Suunto 7 Altitude Issues

cosme.costa

@freeheeler I thought that we agreed to be collaborative .

Now seriously, I see the issue but I also see advantages to the actual design. This design is also used in some Spartans without many complains (the Ultra has different case but same position for the holes and Spartan Sport with baro has the same case). I also remember @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos commenting that A3 peak had also some downsizes regarding the baro design, but he didn’t commented which ones.

@Kurt68 have you tried to use the watch in the other arm?

Kurt68

@cosmecosta with the S9 I didn’t have the problem. The idea of wearing the watch on the other arm also occurred to me today. I’ll try tomorrow.

freeheeler

@cosmecosta
I assume he meant that the same location in S9 as in A3P was not possible because of internal electronics etc.

eurohiker

I have a very detailed posted here showing that the watch DOUBLES my elevation gain which is nuts.

I’m fine with 10-15% off (even though that’s being insanely lenient for a 400euro watch with great GPS support/barometre)

Here is my post Suunto7 doubling my elevation gain

Kurt68

@cosmecosta I wore the watch on the other arm today and the result is much better. I will be watching over the next few days. Now there is only the problem that in the first minute 20-30m ascent are measured. Today I waited 5 minutes before I started and the starting height was correct and still 20m were measured which I did not do in the first 30 seconds. It’s just a minor problem, but it’s strange behavior.

freeheeler

@kurt68
observe it if it happens frequently. my wifes S7 had this weird “I count what you actually did not do anyway” only once.

Kurt68

@freeheeler It’s always like that with me. Today I tried to start a training session and didn’t move. After a 5min and 24m ascent I deleted the training and started a new one and the S7 counted a 20m ascent. In the end it was 791m ascent on the S7 and 756m above the Ambit. If you now deduct the 20m at the beginning, the result would be ok

cedric13

The S7 ascent is totally delirious ! It’s the double of reality !
Here an example of my last weekend trail running ,
first screen shoot from Suunto App and second screenshoot from Strava after Map elevation adjust fonction.

I tested also with my previous Ambit 3 Vertical and the ascension is correct like Strava.
So what happen with this new S7 ?
It already need to come back at Suunto waranty ?

freeheeler

@cedric13
please publish your activity and send the link. As you may have read it is easier for us to check the alti graph and hence we can exclude “wrong” handling of the watch

Edit: by the way, while you mention Strava.
I have noticed recently that Strava differs slightley to Suuntos ascent values (again!). Has the Strava and Suunto collaboration ended already? I don’t see the Suunto branding within my Strava account anymore.
I am asking, because once upon a time I’ve asked Strava why the ascent values in Strava differ to the values from Suunto and their simple answer was: “Suunto is doing it wrong…”. Then the partnership started and obviously Suunto was doing it right. But now the values differ again. Anybody any idea about that??

isazi

@cedric13 if you can share more details we may be able to help more.
This is a comparison from a couple of weeks ago, hiking for 17/18 kilometers in the Dutch dunes.

Ascent:

Descent:

Bulkan

@isazi I’ve been reading this altitude issues that I will compare the next vertical week the s9b and S7 all days and let’s see.

Good idea.

cedric13

Hello guys,

Here the links for Suunto:
https://www.suunto.com/move/cedric13/6030fbb02ba8055d64a33112
And for Strava:
https://strava.app.link/jBDM8FDD8db

All my workout ascents are wrong, I can give you more examples if needed. But I think it’s more a software computing issue than a hardware captor issue…

Another example, exactly the same cycling workout :
Here with S7 (1722m bad ascent)
https://www.suunto.com/move/cedric13/603274653559f46228a623a6

Here with Ambit 3 (1104m good acsent)
https://www.suunto.com/move/stphaniedavidson/60326b8f71c4eb5d4678c593

For <100m of error ascent I can tolerate, but in all my cases the values are too far from reality!
Thanks for all your comments

isazi

@cedric13 something you can try is to load the FIT file from the S7 and the Ambit in QS so you can compare the graphs, makes it much easier to see where the differences are coming from.

Brad_Olwin

@cedric13 I have dozens of runs with both the S7 and S9baro devices. The altitudes match in nearly every case. I can post links if you like or post some of them here. The issues with altitude are either the sensor is clogged, dirty, covered during exercise or a faulty sensor as there have been a few.

Bulkan

@cedric13

How do you wear the S7 in the bike?

Kurt68

@brad_olwin Unfortunately, that’s different for me. I’ve done a lot of runs with the S9 and S7 and the same problems with the S7. Had the S7 at the service and the sensor is ok. It is also not understandable for me how the incorrect measurements come about. The watch works well for a few runs, then there are several runs with large deviations. I sent a few runs to Suunto Service but haven’t received any feedback yet.

freeheeler

@cedric13
nice, you’re running les calanques

I’ve looked at the graph from your first link and saw that it is pretty wavey… this should not be like that and I support @Brad_Olwin 's comment that it is most likely the way how you wear the watch -> covered sensor hole.

As @isazi mentioned it will be similar when cycling unless you have your watch attached to the handlebar (which I never do).
If this should be the case we are back on field no. 1. If you wear it on your wrist, please try to observe how you wear the watch and if it could be possible that the baro hole is covered frequently.
Then try running with less tight strap and see how it goes

EDIT: one more thing, just to be sure… do you wait until the watch locks the satellite properly before you start? I assume you do, but just in case…

cedric13

@bulkan I use this UNIVERSAL HANDLEBAR WATCH HOLDER:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/universal-handlebar-watch-holder/_/R-p-145589?mc=8487015&c=BLACK

isazi

@cedric13 well if you get weird results with the watch on your handlebars then something must be wrong with your watch. Did you talk with support already?

Brad_Olwin

@cedric13 If wind generated by either cycling fast or on windy days is flowing directly into the baro sensor holes this will alter altitude readings. On a very windy day when I run and change directions, I can get 5x more altitude gain because of wind hitting the sensor.