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.

[RyanJ5o]

Rogue Thetan makes exactly the point I was attempting in previous posts.

Why utilize a much more accurate GPS system on a phone you must carry, if you are not going to use that result as the distance walked/ran and then base your splits off same? Makes no sense to me at all. 

[Bonxy]

Is there any official updates from Fitbit regarding this yet?

[USAF-Larry]

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@RogueThetan wrote:

It states that if you wear your tracker, even if using the GPS sensors in your phone with the "MobileRun" feature, it will calculate steps, active minutes, and calories burned from the tracker, NOT from the GPS in your phone. If the tracker is used to (inaccurately) track distance, why would I bother to also carry my phone for GPS? 

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These are two different things: 1) The tracker counts steps and active minutes, and calculates calories burned; and 2) The Connected-GPS measures distance.  If you are not using the Connected-GPS, then the tracker calculates distance based on the number of steps counted multiplied by your profile's stride length. The tracker cannot measure distance without the GPS, it can only calculate distance based on the number of steps counted.

[RogueThetan]

Larry,

It is a direct quote from the FitBit help page that says if you wear your tracker while using MobileRun, the steps, active minutes, and calories burned that you see on your FitBit dashboard come from the tracker. Therefore, not from the GPS in your phone. 

I see no reason to carry the phone if the distance (steps) is going to be calculated from the tracker.

I see no reason to wear the tracker if it can't calculate distance accurately. 

[RogueThetan]

I just got this device (Charge 2) 3 days ago. Besides being frustrated that the screen was scratched over the entire face before I ever even made it out of the house with it, the fact it is not capable of calculating distance means it will most likely be returned, since that is why I bought it. Lesson learned... I should have read more on here before I purchased. But I just assumed this would be able to calculate distance on a walk run. 

It obvously doesn't know how to calculate distance. This is obvious from just looking at it after walking down the hall. It will calculate 100s of steps after only 30 seconds of walking. It counts steps while I'm driving. This is ridiculous. 

Is there any hope of this device being useful or not?

[USAF-Larry]

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@RogueThetan wrote:

It is a direct quote from the FitBit help page that says if you wear your tracker while using MobileRun, the steps, active minutes, and calories burned that you see on your FitBit dashboard come from the tracker. Therefore, not from the GPS in your phone.

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That is absolutely correct - the tracker counts the steps and active minutes, and calculates calories burned. It does not need nor use the GPS to count steps or active minutes, not to calculate calories burned.

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@RogueThetan wrote:

I see no reason to carry the phone if the distance (steps) is going to be calculated from the tracker.

I see no reason to wear the tracker if it can't calculate distance accurately.

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Steps is not distance - it is simply a count of the number of steps taken - and steps are not calculated, they are counted.

The GPS measure distance, not steps.  After your synce you tracker with the phone, the Fitbit server then uses the GPS data and tracker data with an algorithm to calculate pace, etc.

[USAF-Larry]

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@RogueThetan wrote:

I just got this device (Charge 2) 3 days ago. Besides being frustrated that the screen was scratched over the entire face before I ever even made it out of the house with it,

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I am curious how the screen got scratched over the entire face is such a short period of time. What scratched it?  I have had mine since August, and it still doesn't have any scatches - it has survived falling into a waterfall in North Carolina, climbing rocks in New Mexico, and hiking Death Valley, among other outdoor activies, but it still doesn't show any scratches.   Just curious what happened with yours to scratch it in the house...

[RogueThetan]

Larry,

So you are saying it doesn't use steps counted to calculate distance? Because it does. It has to. It shows it on the dashboard. It has to use steps to calculate distance. That is the purpose of this device, or at least, one of them. It is able to tell me distance without using my phone's GPS. It just isn't doing that accurately. 

If I want only my phone's GPS to tell me distance, I wouldn't have bought this thing and would just carry my phone when I walk/run. But I don't want to carry my phone. But using the phone's GPS as a test and using other apps on the phone to verify distance, it is clear the Charge 2 is way off on it's determination of distance.

[RogueThetan]

I would like to know that too. I have no idea. I literally did nothing except set it up using the app and noticed it was scratched. I have since read that the screen scratches easily, but I would not expect it to happen with literally no use. Perhaps it was already this way before I opened the box, but that would be disappointing too. 

