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Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate GPS watches in today's 25K trail race

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  • Ł Offline
    Łukasz Szmigiel @ollemelin
    last edited by 26 Sept 2020, 08:48

    @ollemelin if you can, try waiting for a little bit longer on a start screen before you actually hit “Start”. I used to stand in place where sky visibility is good and slowly rotate with my arm in front but I no longer do it since the firmware that introduced Beidou is good enough to begin the workout without any extra rituals 😉

    Some extra data about GNSS quality on a start screen would be a nice addition but I doubt it honestly. Suunto seems to be on a “don’t bother users with too much data” side and I think it’s wise.

    I did have a glimpse on my last workout on QS and Runalyze and it really seems that Suunto is doing its magic with fusedspeed which results in those strange offsets in recorded paths. This is pretty logical - if GNSS is poor and the path would be wobbly but the pace takes priority, the line has to be straight. So the error at the beginning of a turn will persist until the direction changes above certain threshold.

    1. This is the start area - you can see that GNSS quality was poor by looking on altitude diagram. It should be around 120 meters but is way higher and dropping as I run (I have an S5, so there’s no baro). But the pace is rock steady regardless of poor GNSS readings. Also, after enabling “Show points” in QS, it seems that the actual points on the map are more spread apart in this area than in the open - so the watch must behave differently if it’s unsure of it’s position.
      Screenshot_2020-09-26 Quantified Self.png

    2. Now take a look on the same area on Runalyze and its pace chart - it oscillates like mad between 5 and 8 min/km.
      Screenshot_2020-09-26 RUNALYZE.png

    So it really seems to me that Suunto is doing good job to provide as accurate data as possible during the run but since it’s impossible to do this without sacrificing something, it chooses to do a recorded track offset in order to provide more accurate tempo and speed readings.

    I have never seen anything like it before with different hardware - it’s more common to have a zig-zag pattern when GNSS reception is poor, as the path is constantly drifting and it’s being reflected on the record.

    But if you think about it - it’s better to have more accurate predictions about pace and speed than a GNSS path that is constantly wobbling from right to left. But the effect is a constant offset until something dramatic happens (I assume it’s either a sudden change in direction, speed or GNSS precision increase).

    Neat and practical programming.

    Btw. @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos, kudos for “Show points” in QS - it’s great for analyzing such events. You can clearly see that the watch has two modes of saving data where the dots are either more or less condensed - I assume it’s related to GNSS reception.

    S9PP 2.43.12

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
    • F Offline
      freeheeler
      last edited by freeheeler 22 Oct 2020, 18:22

      I think something went bananas today… some segments were right to the point and some completely off

      Screenshot_20201022-200959.png

      living sideways

      D 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 07:50 Reply Quote 2
      • D Offline
        Dimitrios Kanellopoulos Community Manager @freeheeler
        last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 07:50

        @TELE-HO COROS + VANTAGE + SONYS had issues yesterday. Logically SOny chip issue. If you need links …

        Community Manager / Admin @Suunto
        Creator of Quantified-Self.io
        youtube.com/c/dimitrioskanellopoulos
        https://instagram.com/dimitrioskanellopoulos
        https://www.strava.com/athletes/7586105

        M S 2 Replies Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 07:54 Reply Quote 4
        • M Offline
          Mff73 @Dimitrios Kanellopoulos
          last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 07:54

          @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos
          I had bad GPS yesterday as well, but no Sony in my Spartan 🙂 GPS Fix was long, need to sync again AGPS, and track is bad
          But no complain, i enjoyed my almost nighty, and totally rainy workout 😉

          Suunto Spartan Ultra (since 2016) FW: 2.8.24 (retired)
          Suunto Vertical all black
          Wife : S9PP
          SA: Always the latest beta :)
          Android 13, Galaxy S205G

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
          • S Offline
            surfboomerang @Dimitrios Kanellopoulos
            last edited by surfboomerang 23 Oct 2020, 10:42

            @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos
            Only Sony? Can this be chip specific? GPS errors affects all chips right?

            Suunto Vertical Titanium Solar
            OnePlus Nord 4

            D 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 10:52 Reply Quote 0
            • D Offline
              Dimitrios Kanellopoulos Community Manager @surfboomerang
              last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 10:52

              @surfboomerang not sure, but for sure I saw sony issues.

