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VA3 Music - Barometer port new side location - Does it work (vs VA3), please test?

To all lucky owners of a new VA3M, can you test the Altimeter accuracy and report back please.

The VA3M has the barometric port on the side rather than being against the skin under the watch as for the VA3...
Can you run a loop track and display your Elevation reading. If this works, you should have the same altitude at the starting point and at the end point since you got back to the exact same location (hence same altitude).

As noted in the VA3 forum, the VA3 has some serious altimeter issues whereas the elevation constantly decreases (independently of the fact you may be running up hill).
I did a loop run with my VA3 yesterday (FW 5.0) and, after 2.6k run back to my exact same starting point, I ends up with elevation at -67m compare my start (and I didn't dig a tunnel!).

Please VA3M owner test and report on this.
thank you

0 RickInHouston over 7 years ago

I ended up in a park today (quite flat) vs. the bayou (elevations, will definately run there over the weekend. I can tell you that after my run the watch VA3M said elevation 6.6 feet. I did not start and stop at the exact same spot. I'm guessing the elevation reading is during the entire run? If so, I can say that probably the loop I ran was about 6.6 in elevation up and down during the run (guess).

More, this weekend. If there's something more specific you want me to watch for, let me know... Elevation gain 98.6 today with a run around the bayou.

0 KevsEdge over 7 years ago

I'm not convinced so far... walked up and down 4 floors and it's only logged the downs.... I'll wear my watch on my next bike ride and compair it against my edge 1000 but it doesn't seem the most accurate.

maybe too early to write it off yet - only had it 8 hours

EDIT: Seems to be working OK now, my ups and downs match up and seem realistic

0 KevsEdge over 7 years ago

To all lucky owners of a new VA3M, can you test the Altimeter accuracy and report back please....
.... I ends up with elevation at -67m compare my start (and I didn't dig a tunnel!).

Please VA3M owner test and report on this.
thank you

Just did a 5k loop that included a few steep hills and stairs and the elevation of the start and the end are within 1 ft - so I'd say elevation recording during an activity was fine - I'll keep an eye on it though.

Doesn't seem great at counting floors climbed throughout the day though.... seems to miss a lot.

0 RFrush over 7 years ago

Just did a 5k loop that included a few steep hills and stairs and the elevation of the start and the end are within 1 ft - so I'd say elevation recording during an activity was fine - I'll keep an eye on it though.

Doesn't seem great at counting floors climbed throughout the day though.... seems to miss a lot.

AGREE: I've found that the VA3M counts floors in my office building very conservatively. Our team is split between the first and sixth floor in an older building where the floors are probably really only 10' each, unlike modern buildings. Over the past week of testing I consistently record only 3-4 flights up and down when I make a trip to the 6th floor, so to get to the starting 10 floor goal, I generally have to do our building more than 2 times, and I hit the goal mid way on my third trip up the stairs.

I haven't evaluated the altimeter's absolute performance as I haven't had a chance yet to go out on a hike with some real elevation changes.

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Ray

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

Any updates on this? My new VA3 is horrible with elevation and sending it back. Love the watch but want/need accuracy.

0 RFrush over 6 years ago

I have found that the internal barometer is pretty good, once calibrated via a GPS activity. I often 'head for the hills', for a hike, and note that the altimeter accuracy after driving up (or back home) can leave a lot to be desired. I've found that I need to start a short GPS based activity (walking) for a few minutes until the GPS can lock in your elevation. I then stop and discard the activity, and start my actual activity.

--
Ray

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

cycled to work and back today with VA3m running f/w version 3.10. Start/finish elevation is ~20m lower on the outward trip compared to the return:
Out: Start @ 202m finish @ 31m
Back: start @ 54m finish @ 222m

I'll try to upload a pic of the outward elevation, return elevation, and finally the outward elevation flipped horizontally -- the latter tracks the return leg pretty well.

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

Some Elevation data from this morning's Parkrun. 5km in length, 3 loops of the course plus a short tail to the finish. The course is quite flat and VA3m's recording tracked it well.

VA3m data shows only slight variation on the elevation readings which might be due to the patchy GPS signals it receives at the start line - it's heavily covered by trees.
I've overlaid markers at the Start/lap1/lap2/lap3 points of the elevation graph.
VA3m doesn't seem to have the tunnelling problem described by OP.

0 Happytoon over 6 years ago

hmmm the VA3m, with the barometer holes on the side rather then under the watch, seems to work far better on elevation than the VA3 !!!
Although I have no interest in the music feature, perhaps I should upgrade!

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

A little feedback about altitude with VA3M: today, I've made a 40km a round-trip ride.
- Elevation at start; 32 m (outside temperature: 21°C)
- Elevation at the end, at the same point; 37 m (outside temperature: 26°C)

So, no problem, the difference of 5 m being in the standard GPS tolerance.