Ionic counting too many floors

[GeeKau]

I have seen a few similar topics in the past, though none recent and the suggestions in those don't help.

My problem is that the ionic is counting too many floors. Looking at the log for today, it counted one floor just from getting out of bed! More possibly from getting up from a chair and walking around a level floor. I've already accumulated 25 today by 9am, but probably have only genuinely done 3 or 4.

The irritating thing is that my previous surge had this working very reliably. How did a new product go backwards like this? Maybe there needs to be a setting that lets you choose the sensitivity/algorithm used.

p.s. where is the altimeter hole on this device?

[SantiR]

@GeeKau I hope you're doing well! Thanks for taking the time to report the situation you are experiencing with floors climbed on your Ionic. Thanks for checking the suggestions found on the forums. Which suggestions did you find? 

By any chance, did you try performing a restart on your watch already? Also, weather changes can cause some floors to be recorded. There are other factors that may be causing this; please check this helpful article for more details on this.

The altimeter is located on your watch under one of the wristbands (in the part in which the band attaches to the watch). Take off the wristbands and look for it on the watch. 

Keep me posted! 

[Traciemwilliams]

I've discovered that every consecutive ten steps is counted as a floor.  I don't think that's what should be counted as a floor since I am not climbing any floors anywhere in my life right now, but that's what my Fitbit has always counted and that is what I read somewhere when I was trying to figure out what in the world it was calculating as 25 floors by 8 am for me!

[GeeKau]

Thanks for the reply @SantiR. The other posts didn't really give a lot to try, just possible reasons like you've given. I found the altimeter hole and it's not clogged, so it's not that. Restart no difference.

I understand that it can be off by a little bit due to those factors, but this is by a lot. I'm up to 28 so far today, but probably only did a third of that at most. As in my first post, it seems that simply getting up can count as a level!

As mentioned, my previous Surge had it quite accurate. Either it's too sensitive or they've changed the algorithm for the worse.

Just did an experiment and walked across the building and back (level floor), and gained 2 levels!

Along the way, I raised my arm a few times to check the count. I think it might be counting raising my arm, but not compensating for it dropping back down again. The Surge was smarter about things like this and counted on total change, not just counting the rises

Does anyone have this function working properly? There appears to be no solutions, so I'm thinking of taking it back. However, no point getting another one if they're all the same

Moderator Edit: Merged User's Posts

[Traciemwilliams]

I think Fitbit needs to clarify how it is supposed to count floors. When I
read online it says ten consecutive steps counts as a floor. That would
appear mine opperates properly even though I am not changing elevation. I
am very confused but Fitbit doesn't make it clear what a floor is.

[SantiR]

@Traciemwilliams Welcome to the Fitbit forums! Sorry for my delayed response. Thanks for sharing the experience you have had with Ionic counting too many floors. Thanks for sharing all of those details regarding this.

It is possible that your watch has a firmware update pending. I'd recommend checking that and updating it if needed. This should certainly help you out with this.

@GeeKau Thanks for your reply! I'm sorry for my delayed response. Thanks for trying all of the steps provided and for sharing those details regarding this situation.

I went ahead and created a case with customer support in your behalf for you to get further assistance with this. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for next steps.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[Traciemwilliams]

I can't update the firmware. I've tried via Bluetooth and wireless several
times so I have given up.

[GeeKau · Accepted solution]

@SantiRThank you for creating that support case for me. After going through the support process (resets and factory resets) they decided that the altimeter in my Ionic was possibly faulty. I have since taken my Ionic back to the store and swapped it for  new one, which seems to be much more accurate than the old one.

@Traciemwilliamsthe floors counting works by the altimeter that I've been talking about. Basically idea is that it measures changes in air pressure to try to estimate altitude changes. I think roughly 2.4m counts as a floor