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.

[Rollerskier]

No I have not tried the bike mode starting on the wrist during a roller ski run ..but I will test it out today to see the impact and post the results.

However, you can reclassify the run mode afterwards and I tried it just now and it does not have an impact on the distance to reclassify a recorded run mode to a bike label.

The advantage starting from the wrist is that you get more accurate time...related to start and stop. With the app I keep the phone in my Camel water container bag pocket so there is some time spent on putting the phone in the bag and the bag on my back and then fitting the pools. I therefore has to disregard the pace on the first 1 km and last one during the run.

But if starting from the wrist I will not get the distance correctly measured with GPS data then the advantage with the time accuracy is gone.

I also enjoy hearing the results on the phone speaker during the run when starting from the app. I get time feedback by every 1 km on the speaker or my headset that keeps me updated on the pace and I can adjust my pace and hear the results during the exercise...

Starting from the wrist the results are only posted on the wrist by tapping the screen not also by sound on the phone speaker. I reality tapping on the screen is impossible during a workout when holding pools and wearing gloves so you can just look at the results afterwards when synchronizing the data back to the phone.

The charge 2 is connected to the phone with Bluetooth so heart rate and GPS steps etc are available so I suppose it should be possible to post the results on the phone speaker? If this feature is added you would get much more benefits out of your Charge 2. I like to see accurate results afterwards regarding time by km but also to be notified during the run on my results so I can adjust and push harder if I am underperforming but not so hard that I can not keep up the pace over a long workout.

Sent from my iPhone

[B4kken]

Wait, you are saying that Connected GPS doesn't actually use the phone GPS to map pace etc. just the map?

The watch/bracelet still measures speed by step-tracking?

I guess that also applies to the Versa and explains why Connected GPS is so off? 

[Rollerskier]

I tried the bike mode today.  It uses GPS to calculate distance.  However, the bike graph shows km/h not minute by km as the run and walk mode. An interesting point in  that km/h has dropped out 2 times during the work out. I never stoped so the GPS signals must been lost somehow.  But I am quite sure the Run mode used GPS earlier so Fitbit must have changed the logic. 

[Rollerskier]

 The bike mode has a problem with the GPS distance.  GPS signals are lost and speed is set to 0 and distance 0.  I tried run mode started from the app and bike started from the wrist. As you can see the run is 10,43 km and bike is  7,38 km for the same exercise. Used 2 phones for simultaneous registration. There are too many issues with Fitbit connected GPS. 

[bobby2478]

Now that I think about it, the concept of connected GPS is meaningless.  Syncing is such a problem for it to even work in the first place (app has to be on, sync tracker with the app and immediately start exercise from the tracker while it's actively connected to the phone), why does fitbit even need to send GPS data to the tracker at all?

Why can't fitbit thru the app (cloud processing) take in heart rate and step information from the tracker and combine that with the GPS data from the phone to merge the stats? 

Also why is syncing so slow and problematic? Raw data should take up minimal bandwidth.

For me it's such a pain getting my charge 2 to connect with my galaxy s8+ to even start connected GPS on my charge 2 that I've resorted to just tracking my exercise in the app on my phone. 

Fitbit better fix this, simple core functionality like connecting your tracker with the app should be seamless and not require a multi step troubleshooting process 

[Rollerskier]

I think the Charge 2 should be redesigned to  only be used to start the app from the wrist. Like a remote control to get the time more accurate. And sending back information about HR and steps.  Better to get the GPS signals directly from the phone to the app.  Then no wireless connection to be lost occasionally. 

[AlvaroFitbit]

Hello everyone. Sorry to hear about the discrepancy you are seeing on the distance recorded when using the Connected GPS function. This is being investigated by our team as it has been found that affects the Hike and Walk options and somewhat less the Run option. Still I appreciate your patience as we hope to have some fix for this issue but at this time there is no update about it.

I'll be around!

[Midgey]

Good. I ran 3 miles this morning but my charge 2 said 1.5. The map was also incorrect.