              Check the COROS group. They had huge offsets and also our fieltest team

              Community Manager / Admin @Suunto
              Creator of Quantified-Self.io
              youtube.com/c/dimitrioskanellopoulos
              https://instagram.com/dimitrioskanellopoulos
              https://www.strava.com/athletes/7586105

              Ł 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 11:41 Reply Quote 0
              • Ł Offline
                Łukasz Szmigiel @Dimitrios Kanellopoulos
                last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 11:41

                @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos this is pretty crazy how it affects whole range of products that use the same chip. But on the other hand it shows how much can still be done with GPS firmware to optimize it.

                S9PP 2.43.12

                D 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 11:44 Reply Quote 0
                • D Offline
                  Dimitrios Kanellopoulos Community Manager @Łukasz Szmigiel
                  last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 11:44

                  @Łukasz-Szmigiel typically this can also be caused by a combination of wrong AGPS + FW

                  For example one time one Galileo Sat was down, aka should not be used, Sony forgot to update the AGPS to include this change and voila. I was steady at a spot locked to that orbiting sat going with crazy speeds around my house.

                  Community Manager / Admin @Suunto
                  Creator of Quantified-Self.io
                  youtube.com/c/dimitrioskanellopoulos
                  https://instagram.com/dimitrioskanellopoulos
                  https://www.strava.com/athletes/7586105

                  Ł 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 12:02 Reply Quote 3
                  • Ł Offline
                    Łukasz Szmigiel @Dimitrios Kanellopoulos
                    last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 12:02

                    @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos cool story. It seems that the chip relies heavily on AGPS data. I wonder how much really and what will happen in the event of AGPS malfunction (ie. system outage on Sony side).

                    S9PP 2.43.12

                    S 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 14:26 Reply Quote 1
                    • S Offline
                      sartoric Moderator @Łukasz Szmigiel
                      last edited by sartoric 23 Oct 2020, 14:26

                      @Łukasz-Szmigiel
                      In the ol’times 😁 getting a fix on an handheld gps took a lot

                      Usually you had to turn it on when you almost reached the location, just to start looking the sky, so you had to wait only 5/10 minutes before having a good readings 😁

                      … then phones started using agps …

                      SVTS - 2.40.38
                      SSSWHR BARO Amber - 2.8.32
                      Samsung A5 2016 - Android 7.0
                      Samsung A33 2022 - Android 15 - One UI 7.0
                      Suunto App Android 5.4.5 beta
                      Suunto App IOs 2.47.1 (19846) beta on MBP M1

                      F Ł ? 3 Replies Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 14:35 Reply Quote 2
                      • F Offline
                        freeheeler @sartoric
                        last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 14:35

                        @sartoric
                        I remember that time… when I carried a backpack for the gps device 😉

                        living sideways

                        S 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 14:42 Reply Quote 0
                        • S Offline
                          sartoric Moderator @freeheeler
                          last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 14:42

                          @TELE-HO
                          … and external cabled antenna 😁

                          SVTS - 2.40.38
                          SSSWHR BARO Amber - 2.8.32
                          Samsung A5 2016 - Android 7.0
                          Samsung A33 2022 - Android 15 - One UI 7.0
                          Suunto App Android 5.4.5 beta
                          Suunto App IOs 2.47.1 (19846) beta on MBP M1

                          F 1 Reply Last reply 23 Oct 2020, 14:45 Reply Quote 0
                          • F Offline
                            freeheeler @sartoric
                            last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 14:45

                            @sartoric
                            that was possible with mine, but I did not invest in that 😉

                            living sideways

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • ? Offline
                              A Former User @Guest
                              last edited by A Former User 23 Oct 2020, 17:21

                              In general for me GPS on S9 is very good and reliable. Some days ago I meassured a typical route via google maps. S9 said exactly the same distance after running. Also very much important and outstanding is FusedAlti. It went so incredible accurate! Wow!

