Blaze Distance Measurement is Inaccurate

[MuzDownUnder]

I have been testing the Blaze vs the Surge on my last two walks. The Blaze is not reading distance correctly using Connected GPS. Here are the detailed results from the last quite slow walk.

Unit              Blaze    Surge           Notes

Time             41:50    41:42.22      I pressed the two starts and stops within 0.5 sec

Dist               2.59km 2.20km        The 2.20 is accurate - on both walks the Flaze was well over

Avg Pace      16'07"   18'55"          The surge is closer

Hrt Avg          86         80

Steps             2953     2920            The surge step counting is a little erratic

Elevation       36.57    36.57

My phone is a Samsung S5 running Android 5.0

[bcalvanese]

See my thread here...

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Things-You-Can-Do-To-Make-The-Blaze-More-Accurate/m-p/1389211#...

[tjsplace21]

Silly question for you. I used your formula and since I started walking 3/1/16 my stride has gone from 28 to 34, Im 5’8 also. What does that mean. I walk 4 miles every other day in an hour down to 56 min.

[JoePC]

I certainly hope that they fix the problem. I can't compete with other users as it has my pace times all wrong, since I have to walk 1.25 miles for it to register 1 mile. They should also provide a list of compatible phones online. I'd have chosen a different fitness tracker, had I known.

[Corvettekid]

JoePC, my Blaze is off by the same amount.  I walk 1 mile, it registers 0.75 miles.

[Rich_Laue]

For compatable phones fitbit.com/devices

[trevorms]

My issue is similar except that when I walk 1km my FitBit Blaze registers 1.2-1.3km.  This means that I have extraordinarily good split times 

[bcalvanese]

---

@tjsplace21 wrote:
Silly question for you. I used your formula and since I started walking 3/1/16 my stride has gone from 28 to 34, Im 5’8 also. What does that mean. I walk 4 miles every other day in an hour down to 56 min.

---

It means your stride length is longer than what fitbit cosiders to be your default. fitbit says my default was 23.something inches, but when I measured it by walking a known distance and counting steps, it turns out to be about 35 inches.

Before I started doing this, my distance was off sometimes by up to half a mile. Now it's pretty close (within a tenth of a mile).

I am guessing that if the GPS signal gets lost during the walk that it uses stride length to calculate distance until it finds the signal again.

You also have to consider that GPS's are not perfect either, and getting a 10th of a mile difference would be acceptable.

[Royboy50]

I have a compatible phone and yet my Fitbit just cannot get my distances on my cycle rides correct.

I use the same phone using Strava and it is correct every time.

Beware a Fitbit is actually a MISFIT. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone!


Kind Regards,




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[Denimama]

Just to pile on, I'm having the same problem with my Blaze overstating mileage while in connected GPS mode.

I run the same path each morning--roughly 4.8 miles to work.  When I leave the house, I launch the "run" exercise on my fitbit blaze, connecting it to my Samsung Galaxy S5 for GPS.  At the same time, I launch the MapMyFitness application on the phone.  I hit "begin" at the same time on the app and the Blaze and I get running.  Mile after mile, my Blaze slowly increases the measurement over the phone app.  But they are sharing the same GPS.  This happens every - single - day.  I get to work, my MapMyFitness app says 5.04 miles.  My Blaze and Fitbit app say 5.2 miles.  Consistently.

The only thing I can think is that these two systems (Blaze and MapMyFitness) samples GPS location at different intervals.  I've looked at the paths online and what I've noticed is that the Fitbit Blaze map is "jerkier"...less smooth.  Example--here is a segment from MapMyFitness:

And here is the same segement on Fitbit:

Notice the jerky path at Westlake right after Aurora on the Fitbit app--it's a smooth path on MapMyFitness (which how I actually run it).

I would love to hear from Fitbit how frequently the Blaze samples the GPS and how that impacts accuracy of mileage measurement.  I'm guessing that the MapMyFitness app is more accurate (it at least lines up with what Google says), but I would like to know for sure.

[Cracker65]

So finally giving up on the Blaze as a product after nearly 7 months, I like it have gotten use to it, but as a fitness tracking watch its almost useless. Distance/GPS issues have never been resolved, Heart Rate monitoring works mostly but when you want it the most during workouts its never close. FitBit are pretty useless in getting product updates out to keep the masses happy.

Going to Apple Watch2..

[jaynana]

i'm a regular runner and cyclist, got a Blaze Gun-metal Black recently.

On my regular run of exactly 5.2km Blaze has recorded 5.0km, 5.1km on different days, seems random.

Today i used it for my cycle ride. exact distance of 23km got recorded as 19.2km today??

some have said to adjust the stride length - but that only applies to running, plus a stride length is never constant. i thought distance came from the phone's GPS.  what's going on here?

pretty much useless as a fitness device if it can't get the stats right.. what's going on here.. 

[Mczech]

Mine was working fine until the last update.  Now it doesn't. 

[Rich_Laue]

@jaynana i agree a persons stride will not be the same from day to day.

As for tge run bije mode, Fitbit says that it uses GPS for distance.

The question i see no motion of, was the map accurate?

[jaynana]

Map is accurate
--
Sent from my iPhone

[Mczech]

I completely agree!  The canned answers and so quick to send a replacement has got to stop. I give them all a canned answer back with a link to these discussion posts, I don't know what else to do!

[jaynana]

Mines going back to FitBit, as a return not a replacement. 

I'll go back to running with Strava and cycling with Garmin, both of which have proved very consistent over the years. 

[Royboy50]

Agree. It is totally different useless other than as a fancy watch to monitor your daily steps.

I have given up with it and moved on. I can't see this company lasting much longer with everyone else bring out more superior and ACCURATE technology.

Kind Regards,

Roy Pater
M:+61404314602

[Royboy50]

Agree. It is totally different useless other than as a fancy watch to monitor your daily steps.

I have given up with it and moved on. I can't see this company lasting much longer with everyone else bring out more superior and ACCURATE technology.

Kind Regards,

Roy Pater
M:+61404314602

[celticmoose]

I've had the Blaze for a few months, and so far is has been fairly accurate, at least to the naked eye.  (5% variance maybe)

But last night my wife and I went for 3+ mile run, and mine was way ahead of hers, to the tune of a 1/4 mile.  She has a Charge 2.

I looked at my plotted map and it was way off, straight line through houses, etc.  I'm hoping it was just a poor connected to my phone and GPS.

It has concerned me enough that next time we go for a run, I will use another app simultaneously.  I will also plot it on a digital map when I'm back home and compare the three.  I'm hoping the FitBit fares well, otherwise it is going back to Costco.

[jaynana]

Mines already gone back and refunded.

Fab refund policy btw by FitBit. 👍
--
Sent from my iPhone