Bugs in Suunto 5 nordic walking & calorie consumption

jmann

Hello, I would like to report couple bugs / illogical things I have noticed while using the Suunto 5 watch since start of 2021.

Nordic walking tracking mode seems to count steps double compared to walking mode. I tested by walking the same 4,3km route at same pace/time with and without poles. With poles and tracking “nordic walking” the count of steps was 9526 and without poles tracking “walking” the count of steps was 4666. Maybe the watch counts as a step both the actual impact of footstep and the impact of the pole, and there is no correction for this in the code…?
Calorie consumption calculation. Why does the watch daily total differ from consumption indicated by tracking sports? For example today I tracked “weight training” for bit more than one hour and the tracked sport overview states as calorie consumption for that alone 425 kcal (seems high since the intensity was not that high). The watch screen on the other hand indicates as daily total consumption so far only 370 kcal. Why does it differ and which one is (closer to) correct?

Answers appreciated and even better if these could be fixed in coming updates. Thanks!

isazi

@jmann said in Bugs in Suunto 5 nordic walking & calorie consumption:

Calorie consumption calculation. Why does the watch daily total differ from consumption indicated by tracking sports? For example today I tracked “weight training” for bit more than one hour and the tracked sport overview states as calorie consumption for that alone 425 kcal (seems high since the intensity was not that high). The watch screen on the other hand indicates as daily total consumption so far only 370 kcal. Why does it differ and which one is (closer to) correct?

They both are. In the activity you see the sum of both active and metabolic, the watch screen shows only active (and shows the total below that).

Francesco Pagano

@jmann I also get roughly twice the amount of steps when nordic walking, I suspect it’s because the step count is affected by wrist / arm movement

sartoric

@francesco-pagano said in Bugs in Suunto 5 nordic walking & calorie consumption:

I suspect it’s because the step count is affected by wrist / arm movement

Of course it is

Francesco Pagano

@sartoric Glad you can confirm. If it’s a known issue maybe there is also a plan to fix it?
I compare the Suunto steps count to that of my old Garmin watch, and of my phone with Sports Tracker app. One is on my other wrist and one in my jacket, they both count almost exactly the same amount of steps with Nordic Walking activities.

sartoric

@francesco-pagano said in Bugs in Suunto 5 nordic walking & calorie consumption:

If it’s a known issue maybe there is also a plan to fix it?

In fact it’s not an issue. It’s a step counter you wear on your wrist … you can’t expect 100% accuracy

https://www.suunto.com/Support/faq-articles/suunto-3/how-are-steps-counted/

PAWEL Figurski

@sartoric It’s a year later, there was a watch update, but the problem remains the same. The amount of steps is calculated twice, when doing Nordic Walking activity.

I do not think it is affected by wrist/arm movement, fot the very simple reason - when doing Nordic Walking (and using nordic walking poles), and having Walking or Running activity, Suunto counts my steps in a good way. More - the cadence ratio is calculated well with Nordic Walking activity, co it is not a sensor/wrist problem.

I think it is a bug in a watch firmware.

sartoric

@PAWEL-Figurski said in Bugs in Suunto 5 nordic walking & calorie consumption:

I think it is a bug in a watch firmware.

So try to contact support, maybe they can give you more information or file a bug.

Out of curiosity are you nordic walking correctly ?
Opposite leg/arm, poles pointing back etc. ?