Related
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

No manual altimeter calibration after update -- what the???

godolphins
over 6 years ago
In a different thread (that was CLOSED), garmin-blake wrote: The 5.00 update for the vivoactive 3 removed the option to manually calibrate the altimeter. This was done for multiple reasons, the main one being the previous calibration methods were allowing for multiple scenarios that end in a bad calibration value. In addition to removing the manual calibration method, we have updated the automatic calibration method with more checks in place to help increase our accuracy. We understand the frustration this change will cause for some and apologize for this.

My thoughts on this:

(1) My god, did Garmin not pay attention?!?! The reason I HAD to manually calibrate was because of horrible elevation readings and only way to get some decent elevation values was to manually calibrate right before activities.

(2) Also what does "previous calibration methods were allowing for multiple scenarios that end in a bad calibration value" actually mean? Users were putting in incorrect elevation when calibrating? If so, that's user error. simply advise.

(3) I just went outside now (post 5.0 update) and my elevation reading is 230 feet below known elevation point!

(4) why was the previous topic/thread "closed"? This is a VERY good way to lose customer loyalty.

(5) I admit "elevation readings" is not the end of the world, but this just seems asinine.

Top Replies

All Replies

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    As in another Thread already mentioned, did you try to start an activity and wait about 30 sec. to ensure the device just receive the final signal for altitude?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    I honestly can't think of any reason why they would remove the option. I used to manually calibrate my VA HR to known altitudes for two years and I NEVER had a problem with it. How can this be different for the Vivoactive 3? I can already tell that I was getting much more accurate elevation data before the update when I could manually calibrate before an activity.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    @Garmin-Blake:

    I hope the manual calibration comes back.
    If you know the height, it is much more accurate to set the height manually.
    How does the automatic setting work with 5.0?
    Continue with gps?
    What if you spend a lot of time indoors?
    How much faster will the battery be empty?
    How often will be the height adjusted?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    I quote "we have updated the automatic calibration method with more checks in place to help increase our accuracy"
    Well, unless my watch has suddenly become faulty, it hasn't worked, Even after allowing time for a GPS elevation fix, the only thing correct is the Ambient Pressure.
    Assuming an activity uses the GPS altitude & the ambient pressure is known, simple maths should give a MSL pressure.
    For example, I am at GPS 39ft , AP reads1017.13. At 15 DegC, 39ft =1.43 hPa. Add that to AP gives MSL pressure 1018.56.
    However despite waiting for a good GPS fix, the watch shows I am at 62ft & MSL pressure is 1025.92 which equates to an error equivalent to about 200ft.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 6 years ago
    Last weekend I went backpacking (for the first time this season) and realized just how poorly the altimeter was working. Things synced up great when I first started my GPS activity, but over the course of the hike my elevation definitely "wandered". My husband's iPhone, our topo map, and even the known elevation of our campsite showed my watch to be off by as much as 600 feet! While I expect some amount of GPS error in mountains and forest, many hundreds of feet is unacceptable - good thing I wasn't trying to navigate/wayfind based on the info from my VA3.

    My watch definitely showed vastly different elevations comparing arriving at camp at the end of the first night vs. restarting the GPS activity at camp the next morning, and also different values for the trailhead elevation (start of GPS track on day 1, end of GPS track on day 2). It's as if the altimeter calibrates GPS once, then is left to its own calculations for the duration of the activity - and in the course of an entire day of hiking, the error just compounds.

    Does anyone know if FW 5.00 either fixes the calculations or provides for additional calibrations with GPS throughout the activity?
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    As in another Thread already mentioned, did you try to start an activity and wait about 30 sec. to ensure the device just receive the final signal for altitude?


    So far (since update), I've done a couple things to check the baro-altimeter:

    (1) I did as Drahtesel suggested, went back to same spot where I know altitude to be 285 ft. -- started a run, waited 30 secs. and then checked -- VA3 showed 350 ft. -- OVER BY APPROX 65 ft.
    (2) 5 mile run last night -- I started/ended my run at 150 ft. known altitude BUT VA3 shows in Garmin Connect as starting at 259 and ending at 192 -- So, start was off by over 100 ft. and end of run was still off by about 40 ft.

    Frankly, I do not this would be such a big problem so long as the elevation is recorded accurately, but that does not appear to be the case here.
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Here's a stupid question. How do you check elevation on the watch? Is there a screen that shows current elevation without starting an activity?
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    Not a stupid question at all. I was stumped for a long time too.
    Anyway, you load a connect iq app/widget -- I use this one https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/00678298-6672-4228-9c82-c9aa00e43df0
    There's also this one that looks good (and was created by Master Jim who participates in this forum):
    https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/fdecbeaf-7d99-45e4-80e5-b5f9c2e92365
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    There's also a native elevation data field you can add to an activity. It can be interesting to watch that as you're getting a 2d/3d GPS fix as often you'll see it adjust. (I just watched it and mine went from over 100' low to within 10')

    A number of CIQ watch faces also allow displaying elevation. But keep in mind the elevation can drift over time due to weather changes, etc
  • 0 over 6 years ago
    After the 5.0 update I don't see the possiility to make manual altimeter calibration. I think that this is VERY BIG problem. I used to do manual calibration to known altitude (in front of my house) before every activity and never had problems with the altitude recordings. Now without this option i believe that there is no way to have accurate altitude recording any more, unless there is some other option to specify correct altitude for some location, like Garmin Edge 520 has.