Blaze loses connected GPS connection time and again

[Aredhel]

Got my Blaze yesterday and have since embarked on 2 short runs (3.3km each) - and was majorly disappointed at how the Blaze performed. It takes ages for the Blaze to establish a connection with my Z3 and when it's connected I get 1 out of 4 bars signal strength - at a distance of maybe 30cm. While running the Blaze then loses that connection and makes up some bogus distance, 2.6km instead of 3.3km, resulting in a 6'19'' average vs. the actual 4'30'' as measured on my Microsoft Band 2. This is an absolute showstopper, I had to actually delete those runs from the fitbit app because connected web sites (e.g. runtastic) actually take those numbers at face value.

I can't even add those runs (as recorded by the Band 2) in the fitbit app afterwards, yet another bummer. I had hoped that fitbit wouldn't release connected GPS without being absolutely sure that this feature works just as well as with the Surge, albeit requiring me to carry a mobile phone at the same time. Alas, my first impressions seem to indicate just that. I no longer trust this thing and will from now on always wear the Band 2 as backup and eventually return the Blaze (and leave the fitbit ecosystem) if there isn't an easy fix.

Major disappointment for a $200 device.

[GarethDPhillips]

@mvan231 yes i totally agree.

[GarethDPhillips]

@bbarrera yes i know, it is actually awful, but it's working for me. Looks like fitbit are making it a bit of a specialty releasing flawed devices, but then continuing to sell them to customers. 

Anyhow, they will have to warranty this strap for two years.

I want to track on the device as i want the heat rate data in the run data on strava afterwards,  and the stats on my arm in run. I can't achieve that otherwise.

I shouldn't have had to buy a surge, the situation is a joke, but the blaze I've invested in does not perform the task i purchased it for. The 2+ year old surge does.

[Colinm39]

For what it is worth..... I have never had any issues with my Sony XP and GPS and Fitbit syncing until today. 

This morning the Blaze couldn't find the phone. Why... Bluetooth had turned off.. I put that down to an aberration. When connected the GPS tracked and synced as expected.

But, tonight I noticed a few times when I tapped the phone and tried to sync, Bluetooth was off again.

I went through the process and I had activated the screen saver 2 days ago, never had it set before, with the weather/news as the saver option. Every time the screen saver was activated and I tapped the screen,Bluetooth was turned off. I have cancelled the screen saver and have not had a problem for over 2 hours.

I have never set Stamina mode, or other battery saver options.

[GarethDPhillips]

In the name of fairness, and being balanced, i have to say (and have said
before) i have a friend with an iPhone 7, and he's never had a problem.

[bbarrera]

---

@GarethDPhillips wrote:

I want to track on the device as i want the heat rate data in the run data on strava afterwards,  and the stats on my arm in run. I can't achieve that otherwise.

---

@GarethDPhillips You know what works best for you, however I just wanted to say that if it was me I would record in Strava and let it sync to Fitbit (w/o HR/GPS because Fitbit doesn't allow it). Fitbit's target is getting people to move more and therefore I don't find much value in simple goals like daily steps or step competitions (I get 6000+ steps pacing around my office on phone calls, which do practically nothing to improve -my- fitness). Fitbit did a great job helping motivate me to start walking and lose 30 pounds, and then I started cycling and Fitbit's refusal to allow importing of HR and GPS was both disappointing and eye opening.

Runners and cyclists have access to much better tools in Strava, which I'm sure you know about. If I was a runner then tracking would be in Strava app with chest strap (for accuracy). The Cleveland Clinic study was recently release and finding are consistent with my testing of Surge, Blaze and Apple Watch. For the reasons in that study, and my own personal findings, and other features, I switched from Blaze to AW. Still have the Blaze, and patiently waiting to checkout the new features that were suppose to be released in February.

[mvan231]

The heart rate data is available when starting the run or other activity
from the app isn't it? I thought that some friends did that before with the
Charge HR.

[mvan231]

That's odd cause I have an iPhone 7 and have issues all the time.

By the way I do a lot of route runs where I run N E S W directions. I can't
recall which directions cause the most issue but from memory it seems like
it was indeed E W.

[GarethDPhillips]

I can see HR on the watch, of course, but the completed run that gets
stored in Fitbit on the web, and more importantly in Strava, will not have
the HR data present.

[mvan231]

Hmm that's weird. Cause the mobile track auto tracked run on the device has
the HR info but no GPS. Oh if only there was a do all device out there that
we all had lol

[GarethDPhillips]

Well the surge is doing that for me, but its very outdated syle wise. It
was a revelation last night to have a perfect run tracked though !

Im sure soon we will see an updated Surge, its well overdue, and a Blaze
with GPS.... Who knows.

[mvan231]

Could be coming soon. Let's hope

[The_Lion]

That's why I switched to a Forerunner 35. HR and built-in GPS, so I could leave my phone (hidden) in my car when it was too cold for it in the pocket at my arm. Well, the app is awful. Sync problems and battery draining so I often switch off BT on the watch and kill the app and sync with the cable. But a very nice thing is that running stats are always visible without waving my arm or slapping on the Blaze. That's another annoying thing. Screen off during runs/workouts. Against losing connection I had that workaround with leaving the Fitbit app open. So two apps running during my runs. Fitbit and my sports app.

