Could 22.06 be the new 17.28 ?

Opinion: it is the devil’s temptation you feel. :-).

Experiences: just use a sw ver of 1X.YZ, where X should be 5 or 6 or 7; prefereably 6, because  in this case I do not need to define Y and Z.

Still on 14.68, for me this is the best stable version.
I've updated to latest maps as and when they are available, no issues with loading.
Battery life is great, my watch is around 30 months old, I'll not be updating to another version whilst I have my 7XSS watch

Tisztul_A_Visztula said:

Opinion: it is the devil’s temptation you feel. :-).

100% agree. Those who are tempted: I did some extensive simultaneous testing with my daily unit on 15.77 and a test system first on 21.19 then on 22.06 - the difference between the latter was the working breath variations. And I decided not to ever upgrade my 15.77 to 21.19/22.06. You may read my posts on that here in the forum, we are talking about OHR, sensor handling, GNSS(GPS) drift, Altimeter and so on being in steep decline from 1X.YZ. Also there were the voice prompts and the map themes being a show stopper for a lot of users.

SpencerGT said:

Still on 14.68, for me this is the best stable version.

I found that one quite good too but it had a very nasty bug with Tactix: NVG mode was broken, it lit up the whole display to 10%. For nonTactix: why not.

I also tested 17.28 against 15.77 inbetween since I was decided not to use 22.06 anyway as for my findings. No issues so far IF the system on 17.28 is build up from scratch - meaning factory reset. First I just upgraded from 15.77 and had more than a few crash reboots. 

I am happy that you confirmed it. I dont remember all the factors why v16.22 became my final solution, but I needed

a) at least 15.74 for “Added large font mode which can be accessed in System > Display menu.”

b) preferably at least 16.22 to get “Added quick flashlight control when using double-tap LIGHT to enable the LED flashlight, for models with this hardware.”

c) staying below 18.14 due to the map theme removal (although a tweak was available until 19.xy)

d) and to be on the safe side I stayed below 17.20 to fully avoid the enforced audio prompts for course nav and pacepro. I am not sure which version exactly introduced it, because 17.20 included  “Added audio prompts for course points - through Smartphone Garmin Connect Mobile”, but also 16.22 included “Added support for Male audio prompts.”, and 15.74 also  had some related notes “Added audio prompts for course points.”

I confirm that absolutely. Esp. since I was able to reproduce the afore mentioned issues (and some more) 1:1 wearing the two units simultaneously. No way I will update the "main" Tactix from 15.77 not even to 17.28. That is b/o my findings that the test system had those issues with crashes when I upgraded it from 15.77 to 17.28 and before I factory reset it.

So I don't even want to try updating to 17.28 with my "production unit" on 15.77 which is working well since December 2023 w/o any factory reset. I don't want to risk one b/o I got a lot of CIQ stuff on it some of which I couldn't restore. Otherwise I found 17.28 performing equally good and reliable as for all main features.

As for your point a): yes that was a great one for me too, b) I actually don't miss, I use the flash light very often but always on full power. I have it on the test unit though and don't really use it. C) is another great one and d) definitely would be important to me but I never use a smartphone while outside.

If the fixlist in 23.xx should be promising I might try and do another 1:1 test - that's what I got the test unit for after all - but I'm not very optimistic anymore. 

Erik T7 said:

b) I actually don't miss, I use the flash light very often but always on full power.

Oh, I  thought that  before 16.22 you could not use flashlight with double tap of light, neither its intensity control, nor on full power, eg with 15.77 you can use iflashlight only either via controls function (at least one extra button push), or as a hot key (so decreasing the assigned “free slots”).

Besides I dont remember what CIQ System 7.0 gave us (also from 16.22).

Anyway stability is much more important than anything else and somehow I found out that a hidden option to control the “strength” of Bluetooth connection was added before 17.xx, but I dont know when.

And I needed it, because Music Control did not work, it was unstable with my phone, so I had to use that hidden option to maximize the connection strength.

This last item has been not documented by Garmin either, and as I saw, only a handful people knew about its existence at all.

The double tap of light was there right from where I started with T7 which was with 8.xx. That would have been a huge incentive to upgrade to 16.22 for me. The onscreen intensity control probably came with 16.22 which I actually like but would need that badly since I'm going full force almost always. And yes: free slots for hotkeys are in high demand - all my slots are assigned. ;-)

CIQ 7.0 is a tremendous incentive so we still could make more use of CIQ apps even now than with 15.77. Another reason to go to 17.28 with the test device instead of 16.22 is that in this version the aeonometer function is vastly improved for my T7 which I could put in good use. However: stability is most important and I really fear the factory reset of my long running main unit considered what I use with CIQ WFs, Apps and data fields which are on the device but would be gone after a reset for good - at least some of them. 

Bluetooth is not so much of an issue for me, as stated: no smartphone with me outside. ;-) However I remember you writing a post about the tuning of Bluetooth and tried at this time - just as a test - with 15.77. It wasn't there. So if you have it with 16.22, it started with this release. It was around this release when more issues with Bluetooth came up so it would make sense. 

When I had the test system back on 17.28 after the less than satisfying quest with 21.19/22.06 I wanted to test it again but unfortunately I was unable to find the thread where you described it. Stupid me didn't copy it back than - as I usually do with crucial information. So it would be great if you could explain it again while we are at it here - or send it to me via PM. 

Btw.: this the place to again link to socorsus tremendous changelog which nobody wanted to pin in the forum unfortunately:

https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/350860/garmin---fenix-7-epix-2-series---excel-changelog

Erik T7 said:

However I remember you writing a post about the tuning of Bluetooth and tried at this time - just as a test - with 15.77. It wasn't there. So if you have it with 16.22,

He-he, it is interesting, because in the meantime I looked for my post, but  I did not find it, just this 

https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-7-series/public-beta-reports/i/public-beta-15-xx/constant-bluetooth-disconnects?CommentId=b226e175-f877-46f4-9294-cb2c0764da37

So in beta 15.68 it was there, but then not in 15.77.

Erik T7 said:

So it would be great if you could explain it again while we are at it here

In this thread I quoted you will find the instructions