Versa 2 tracking distance

[bondman93]

Can you only track distance if you are using your phone? For example, if i play basketball and put my phone down. Will it calculate distance or does it need my phone GPS?

[JohnnyRow]

If you have specified that it is to use phone's GPS, then it gets distance from movement of phone, so could not track distance run with a phone sitting on bench.

If you specify to not your GPS, then it gets distance by multiplying number of steps times stride length.  But that assumes they are true steps of about equal distance.  I would expect in bball, there would be all kinds of short steps, foot shuffling, etc that would make that distance calculation inaccurate.  Plus each dribble might count as a step from wrist movement, even without moving feet.

The only way I could imagine getting a good distance measurement for something like that would be wearing the Ionic, the only Fitbit tracker with built-in GPS.

[bondman93]

I would prefer not with gps. How do i turn it off? When i went on the treadmill it just tells me the steps not the distance.

[JohnnyRow]

First are you using the exercise app, naming, starting, and stopping a workout, or just relying on auto-recognition of exercise?  If you are using exercise app, say if starting a walk, there is a gear icon at top left of 'Walk' selection screen that gives you several options, including whether or not to use Connected GPS.

[bondman93]

I see that now! Now do I have to activate that mode right before i do that excessive? I heard SmartTrak doesn't work with distance. The treadmill option doesn't have a "Connected GPS" option as well. If I'm on the treadmill should i just do Run? Thanks a million!

[JohnnyRow]

I'm  not sure of some of this as I don't use many of the options. But what I think is, and you might have to verify yourself, or maybe someone else will correct me here:

GPS does not make any sense on treadmill because you are not changing location.  Distance on treadmill is just calculated as number of steps times stride length.  Stride length is set as a default but you can adjust it.   I would be inclined to just use 'Treadmill' as exercise choice on treadmill, but 'Run' would probably make as much sense - maybe just a difference in the choices from gear icon at start, or in what is reported in exercise summary.

See Can I change my stride length in my Fitbit account? 

For a real run or walk, that 'connected GPS' setting will stay whatever you set it to.  If you just start out on a walk or run without using the exercise app but have connected GPS turned on, I don't know if it will honor that selection or not - just have to try it out.

Also be aware when you are talking about distance with different workouts with SmartTrack or Exercise App, Fitbit is always measuring distance and includes it on daily total, whether or not it is displayed on the exercise summary.  I don't know offhand which types of workouts show which information in exercise summary - they don't always seem to be what one might prefer.

[bondman93]

I think I figured out my real question! After I do a work out my watch
displays average pace instead overall distance. Anyway I can change that?

[SunsetRunner]

On the contrary my good man!!! 
I wore the Fitbit versa 2 on my electric scooter to my friends house and then left the scooter there wile we walked to the donut shop. When we arrived I looked at the distance travelled on my clock face that read 3.3 km.  That was a shock to me. It seemed correct. I checked it when I got home on the iPhone and it was exactly correct.