GPS Signal up box hill

montarius

Hi all. I recently bought a Garmin Edge 500 +cadence +HRM to try and up my training but am noticing some GPS issues when climbing box hill.

The signal seems to drop and jump all over the place meaning the segment is not tracked properly on strava (looks like I went massively off course and through the fields to get to the top). I have been on 3 rides since I got the gps last week and it has done it twice now.. The signal seems to go as I enter the tree covered area right at the start of the climb. The gps seems to record the rest of my route with no issues.

Is anyone else getting this? I never used to have issues when using my phone.. considering returning it so advice welcome.

diy

I do get some randoms but if your speed is jumping around check the magnet on your sensor. As the edge goes on wheel speed more often than not and only calibrates off the gps now and then.

montarius

I tried that after my first ride. Spoke magnet is perfectly aligned. From looking at the speed graph on Strava it seems perfect. ~10 - 11 mph whole way up ending on 15mph. This matches the effort I put in.

The GPS location is all over the place though. See below:

Gizmodo

GPS requires line of site to multiple orbiting satellites. No GPS device can work under heavy tree cover or where objects obstruct the signals being transmitted from space. The only solution is taking a chain saw to the trees.

montarius

Yes I am aware of that but this does seem a bit weird.

I have over 100 GPS tracks on my android and never had issues this severe. 2 out of 3 rides on new device and getting some serious issues.. Just wanted to know if other edge 500 owners had similar issues? My GF was with me with her forerunner 410 and its tracked perfectly.

Emphursis

Somewhere in the menu is the option for how often it gets your position, try setting it to every second instead of the default (smart recording or something like that)

amaferanga

Have you installed the latest firmware?

montarius

Just did that, will see what happens on my next ride. Went from 3.0 to 3.2 which according to garmin has the following changes:

Changes made from version 3.00 to 3.20:

Fixed display of power meter serial numbers.
Made changes to support manufacturing.

Cant see how that will help with GPS signal..

sloppyschleckonds

I blame Strava

montarius

Emphursis wrote:

Somewhere in the menu is the option for how often it gets your position, try setting it to every second instead of the default (smart recording or something like that)

Yeh, tried that after my first ride. No improvement.

GiantMike

Why not just use your random route as a new segment. You'd never lose the KOM.

montarius

haha, knowing strava, someone would probably get the KOM off me by sprinting through the fields.

diy

Those tracks do look odd. I have had a few wild ones but nothing that far out. 10 - 11mph. You say, perhaps the issue is you are too slow

montarius

That's what I thought, the route lines dont make any sense at all.. raised a call with garmin, will see what they say.

Re speed, I was out with Mrs Monty trying to get her into the sport

montarius

This is what it did on the first time I used it...

philbar72

I get some issues under the wooded cover of the top zig zag where my garmin 510 thinks i've gone down to 5mph, wheras i'm just getting up to about 15mph. seems even with the glonass satellites, you will get messed up readings....

diy

But speed will be from the sensor not the gps. Loss of signal should not cause speed issues unless you are running without a cadence/speed sensor

garryc

Have you got 'Snap to Road' switched on? (I have a 705) Make sure it's switched off.

Been up Box hill several times with no problem