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530 wont display speed from speed sensor, will only display GPS speed

I recently bought a Garmin 530. I find it is great except for a speed sensor issue. I paired the 530 with the Garmin hub-mounted speed sensor (given free with the 530) and when I spin the wheel inside it picks up the speed from the sensor as it should and displays it as the instantaneous speed. However, when I ride outside the Garmin displays the speed as calculated by the GPS, which is nowhere near as stable and loses signal under a viaduct, and in between tall buildings). How to get the Garmin to always display instantaneous speed determined by the sensor and not by GPS position?

My Edge 530 is the Asia model and the Software version is 2.90. Garmin Express says this is the latest version, however the Garmin site says the latest version is 3.50. Why won’t my Garmin Express find and download version 3.50?

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KevinJames over 5 years ago +1

I think I'm seeing a similar issue. I noticed the other day when riding down a fast, tree-covered descent. I would estimate I was doing 60kph, but the Garmin was only reporting 30kph. When I emerged from…

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0 georgiawx over 5 years ago

I’m in the US and I also noticed that the 530 seems to display speed from the satellite rather than my Garmin Speed Sensor 2. I can’t figure out a true way to verify that’s what it is doing but it seems to be. I also run in parallel a Garmin 935 and it seems to display a consistent speed fine so it appears to use the sensor for displaying. Also the ending distance, max speed and average speed all match very closely between the 935 and Edge, so I do think it’s using the sensor for calculations etc. I’m on software version 3.50 and the beta GPS 2.42.

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago in reply to georgiawx

Can you post a FIT activity file where you think this is happening?

Are you paired to the sensor over ANT or BLE?

0 georgiawx over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

I’ll try to post the .FIT file. I am connected via ANT+.

Activity_zip.zip

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago in reply to georgiawx

I checked the data and 100% of the speed data is coming from the speed sensor. I would suggest checking the details of the speed sensor when it is connected and try switching the wheel circumference from automatic to manual.

0 georgiawx over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

I set the sensor settings to manual before ever using it. So what I’m saying is it is set to manual.

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago in reply to georgiawx

Why do you think the speed is coming from the GPS and not the speed sensor?

0 BWSwales over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

I reckon the Garmin picks up spurious signals from the speed sensor, so changes to calculating speed from GPS position.

0 BWSwales over 5 years ago

Update: So I reinstalled my old GSC 10 speed sensor (the one on the chainstay with a magnet on the spoke) and the speed is very steady. Can't beat old school technology - magnet and a coil. Seems the new hub speed sensor is c$#p

0 BWSwales over 5 years ago in reply to aweatherall

For me because whenever I ride under a concrete viaduct, the speed drops to zero. Also riding between tall buildings speed cuts in and out as it loses GPS signal. Today I went back to the GSC 10 speed sensor and speed worked perfectly - rode the same route where the speed used to always vary hugely with the hub sensor.

0 aweatherall over 5 years ago in reply to BWSwales

What I suspect is the issue is that part of your drive chain has gotten magnetized and that affects the new speed sensor as it has a sensitive magnetometer in it.

As a test try putting the new speed sensor on the front wheel instead of the rear wheel. If it works in that position then some part of the chain is likely magnetized.