You have obviously had a different experience from usage. Mine has many (50+) small scratches. It looks like sandpaper was rubbed across it or something. And just to answer in advance, no one else touched it. Only me...since opening the box, of course. 

[USAF-Larry]

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@RogueThetan wrote:

Larry,

So you are saying it doesn't use steps counted to calculate distance? Because it does. It has to. It shows it on the dashboard. It has to use steps to calculate distance. That is the purpose of this device, or at least, one of them. It is able to tell me distance without using my phone's GPS. It just isn't doing that accurately.

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I am not saying that at all. In fact, I said just the opposite. The tracker, without Connected-GPS, uses the counted steps to calculate distance based on what you have entered as your stride length. The accuracy of that calculated distance is purely based on the accuracy of the stride length you have entered.

But, if you are using Connected-GPS, then it uses the measured distance of the GPS instead of calculating the distance based on the number of steps counted. Most people believe that the GPS measures distance more accurately than a pedometer can calculate distance.

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@RogueThetan wrote:

It has to use steps to calculate distance. That is the purpose of this device, or at least, one of them. It is able to tell me distance without using my phone's GPS. 

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It CAN use steps to CALCULATE distance, but it doesn't have to - it CAN also use GPS to MEASURE distance.  And, you are correct that has the ability to tell you the distance without the GPS, by multiplying your counted number of steps by the defined stride length.

[RogueThetan]

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@USAF-Larry wrote:

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@RogueThetan wrote:

Larry,

So you are saying it doesn't use steps counted to calculate distance? Because it does. It has to. It shows it on the dashboard. It has to use steps to calculate distance. That is the purpose of this device, or at least, one of them. It is able to tell me distance without using my phone's GPS. It just isn't doing that accurately.

---

I am not saying that at all. In fact, I said just the opposite. The tracker, without Connected-GPS, uses the counted steps to calculate distance based on what you have entered as your stride length. The accuracy of that calculated distance is purely based on the accuracy of the stride length you have entered.

But, if you are using Connected-GPS, then it uses the measured distance of the GPS instead of calculating the distance based on the number of steps counted. Most people believe that the GPS measures distance more accurately than a pedometer can calculate distance.

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@RogueThetan wrote:

It has to use steps to calculate distance. That is the purpose of this device, or at least, one of them. It is able to tell me distance without using my phone's GPS. 

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It CAN use steps to CALCULATE distance, but it doesn't have to - it CAN also use GPS to MEASURE distance.  And, you are correct that has the ability to tell you the distance without the GPS, by multiplying your counted number of steps by the defined stride length.

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Ok, I'm trying to understand as I'm reading your replies, which I appreciate, and continue to read on the help pages. So...

If you use MobileRun there can be 2 scenarios. If you don't wear Charge 2 and carry phone it will use GPS to MEASURE distance. If you wear and carry phone, it will use steps and CALCULATE distance. 

If you use Connected-GPS (so carry phone and wear Charge 2), it will use GPS to MEASURE distance. 

Are those 3 correct? 

Then, if you only wear Charge 2 and not carry phone, it CALCULATES distance from steps. Correct? 

With the newest update, which is after the first posts on this thread, how accurate is the Charge 2 at CALCULATING distance from steps, or for that matter how accurate can it count steps?

Thanks in advance.

[Rollerskier]

I just received a replacement Charge 2 tracker from Fitbit customer service.  However, it has the same mistakes on calculating distance with GPS as the first 1 I bought.  I walked along the pavement of the road for 3.2 km(measured with car) and Charge 2 reported a distance of 4.5 km.  When I zoom in on the GPS path plot it is very zick zack pattern.  Calculating the distance based on this zick zack pattern gis an extra distance of 1,3 km on a 3,2 km tour ( measured with my car trip counter and verified earlier with my old charge HR ).  I started the excersice with the fit bit app in run mode not the run mode directly on the Fitbit Tracker.  Speed is also wrong due to that the distance calculation is wrong.  We need a smoothing of the GPS data to maintain a steady course that will make the distance calculation accurate.  Fitbit need to address this!  Now the tracker charge 2 makes no sence.

