Elevation settings

Try creating a Saved Location near your start point and edit the elevation if necessary. It should auto calibrate to that value when you start the ride (or at least mine does).

Elevations are stored in the Locations.fit file.

As long as I start an activity within a hundred feet (30m) or so from a saved location, my 530 automatically sets the elevation every time.

Do you really care about the absolute elevation?

Most people are only interested in elevation gain (which is really a summation of differences in elevation).

The "calibration" should make the absolute elevation more accurate but, won't change the gain.

@SloMTBR  Strangely enough I have my home address (or next to) in my locations.

It seems to be set more or less accurately but I’ve tweaked it manually just to see if it makes any difference, we’ll see next ride time, thanks @SloMTBR

@dpawlyk   I have an elevation reading and I’d prefer it to be accurate rather than some random number. No point in having it if it’s not accurate, like a speedo that doesn’t show your true speed

Tonbuster said:

@dpawlyk   I have an elevation reading and I’d prefer it to be accurate rather than some random number. No point in having it if it’s not accurate, like a speedo that doesn’t show your true speed

Very few people ever look at the elevation number. For those people, there is no point in ever dealing with the issue you are having: what the number is doesn’t matter (it’s like a speedometer with the display taped-over).

Some people might think the absolute elevation needs to be accurate to get accurate gain numbers. I’m making it clear that isn’t the case.

I have the current elevation as a datafield in every one of my activity profiles, so I wouldn't assume that few people look at this.  In fact on my "elevation" data screen I have a Connect IQ field that shows both barometric reading and GPS reading just so I can see the difference in the data.  But I completely agree, its absolute accuracy is not as important as accurate measure of change in elevation.  GPS estimates of elevation are not too accurate to begin with.  And the barometric reading must just be a cross reference of estimated elevation based on atmospheric pressure, right?.  This can be affected by weather and other atmospheric stuff, so not exactly super accurate.  But it can measure the changes in pressure which correspond to change in elevation (how much you climbed/descended) which as you said seems more relevant.

But I do like to know with a quick glance what my current elevation is.  Nothing performance related, just curiosity.  Ambient temperature as well, even though that reading is hardly accurate and subject to a lot of bias.

Just because you do it doesn’t mean only a few people do. 

It’s possible that people in mountainous areas use it more. 

It would be interesting to know why you display it. 

Nothing wrong with being interested in seeing it. 

I updated my post to explain why I like seeing it, probably after you had replied.  I do live in mountainous area and it is purely for curiosity.  "Are we higher than 6000 feet yet?"  "Is this area higher elevation than home?"  "Wow I'm pooped and short of breath, what is the elevation here?"  But I am under no impression that the elevation readings are very accurate.  Just a reasonable estimate to satisfy my curiosity.

I find the most useful elevation related data is total ascent and total descent.  I place these data fields one on top of the other.  It makes for a great gauge of how much climbing or descending is left in a loop ride as the two values approach each other as I get closer to the end.

How "off" is the elevation? In my experience a couple hundred feet in absolute elevation can be somewhat normal but if it's really off (well other than when it gets wet which is a whole other issue...) that could be an issue with the unit itself.  On those wet rides which really mess up the elevation readings it does seem like sometimes Garmin is smart enough to autocorrect when the ride gets uploaded