Hiking with battery mode Ultra

Fenr1r · 2 Feb 2021, 13:38

@surfboomerang said in Hiking with battery mode Ultra:

You can add ETE/ETA fields without a warning. When you select the sport mode and adjust GPS mode to OK in the watch, it also gives no warning.

And that neatly answers what would have been my follow-up. Thanks.

zadow · 2 Feb 2021, 15:24

@surfboomerang Hm, now I am not 100% sure, but if I remember it correctly, watch switch to BEST GPS every time, when ETA/ETE/destination field is in ACTIVE (current) display. Therefore, as long as on your current active display are none of navigation related fields, GPS stays in ULTRA. As soon as you switch to display with any of those fields, watch switch to best in order to give you info what you are requesting - ETA/ETE or remaining distance… you can look at it, note it and then switch back to display without these fields. watches should switch back to ULTRA. This is how I understand how it works. So, pretty smart, IMHO.

Brad_Olwin · 2 Feb 2021, 16:35

@zadow @surfboomerang I am awaiting confirmation from Suunto about this but…
AFAIK:

Navigation screen will invoke Best GPS only while on Nav screen.
Distance to waypoint/End on any screen will invoke Best GPS no matter battery settings or active screen if route is active.
ETE/ETA fields in any screen will invoke Best GPS no matter battery settings or active screen if route is active.
Altitude profile screen does not invoke Best GPS settings (not sure about this, will test but what I was told).

I will update this when I know more. I also plan to test this as I have 2 S9 baro watches.

Fenr1r · 2 Feb 2021, 16:31

@brad_olwin 2 & 3 applying regardless of navigation ON/OFF status, AFAYK?

Brad_Olwin · 2 Feb 2021, 16:35

@fenr1r Changed description, thanks but those fields will show ----------- if no route is loaded.

Fenr1r · 2 Feb 2021, 16:49

@brad_olwin

Thanks, just working through the permutations!

those fields will show ----------- if no route is loaded.

Yup: that was the OP’s initial, deliberate condition. Hence the surprise at the GPS still being set to Best in the background without need or ability to display data there.

And @zadow’s interesting point about active screens: maybe it works that way without navigation enabled.

Something to add to your double-wielding test, if you feel like it.

surfboomerang · 9 Feb 2021, 16:18

@brad_olwin Just curious…did you get a response from Suunto?

Brad_Olwin · 9 Feb 2021, 18:19

@surfboomerang More of a discussion. For now, I think what I stated is correct but I should eventually have more information. If you want to use Endurance or Ultra mode at this time with a route loaded I recommend no ETE/ETA fields in custom sport modes or any distance to waypoint fields. Then, Best GPS should only be active when on route Navigation and Good GPS on other screens including the altitude profile screen. Keep bugging me about this and I will check into it. I will also be doing my own testing on long runs over the next two to three weeks.

surfboomerang · 9 Feb 2021, 19:16

@brad_olwin said in Hiking with battery mode Ultra:

@surfboomerang More of a discussion.

Our opinion of how it should work differs from Suunto’s opinion?

surfboomerang · 19 Feb 2021, 19:13

@brad_olwin Any news about the discussion outcome?

Brad_Olwin · 19 Feb 2021, 19:58

@surfboomerang Nope, I will update when I know more. I think that WP distance fields and ETE/ETA fields may like stay as implemented. Users dislike “————“ being displayed as typically one thinks something is broken. The real question is whether Best GPS fix can be off unless the user is looking at these fields in the watch face. I would prefer it this way but still awaiting information on this. For now, when a route is loaded and no fields for distance/ETE/ETA the only screen that will revert to Best fix is the route screen itself.

surfboomerang · 19 Feb 2021, 20:06

@brad_olwin Best GPS can also be off if the value is “----” even if i’m looking at these fields.
Btw, do you know how the Suunto Plus “Weather” screen influences this behaviour? This screen also takes ETA into account right?

Fenr1r · 19 Feb 2021, 20:07

@brad_olwin said in Hiking with battery mode Ultra:

Users dislike “————“ being displayed as typically one thinks something is broken

What do these fields actually read when Nav is inactive (but GPS is switched on by their presence)? As currently implemented, if I understand S9s correctly. Sb’s original point was that no route was loaded.

As one has to activate Navigation manually, isn’t the value-less-ness more a clear indication/reminder that the user hasn’t done so? A step not taken, rather than something broken?

The real question is whether Best GPS fix can be off unless the user is looking at these fields in the watch face. I would prefer it this way but still awaiting information on this.

Also a very valid, if different usage case.

Brad_Olwin · 6 Mar 2021, 08:56

@surfboomerang said in Hiking with battery mode Ultra:

@brad_olwin Best GPS can also be off if the value is “----” even if i’m looking at these fields.
Btw, do you know how the Suunto Plus “Weather” screen influences this behaviour? This screen also takes ETA into account right?

