Connected GPS Pace and Distance is Inaccurate

[DanielMena9]

Went on a run today with my Charge 2 on one wrist and Charge HR on my other wrist. Also had RunKeeper to measure my distance. I started my run with about the same number of steps on both FIT devices. 

After the run, my Charge HR had almost 2K more steps than my Charge 2. In addition, my GPS map on FitBit matched my Runkeeper map which is about a 3.5 mile run BUT FitBit pegged the same route as 1.73 miles >.> 

Why doesn't this device work as advertised? I really like the design and feel of Charge 2 but if it can't do its job accurately, all is for not and I will be shorting FIT as it appears to be a widespread issue (I have maps and photos if someone from FIT wants the data).

Moderator Edit: Edited thread title.

[SunsetRunner]

It's hilarious that this got the problem marked as solved --I'm legitimately in awe of the ineptitude at fitbit customer support!

[hawkeye1952]

They just do not want to deal with it Any more. They are unable to find a solution to the problem

[FTank]

Come on FITBIT!!! Do something about this!! I am on the new firmware, the steps counting, distance tracking are still very much off. 

Please remove SOLVED. It is not!!! 

[hawkeye1952]

Good luck.we all be complaining about this for a couple of years. So far it has fallen on deaf ears

[SunsetRunner]

I first raised this a couple of years ago, they'll never resolve it. I just bought a versa but I'm only going to keep it until my competitor smartwatch arrives. they're literally the worst customer experience I've ever had with a tech firm.

[hawkeye1952]

customer service seems to be a lot of problem for a lot of companies. I bought a different fitness watch and it work great INCLUDING A VERY GOOD GPS. Then they did a update. Screwed up the gps and they would not honor warranty. Reason bought off of ebay.

George Howell Jr

[Rollerskier]

 I worked out with roller skis today with connected GPS.  This should have been 10-12 km but came out as only 3,28 km.  The path is plotted correctly but the distance is far off.  I think Fitbit has used the steps to calculate the distance even if GPS data was available.  I had this problem before also but it got solved but now it has returned. Probabley with one of the latest software updates. I loaded 2.53.1 for iPhone 2 days ago.  

[Rich_Laue]

Hello @Rollerskier

I still have not been able to get an answer to your thought .

Is GPS used with the run mode on the Charge 2 or not? I dontdoget a run around .They simply do not respond to my question. 

However my tests along with a few other users testing, we have come to the conclusion that GPS is only used to draw a map. 

[Rollerskier]

GPS data to calculate distance has worked with some of the previous software versions when I tested. For other previous versions it did not work. Same problem has now returned. They call the update bug fixes...perhaps more correct to call I bug creations...

[hawkeye1952]

the last time I use the connected gps. it was .04 off. that is the best I ever had. some off it has to do with the type of phone and the other is the software

George Howell Jr

[Rich_Laue]

Well Fitbit only gives the accuracy within 5%. Saying the tracker is of by 4/100th of a mile doesn't mean anything unless we know the total run. Now if the run is a marathon then off by 200 feet is basically nothing, but if it was a 500 feet dash... 

I know that with the Charge 2 and connected GPS, I was able to control the recorded distance simply by taking in smaller steps. 

[hawkeye1952]

The walk was 1.2 miles fit bit had it 1.6

[Rich_Laue]

If it was me, I would multiply the stride by 0.75. 

[hawkeye1952]

The biggest problem is that it never stays in the same range. Last time I used it on a 1 plus mile walk it was. O4 ofg. Today walk of 1.72 it was .26 off. It shows the map correctly but the distance is off

[Rollerskier]

Today I made a run starting from the app. The duration was about the same as yesterday but now the distance was 10 km.  Compared to 3,3 km yesterday when starting from Charge 2. I think 10 km is about right. So the Fitbit people has messed up the connected GPS again with some of their updates using steps.  Both done with the same iPhone 6+. To measure distance with steps when cross country skiing makes no sense ...  

[hawkeye1952]

What finding out is that unless your will to spend several hundreds dollars for a watch that has a solid gps in iy. Most of them are going to be useless

[Rich_Laue]

That could simply be because a person's stride will vary from day to day. 

I did 5 days of walks and took the average .

[bbarrera]

---

@Rollerskier wrote:

Today I made a run starting from the app. The duration was about the same as yesterday but now the distance was 10 km.  Compared to 3,3 km yesterday when starting from Charge 2. I think 10 km is about right. So the Fitbit people has messed up the connected GPS again with some of their updates using steps.  Both done with the same iPhone 6+. To measure distance with steps when cross country skiing makes no sense ...  

---

Fitbit app's MobileRun uses GPS for distance.

Connected GPS on a Fitbit tracker uses "steps x stride" for distance, and GPS for maps

Ionic uses "steps x stride" along with using GPS to periodically update stride. This has been proven by starting run/hike/walk, and then driving in a car (distance = 0). Or start run/hike/walk and run in place, and you'll get distance of roughly steps x (0.5 x stride) because the Ionic assumes you are running and the GPS-stride-update algorithm refuses to set your stride to 0.

@Rollerskier have you tried tracking roller skiing / XC skiing using Charge 2 and biking mode? Biking mode should use GPS for distance.

[Rich_Laue]

Yes the app does use GPS and if no tracker will calculate the steps .

Since we are in the Charge 2 hardware board. not the app board, I have been assuming that the user is starting their GPS recording from the wrist. 

[hawkeye1952]

I start mine from the wrist