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AW5 LTE GPS accuracy problem
- Thread starter rbart
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ok, even better.
Just trying to nail down the problem. On my ugliest run I tried out a lot of features, eg Siri and so. Do not remember if the ugliest hiccups correlate to my activity or not.
I have made another run with 6.1beta3 and LTE ON.
It was not bad. I have only 50m more than my wife (series 3) for a 12km run.
The track is bit dirtier than hers but at the end the results are similar.
It was not bad. I have only 50m more than my wife (series 3) for a 12km run.
The track is bit dirtier than hers but at the end the results are similar.
Did my walking test again today. With LTE on and this time did not disconnect from my iPhone which I left behind at home.
Track was not bad apart from a really terrible hit at the very beginning. It bends about 30m away from the street and comes back to be about 10m left from the road. This could well be related to the GPS from the watch taking over.
When you start a run, do you entirely disconnect the watch from the phone? E.g. bluetooth on iPhone off and WiFi on Watch off?
Track was not bad apart from a really terrible hit at the very beginning. It bends about 30m away from the street and comes back to be about 10m left from the road. This could well be related to the GPS from the watch taking over.
When you start a run, do you entirely disconnect the watch from the phone? E.g. bluetooth on iPhone off and WiFi on Watch off?
Food for thought -- what is the accuracy of the maps / satellite images you're using?
In other words: how do you know the map isn't shifted a little bit, making the track appear more offset than it really is? How accurately was the satellite image corrected for parallax? Dated but see https://freegeographytools.com/2007/why-are-my-gps-positions-in-the-wrong-place-in-google-earth
Having run with various GPS watches since 2011, IMHO the results you're getting are pretty normal. Best case accuracy for consumer GPS devices if +/- 3-4 meters - and that's with it sitting still with a full clear view of the sky. Turn it sideways on a wrist, constantly in motion, moving under trees and past buildings where you get signal bounce off of objects (multipath), and +/- 10-15m on average is more typical in my experience.
Since getting my S5 I've done my usual running routine on my usual routes, and with the exception of a couple of hiccups, my tracks have been as good as with my S4. The two hiccups were #1 late pickup of signal, and #2 a weird bounce likely from multipath given the specific circumstance.
Sorry, can only answer from iPhone.
Yes, I know what you mean. I have checked with both Apple maps and Open Street maps. A slight deviation from a street/path is normal.
What I meant was this crazy deviation of 30m that was never compensated.
(Attached the map image)
Attachments
She’s since gotten rid of it, but my wife’s Series 3 was consistently more accurate than my Series 4 on runs. Something about hardware is great.
I haven’t had issues with GPS on the Series 5. Now, indoors on the treadmill... that’s another thing.
The map is usually right, but in some conditions you have very huge "bumps".
I have beaten the 400m world record during a slow trail
[automerge]1571227190[/automerge]
It's a bit disappointing ...
I have beaten the 400m world record during a slow trail
[automerge]1571227190[/automerge]
Yes, I have noticed that the S3 is really more accurate.
It's a bit disappointing ...
Back from my first run after 10 days, still recovering from my heel injury. Keep your fingers pressed that I get rid of this stuff.
Ok, short run starting with the procedure: bluetooth on iPhone off, Wifi off on AW, LTE on. Started Workoutdoors to check for satellite reception and as soon as I had a blue bar with 4 satellites, I stopped WOD and started the Apple workout app.
Well, result is pretty good, I am more or less happy. Distance is SPOT ON, measured with GPSies 2,25km and AW measured 2,24km.
Track has no hiccups! But was still amazes me is that corners are shortened brutally, have a look:
![Bildschirmfoto 2019-10-16 um 18.52.03.png]( "Bildschirmfoto 2019-10-16 um 18.52.03.png")
![Bildschirmfoto 2019-10-16 um 18.51.49.png]( "Bildschirmfoto 2019-10-16 um 18.51.49.png")
So my bottom line: it improves from run to run. Hope it will be better with the next run and hope my next run will be soon. Getting the iced bottle now out of the fridge to cool my heel.
Ok, short run starting with the procedure: bluetooth on iPhone off, Wifi off on AW, LTE on. Started Workoutdoors to check for satellite reception and as soon as I had a blue bar with 4 satellites, I stopped WOD and started the Apple workout app.
Well, result is pretty good, I am more or less happy. Distance is SPOT ON, measured with GPSies 2,25km and AW measured 2,24km.
