Instinct - 18.10 Public Release Candidate

Hello Instinct customers,

Please read the instructions below to update the software for your Instinct device. We've made some changes to how we deliver beta updates for our customers, so this forum post is now the primary resource for reading the change log notes – they are not available on another webpage. We look forward to your feedback!

18.10 Change Log Notes (changes since 18.01):

  • Additional improvements to altimeter performance.

New Software versions listed are in red.

  • System Software18.10
  • BLE/ANT/SNS: 1.60 

Instructions for updating software:

  • Download the .zip folder containing the update HERE
  • Connect the watch to your computer.
  • Unzip and copy the included gupdate.gcd file to the Garmin folder on your watch.
  • Disconnect the watch from the computer and it will prompt you to update software.

For any issues that you encounter, please send an email to [email protected]. In your email please include the software version, and a detailed description of your issue, along with any steps to reproduce. Please note that you may not get a response to the email unless we need more information on the issue you report.

  • Sadly I have not seen any fix mentioned for the long appeared issue with the steps graph from the main watch face of the watch.

    It is an issue in discussion already on some threads in the Garmin forums and also I have tried to contact Garmin Support independently over e-mail, but received only promises that they'll look over it and fix it in a following SW update. Sadly, since more than a year now... nothing...

    The simptom... the main watch face customisation lets the user select a steps graph. All good up to this, but you'll find out if selecting this graph that it works well from 0:00 (when it resets) until 16:00 hours daily. After 16:00 hours, the step count displayed keeps count, working normally, but the graph just stops. Then it resets at 0:00 again.

    Garmin... what are you doing? Either fix this, it should not be such an issue, or just disable this field from the main watch face customisation, as it's anyhow not working properly.

  • Respectfully, I would think the altimeter fix would take priority over the glitch you described.

  • Yes, indeed, as you have the dedicated steps widget, with correct graph & data, you can just use that instead. Still, I use the watch in the city 99 % of the time, and where I'm living, there's almost no elevation change. Therefore  based on what you use the watch for, at least for myself, the steps graph is more important than the altimeter.

    I had the same altimeter problem, when updating from software ver. 16.50 upwards. I have contacted Garmin support, and after some e-mail conversation, I ended up sending my watch to Garmin and receiving a almost new (freshly refurbished watch, with new case and new strap... thanks Garmin).

    Now I am on the 17.50 version and the altimeter works fine.

    In the past, with the replaced watch, I have updated to beta software and sent to Garmin bugs and data. Then, when I've installed the official 16.50 update, everything went crazy! Now, I've stopped installing beta updates and I will only let the watch update itself with only the official software. Hopefully I will not have the software corrupted anymore in the future.

  • Hi, great improvement performance about altimeter. In any case, I'm still waiting for an official update release.

    Thanks!

  • Buonasera,  sembra che l altimetro funzioni bene , casa mia mt 680, dopo una giornata fuori e circa 300 km fatti in macchina,  al ritorno misurava 677.. perfetto direi. 

  • Altimeter much improved. No more saw-tooth spikes. Ascent/descent measurements believable again.

  • apparently, with 18.10 the clock is more stable.
    I say apparently, because I have not been able to carry out sports activities. But I have on the main screen of the clock the elevation, and it has been more stable than before.

    I have noticed another detail: if I press and hold the GPS button, to register a location, the elevation is more precise, but the UTM coordinates are not fixed, but are updated, as if it were continuously reading and looking for the best reading.
    before I don't remember it being like that, but I remembered that both elevations were fixed, because it was the reading already done.
    Has anyone noticed this change?

  • Starting from versions > 16.00 I'm no longer able to insert Sea Level Pressure when I calibrate the barometer selecting Settings>Sensors&Accessories>Barometer>Calibrate>Use DEM or Use GPS. After confirming the elevation calculated by DEM or GPS the screen "Insert Sea Level Pressure" Yes/No is not shown. Furthermore is not shown OK button, so it is not clear if Barometer has been calibrated correctly

  • Still nothing been fixed. Altimeter is not working. Calibration on beach/sea level +/- 2m asl after just few seconds altitude jumps to over 900m asl. Since update 16.50 altimeter in my Garmin Instinct is completely broken. Function/sensor that I used most while I’m on MTB in mountains. Maybe name should be changed to Garbage Instinct? Thinking

    Someone knows where I can find old software/firmware for Garmin Instinct. Pre 16.00? Anyone?

  • Starting from versions > 16.00 I'm no longer able to insert Sea Level Pressure when I calibrate the barometer selecting Settings>Sensors&Accessories>Barometer>Calibrate>Use DEM or Use GPS.

    It was a redundant data entry. Since you enter the altitude, and the local atmospheric pressure can be measured by the sensor, the MSLP can be calculated, and does not need to be entered. It would be needed only if the characteristics of the pressure/voltage curve of the pressure sensor changed, but that's not expected.