Power mode conflicting with satellite mode

Hi everyone, I am trying to understand how exactly the satellite mode "autoselect" works.

The reason is that I am getting delusional results in GPS tracking. Since the satellite mode "autoselect" automatically selects the satellite mode ("only GPS", "all systems" or "all systems + multiband") based on the environment, it should be the best pick for my hikes but, as I said, the recorded tracks are quite bad. I am wondering if the autoselect mode is conflicting with the power mode I am using ("extended"). The power mode "extended" sets the watch to use only GPS satellites and no secondary networks. Could this prevent the satellite mode "autoselect" from selecting systems others than GPS? Should I use the power mode "max accuracy" together with the satellite mode autoselect? Or it is irrelevant which power mode I select as long as I use the satellite mode autoselect?

Wouldn't it be better for Garmin to bring together the settings power mode and satellite mode?

Thanks for replying!

Top Replies

flowstate 9 months ago in reply to silentvoyager +1

silentvoyager said:
I think it should be possible to look inside the generated FIT files to see what exact satellite mode was actually used.

Yeah. All of this is much easier on a computer (or tablet),…

All Replies

0 silentvoyager 9 months ago

My understanding is that the power mode overwrites the default satellite mode. I think it should be possible to look inside the generated FIT files to see what exact satellite mode was actually used.

0 flowstate 9 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

silentvoyager said:
I think it should be possible to look inside the generated FIT files to see what exact satellite mode was actually used.

Yeah. All of this is much easier on a computer (or tablet), but it could also be done on a phone (the Connect website isn't very good on mobile tho):

1) Log in to the Garmin Connect website: https://connect.garmin.com/

2) Navigate to your activity

3) Select the gear (upper-right hand corner) and select Export File. This will download a ZIP file containing the original activity FIT file

4) Open https://www.fitfileviewer.com/

5) Click Open FIT File and select the ZIP file you previously downloaded

6) Expand the GPS Events section

0 socorsu 9 months ago

I do not verify if it it's fixed but for information

https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-7-series/public-beta-reports/i/public-beta-18-xx/the-gnss-mode-chosen-in-the-energy-profile-is-not-the-one-used-by-the-activity

I noticed that an activity that was supposed to use only GPS was consuming a lot of power and when I looked at the FIT file I realised that the GNSS was changing mode. As if it was in auto mode, which is my setting in System.
I did a test by indicating multiBand in the System and bigo it's multiBand that it uses and not GPS as requested in the profile configuration.

Your battery problems may be linked to this: you don't respect the energy profile.

0 4863353 9 months ago in reply to flowstate

Thanks. This is very interesting. The watch totally ignored the selected power mode ("extended") and continuously switched between all available satellites modes. Most of the time it was on UltraTrac, but sometimes it switched to multi.band or normal. This is a mess. What is the point in having power modes if the overall satellites settings override them? Garmin needs to sort out this!

0 4863353 9 months ago in reply to socorsu

The bug is still there: the watch simply ignores power modes as long as satellite auto select is enabled

0 4863353 9 months ago in reply to silentvoyager

As far as I see it's the other way round

0 silentvoyager 9 months ago in reply to 4863353

Well, that's illogical. The way it would make sense is that satellite modes should be applied in the following order: System --> Sport/Activity type --> Power profile.

Both activity and power profile can specify "Don not change", in which case it should come from the system settings. If it doesn't work that way, that is a mess.

Personally I never use the auto-select because I am never sure exactly how it works. For ultramarathons I use a special "Ultra" power profile where I typically go with All Systems satellite mode. So far that worked correctly.

But 99% of users are unaware of power profiles because Garmin neglected to promote and explain this super useful feature, so it isn't surprising this is now broken and nobody cares.

0 5135968 9 months ago in reply to socorsu

You are linking to the same thread in your post you are replying to.

0 socorsu 9 months ago in reply to 5135968

oups ... the link is now correct

https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-7-series/public-beta-reports/i/public-beta-18-xx/the-gnss-mode-chosen-in-the-energy-profile-is-not-the-one-used-by-the-activity