Garmin Watch GPS vs Cellphone GPS

Hello,

When I was in a flight I try to use my Garmin crossover watch GPS to find the plane position over the route, but unfortunately it failed to connect with satellites (with notification: acquiring satellites, GPS signal stronger outside...). I also brought my cellphone with Maverick and OfflineMaps App installed. In flight mode both Apps worked properly, by giving speed of the plane, distance and coordinates information.

Is it normal for a Garmin watch GPS as it is only designed for outdoor activities?

Thanks.

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trux over 1 year ago +2

A phone is a much bigger device with bigger antenna and higher power available for the electronics, so it will be more efficient under bad signal conditions. If you keep the watch close to the window,…

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+1 trux over 1 year ago

A phone is a much bigger device with bigger antenna and higher power available for the electronics, so it will be more efficient under bad signal conditions. If you keep the watch close to the window, it may be able to catch the GPS signal easier.

0 Fidel over 1 year ago in reply to trux

Hi Trux, thank you for answering. Just one question, does Garmin watch with bigger diameter (say 50 mm) have better GPS signal reception than a smaller one?

0 trux over 1 year ago in reply to Fidel

I do not quite believe there would be a noticeable difference between 45mm and 50mm device. On the other hand Instinct 2X has a newer GPS chip, hence can be perhaps slightly more sensitive, though I would definitely not expect from it to be able working reliably inside an airliner.