735xt - wrong step counting.

PS 2. Just downloaded latest beta soft and problem still occurs. I am making 20 steps and its counting 13 or even 0. Looks horrible. Polar V800 is detecting even smallest activity and sort it correctly. Whats up Garmin :( I really belive in You as old customer.

The watch must "see" 10 steps before it counts any (then you get credit for those 10).

This is to reject counting things like simple arm movements as "steps". Some vendors I have seen count steps on any kind of arm movement, which to me is over-counting.

To get a good sence of the accuracy, you may have to try something more in the 50-100 step range.

Also note, if you take 9 steps, stop for a bit, take 8 more, etc., you may get zero steps counted (again, the watch doesn't see that as enough steps at one time to count)

And by "see" the first 10, doing something like pushing a shopping cart may have an impact on what the watch "sees".

Sorry for long detailed reply. I suggest you log a job with Garmin if you try these tests and still have issues.

I had a FR235 replaced due to not counting properly. The way I identified the faulty accelerometer (no need to assume this now) was by walking out and back in a circuit. A one km straight stretch is a good leg. I then did a long walk over a longer course over two consecutive days.

Test 1

Walk the following 4 km test to determine whether you have an inconsistent step count.
At start and finish of each leg write down or take a picture of steps screen or a screen shot of Garmin Connect when it syncs.

- Leg 1, Walk 1 km as an activity (start / stop on timer) to get the test distance.
- Leg 2 walk back to original start, just activity tracker counting (no timer). Count steps manually to compare (same distance should give about same amount steps)
- leg 3 repeated distance of leg 1, just using activity tracker
- leg 4 walk back but measure as activity (start/stop on timer)
This gives you a measured distance, same direction, gradient, wind etc for legs 1&3 and 2&4.

Test 2

Over 2 more days I travelled the same course for an 8 km walk.
One day as an activity (start/stop timer) and second just activity tracker (no timer). I took picture of watch start and finish
I found that with only the activity tracker it missed 2.7 km over 8 km and over 3000 steps. I did this because I had a 200 step discrepancy in Test 1 on legs 2 & 3 but a reasonably similar amount of steps on timer for legs 1&4.


Note that beforehand I had done over 20 different activities to zero in on possible faults and sent spreadsheet logs to Garmin before I did the first test I suggested.

The watch must "see" 10 steps before it counts any (then you get credit for those 10).

This is to reject counting things like simple arm movements as "steps". Some vendors I have seen count steps on any kind of arm movement, which to me is over-counting.

To get a good sence of the accuracy, you may have to try something more in the 50-100 step range.

Also note, if you take 9 steps, stop for a bit, take 8 more, etc., you may get zero steps counted (again, the watch doesn't see that as enough steps at one time to count)

And by "see" the first 10, doing something like pushing a shopping cart may have an impact on what the watch "sees".

Hi,

10 steps as minimum to get counted seems to be resonable. Anyway Polar V800 has solved it somehow. V800 is sorting movements on few groups like sitting , small house tasks, light activity like walking and workouts and all basing on accelerometer. Also I am back to most important thing for me - walking with stroller. Many people are walking with kids in strollers , making thousands of steps and sorry here but 735xt is just NOT COUNTING it. Today i made another test. When driving my stroller using only right hand and 735 on left which moved same as when walking without stroller, everything were counted fine. But when i use both hands on stroller then its just NOT COUNTING anything. Keep in mind that i observed my wrist movements and even then there are visible , regular up and down moves like when walking but much less light. Did same with V800 and same stroller and it was counting very precisious. Assuming :

-10 steps as minimum to be counted - fine, understood, acceptable
-not counting steps with stroller - NOT ACCEPTABLE. Its deffinitly a BUG because many people do that and its very common, resonable activity , even more healthy like walking without it (need more power to push a stroller)

Garming, please make a fix or an option for a walk with stroller.

Good luck and thanks !

Best Regards,
Mateusz M.

