years ago in reply to AndersB

Since I haven't had any GPS problems so far, I can't tell that. I do not use the data field