Track - By car 3.2 kmZoomed

[USAF-Larry]

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@RogueThetan wrote:

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Ok, I'm trying to understand as I'm reading your replies, which I appreciate, and continue to read on the help pages. So...

If you use MobileRun there can be 2 scenarios. If you don't wear Charge 2 and carry phone it will use GPS to MEASURE distance. If you wear and carry phone, it will use steps and CALCULATE distance. 

If you use Connected-GPS (so carry phone and wear Charge 2), it will use GPS to MEASURE distance. 

Are those 3 correct?

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I think that is mostly correct.  With the Charge 2, it is not necessary to use the MobileRun feature of the Android App, since the Charge 2 has Connected-GPS capability.  The Exercise Modes of the Charge 2 for Walk, Run, Hike, and Bike use the phone's GPS to measure the distance.

To simplify your above assumptions, If you have your GPS-enabled phone with you, and you use the Charge 2's Exercise Mode for either Walk or Ride, the tracker will count steps and use the phone GPS for measuring distance.

But, if you do not have your phone with you, and you use the Exercise Mode for Walk or Run, it will not have the capability of using the GPS and will use the counted steps to calculate distance based on the defined stride length.    A side note here - if you allow the tracker to automatically track your walk or run using SmartTrak, it will not use GPS and is dependent upon counted steps.

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@RogueThetan wrote:

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With the newest update, which is after the first posts on this thread, how accurate is the Charge 2 at CALCULATING distance from steps, or for that matter how accurate can it count steps?

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The accuracy of the calculated distance is dependent upon 2 things: 1) The accuracy of the stride length you have defined in your profile, and 2) The accuracy of the number of steps counted.

There is one thread with a number of people complaining about the Charge 2 undercounting steps, and another thread with an equal number of people complaining about the Charge 2 overcounting steps. And, there are others who see the Charge 2 accurately counting steps.  I have tested my Charge 2 against several other devices, and the step count has always been spot on. I used a quarter mile track at the gym to accurately measure my stride length, and then entered the numbers into my profile. So, I feel confident that mine accurately calculates the distance.

[hawkeye1952]

Here what I am going to do in the morning. 1st I will use the gps on my charge2 in the wAlk mode.. Then I will used the walkforadog app and the endomondo app. both of these app uses gps. The I will post the results


George Howell Jr

[Glennbest]

Hi Derrick. Please update this thread to indicate this problem has NOT been solved. It is a widespread problem that Fitbit have failed to rectify whilst they continue to sell the product. When are Fitbit recalling the product from sale and offering refunds? Thanks, Glenn

[hawkeye1952]

I ran my test today. Not only was the charge2 way off. It did not track the route correctly.


1.93 miles with Endomondo Sports

1.90 with walkadog app

2.04 with the charge2 and the route was incorrect.

They need to address this at once.



George Howell Jr

[GKrun]

Obviously the issue hasn't been fixed. What a shame. Was hoping this would be fixed by Christmas. Looking like they may not be the case. I'm shocked by the inaccuracy of what seems like a basic function. Does the Alta or blaze have this issue?

[hawkeye1952]

Here what puzzles me. Is how far the mapping feature is off. It show me going down about 3 block s then going at a angle thru some homes and then returning home. Yet it showed 2 miles. This makes no sense if this is connect to the gps.



George Howell Jr

[Rollerskier]

Hei, this issue is not solved.  I have just received a replacement Fitbit Charge 2 and I still have the same issue with GPS Distance tracking in both excercise RUN and WALK mode.  Please see my recent comments on this tread with examples.  I am using iphone 6+ and 7 with ios 10.1.1 and the latest Fitbit app and the firmwire 22.44.12 on the tracker.  The GPS data is zick zacking and obviously calculating the length following this path with no consistant direction gets much longer.  Data need to be smoothend.  If you have 5-10 m inaccuracy with every samling GPS point everything gets far off if you just draw a strait line between every point.    

[hawkeye1952]

Today I track my route on 3 different apps. Plus the charge2 gps. They all today day are within .01


walkadog 1.12 miles gps waypoints 1.108 miles endomondo 1.1 and charge2 1.11 miles. Yesterday the charge was way off.


George Howell Jr