Charge 6 GPS disconnects arbitrarily

[Rickardoo]

I start an exercise with GPS enabled, setting dynamic, likely Hike.  GPS connects.  Later, and when I am in the complete open, say on wide ridge with not a tree or anything blocking the sky in 360 degrees, with multiple GPS satellites available, my Charge 6 complains that the GPS connection is lost and shuts down GPS.  This happens every time now.  What gives?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Rickardoo it sounds like you are exercising with your phone with you and therefore the dynamic setting chooses your phone.  Many people have no issues with this at all and it works well for them, but I think some phones may have more difficulty in maintaining GPS connection.  Unfortunately even with Dynamic GPS selected your Fitbit will not switch from using your phone’s GPS to using the built in GPS on your Charge 6.

My suggestion would be in the first place to try choosing phone GPS instead of dynamic and see if that means you can better maintain the connection.  That may not work, but it is worth a try.  Alternatively simply choose to use the built in GPS which may be more stable, especially if you are exercising in an open area as you say.  Using the built in GPS does use more battery, but I find if I pop mine on the charger for a bit sometime later that day this is not an issue for me.  

[Triletics]

@Julia_G Dynamic GPS is the least reliable on Charge 6.

@Rickardoo you need to learn to live with it. Sorry, but the GPS feature (any mode) is poorly implemented on Charge 6. Once it disconnects often quits trying. I have plenty of runs with only the first few km captured and then GPS gives up. I find the 'Phone' mode working best. The built-in GPS is the least reliable on Charge 6.

[Julia_G]

It has definitely not been my experience that dynamic GPS works better than built in GPS.  However, the OP should try, as I said, either using Phone GPS or the built in chip in order to see which works reliably for his situation.

I have found that once it disconnects in whichever mode re-connection is generally not successful and, as I mentioned, it will not switch between modes.

[Triletics]

@Julia_G Apparently we have different experiences with Charge 6 😉

[Rickardoo]

Thanks -- if the Charge 6 can't switch from the phone to the fitbit's GPS, that may well be the problem.  Thinking back, losing connection has likely been a problem when I had my phone along.  I guess Dynamic isn't.
I'll try either selecting phone or the built-in gps and report back.

[Rickardoo]

Yes -- I didn't notice this problem on my Charge 4, though it could take awhile to connect.

[Rickardoo]

This is probably the critical issue for me:

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@Julia_G wrote:

I have found that once it disconnects in whichever mode re-connection is generally not successful and, as I mentioned, it will not switch between modes.

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Thanks