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GPS Chipset 2.50 - no improvements compared to 2.42 beta?

Jaran
over 5 years ago

Just did my first ride after updating to 2.50 (and doing a full reset, just to be sure).

The GPS accuracy data field still only shows 3m all the time. I biked today using the Edge 830 and my old Suunto Ambit 2 at the same time. The Edges GPS track still deviates more  from the actual track than the Ambit 2 does. Some longer segments on Strava don't appear in the Edges recording while they do on the Ambits because of the deviations. Corners are still cut short or averaged out in the woods. At some places the Edges track is a couple of meters in parallel to the actual track and runs through buildings etc. There are only rare occasions where the Edge beats the Ambit in terms of accuracy.

So is the 2.50 version just the official release of the 2.42 beta with no further enhancements? And can this be fixed by software updates at all?

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Tim_B_

    It is just someone build a term for it. It is best practice since using GPS. 

    There are 2 points important:

    -   For initial start (new/resetted device), device longer time not used or used in a location far away from the last used it needs time to download the almanach (EPO). In this case it just needs longer to be GPS ready at all and the satellite collection after being GPS ready needs longe as well(meant getting more satellites)

    -    As already mentioned here GPS ready means having the minimum number of satellites to start. That doesn't mean at this point you have the optimum accuracy.

    The downside? As well as already mentioned - at the beginning of your ride

    -    less accurate actual position

    -    less accurate on matching track to map

    -    less accurate altitude

    -     In case of auto wheel size calculation - which is never accurate at all - even worse

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to hulster

    Ok, that explains maybe some in accuracy at the beginning of an activity while the device gets an initial lock, but doesn’t explain all the issues people are having all through their activity, and why some days are ok, and others are not.

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    Okay, so I have reset my device again after the update to 2.5, calibrated the compass, gave the device ample time before the ride to receive GPS signals and checked that the EPO was current. I think I can now see changes with 2.5.

    I rode again with my Ambit 2 (yellow line, GPS only) and the Edge 830 (blue line, GPS+GLONASS). And I get a better matching between the two of them and more importantly: to reality. However, the old Ambit 2 is still ahead in terms of precision. I still get examples where the Edge trails off to one side, in the case of this first example it's about 12m off when I was riding north of the river. The Ambit is right on track here.
    To the south of the river both tracks are more or less in line with each other.

    W hat I think was changed with the 2.50 update is the amount of smooting applied. My recorded tracks are now more "wiggly". I think the device does now less averaging, making it react quicker but also more wiggly as described.

    The second picture (to the right) shows the yellow (Ambit 2) and blue (Edge 830 GPS 2.5) recording of the same ride and a recording in red from the Edge with GPS 2.42b (GPS+GLONASS).

    Here the red line had problems tracking when I entered the woods and appears to smooth out things. In case of the 2.5 Version (blue line) it matches the Ambit quite well.

    My conclusion is, that the Edge 830 still has the worse reception as compared to my much older Ambit 2 but now the software makes more out of it?

    The GPS accuracy data field still always shows 3m.

    The Ambit isn't always right either btw, but it outperforms the Edge even in those situations. In the last picture both somehow think that I went over the green instead of following the paved way. The Edge additionally to that error places me too far to the south though.

    Conclusion: under difficult situations (foliage, nearby buildings) the Edge 830 performs worse than previous generations. The 2.50 GPS update has changes that in my experience reduces some amount of smoothing applied which makes the Edge react quicker and reduces or removes the averaging-out-effect of cutting corners short which I saw before. It however also makes the recordings more wriggly as the recordings not only react quicker to 'real' changes in position but of course also to errors/deviations.
    If you see no changes after the update (as I did, which was the point of starting the whole thread): consider performing a full reset.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Jaran

    Jaran said:
    Okay, so I have reset my device again after the update to 2.5

    thank you for the comparison

    did Garmin not mention improvement with GALILEO Smile

    do you intent to do a test with GALILEO ?

    happy & safe sporting

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Jaran

    Just found another interesting bit on the tracks. Here the recording of the Edge 830 jumps back from an offset of some meters to being right on track. The deviation wasn't too bad to begin with but I've never seen such a jump in previous firmware version. Previously I had seen a gentle sloping back to track over several meters.

    I certainly did not stop when going uphill here. Instead I was biking slowly but smoothly. The only thing I can imagine that happened here is the Edge adding another satellite to its measurements or getting rid of one.

    Notice again how the Edge has a slightly irregular/wiggly track while the Ambit 2 is smooth.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Yes will test GPS+GALILEO too soon as some here have reported good results with GPS(!) version 2.5. Previously I didn't really consider GALILEO as it is still in its testing phase and had a spectacular downtime right after I bought the 830.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Jaran

    It took some days for garmin to compose a response to my detailed request regarding the cause and potential software improvements for the partial bad GPS reception:

    They regret that this problem was not reported to the garmin developers yet (original response: "Unseren Entwicklern ist dieses Fehlerbild leider noch nicht gemeldet", status 26.08.2019)

    Therefore Jaran (and others who contacted garmin already) your tickets must have been lost... Maybe some substantial problems with the garmin ticket system which should be resolved first meanwhile we are searching our path through the forests always hoping to find back home.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Jaran

    Have you tried switching your GPS recording from smart to 1 second? Apparently 1 second allows for more accurate data recording.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to superborator

    GPS is awful on both GLONASS and Galileo (GPS only too); I would be thinking of a product recall if I were Garmin.

    My unit was exchanged but that didn’t change anything.....

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to NYanakiev7

    what s the best solution to choice : GPS only, GPS +GLO or GPS + GAL ?

    I remenber on the Edge 1000, i can watch the satellite number when i click on GPS ?

    Now with the gamrin 830 nothing like that .... Apps on IQ connect to help the choice GPS only, GPS +GLO or GAL ?