Sense GPS won't connect properly

[Carl1965]

I have recently upgraded to Sense 2 from Sense and having major issues with GPS tracking on walks.Initially there was problem connecting to GPS but after resetting and reinstalling this seems to have resolved after couple of days. However when I use walk exercise tile the GPS initially connects and then drops within first km and won’t reconnect. Same walk with old Sense had no such issues and using same iPhone. What else can so try as this is one of most important features for me! Fed up long term user.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[R-Scott]

To be honest I did not initially notice when I switched from my Sense to Sense 2 that it was no longer using the GPS but defaults to stride length and count to generate distance. I just noticed that it seemed to be reporting a shorter length for my standard walks.
when I started cycling however I noticed some bigger issues with poor connectivity and dropped signals . After following FitBit troubleshooting directions the issue persists so I just sent the unit back for replacement- will see if the replacement works any better. If not I will finally throw in the towel on these things. My original Ionic was great but the Sense units seem prone to breakdowns of some sort

[ToyinA]

The GPS on my Sense 2 is very unreliable. I have reset the device and it still fails to create a map for my walks and bike rides. The original Sense and the Fitbit Charge did not have these problems.  There are other issues too, I am not convinced with the reliability and quality of this product.

[Herharmony]

I have been having major GPS issues with Sense 2.   From the start, the GPS is not keeping correct distance on hikes, though does so on bike rides- huh?  Yup.  My partner wears a Garmin watch and the GPS is always bang on with the numbers in hike book, or WTA, but mine always reads way more up to a mile more!  That's why I know this is off.

Secondly, the GPS was apparently turning itself off when not in use, because I never had battery drain, even when using it a couple days in a row.  All of a sudden, the GPS is stuck in the on position and I have to keep manually turning it off, otherwise my battery goes from 100 to 17 in a matter of a few hours.  I am doing nothing differently-the system is klunky and malfunctioning after only 9 months of wear.  😞

[N8teGee]

Unfortunately the GPS performance on the Sense 2 is bad. I've come to the conclusion that the antenna placement is less than ideal - because of the removal of the stainless steel border, the antenna window is now at the back of the device (the plastic surrounding the HR sensor). Obviously for a system that relies on having a clear line of sight, this is not good. For me GPS takes ages to lock on and when it does it is all over the place and often drops out. Below is a typical GPS track from the Sense 2 vs my reference device.

A partial compromise would be to at least allow the user to choose "Connected GPS", although this doesn't fix the fundamental flaw. 

[Herharmony]

Wow, Nathan. That’s wild. I see you’re a biker- my GPS here tracks well only when I’m biking. When hiking or walking it’s mis-measuring miles.  
HH

[N8teGee]

@Herharmony actually this is a walk, the screenshots are all parts of the same activity (just zoomed in at random parts) the rest of the track is just as bad. Actually I'll go as far as saying every single time I've used GPS on the Sense 2 it's been equally as bad as what is seen in the screenshots. Pretty much unusable for me.