-not counting steps with stroller - NOT ACCEPTABLE. Its deffinitly a BUG because many people do that

It's not automatically a bug just because your expectations are not met and/or you're frustrated by it. However, if how the Forerunner watches track steps is not acceptable to you, and you feel it's such an important part of why you wear such a device, then I'd strongly suggest you return the product.

It's not automatically a bug just because your expectations are not met and/or you're frustrated by it. However, if how the Forerunner watches track steps is not acceptable to you, and you feel it's such an important part of why you wear such a device, then I'd strongly suggest you return the product.

My FR735 counts steps when I push a supermarket trolley and when I walk carrying a load in both arms.
I suggested a test on earlier post on this topic because what you are describing when pushing stroller is what caused me to check my old FR235 and have it replaced. Good luck and log a job with Garmin

It's not automatically a bug just because your expectations are not met and/or you're frustrated by it. However, if how the Forerunner watches track steps is not acceptable to you, and you feel it's such an important part of why you wear such a device, then I'd strongly suggest you return the product.

You missunderstood me. Walking with stroller is really popular activity and some of Your competitors already deal fine with this opportunity. Maybe You should learn some from each other and improve. This is shamy when Garmin solve such problem by telling customer to send product back in my opinion. I dont think its good policy for growing sales or having good reputation on the market.

Good luck.

This is shamy when Garmin solve such problem by telling customer to send product back in my opinion.

I don't work for Garmin, and I'm not a shareholder of the company.

I'm addressing you (and/or whoever started this thread) as a fellow consumer and Garmin customer. You have no power and scant leverage in trying to get Garmin to change anything right now, but you can change your device. Never mind whether you may not be satisfied with any other device on the market; your satisfaction is not my concern, but I'm only interested in what you can do (without cooperation or goodwill from anyone else), and trying to be helpful by making a here-and-now suggestion on the basis of your limited options as a customer (without pretending that you can have more leverage, or “weigh in” and feign moral support).

I don't work for Garmin, and I'm not a shareholder of the company.

I'm addressing you (and/or whoever started this thread) as a fellow consumer and Garmin customer. You have no power and scant leverage in trying to get Garmin to change anything right now, but you can change your device. Never mind whether you may not be satisfied with any other device on the market; your satisfaction is not my concern, but I'm only interested in what you can do (without cooperation or goodwill from anyone else), and trying to be helpful by making a here-and-now suggestion on the basis of your limited options as a customer (without pretending that you can have more leverage, or “weigh in” and feign moral support).

Hi.

I really appreciate Your willing of help. Its nice. I understand everything but I am looking for a bit diffrent solution than sending my unit back because i overally like it. Tell me please.. Why do You think that i have no influence on Garmins update by posting bugs like this ? They are not reading here ? :O

Tell me please.. Why do You think that i have no influence on Garmins update by posting bugs like this ? They are not reading here ? :O

This is primarily a discussion forum for product owners/users and interested parties to talk to each other, operated – and offered free of charge to users – by Garmin (no doubt for business reasons of its own, such as being able to elicit ‘intelligence’ from the user community at little cost, and without obligation to read or respond to the posts). It's not in any way purported to be a channel in which to engage the company (‘for the record’ in open view, no less), although no doubt someone from Garmin read them, and may respond at his/her/its discretion with feeling pressure from users.

The consumer's power is in being able to decide to which company (or companies) to award his/her custom and hand over money. If you've already handed over money for a product that is not eligible to be returned for refund – for example, if it is arguably fit for the purposes it is marketed but doesn't meet your personal expectations, and no no-questions-asked return policy is in play – and doubly so if you don't want to forgo what the device does well, then you have no power. As far as I (an observer) is concerned, the fact that you'd try to (lamely, I'm sorry to say) push Garmin to change one or two aspects of the product post-sale, instead of returning it first and then declaring, “This is the reason why the device is unsatisfactory and was returned; you're not getting my money for it. When you do change it in [some particular way] so that it will meet my requirements and please me, let me know and I may reconsider giving you my hard-earned,” means you've little leverage, such as in having other viable options in the market.