Can't find anything about counting floors - Charge 3

[Zelda410]

My Charge 3 does not count all the floors I climb. Anyone have the same experience?  I got some hints from FitBit (wear device loosely, no moisture, don't stop on stairs), but the count is still arbitrary.  

Any comments?

[WavyDavey]

Hi @Zelda410 ,

One thing I've noticed is that Fitbit is looking for a certain number of feet (I believe it's 10) to define what a floor is. Some floors are made slightly greater or less than that number, which would have an effect on the number count.

When you say arbitrary, do you mean it changes the number when you're walking the same stairs? Or are you referring to that the number doesn't seem correct?

[Zelda410]

Thank you for your reply.
The number is arbitrary in that the number is not correct ( I count the
floors myself) and the number of floors not counted varies from day to day.
One day, it might miss just a few, while other days it may miss most of
them.

I live in a pretty standard three-storey house. The floors are standard.
14 stairs, I believe. Besides, I go up once and the device counts. The
next three times I go up the SAME stairs, with the device basically in the
same position on my wrist, it doesn't count. Then, it may or may not count
the next few...

The device is loose on my wrist, it has no moisture in it, I don't stop on
the stairs as I go up... all hints from FitBit. I do find that holding on
to a bannister seems to help the count, but again, not always.

Any more suggestions, please.

[checking · Accepted solution]

If you only do a single flight at a time for a 'standard' house story (about 9 feet for 8 foot ceilings), it will often be missed (and somewhat randomly because it is a rather 'noisy' measurement). I have 12' floors and still miss about 1 out of 5. A simple way to get it to count those single floors more accurately is to make sure that your Charge wrist is dangling below you waist for a few seconds/steps before starting up and then at the top raise above your head for a few steps. Works for me (Charge 2, pretty much catches 100% of the floors) - hope it works for you.

[WendyB]

It does not count each stair. You must go up 10 Feet in elevation for a floor to be counted. Holding on to the rails will not count. It needs to see the arms swinging

[Colinm39]

I have replied elsewhere over the years on the gymnastics performed by earlier adoptees of the Fitbits for floors counted..

It uses an altimeter to generate floors and as mentioned 10' (3m) is the measure. Then we didn't have wrist type trackers and some users used to squat at the bottom, make sure they didn't stop on the way up the stairs, and then jump at the top. . So it should be easier now..  Still squat but jump and wave your arm high at the top...

Think of the extra exercise, squat at the start and a jump at the top,,,,😀

Others used to report the "phantom floors" moving between an air controlled laboratory into a passageway.

One of my walking routes has 9 marginal inclines and 2 that I always achieve. On a windy day I achieve all 11 plus more.. In the end I find it averages out over a year..

[Zelda410]

Thank you so much for this reply, Checking. It sounds easy and effective. If it catches pretty much 100% of the floors, you can't ask for much better.  That's what I'll be doing from now on.

And thank you to the person who wrote about the jump and squat (Colinm39).  It's basically the same thing - below and above the waist.  And apparently it works. 

Here I go!!!  Thanks again for your replies.  Much appreciated.

[Zelda410]

Wow, I've been using your solution and it works very, very well.  100% of my floors counted so far.  

Agan, thanks so much for your help.

[Colinm39]

@Zelda410Be careful though... No damaged hamstrings etc.😅

In those early days, some even put a sturdy bench at the their landing/top of the stairs if there was safe space and jumped onto that for the extra few inches..  That could make it harder to extend the wrist with the Fitbit..

---

@Zelda410 wrote:

Wow, I've been using your solution and it works very, very well.  100% of my floors counted so far.  

Agan, thanks so much for your help.

---

[Maltie]

While I can generally get a fairly accurate floor count on Fitbit I have had experiences where I was once on an elevator and Fitbit went crazy indicating many many many floors.  I have also experienced times when large shifts in the humidity seemed to affect floor count.

[Zelda410]

Thank you so much for this post. The humidity factor you mention is
precisely what must be causing the erroneous floor count.

It is VERY humid here where I am. So, some days I get better counts than
others. Today, with my air conditioner working hard to get rid of the
humidity in the house, my floor count is accurate.

Thanks again. Very big help.

[Patrick]

Fitbit claims that Barometric Pressure changes aid the device in measuring floor counts.

Shortly after purchase, I was very disappointed because I tackled floors in an old New York City building and had a count of about one or two floors for every 10 stories I walked up. I have no idea how this could be, unless the building is so sealed off that barometric changes aren't as trackable as they may be outside. 

Even now I regularly walk up and down nearby hills and on days when the weather is "close" the same hills show less of a climb than on days when the weather is refreshing.

[Zelda410]

Strange, isn't it? The high humidity has dropped dramatically here in the
past two days and the floors are accurate after I was disappointed for a
week or so of 2 or 3 floors for every 10.

[Patrick]

Yes, I notice that as well.

Unlike most who concentrate on steps I like to work on hills. I can pretty much predict how may "flights" I will get as soon as I step outside to do the usual routine.

One day it might be ten flights, the next fifteen. A sudden gust of wind and I'm at seventeen....

I try to get 25 each day, so if one day the Fitbit says it's less then I just go back and walk the hill again.

[Zelda410]

You're very devoted, going back to do the hill. I've done the same thing
with stairs. The extra exercise can only he beneficial. Besides, I love
to see that page turn green.