Indoor walking speed fluctuations with latest firmware

Hi, since the last update, when I walk on my treadmill, according to my watch (7S Pro), my speed varies greatly, but my treadmill speed is constant and my arms swings normally. Steps are all being accounted for. I do choose an indoor walk activity so it ain't a GPS issue. My treadmill speed was set at 3 mph (4.8 km/h). Of course, the recorded distance is also being miscalculated. Wearing my Garmin foot pod makes no difference.

The screenshot below shows my treadmill walk activity from yesterday.

Notice all the speed dips. Below is an activity from before the update. Look how constant the speed was.

There is a similar thread about distance being wrong but it's with a GPS activity, mine isn't so not sure if it's relates or not. Anyone seeing something like this?

Top Replies

Garmin-Laurie 2 months ago in reply to SylvainGa +1 verified

Hello. I am sorry to hear you are having this issue. I would love to help you investigate this further. For this, I will reach out to you via Private Message to collect details of this experience.
SylvainGa 2 months ago in reply to 5898059 +1

Check here

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/405207/fenix-7x-solar---firmware-20-16---activity-distance-wrong/1909095#1909095

And send a private message.…

All Replies

0 5898059 2 months ago

I had the same issue with the walking activity, and even a walking pace during a running activity. I reverted back to 19.41 firmware and it solved the problem. I made a thread about it, it is a few pages back.

I created a ticket to garmin but I have not heard word back.

0 SylvainGa 2 months ago in reply to 5898059

Check here

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/405207/fenix-7x-solar---firmware-20-16---activity-distance-wrong/1909095#1909095

And send a private message. Looks like they are aware of it now.

Do you have a link to your post on how to revert back to an older firmware? I didn't think it was possible unless you had installed a beta firmware.

0 5898059 2 months ago in reply to SylvainGa

Here is the link. The process is very easy, just make sure you do a backup first that way all of your settings can be updated after reverting.

The trouble is finding the firmware to download, it just happens that the person who made the post about a new beta firmware also linked the previous official release in that post.

forums.garmin.com/.../fenix-7x-erratic-pace-on-20-16-firmware

0 SylvainGa 2 months ago in reply to 5898059

Thanks. I'm in contact with Garmin and if nothing happens, I'll revert back.

+1 Garmin-Laurie 2 months ago in reply to SylvainGa

Hello. I am sorry to hear you are having this issue. I would love to help you investigate this further. For this, I will reach out to you via Private Message to collect details of this experience.

0 SylvainGa 1 month ago

Here's an interesting turn of events. Yesterday I went for a 10 km run outside. No problem with the GPS like some are having. My distance was exactly the same as last year during my runs.

However, my foot pod was still attached to my running shoes when I went for a treadmill walk today, and... no issue with my speed/distance or cadence.

Seems like running outside with my foot pod solved my problem. I don't know why it wasn't working without the foot pod though.

0 SylvainGa 1 month ago

I just did a treadmill walk activity without my foot pod and the speed was again all over the place. I don't know why my foot pod ill behaved in February. Maybe after a while without GPS it disables itself? I don't know, but it's fine since my outside running activity. I guess I'll just make sure my foot pod is always active since without it, it's not working correctly.

0 trux 1 month ago in reply to SylvainGa

SylvainGa said:
I don't know why my foot pod ill behaved in February.

Because it has to be calibrated. And it calibrates with a GPS activity.

0 SylvainGa 1 month ago in reply to trux

Except I have this foot pod since 2018 and it's the first time it did that.

0 trux 1 month ago in reply to SylvainGa

The calibration may have gotten lost - either during the update, or because of erroneous GPS signal during the precedent GPS activity (the calibration is continuous, unless you disable it once it is satisfactory), or due to unpairing/re-pairing of the foot pod (if that happened). And of course, the calibration can be also reset manually.