Fenix 7x altimeter is showing 3000 meter wrong

Fenix 7x altimeter is showing wrong data. I use the calibrate-function and the altimeter i correct for some time. But after a short time it shows 3000 m and not 34 m where i live. I have the latest software 8.37. Can anybody help?

0 5e0031c840514cff95b4439405d41be8 over 3 years ago

The altimeter is using barometric pressure to determine the height. Therefore it will at certain points show a fault when there has been a big barometric pressure change.

The ways I get mine to be precise is to know the height of your home, then you can easily and manually calibrate it. The second thing is to add your home with height as a point, then from what I can see the watch calibrates itself when I run (this is not confirmed, only what I have experienced)

Alternatively you can choose to calibrate the altimeter with DEM then you get a quite precise calibration.

0 tmk2 over 3 years ago in reply to 5e0031c840514cff95b4439405d41be8

5e0031c840514cff95b4439405d41be8 said:
Therefore it will at certain points show a fault when there has been a big barometric pressure change.

But not to a point where there's a 3000 m error. This kind of discrepancy cannot be explained just by change in atmospheric pressure. There's clearly something wrong with the barometer.

0 bolindermunktell over 3 years ago in reply to tmk2

Hello. Its always up to 3000 meter and down to -130 meters, very large intervall i i dont think this can be atmospheric pressure. I can't fint a way to show a snap from Garmin Connect here. I think there must be something wrong with the 7x.

0 tmk2 over 3 years ago in reply to bolindermunktell

First thing to try is carefully cleaning the barometer port by following the procedure from this link:

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=FQrOVa18rI7tM4PnIJymR9

And if this does not help then contact garmin support.

0 bolindermunktell over 3 years ago in reply to tmk2

Hello an thank you for your suggestion. But the Fenix 7x is 14 days old and this problem has been from day one. I will contact Garmin Support.

0 . over 3 years ago in reply to bolindermunktell

I believe they should replace it with a brand new brand one, providing it’s only 14 days old.

0 Bumskopf over 3 years ago

This is nothing new, even the Fenix6 series shows at 3000hm only nonsense, even in the GPS several hundred meters difference in altitude.

I climb on Sunday to Zugspitze (highest mountain in Germany, almost 3000hm), let's see how my Epix performs there.

With the Fenix6 I had to calibrate the height always manually (the height of the mountain is known), even on a plateau without steep walls, without metal, the height was grossly off.

Aud the barometer you can not rely anyway, if you make many meters of altitude per day, it must be constantly recalibrated, which is also totally logical, because influences such as weather or different pressure on plateau / steep face in the course of a mountaineering the barometer can deviate. It can serve at most as a rough guide and requires regular calibration from the GPS or by hand.

All the chatter with the barometer, which is supposed to be so accurate, comes from people who obviously only walk 500hm or times 1-2 hours on the mountain :-)

0 n.y.a.n over 3 years ago in reply to Bumskopf

Out of curiosity, did you climb the Zugspitze, and how did it go?

0 Bumskopf over 3 years ago in reply to n.y.a.n

Because of weather I have canceled, but in 2 weeks we go up via the Stopselzieher via ferrata, later in the year also over the Höllental, but only if there is some snow

0 n.y.a.n over 3 years ago in reply to Bumskopf

Sorry about the weather.

As a side note, and response to the OP. 3000 meters off can only be a faulty sensor or software out of order. A shift of barometric pressure of 1 mbar is equivalent to some 8 meters in altitude. Personally I use the barometric sensor and manual calibration, at the start of an activity and during the activity. I calibrate to known heights. I do not care (nor trust) about GPS based altitude when I am in alpine settings. Not only is there a risk of getting a faulty GPS position (due to bouncing signals) and therefore the altitude of the wrong position, the DEM grid is too wide when climbing is steep. I.e you do not get a resolution that is enough. As far as I know, Garmin uses a DEM grid that is 30 by 30 meters.