Excellent point and frankly, I have not tested this since the Endurance/Ultra modes were fixed (there was a long time where this was broken in test firmware) as I need a long run and both S9s. I will soon though and I think we need long runs >3h to get good information on this. I have been hampered by snow as I am this weekend and won’t run sloppy trails when I can SkiMo fresh pow…these modes don’t work for SkiMo:)

surfboomerang · 6 Mar 2021, 08:56

@brad_olwin Just curious… any new information in the meantime?

surfboomerang · 22 Mar 2021, 21:08

@brad_olwin said in Hiking with battery mode Ultra:

@surfboomerang More of a discussion. For now, I think what I stated is correct but I should eventually have more information. If you want to use Endurance or Ultra mode at this time with a route loaded I recommend no ETE/ETA fields in custom sport modes or any distance to waypoint fields. Then, Best GPS should only be active when on route Navigation and Good GPS on other screens including the altitude profile screen. Keep bugging me about this and I will check into it. I will also be doing my own testing on long runs over the next two to three weeks.

No new information yet?

Brad_Olwin · 3 Jul 2021, 15:26

@surfboomerang Nope.

Łukasz Szmigiel · S9PP 2.40.44

@brad_olwin I’m commenting on this from S5 user’s perspective, which shares some firmware and is related to some extent (by default not “Ultra” but “Good”, that is - 1 min fix mode). If it’s necessary - I’ll create a separate thread in S5 forum.

I went on a hike today on a route I know well so I thought I’ll go with orange mode which in S5 means no OHR and 1 min fix (Endurance in S9).

I didn’t load a route in watch. However - I have ETA on my second screen as I have only one hiking profile that I usually use with navigation and routes loaded. I have two data screens - one related purely to ETAs so if no route is loaded I simply disregard this screen and all is well.

I did notice that the watch didn’t switch to 1 min fix after initial 1 s warmup that lasts a while and it used 1 s fix for the whole activity.

Why I believe this is a problem?

I got 20+ hours of estimated battery life (starting at ~70%) which was impossible in such conditions. After 2:48 hours of activity (GPS + Galileo) I was left with 51%.
I didn’t get a notification while starting the activity that the watch is unable to lock on 1 minute fix despite my preference because I’m using ETA on my screens (an easy solution that would take away the confusion why the battery is dead way sooner than expected and maybe the watch is faulty - just tell the user what’s going on if it’s not obvious).
The watch didn’t record ascent / descent as per 1 min fix mode (S5 can’t do this in other mode than 1 s fix) - but in fact the ETA field forced 1 s fix mode for the whole activity. So it kind of switched to performance but at the same time it didn’t.

The solution?

Simplest: Just tell people what’s going on after pressing the middle (start) button when watchface configuration (ETAs) interferes with battery settings. Display a message with ability to change the setting or accept it (top / bottom button).
Better: Same as above but make it route dependent. Let me use 1 minute fix when using ETA on screen if there’s no route loaded - it’s not used anyway, blank field not doing anything. Switch to 1 s after loading the route and display the message when loading the route (the battery life will suffer as we need more precision blah blah are you sure).
Best: Calculate ETA with less precision? Like - this seems obvious that if navigation data is refreshed rarely then ETA calculation will be less accurate. Maybe use parts of snap to route to achieve this?

Fenr1r · 3 Jul 2021, 17:46

@łukasz-szmigiel Is Sport Mode still the first selection stage in the S5’s activity recording?

If so, how about the act of loading any Sport Mode with those Best-GPS-invoking fields disables (and greys out) the Battery Modes other than Performance?

The user will learn pretty quickly, and before they start the activity (even if they have to go back to that User Guide Note). Time to create a Sport Mode free of those fields.

Alternatively …

The Spartan lacks battery control nuance but the sequence works: pick Sport Mode -> setting “Power Saving” to “OK” disables the pre-set GLONASS option* (as well as doing the 1 fix/min thing).

So your idea of retroactive Sport Mode ET/distance quality adjustment has a kind of precedent, too. Unless Sport Modes, once saved and invoked, are pure and inviolable.

I wonder which is more difficult for Suunto: adding a warning screen vs disabling or reconfiguring a function.

(*At least I think it does: it greys out the toggle at its last setting, even if it was left ON. Can’t see that actually locking it ON makes sense as saving power.)

Łukasz Szmigiel · S9PP 2.40.44

@fenr1r I simply find it absurd having to create a separate training profile - a double - with and without ETA fields just to workaround being unable to use different GPS quality modes.

I was thinking about a workaround with different modes even - with multisports functionality - to avoid loosing ETA if I start the activity with a profile without them and when the need arises during the activity by simply switching to different sports and then switching back but with a different profile (which has an ETA).

But still - this is pretty awkward.

But number one bummer to me is not knowing the issue is there. There’s a tiny info in the manual and that’s it.

In contrast - I’m bombarded with “keep moving to see direction” whenever I stop as my watch stubbornly reminds me that it lacks compass. But I’ve no idea that I won’t get 20+ hours when I need it.