Track has no hiccups! But was still amazes me is that corners are shortened brutally, have a look:
So my bottom line: it improves from run to run. Hope it will be better with the next run and hope my next run will be soon. Getting the iced bottle now out of the fridge to cool my heel.
I have found recently that the trail looks a lot better when I do not have my iPhone to provide GPS, so I am wondering if it is an issue with iOS 13 (one of many!).
I had such glitches with my previous watch (s2) when running with my phone. But it was not so bad.
Yesterday, it was terrible. I am proud to announce I have run a 400m in 44s during a trail !
I have never seen such errors when disabling LTE on the watch.
So I have bought a cellular version to run without phone, but I must disable it to have a reliable tracking: funny
I have tested with watchOS 6.0 , 6.0.1 and 6.1beta3 and 2 different watches.
On the attached capture, the part I have undernlined in blue is supposed to be on the same way as the track on the bottom. I have used the same path in both ways.
Yesterday, it was terrible. I am proud to announce I have run a 400m in 44s during a trail
!I have never seen such errors when disabling LTE on the watch.
So I have bought a cellular version to run without phone, but I must disable it to have a reliable tracking: funny
I have tested with watchOS 6.0 , 6.0.1 and 6.1beta3 and 2 different watches.
On the attached capture, the part I have undernlined in blue is supposed to be on the same way as the track on the bottom. I have used the same path in both ways.
Attachments
Repeated my first run with the AW today. Same setup as yesterday (iPhone off, Wifi off, LTE on) but with audio streaming via BT.
Overall the track is not perfect, but far away from my first run, where I had terrible hiccups. Only one very minor today.
Still some "bulges" where I seem to move 15m to the left and afterwards the watch is trying to get me back on track but stays a few meters more left than I have run.
Things are getting better but slowly. Interesting fact: in my first run, the first half was ugly, the second better. Today it is the other way round.
Distance from AW 4,38km. Distance measured with GPSies 4,1km. Well, that is not so good.
Overall the track is not perfect, but far away from my first run, where I had terrible hiccups. Only one very minor today.
Still some "bulges" where I seem to move 15m to the left and afterwards the watch is trying to get me back on track but stays a few meters more left than I have run.
Things are getting better but slowly. Interesting fact: in my first run, the first half was ugly, the second better. Today it is the other way round.
Distance from AW 4,38km. Distance measured with GPSies 4,1km. Well, that is not so good.
Next run, this time 10km where the first 3km and the last 3km were the same. Same setting as last run: iPhone disconnected, WiFi off, LTE on. Listening to podcast with locally stored podcast.
Overall the run was measured 10,5km and as this is my standard run, the "real" length I have measured in 100s of runs is more 10,1km. The difference was almost all within the first 3km which were very "wobbly", but no obscure hiccups. On the way back these first 3km were almost perfect. Also the 4km in between through heavy covered forest were also very good, almost like with my previous Garmins.
No idea what is the problem on the first 3km, maybe the watch is still calibrating?
Overall the run was measured 10,5km and as this is my standard run, the "real" length I have measured in 100s of runs is more 10,1km. The difference was almost all within the first 3km which were very "wobbly", but no obscure hiccups. On the way back these first 3km were almost perfect. Also the 4km in between through heavy covered forest were also very good, almost like with my previous Garmins.
No idea what is the problem on the first 3km, maybe the watch is still calibrating?
Did a run today. 10km and no iPhone, LTE on.
Changed direction of the crown to left (left hand) as I read a hint that this improves the track.
And wow: I am impressed. Track looks very good. And the course is not easy with tunnels, tree cover, etc.
Not that I know, what did the accuracy jump. Maybe calibration, maybe the crown position, maybe good weather.
I am happy.
Changed direction of the crown to left (left hand) as I read a hint that this improves the track.
And wow: I am impressed. Track looks very good. And the course is not easy with tunnels, tree cover, etc.
Not that I know, what did the accuracy jump. Maybe calibration, maybe the crown position, maybe good weather.
I am happy.
It could be as simple as rotating the watch. It is tricky enough for a watch to grab the signal when your arm is moving to and fro so positioning the antenna to the sky is only going to help matters.
Yes, would love it.
Compared the tracks from my AW with my last run with my Garmin 945 on this course using mygpsfiles and I have to say: objectively the AW does better. To be fair: the GPS accuracy of the 945 is not that brilliant either, but good enough.