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Anyone having GPS Problems? [Discovered the WEIRDEST bug]

Hello, Forerunner 955 owner here... My watch is just 1.5 months old. [010-02638-30]

I have v13.22 installed and having some serious GPS acquisition problems.

I am a long distance walker.

Generally my GPS is amazingly good. The watch finds the satellite in 20 seconds. But sometimes the watch does not even catch a signal. I start my walks from the same place everyday. I walk 1-2 hours, no gps signal. [I lose the GPS signal in every 3-4 walks, consistent.]

I know this is a SOFTWARE issue because when my watch catches GPS signal, it does not lose it, i sometimes go gas stations to pee, the gps signal indicator does not even wiggle :) I always open up the map of my walks after walking, spot on!

The BUG i discovered is weird.

When the watch does not even catch a GPS signal, after the walk when i come home, i connect the watch to PC, open Garmin Express. Click on Manage Maps, delete and re-download a random map. Disconnect the watch, let it "re-arrange" the maps. Flawless. GPS is active again with all its glory.

Now my watch does not even have maps installed, 28.3GB free space but it finds GPS signal correctly... in 20 seconds. But i know that after 3-4 walking sessions my watch will not be able to catch GPS signal.

Does anyone have the same problem as me?

  • Zero problems, gps ever (really ever!) get in 5 seconds

  • Similar, but full GPS lock (all systems+multiband) usually takes about 15 seconds. What helps is to have recently done a sync with the phone, to ensure the GPS ephemera and almanac for your location is up to date.

    If you move location by a lot (by more than a few hundred miles), it will take a longer time for your first GPS lock without that assistance data.

    If you do not synchronise your watch with Garmin for a few days this assistance data may go out of date and lose usefulness, leading to (in extreme cases) it taking up to 15 minutes to get a GPS lock.

    Also the watch's own internal clock might drift enough to affect GPS reception if it isn't updated often. Synchronizing it using Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express will update the clock. If you have "Set Time" set to "Manual" this also might happen. You could use the "Sync with GPS" function.

    en.wikipedia.org/.../Assisted_GNSS

    I've done over two hour walks and runs without losing GPS at all.

  • I agree with you. I have zero problem with GPS so far.

    I'm living in a city + Multiband.

    My watch is connected 24/7 and sync to phone a couple of times daily. 

    Those with GPS issues, probably good to adopt the same habit to experiment.