GPS Signal lost

[Frederic]

Not sure where to post that in the forum but since people mentioned it in this section, I am adding it here too :

Since the watch firmware update (2.8.24), I have been experiencing from time to time the same issue reported here (https://forums.watchuseek.com/f233/suunto-9-a-4720025-56.html#post49395195)
As an example, I was doing the Tour du Mt Blanc, full sunny day, up in the mountains with no tree cover or any cover what so ever and my S9 lost GPS signal literally every day for more than 10 mins……

Has anyone experienced that ?
I understand that one needs to sync their watch but for a watch designed for “explorers” (you know, the people that are not every day within wifi access…), it’s hard to read that syncing before any activity is recommended.

I am sad to have paid $599 for a new watch that is worse than my unbeatable Ambit2 that is being deprecated.

PS I am using GPS setting and not GLONASS or GALILEO. I am not using GLONASS because that link mentions that : With GLONASS enabled, your watch consumes more battery life./suunto_spartan_ultra/suunto_spartan_ultra/features/glonass/

[zhang965]

1, Try 12s-upper-button reboot the watch
2, try to reset the watch
3, try to active the recording 10m after the flash turns green.
4, use GPS performance mode,
5, use GPS/Glonass or GPS/Galileo

[Frederic]

@zhang965 said in GPS Signal lost:

1, Try 12s-upper-button reboot the watch
2, try to reset the watch
3, try to active the recording 10m after the flash turns green.
4, use GPS performance mode,
5, use GPS/Glonass or GPS/Galileo

I’ve done 1), 2), for 4), i always use performance mode and for 5), as I’ve said before, I don’t want to use Glonass or Galileo as it is said by the official doc that it consumed more battery (the reason why I bought the S9 was to have more battery, not less…)
As for 3), can you explain, i don’t understand…

Thanks!

[zhang965]

my bad, it’s an arrow:

for the 3), you should hold-on little bit after the arrow turns green to make sure your watch get more satellites,

of course, Glonass and galileo will take off more battery, it’s your time to take your choice: a longer battery with poor GPS or …?

[zhang965]

https://forum.suunto.com/topic/2700/2-8-24-update

Your AGPS is up to date as well?

[Frederic]

@zhang965 said in GPS Signal lost:

my bad, it’s an arrow:

for the 3), you should hold-on little bit after the arrow turns green to make sure your watch get more satellites,

Yes, I have waited more than 20min for the green arrow but it never appeared.

of course, Glonass and galileo will take off more battery, it’s your time to take your choice: a longer battery with poor GPS or …?

Huh, I would take better GPS than battery any day but the issue is that the suunto 9 was and is still advertised as great gps with great battery, if I had known the truth, trust me, i would have kept me trusty Ambit 2…

[Frederic]

@zhang965 said in GPS Signal lost:

https://forum.suunto.com/topic/2700/2-8-24-update

Your AGPS is up to date as well?

My AGPS says 2019-09-29T00:00:00Z

I went on a run yesterday, full sun, no tree cover AT ALL and still the gps signal was lost.

[freeheeler]

@Frederic
but it should be logic that more accuracy with more satellites that make the watch calculate more will result in more power consumption, no?
I assume for mont blanc you carry a small powerbank, then you can recharge and use gps+glonass AND performance setting

[Frederic]

@TELE-HO said in GPS Signal lost:

@Frederic
but it should be logic that more accuracy with more satellites that make the watch calculate more will result in more power consumption, no?
I assume for mont blanc you carry a small powerbank, then you can recharge and use gps+glonass AND performance setting

I wouldn’t mind trying to use GLONASS but I don’t run in urban areas, only in the mountains and here is what the official doc says.:
. Particularly in urban areas with tall buildings, GLONASS can improve track accuracy. In other areas, it is typically best to leave GLONASS disabled.
So based on this, it doesn’t seem that it will fix my issue, will it?

[zhang965]

it depends, you should have a try,
Glonass is RU, Galileo is EU,

in France, GPS+Galileo has better performance than GPS+Glonass,
in URK, it seems GPS+Glonass is better.

[Frederic]

@zhang965 said in GPS Signal lost:

it depends, you should have a try,
Glonass is RU, Galileo is EU,

in France, GPS+Galileo has better performance than GPS+Glonass,
in URK, it seems GPS+Glonass is better.

I guess I will try that before getting a new watch.

Thanks

[freeheeler]

@Frederic
until now I used ambit3ps with gps only and had quite good signals with best gps settings… yesterday I first tried gps on s9b and decided to try gps+glonass next time. I think in the mountains, when you are at a rockface or between seracs gps signal could be not excellent… maybe glonass could still help here? I’ll get my experience during winter in that kind of topography…

but maybe your watch needs a forced firmware update or something? loosing signal sounds strange

[freeheeler]

@zhang965
they all call it something with G because of global, no? not only russia and europe
but who knows with all the crazy politicians how it will be in the next year’s…

[zhang965]

ok, good luck,

I never had problem when my S9 on Montblanc

[Frederic]

@TELE-HO I will definitely try GLONASS but it is strange that I loose signals in places where I have been before with my Ambit 2 and didn’t have ANY issues. As a matter of fact, sometimes my wife is with me with her ambit2 and she doesn’t lose GPS.
The other strange thing, like I mentioned in my original post is that this issue didn’t happen before 2.8.24

[freeheeler]

@zhang965 said in GPS Signal lost:

I never had problem when my S9 on Montblanc

[Frederic]

@zhang965 HA!

[freeheeler]

@Frederic
maybe flashing helps? I read that sometimes in other threads when the watch does not behave how it should …

[Frederic]

@TELE-HO said in GPS Signal lost:

@Frederic
maybe flashing helps? I read that sometimes in other threads when the watch does not behave how it should …

Do you have a link to the instructions ?
Thanks

[zhang965]

Glonass seems better in higher latitudes zones,
Galileo in mid-latitudes zones gets better

[freeheeler]

@Frederic
not sure if ambit and s9 work the same but this is the instruction for ambit:
Force firmware update for Windows

1. Connect the watch to the computer.
2. Right click on the Moveslink2 icon (M) on the system tray and choose “Force Firmware Update”.

[Frederic]

@zhang965 But Galileo is for EU right ? I am in the US (Colorado)

[zhang965]

but you mentioned tour du mont blanc?

[freeheeler]

@Frederic
GPS is us military, glonass russia, galileo European civil… but all work global

[Frederic]

@zhang965 Yep, I was there in vacation and was sad to struggle EVERY day for my watch to find signals. The interesting thing is that it almost always lost signal around 10am. Not sure why…