Accuracy of stair count

[BlazeUser12]

Hello , I did not go up any stairs yesterday , not even 1 . My fitbit , however , indicated that I went up 26 floors ! Its doing the same thing today as well 

Whats happening ??

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity 

[Jak68]

What are you doing during the day?

[2Paps]

Mine does the same thing. The first time I noticed it I got the "Lighthouse" award after riding a motorcycle for about 200 mi.

[wtksk8r]

Fitbit uses an altimeter to estimate floors climbed.  First you need to be walking and the altimeter has to register 10 ft elevation change to count one floor.  The unit can be sensitive to changes in air pressure including wind.  I have gotten readings of over 50 floors climbed working out in the yard .

[2Paps]

---

@wtksk8r wrote:

Fitbit uses an altimeter to estimate floors climbed.  First you need to be walking and the altimeter has to register 10 ft elevation change to count one floor.  The unit can be sensitive to changes in air pressure including wind.  I have gotten readings of over 50 floors climbed working out in the yard .

---

So the Blaze is sensitive to changes in Atmospheric Pressure, I guess that means it's not air travel friendly either.

[wtksk8r]

I have taken mine on plane flights with no issues. Since I am not walking it does not count the elevation change as floors. Same with Stairmasters - since there is no elevation change it will not count floors for that either.

[2Paps]

Then what would make it count floors while riding a motorcycle?

[wtksk8r]

I think the stair count in riding the motorcycle is just like what I get working in the yard.  The wind against the sensor is likely read as an elevation change and the vibrations from riding is taken as steps.

[BlazeUser12]

Nothing special 

Walking , some elliptical , writing ( student )

[2Paps]

---

@wtksk8r wrote:

I think the stair count in riding the motorcycle is just like what I get working in the yard.  The wind against the sensor is likely read as an elevation change and the vibrations from riding is taken as steps.

---

I don't know how wind would affect elevation change since the Blaze was covered by the long sleeve shirt and winter jacket sleeve and the end of the sleeve was covered by the glove.

If vibrations from the motorcycle cause the step count to go up, how do I prevent/filte that?

[MTRREF]

I'd love to hear a valid answer to the motorcycle question. I've started getting a big count even driving the car. I was in and out of the car 15 times today with various stops. No stairs or climbs over 10', and I have 26 floors on my Blaze! My record is 178 on a full day motorcycle ride. I'd really like to figure it out.

[AmaniD78]

I was in my bed and I had like 3 stairs - when I sync my blaze, the stair counter on the actual fitbit is different than what is on the dashboard in the app.

[MTRREF]

---

@AmaniD78 wrote:

I was in my bed and I had like 3 stairs - when I sync my blaze, the stair counter on the actual fitbit is different than what is on the dashboard in the app.

---

Interesting, my Blaze and my Dashboard (iPhone and web) are usually the same, 

[AlejandraFitbit]

It's great to see all around here! 

I would like to know if you keep having problems with your stairs count? If you do, keep in mind that your Fitbit may give you credit for extra floors for a variety of reasons. Occasionally your tracker may detect pressure changes unrelated to elevation gains, such as a gust of wind, weather change, or opening a door. Exposure to excess moisture can also result in extra floors being counted. This happens if the pathway to the altimeter on the back of your tracker becomes temporarily blocked with sweat or water. 

If you are experiencing problems with a high amount of stairs, you can negate this information by manually logging the activity "Driving" by doing the following from a computer:

1. Go to the Activities page by clicking Log at the top of your dashboard, then click Activities. 
2. Under Log Activities, click a common activity or search for your activity in the search box. 
3. Select your activity from the search results. If the activity is not in our system, you have the option to create your own activity by clicking the Create custom activity text that will appear below the search field. 
4. Enter the duration, distance (if applicable), and start time of your activity. You have the option to manually enter the number of calories burned here if you'd like to. 
5. Click Log Activity. Your activity will now be visible and editable in the Logged Activities area. 

I hope this helps, catch you later. 

[MTRREF]

Sent from my iPhone, please ignore typos 

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[jnsturgesblaze]

Every change in Elevation like going up hills, for example, may be sensed by your FitBit.  So, just go into Settings on your Blaze and choose SHUTDOWN while you're riding.  When you arrive at your destination, press and hold the left button until the Blaze turns back on.

But the Sensor should also be aware of your ground SPEED and the App's Programmers should program the device to ignore elevation changes at normal driving speeds.  

Or, like my Blaze, the Elevation Sensoir appears to malfunction.  If you think the Elevation Sensor may be FUBARed, call FitBit Tech Support, like I plan to, later this Monday morning.