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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 Happytoon over 6 years ago

I finally managed to get rid off my VA3 and got the VA3M instead (with the Barometer port on the side).
As I suspected the Elevation works far better and is much more reliable than the VA3.

I did a 5km loop walk this morning and got only a difference of 3m elevation between start and finish (same point) !!!! Impressive! (with the VA3 I had about 25m!)
The Elevation profile vs maps contour lines is pretty much spot on too (goes up and down when it should, not continuously down as for the VA3)!!!

The GPS elevation is still not perfect, but within the GPS tolerances. At start, the watch gave me 90m whereas the map is at 79m. Hopefully, this will improve with the support of GPS + Galileo.

At last a watch with elevation working as expected.
The VA3M fixed the Elevation... hopefully they won't mess it up with future firmware releases.

Attached below the VA3M Elevation profile (Green - Elevation Correction disabled) VS the map elevation data (Red - Elevation Correction enabled)

0 godolphins over 6 years ago

I've been with my VA3M for about 5 days after using VA3 for 10 mos.
I too see improvement with the baro-altimeter

Must admit though, I was concerned because during the first couple days the VA3M showed me 200-300 ft. BELOW sea level.
Then, the other day, I did a run and waited for several minutes after gps had locked.
Now my altitude readings are within 30 ft. of what should be.

More importantly, VA3M on my two bike rides today seems to be very accurate as far as the elevation changes.

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

The va3 consistently reported too low for elevation gain on my rides. Now the va3m reports it as being way too high so no I dont think its better. Still using my fenix 3 hr.