I recently purchased a Fenix 7 SS and took it for a hike. I noticed that the maps and compass would never point in the right direction when standing still and taking bearings (I assume this is when the magnometer takes over from the GPS-based compass). I could sometimes get it to calibrate (mostly only when I removed it from my wrist, as it would fail with it on) which would work momentarily, and then it would completely decalibrate and lock to one direction when I put it back on my wrist. I assumed this was due to a faulty watch.
When I returned home I searched for this issue on google and came across lots of threads on this forum from disgruntled owners (see links below). I found that I too could replicate the behaviour described in these threads - the compass deviates +/- when moving the bottom strap back and forth. I could remove the bottom strap and spin the pin with my finger (I think my bottom pin was looser than most people’s) and reliably make the compass point in ANY direction - I was getting a full +/- 180 degree deviation. This is clearly a design flaw, but one that Garmin refuses to concede in the threads. I found that the compass would decalibrate and deviate so easily, simply by tilting the watch slightly on my wrist with my other hand - how one might do when checking the time or looking at a map or… using the compass with a paper map. Garmin’s official line is that moving the watch on your wrist “is not within the intended use of the watch” or that compass defects had been “fixed in firmware 9.33” - I was running the latest at the time 10.43.
The fact that the compass deviates so much when tilting, and sometimes completely locks up, means one can’t ever trust the heading, even after careful calibration. I know lots of people probably don’t notice this issue, as many people may not use the watch for hiking or navigating. When I took the watch into the shop I bought it from, the owner had a Fenix 7x SS and agreed that he also had seen some inaccuracies of the compass but doesn’t use it for hiking, so never gave it much thought. When I showed him the compass deviation when twisting the strap pin, he tried it on his own watch and his face dropped. He happily took my watch back for a return.
The reason I am making this post, is that I can’t stop thinking about this watch and I really wish it worked for me - everything about it was perfect except for this issue (and also the terrible routing, but that’s an issue with all Garmin products). This problem would be easily solved by sending out non-ferrous strap pins as replacements upon request, but for that to happen Garmin would first have to concede that this is a design fault. My question is, Garmin, are you planning on fixing this issue in the Fenix 8, or are you so adamant it’s not a problem that we'll see it proliferate through all future generations of your watches with fixed pins? I don't intend to gamble my money to find out, I need a statement of confirmation.
Now, I’m sure there are lots of people for whom this doesn’t happen on their watch, and I’m jealous! This is clearly an issue of the pins getting magnetised at some point, maybe in transit to shops, maybe in some factories and not others (if there are multiple). The fact that the pins CAN be magnetised and/or that the magnometer isn’t shielded, is the flaw here. It’s only a matter of time before anyone’s Fenix 7 will start to display this behaviour. In previous generations of the Fenix, with replaceable springpins, I would assume this issue could be fixed by just buying a new, nonferrous, or at least not-yet-magnetised pin, though I have never owned a previous generation Garmin watch.
The two threads about this I could find where Garmin actually give statements:
forums.garmin.com/.../fenix-7x-saphire-solar---compass-stops-working
https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/307587/fenix-7x---compass-stops-working
TLDR: My main use for this watch is mountaineering, so I'd really like to be able to trust the compass. Compass decalibrates when the bottom strap pin rotates, this happened so easily on mine that it just took a tilt of the screen with my other hand. Garmin refuse to concede that this is a problem, and this makes me think that even if I wait until the Fenix 8 comes out the same issue will be present.
PS. I had a thought to seal the pins with glue, but since the pins are magnetised, can you be sure that the compass calibrates accurately?
