GPS Query - Versa

[tomkiely_]

Hi all - hoping someone can please help with me with a few issues/questions I have with the GPS on my new Versa.

1) I went for a run yesterday - with my phone in my running pack - even with GPS turned ON in the Exercise Settings and the app itself - the watch never went past the 'connecting' stage when I initiated the run using exercise mode. Why is this?

I noticed when I tested it out back at home it did 'connect' once I opened the exercise mode from the app within my phone. Do I need to link the two by opening the exercise tracking on my iPhone? Or should it have automatically picked it up?

2) The run mode definitely overestimated my stride length and said I was running at around 5:10 per KM - when I know I was probably a fair bit slower. This is before I've used any GPS running to help adjust my stride length (as it says in the app when I have it set to automatic) - will this change once I do some running with the GPS connected? 

I know it's overeaching as it had me running 500m more then what the treadmill read - when I used the treadmill mode on the Versa.

Hoping someone can help me clarify these things as I'm loving the watch but just want to get the best possible use out of it as someone who runs 6 days a week.

Thank you!

[Rich_Laue]

For question 1 your Beta simply was having issues getting a lock on the phone's GPS. This could be caused by heavy clouds or running in woods with a thick canopy, bit most likely it had bluetooth connection issues with the phone. 

In this case I restart the phone and usually get a good GPS before the phone has completely started up. 

As for the stride issue,  Fitbit uses the age,  height, gender, etc to guesstimate the users stride. However most users are not built as average and it is better to manually set the stride. 

When it comes to the treadmill a user's stride is usually different than their free run stride. 

[tomkiely_]

Thank you for your reply Rich - if I start using the GPS function on my outside runs, will the stride adjust to something a little more accurate? (as the app suggests)

[Rich_Laue]

My understanding OS that with GPS the versa will automatically set a stride. 

Now since most people do not have the same stride from day to day,  or is best to do several rounds so that there can be an average taken.