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Firmware update removed my altimeter/barometer and storm alerts!

9750518
3 months ago

Updated my firmware and now my watch doesn’t show my altitude on my OEM GARMIN Watchface and I can’t access my barometer/altimeter or storm alerts anymore. 

You can not remove features. This was not documented in the firmware change log either.  I would like this either fixed or a refund. I know I’m not the only one who has seen this happen.  Not happy. Will also be taking this to social media. 

  • 0 3 months ago

    Yeah that sucks. It seems that they probably added those features by mistake at some point, given that DCR's review specifically calls them out as not being present in FR165.

    www.dcrainmaker.com/.../forerunner-165-vs-forerunner-265-differences-comparison-review.html

    Here's a related reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminWatches/comments/1b3v1tp/bad_look_garminfeatures_removed_from_latest/

    I kind of solved the problem on my Garmin 165 by installing the free Ambient Pressure App (navicom) from the IQ store, which gives me both pressure and altitude, in any kind of format/unit. I don't think it can be calibrated though...

    Pretty hard to believe that Garmin put a baro in FR165 only to severely hamper its usefulness via software, especially when they accidentally put in certain features that they later ripped out.

    Normally I think market segmentation by software features is a legit practice (even though if I don't like it in some cases), but this one is pretty egregious for a couple of reasons:

    - normal people who don't go through DCR reviews with a fine-tooth comb might assume that all recent Garmin watches with "Barometric Altimeter" on the spec sheet would have equivalent software functionality with regards to the baro

    - they put those features in by accident and later took them away

    Maybe I'm being irrational, but this one seems extra sleazy, like they were trying to trick ppl into buying the 165 on the basis of the baro, without saying it's crippled.

  • 0 3 months ago

    This sucks indeed. Doing a product comparison with the Fenix series on the Garmin website does not mention anything about it either. And i'm pretty sure the Fenix does have these functions. It's like the Vivoactive 3 several years ago. It initially came with the option to calibrate the altimeter manually, but that was removed at some point... Having gone through the user manuals of several models i did not expect these features though on the 165.

  • 0 23 days ago

    While I agree that it's not nice to take away features, it's inaccurate anyway and changes by itself when the temperature changes. From what I understand it's calibrated when starting a GPS activity.  I often end up with noticeable differences in elevation even when starting and ending in the same spot. Maybe due to the temperature changes. It can also change quite a lot during the day depending on the weather. It really doesn't seem reliable.

  • 0 23 days ago in reply to Jacquers

    It actually is temperature compensated. That sensor is quite accurate. I have been playing around with programming apps, and i can tell the sensor is actually capable of detecting you raising your hand up in the air. However it is a barometer sensor, not an altitude sensor as many seem to think. Altitude is just one of the many factors that effect air pressure. Just enter an airconditioned building and see what happens... However it is the best technology aivalable, for watches anyway. I have been doing some skydiving in the past, and we used a professional barometer-based altimeter for that, It had to be calibrated to 0 just before take-off, and that calibaration was only valid for that single jump, the next 20 minutes or so . And it is the same with barometric altimeters in aviation. Need to be calibrated all the time, and again just before landing. It's no use to expect a consumer product to do better then that.

  • 0 23 days ago in reply to Sieds

    In that case it would be great if Garmin added the settings ui to calibrate it, like the 265 has. And the elevation glance would be useful as well.