Español Update - Problem fixed
Have you been out to train since January 1 and found really horrifying tracks? Relax, you're not the only one and your watch isn't spoiled. It is a present fault in the Sony GNSS chipset that, for better or worse, is equipped in all recent new devices of all brands.
Where is the source of the problem located? When we synchronize a watch, it automatically does a cache download with information about what will be the location of the satellites in the sky to, that way, make triangulation much faster.
This is why with modern devices we can get the “Ok” of our device in a matter of seconds when a few years ago it was normal to have to wait for minutes.
But these days, as there is an error on the part of Sony (which is who has to supply that information cache to all our devices), that information is not being updated so we not only have much longer triangulation times, it is also accompanied by horrible GPS tracks.
But I repeat, it's not a problem with your device or your brand, it's something global and that Sony has to fix.
In fact, Garmin watches will tell you that the CPE file is expired, and as much as you sync it will not be updated.
Synchronizing a Suunto watch will show you an error when it comes to optimizing GPS values.
However Polar is not reporting error in the A-GPS data download, which does not mean that the data you download is correct (although I haven't used Polar these two days).
COROS meanwhile indicates that the file is up to date and that you don't have to download anything yet. In fact with COROS I have had good tracks these two days.
Solution to the GPS problem
It's clear this is first-world problems... but it's definitely an awkward situation. Solution to the problem? Well, there is not much to do, because it is not something that depends on us or manufacturers directly.
In the case of Suunto and Garmin, since the A-GPS data has expired, you should not have that error induced from the beginning. The only thing to keep in mind is that you will have to wait a little longer before starting your workout to ensure a good triangulation.
If you have been training these two days, you can use the comments below to tell us how the track was and if you've already noticed strange things about it.
Update January 3rd
Sony has worked on the weekend and the problem is already fixed. Everything goes back to normal and your GPS records should be as they always have been.
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In fact, Suunto already does GPS optimization correctly.
And Garmin also updates the CPE (which comes from Connected Predictive Ephemeris) correctly.
So you're out of the excuse for not training today. Because being cold outside doesn't qualify as an excuse, I'm sorry...
And with that... thanks for reading!
I train with garmin Fenix 6x and the errors today during the first 30' were in the order of 200 to 300 mts, then it has been quite regularized, the sky was clear and with good coverage.
I've been out with polar v800 and it synced great.
No problem on models with SirfSTAR chipset
I have gone out this morning to run with my Garmin 45 and the measurement of the route (usual for me) has been about 400 meters more (in a route that does not reach 5km), apart to dump it to the application the track was fatal, it moved about 200 meters north and went over the buildings, I hope they fix this.
Hi, user of Garmin 5. Race on the 31st, it took about 5 seconds to pick up the GPS signal, today day 2, it took about the same.
The Fenix 5 does not use the Sony chipset, so you have not had a problem.
I see that some of you do not read the text. The error are for new watches ,with the Sony chip.
I have a Garmin Forerunner 245, I just tested it today, it started well but on the way back it went off the clamp and made up the course, it comes out the course shifted to the south.
Hello.
I am a Polar Vantage M User,distance measurement error of 300 meters on a 6 km course,almost all accumulated in the first 10 minutes and 2 km,initial route layout shifted about 0.5 km from point of origin,totally uneven through buildings.
Error also of altitude by about 50 meters too much.
Hello, just yesterday and today day 2, the tracks have been quite wrong. I have the Garmin 245, I do not know if it is because of that but these two days it has failed me.
I have trained today with my Polar Grit X and everything was perfect, without any failure or delay in connecting.
Today I went out for a run and the GPS took a long time to catch me. That is to say, I started to run and the GPS didn't catch me until several minutes later.
I have a Garmin Forerunner 45
With my first mountain route of the year, today day 2, with a Polar Ignite, the first ten minutes of the tack were a disaster, from there it started to triangulate well and everything perfect until the end. It is the first time that it fails me in this way, it is also true that the day was cold and snowy, but it only failed at the beginning, and it fits with the error that you tell in the news.
Hi, Eduardo.
I have had these problems on my S9 since last year.
Not in the track but in the time it takes to detect the GPS signal.
More than one day I have had to wait more than 5 minutes for the activity position indicator to turn green.
On other days I have given it up as impossible and started the activity without the watch detecting my position.
There is another thing that is quite annoying, and that is having to search for the position manually when I change, for example, community.
Whenever I've switched from one to the other, the sunrise and sunset times don't match. And of course, if I go out for any kind of sport, I can easily be waiting more than 15 minutes until the watch detects my position.
I don't understand why, with the technology in this type of watch, it doesn't automatically update the position.
All this happens even after having synchronized the watch with the Suunto app and with Suuntolink.
Best regards and congratulations for the blog.
Thank you, Javier.
What you need to do is to reset the clock (hold down the top button) and then connect to Suuntolink. That should solve the problem. This is something that has happened to me when I have not used Suunto 9 for a while.
UPDATE
The error has been fixed by Sony. If you synchronize your device now, everything will be back to normal.
I went hiking in the mountains with my brother-in-law yesterday, I carry a Suunto 9 and he a Titan, in 2h45 minutes that we were I mark me 2'5 kms less distance traveled than him.
Fenix 6 error 300 m in the first 10 minutes, all track after 10 m all good.
I went out yesterday to run with a Garmin Forerunner 245 and I missed the start and end of the track by about 300 meters. In addition, the track is completely out of sync from almost the beginning.
Good I went out the first two days and Fanta of 5km the GPS was going crazy in the 2 output mea echo the same and avía sections that I left the route and did not warn me and others that if I hope you solve it as soon as possible thanks and greetings
Well, my Garmin 245 draws me a track that puts me in another town more than 1km away from my location. The pace is at its own pace and I've done 90m descents in 1 km on flat terrain. I'm about to go back to the 630.
Thanks to this mistake today I did a few PR 1 kilometer for 2.49🤣🤣 and on top of that I ran through the water.
Not these days, but towards the end of the year, on 23.12.20, in a foot race on flat and clear terrain along the river with a Polar GritX gave an impossible track and a clock pace of 2'32″/km (not even when I was young!!!), and on 24.12.20, climbing a small pass by bike near Barcelona, just down and up again lost the signal for about 10km with a Polar V800.
I have never had problems before and two in two consecutive days with two different watches is curious and annoying in equal parts... Otherwise, since that day, everything (seems to be) going well...
Happy New Year and many personal and sporting successes!!!
I went out yesterday with a Garmin phoenix 6 and according to the map started the course from km 6, all data from km 1 but the route cut off. 15 km of race were passed to strava as a race of 9. A disaster!!!!!