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
                              • Łukasz SzmigielŁ Offline
                                Łukasz Szmigiel @sartoric
                                last edited by 23 Oct 2020, 19:51

                                @sartoric I remember that too. But A in AGPS should mean assisted, right? Not Absolutely useless untill on LTE 😉

                                Jokes aside, things like this year’s february bug or offline Galileo sat that @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos mentioned shouldn’t interfere with GPS receiver more than with a longer fix.

                                S9PP 2.43.12

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • ? Offline
                                  A Former User @sartoric
                                  last edited by A Former User 23 Oct 2020, 22:38

                                  @sartoric said in Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate GPS watches in today's 25K trail race:

                                  @Łukasz-Szmigiel
                                  In the ol’times 😁 getting a fix on an handheld gps took a lot

                                  Usually you had to turn it on when you almost reached the location, just to start looking the sky, so you had to wait only 5/10 minutes before having a good readings 😁

                                  … then phones started using agps …

                                  I don’t know how they manage it, but on the garmin etrex 30x which has no connection to internet the fix is quick.
                                  That is something that sometimes puts me off into newer devices…you seem you can’t get that “pick it and go” you had with old ones like etrex 30x and ambit 2/3.
                                  I remember when I got the ambit 2 even without same days sync it was blazing fast to catch gps signal.
                                  With the polar rc3 I had before, not as fast but max wiating 1min-2min.
                                  Today I hear about continuous resets, having to wait sometime after sync so agps files can do this and that on the watch, plus gps firmware.
                                  Ok, so what is the added value that this new devices bring in order to compensate all the trouble (sincerelly asking)
                                  ?

                                  BulkanB 1 Reply Last reply 24 Oct 2020, 17:01 Reply Quote 0
                                  • BulkanB Offline
                                    Bulkan Moderator @Guest
                                    last edited by 24 Oct 2020, 17:01

                                    @André-Faria said in [Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate

                                    Today I hear about continuous resets, having to wait sometime after sync so agps files can do this and that on the watch, plus gps firmware.
                                    Ok, so what is the added value that this new devices bring in order to compensate all the trouble (sincerelly asking)

                                    How many resets did you have? Just curious.

                                    Tu comunidad Suunto en Telegram: https://t.me/suuntocommunity (spanish)

                                    ? 1 Reply Last reply 24 Oct 2020, 17:05 Reply Quote 0
                                    • ? Offline
                                      A Former User @Bulkan
                                      last edited by 24 Oct 2020, 17:05

                                      @Bulkan said in Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate GPS watches in today's 25K trail race:

                                      @André-Faria said in [Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate

                                      Today I hear about continuous resets, having to wait sometime after sync so agps files can do this and that on the watch, plus gps firmware.
                                      Ok, so what is the added value that this new devices bring in order to compensate all the trouble (sincerelly asking)

                                      How many resets did you have? Just curious.

                                      With the ambit 2? None. Ambit 3 one.

                                      BulkanB 1 Reply Last reply 24 Oct 2020, 17:08 Reply Quote 0
                                      • BulkanB Offline
                                        Bulkan Moderator @Guest
                                        last edited by 24 Oct 2020, 17:08

                                        @André-Faria with my s9 none. With my s7 none. With my Spartan none.

                                        So the point is not how bad are our watches, the point is about how good are our watches. Let’s put some positive here.

                                        Tu comunidad Suunto en Telegram: https://t.me/suuntocommunity (spanish)

                                        ? 1 Reply Last reply 24 Oct 2020, 17:14 Reply Quote 0
                                        • ? Offline
                                          A Former User @Bulkan
                                          last edited by 24 Oct 2020, 17:14

                                          @Bulkan said in Suunto 9 with the recent GPS firmware was among least accurate GPS watches in today's 25K trail race:

                                          @André-Faria with my s9 none. With my s7 none. With my Spartan none.

                                          So the point is not how bad are our watches, the point is about how good are our watches. Let’s put some positive here.

                                          My commentary is not to denegrate any watch.
                                          In fact it is like that in most technology.
                                          You are right, I know our watches are good, what I wanted to know, is what the S9B has better than the A3P in order to people make the switch and still have deal with resets and stuff.
                                          I don’t believe that if the watch wasn’t that good, people wouldn’t get back to A3P for example…

                                          BulkanB 1 Reply Last reply 24 Oct 2020, 17:35 Reply Quote 0
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