Select your product to confirm this information applies to you

GPS Drift and Environmental Factors of GPS Accuracy on the Garmin quatix 6 Series

GPS drift and environmental factors can impact the accuracy of locations and activities recorded by the Garmin watch. The information in this article will help the understand and reduce the impacts of GPS drift and environmental factors.

GPS Drift and Environmental Factors

What Is GPS Drift?

In the most practical sense, GPS drift is the difference between the actual location and the location recorded by a GPS receiver. Since consumer-grade GPS receivers (such as the ones Garmin makes) are not 100% accurate, this can cause a difference between the actual and recorded locations.

The GPS location accuracy of Garmin outdoor watches is around 3 meters (10 feet) 95% of the time, which means that at any given time, the watch will save the location within 3 meters of the actual area. If the watch records a GPS location every second and the activity is not paused while standing still, the watch can record up to 180 meters (590 ft) in just a minute. The watch can record even more distance while stopped when in an area with degraded GPS signals. The space recorded while standing still is a representation of GPS Drift.

What Are Environmental Factors?

Any outside influence on the accuracy of the Garmin watch is an environmental factor and can cause degraded GPS signals. Environmental factors can range from using GPS downtown in a major city to running with a big group of people to recording a hike under a dense tree canopy. Using the watch to record GPS in those environments blocks the watch's ability to receive GPS signals directly. Think of environmental factors as things that interrupt the signal path of a GPS satellite to the watch. 


Examples of GPS Drift and Environmental Factors

Select from the headings below to see examples of how recording activities in different environments affects GPS. 


Example 1: GPS Indoors

The image below shows a track recorded by a GPS handheld device that was turned on and recording in a building. This illustrates what it would look like if the were to record GPS while standing still in a highly degraded GPS environment.

A device left at a desk with the GPS turned on shows GPS Drift


Example 2: Stopping Without Pausing During an Activity

This image shows a hiker that stopped for a short time without pausing the activity. See how the watch continued to record GPS points while the person stopped; this added extra distance to their hiking activity.

Shows stopping point and GPS was not stopped and continued to record


Example 3: GPS Distortion Caused by Environmental Factors

In the example below, the watch records activity in an "Urban Canyon" area. Urban Canyons cause degraded signal due to poor visibility of the horizon and GPS signal refraction caused by windows on taller buildings. When the GPS signal significantly degrades, the GPS accuracy of the watch goes down, and the track of the activity may not show anywhere near the actual path it took.

Satellite view of city displaying the GPS Track


Troubleshooting GPS Distance and Accuracy

 Knowing what causes activity distance to be incorrect, the user can take steps to prevent inaccuracies. The information below will help the record more accurate tracks. GPS drift is hard to overcome due to environmental factors, and GPS drift is a natural occurrence. 


Reduce Environmental Factors

The first step to recording accurate GPS data is reducing distortion and degradation caused by environmental factors. GPS works best when no obstructions are above 15 degrees over the horizon. Avoid the following when recording activities:

  • Tall buildings

  • Dense forest or canopy

  • Canyons

  • Using GPS in a dense group of people

  • Using GPS indoors

  • Using GPS underwater


Soak the GPS

When a watch initially displays that it is GPS Ready, it means that it has picked up the minimum number of satellites needed to get the location. Soaking GPS allows the watch additional time to communicate with satellites before moving for the activity. This practice enables the watch to communicate with additional satellites, creating a stronger bond and helping to reduce the degradation of GPS signals.

Soaking GPS

  1. Select an activity

  2. Wait for the GPS Ready message or GPS Indicator to turn green

    GPS ready green indicator line

  3. Wait 2-5 minutes before the start of the timer before starting


Update Software

Out-of-date software can lead to irregularities in recorded GPS data.

Follow the steps in this article for updating the watch with Garmin Express - Updating Maps and Software with Garmin Express


Turn on Auto Pause

Recording GPS while stopped is one of the most significant contributors to the inaccurate distance in an activity. Setting the watch to pause when stopped can significantly reduce the additional distance recorded.

Turning on Auto Pause

  1. Press and hold UP/MENU to access the Main Menu

  2. Scroll to Settings and select Activities & Apps

  3. Select an activity

  4. Select (Activity Name) Settings

  5. Select Auto Pause

  6. Select When Stopped

The watch will now automatically pause the activity while stopped. The recording will resume when movement is detected.


Distance and Speed Recording Accessories

Sometimes degraded signals are unavoidable due to environmental factors. For instance, running outside in a large city like Chicago is impossible. In this situation, the user can utilize a foot pod.

NOTE: Check compatibility with the Garmin watch before purchasing a distance and speed recording accessory.

GPS still records the activity when using a foot pod, but the distance is based on the number of steps taken multiplied by the stride length. 

The Garmin Foot Pod has been discontinued and is no longer available.

Speed Sensor

A speed sensor works similarly to a foot pod. Speed sensors use the size of the bike's wheel and the number of rotations it makes during a cycling activity to determine the distance. The speed at which the wheel rotates will assess speed. Just like a foot pod, GPS still records when using a speed sensor.

The Garmin Bike Speed Sensor can be purchased here: Garmin Bike Speed Sensor.


Back to Top