GPS Update 2.70: bad as always

Alright, hold up, because I've been running with Stryd for years now over multiple devices and have attributed the completely incorrect vo2max readings to the 945 calculations being wrong (internal interpretations). Which for anyone wondering, the 945 says my vo2max is 43--I'm lab tested at 53. But you're telling me the watch isn't calculating vo2max if I'm using the Stryd?

Is that confirmed? Rep from Garmin or Stryd or First Beat needs to address this right now because if true, this watch is useless. 

This is news to me too, but it would explain why my vo2max hasn't changed in months as I use my Stryd in this manner also.

2goBeyond said:

if true, this watch is useless. 

Your vo2max calculation and maybe some FirstBeat metrics, but the watch is still a far cry from being useless.

You can’t use STRYD for GPS, do you mean pace and distance?

2.7 was only to recover almanach caching, after doing this successful for years (It’s the .epo file) they managed to break it somehow. 

BeneGi said:

You can’t use STRYD for GPS, do you mean pace and distance?

I think the OP was saying they use their Stryd for pace and distance in lieu of using those measurements from GPS.  What interest me is the comment that if pace and distance is taken from the Stryd, that those measurements won't be used to calculate vo2max.

Im not sure either. If you have a footpod, you can try it. Set it for pace and distance "always" and try?
I only know that VO2max needs GPS to "check" pace and distance, but I don't know if it needs it to be the source also. This is also the reason VO2max is not calculated on treadmill runs.

BeneGi said:

(It’s the .epo file)

Just to clarify in case people go off looking for a EPO file. With the Sony chipsets the ephemeris data is now contained in a CPE file. Same location and (usually) updated in the same way. 

Not a big surprise as the firmware didn't fix anything else than the gps fix time with updated almanac.

BeneGi said:

You can’t use STRYD for GPS, do you mean pace and distance?

sure, pace and distance from Stryd, but with this settings Garmin calculate vo2max and Race Predictor totally wrong, but my pace was always fine and not like the screenshot in the Start Post.

As soon as i use GPS of watch for pace, my pace is jumping arround as you can sse in the screenshot of my start post, my hope that GPS Update fix anything is lost, anyway Race Predictor and vo2max looks better then

BeneGi said:

m not sure either. If you have a footpod, you can try it. Set it for pace and distance "always" and try?
I only know that VO2max needs GPS to "check" pace and distance, but I don't know if it needs it to be the source also. This is also the reason VO2max is not calculated on treadmill runs.

and i think, thats wrong, because when you have probs with GPS, you have probs with vo2max calculation, there must be a backup way to calculate vo2max without GPS information.

vo2max calc for cycling is calculated different, there is no GPS needed!

Training Peaks calculate vo2max for cycling and running in WKO5 correctly and they don't need GPS for this!

I use Stryd and have been for years (set as pace/distance always). My Vo2max calc seems to be ok. On the other hand my GPS data is fine as well. If GPS data is garbage your VO2max calc will be garbage, ie GIGO (GarbageInGarbageOut). So even if you use Stryd I guess the VO2max calc is based on GPS pace. Only Garmin would know.

Vo2max is not calculated in treadmill or trail mode. Only normal "run" or "walk" mode. VO2max calc also need accurate HR data. If your FR945 VO2max is too low, have you set your threshold and max HR correctly?

Agree the pace data above seems "volatile" if it was a steady pace run with no stops or quick turns. Any tunnels or heavy tree coverage on the run that could explain the bad data? I use Stryd and have constant pace data but have noticed that I loose GPS signal sometimes when running through tunnels (eg under a highway).

Try to disable GPS and run with Stryd and see whether the watch calculates a VO2max, it is in the FIT file. For example Golden Cheetah can read the exact value in the file, eg 52.2 or 53.8 or whatever value it is. If VO2max is dependent on GPS I would assume that if GPS is disabled (in normal run mode) then no value would be written in the file. But that is just a guess.

If you want a calculated VO2max based on Stryd pace you could try free programs such as "Runalyze" or Golden Cheetah to do it. My VO2max values in Runalyze and GC are similar to the Garmin number!