[hawkeye1952]

This problem with this connected gps has been on going for a couple of years

[Rollerskier]

Indeed it has. My personal opinion is that calculating distance based on steps and stride length will probably never be very accurate in any situation. Stride length will vary based on topography. Walk or running upwards the hills with a lot of height meters and you have shorter steps than walking where it’s more or less flat. When you get tired you will shorten you stride length as well. It’s just an indication of distance that is better than nothing if you forgot your phone GPS home. Connected GPS sounds ok but unfortunate wireless Bluetooth signals get lost. I noticed using the bike mode that when I roller-skied downhills in hockey I had the Charge 2 in front of my body and my phone in the bag on my back. That was enough to cut the Bluetooth signals with GPS information having my body between the charge 2 and the phone. And I lost a lot of distance. Better to use the app and use the charge 2 to start stop the app to get the time right so the pace get accurate too. Can’t Fitbit make a remote control mode of the app as an option?

Sent from my iPhone

[hawkeye1952]

I use the app last night on my walk. It was off by .12 miles. Not much difference then using the connected gps

[Rich_Laue]

0.12 over a distance of? I don't see a referance point. 

I'm still trying to get confirmation that the connected GPS is supposed to measure measure distance.

My test as well as the tests that aafew  other users have done, tell us that GPS is only used to draw a map and determine altitude.

To get accurate distance we needed to accurately tell Fitbit our true stride. 

[hawkeye1952]

Today I walk 1.22 miles according to ednomdo. Fit bit connected gps gave me credit for 1.03 miles

[B4kken]

I'm inclined to agree that this seems like the case. 

I do however feel like fitbit should have been very clear about this in marketing. I was under the impression that it would use the GPS on the phone in a similar way that the ionic uses its GPS.

Kind of bummed. 

[Rich_Laue]

@hawkeye1952 try increasing your stride setting by 1,18. 

[Narm]

---

@Rich_Laue wrote:

I'm still trying to get confirmation that the connected GPS is supposed to measure measure distance.

My test as well as the tests that aafew  other users have done, tell us that GPS is only used to draw a map and determine altitude.

To get accurate distance we needed to accurately tell Fitbit our true stride. 

---

I agree with you. I've done several test when I'm running and I came to the conclusion that the "connected GPS" simply does not work.  

 When I start an activity from my wrist, it tells the app fitbit to record the GPS activity and draw a map. Even if my charge 2 tells me it's connected, my tracker indicates my pace or my distance by using my numbers of steps. Which is inaccurate and useless.

At the end of my activity, pressing the button tells the app to stop record the GPS... but then the fitbit app instead of giving the true numbers will sync to my tracker...so and the end it displays, false number. 

In order to have the corrects data, I have to sync to Strava which analyse the tcx file and voila, give me the right distance and pace. Here is an example : (Strava left / fitbit right)So I had one question : 

Why when the tracker is in connected GPS mode it doesn't just receive correct informations from the phone ?

[hawkeye1952]

here is today results. fitbit was started first. then endomondo. at the 1 mile point fitbit was .25 off when I finished my walk of 1.78 it read 1.45. so the total was .33 off

George Howell Jr

[ellen07886]

This issue was first reported on here in September 2016, Fitbbit have done little or nothing to resolve the issue despite the volume of complaints and I doubt they have any intention of fixing it.  Perhaps we should all be seeking refunds because it's clearly not fit for purpose.

[hawkeye1952]

Here the sad part. I wrote a email yo.the CEO over a year ago. I got no response from him

[Rollerskier]

Fitbit is not progressing on this. I am sure they have changed the logic lately to use steps and stride length instead of GPS starting on the wrist. Since I usually rollerski I only have about 3500 steps on 10 km so I notice this right away. Run and walk was based on GPS previously if the signals where available. Now this is not the case as they have confirmed. I am not sure what they like to achieve with this?

Sent from my iPhone