[bbarrera]

---

@The_Lion wrote:

Well, the app is awful. Sync problems and battery draining so I often switch off BT on the watch and kill the app and sync with the cable. But a very nice thing is that running stats are always visible without waving my arm or slapping on the Blaze.

---

Weird, I use Garmin Connect to sync and get notifications on my Edge 520 bike computer. Never had a problem with syncing or battery draining on iPhone 5s and iPhone 7. While the app isn't "Fitbit simple" there is more useful information about my training sessions (cycling). Doubt we will ever see that level of useful workout info from Fitbit, as the CEO on quarterly investor calls likes to talk about target customer (someone looking to move more) and they want to keep things simple. But hey, you never know, Fitbit might surprise us and simplify product line down to 3 models and offer real workout tools (I can dream).

[mvan231]

Yeah I agree. I think they should drop trying stuff like GPS then

[GarethDPhillips]

The Blaze is a great wear all day fitness tracker, its stylish, and you really can live with it all day every day.  I would even recommend it to some people despite my experiences, it really just depends what you want out of it. Many people would never try the connected GPS so they would be very happy. For me, its a feature I need multiple times a week, and it its not doing what I need, so is destroying the usability of the device.  

[bbarrera]

Blaze is a little big and expensive within Fitbit lineup, mine is slightly bigger than my 42mm AW. Have a few female friends that tried Blaze and didn't like size and returned it and bought the Alta or Charge HR because they saw no reason to pay more. But even then, they don't bother wearing it all the time, just when they are trying to lose a few pounds after the holidays.

Honestly I believe for most people the entire Fitbit lineup is really similar, the One being most accurate step counter and after that its mostly paying more money for different form factors and marginal feature benefits. I'm an engineer, love data, and have some emotional ties to Fitbit as it helped me lost first 30 pounds on my way to an active lifestyle. However IMHO Fitbit has fallen behind on providing relevant and meaningful data once you are active and start regular training (and don't get me started on Premium). My wife would never wear one, does not think they look stylish, and she sees no benefit (she eats sensibly and works out on a schedule) - despite my enthusiasm for Fitbit and later the AW (38mm is perfect size for smaller wrists).

I'm looking forward to see what Fitbit rolls out to actually compete in smartwatch space. IMHO they should retire Surge and Blaze and replace with a single device that actually gets new features over time ala AW -- witness what happened to Surge, still the most expensive Fitbit and its frozen in time from a feature point-of-view (very sad, I got rid of mine).

[SunsetRunner]

@bbarrera I agree, mostly. I like having Fitbit and Strava sync. And I like my high-level stats in Fitbit (steps, duration, etc.). But I definitely prefer my more detailed stats for runs and bike rides in Strava. I'm OK not having all the information in both.

So I'm with you that I will likely stick with Strava to record my rides and runs. The one nice thing if Blaze would record more reliably is, as you mentioned, the HR data, which Strava uses for Suffer Score. 

[mvan231]

I agree completely. My argument is, why have the feature if it is crap.
Makes it a waste of extra money to implement

[bbarrera]

@SunsetRunner I really like that my bike rides are automatically sent from Garmin Connect to:

- Strava (segments/social)

- TrainingPeaks (cycling specific metrics plus excellent tools to plan recoveries and tapering)

- RideWithGPS (if I want to create a route)

- MapMyFitness (auto creates splits, although I get that now using Stravistix Chrome plug-in)

- Endomondo (syncs to Fitbit and creates manual workout)

There isn't one website that 'does it all' although I spend majority of time on Strava and TrainingPeaks. Since I cycle, really don't care about Fitbit steps / mileage, the only useful item (for me) on Fitbit dashboard is current weight. Unfortunately since I stopped walking and started cycling Fitbit hasn't been that accurate on calories. Fitbit marketing promised better calorie estimates with Surge and Blaze, that didn't prove to be true for me (oddly enough, using iPhone 5s as step tracker gave more accurate calorie estimates!).

I'm sure runners and walkers find Fitbit dashboard to be more useful, it certainly was for me when I was walking for fitness although in retrospect I now find it odd that it caused me to think "I need to go out and get 2000 more steps" rather than come up with a training plan and stick to that (sorry, 10,000 steps a day isn't a training plan). If I took up running, thats what I do now -- totally ignore daily step goals and focus my weekly running plan (with planned recovery days) on pacing along with pace:HR as measure of fitness. In a similar vein, after looking at friends Strava stats I sometimes fall into the "get more miles" mentality. Rather than let that lure me into "miles for the sake of beating someone else" I stick to my plan because after a hard workout my body really needs recovery to get stronger.

p.s. I'm really annoyed that syncing weight from Aria scale to other services requires launching MyFitnessPal which then puts weight into HealthKit and then some of my other apps can retrieve info.

[bbarrera]

---

@SunsetRunner wrote:

So I'm with you that I will likely stick with Strava to record my rides and runs. The one nice thing if Blaze would record more reliably is, as you mentioned, the HR data, which Strava uses for Suffer Score. 

---

@SunsetRunner really really wish Fitbit would rollout a device that worked with chest straps (ideally both ANT+ and Bluetooth) for those of us that want more HR accuracy at times.