TromboneAl

I just bought a used Garmin Edge 305. It works fine, but consistently shows an elevation of around -140 feet although I am 85 feet above sea level. I haven't taken it out of the house yet.

Anyone know what's wrong with it?

dougmc

Possibly nothing.

GPSs are not particularly accurate when it comes to altitudes, which is why the Edge 305 and some other models has a built-in barometer -- it allows the device to detect small changes in altitude (even a few feet, it can detect it.)

But barometers are affected by the weather. Low pressure zones will make the device think it's higher than it really is, and high pressure zones lower.

The altimeter in an airplane allows you to enter the air pressure from a weather report to make it accurate, but the Edge 305 has no such capability. But it doesn't really matter that much, as you're not usually so worried about altitude as changes in altitude.

If you can turn it on, have it read -140 feet, then go up 20 feet of stairs and have it read -120 feet -- it's likely working properly.

It would be nice if the device would store both the GPS determined altitude and the barometer determined altitude with each data point (and have a way to let you see both), and let you enter in the barometic pressure to calibrate it -- but it doesn't, as it's not really what the device is made for.

When you download the data to your computer and upload to sites like Garmin Connect and Strava, you can usually have the site use known altitudes rather than trust what the GPS says -- so unless you're using it in something that flies, it's not normally a big deal.

JBHoren

Are you high?

TromboneAl

Excellent, Doug, that explains it. I had considered that, but thought that a difference of 220 feet was pushing it, but I see now that's reasonable. Yes, it works fine. I go upstairs and it changes appropriately.

I upgraded from the 205 mainly to get the heart rate capability, but I would also like to see a more accurate indication of grade while riding. Hopefully, this will do it.

TromboneAl

It seems to have corrected itself after my first ride yesterday. Perhaps it calibrates the device from multiple GPS readings. Here's the chart, with elevation correction disabled:



It now reads 180 feet in the house.

dougmc

More likely is that the weather changed, or the GPS errors in altitude switched the other way.

Sounds like it's working as well as designed.