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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Select an activity
Wait for the GPS Ready message or GPS Indicator to turn green
Wait 2-5 minutes before the start of the timer before starting