How accurate is the Band's Elevation Gain?

[anon(8555314)]

Anyone do any testing on a course with known elevation or side-by-side with an accurate measurement tool?

I walked up and down a 100 ft hill 3 times to see how consistent it was on the elevation. I had variation of up to 3% on the display from start to finish based on the reading before I left the bottom to when I got to the top. However, one thing I noticed was that the elevation display on the Band seemed to move in increments of 4-5 feet. I'd be curious to know what increments it moves if set up for metric. Also, I'd be curious to know what is happening on the back end. Is the display counter only updating every X seconds, or every x increment of gain?

 

[DroidUser42]

Is the display counter only updating every X seconds, or every x increment of gain?

My guess? Both. I'm sure there's a sampling rate. And the pressure sensor probably has a limit on the resolving power.

There may also be something to average the pressure so as to measure static pressure and not the dynamic pressure of windage.

 

[BlueCube4]

I did a 25.2 mile bike ride on Monday. The elevation gain was off. I was 71 ft higher when I came back to my driveway (1,533 gain, 1,462 loss).

 

[poit57]

I don't know about accuracy, but it is consistent when I repeat the same running route.

 

[Nate Silver]

Probably not all that accurate. Barometric Altimeters are often fickle beasts. My Garmin (Fenix 3) is just starting to get somewhat accurate now, after numerous firmware updates. I haven't done any activities on the Band 2 yet other than stationary cycling on the trainer. If its any indication, I noticed yesterday that the screen showed about 250 feet of elevation gain while I pedaled away in the living room. I should note that neither the Health App or web portal records of the activity reflect this, no doubt because they're smart enough to know that there would be no elevation gain when no distance is recorded? However, it is giving me credit for 17 floors climbed today, although there may have been 30 to 40 steps actually climbed (none consisting of a flight). I'm not real bothered by it, as I've yet to see any of these 'credit for stairs climbed' apps that have any real accuracy.

 

[DroidUser42]

If you want to have fun, buy a barometer and hang it in your home. Note the reading when you start and end your activity and consider that in the results.

 

[SeeVuPlay]

I went to sleep and I when I woke up....I climbed one flight of stairs LOL...didn't know I was a sleepwalker ahah

 

[BlueCube4]

My stairs count is all over the place this morning. I went up one flight of steps when I got up and got credit for 4 (some of those may have showed up while I was sleeping). By the time I got to the office, I had 14 stairs registered (should have been 3). I got credit the first time I walked up 3 flights of stairs at the office, but didn't get any credit when I went to the cafeteria and back up two stairs 15 minutes later. Edit: got delayed credit for the two floors.

So my Band 2 now has 19 stairs when it should have been 9. My FitBit Surge is very accurate in regards to stair count. I was wearing both for a week but not last night or this morning.

BTW - Barometric pressure was low last evening (29.43) and it is climbing this morning (29.55). There was no wind.

Edit: went home for lunch. Wind is kicking up (front coming through). I picked up 6 extra floors from the wind (I assume). Now have 30 floors.

Final update for the day: It's 9:30pm. I physically climbed 16 flights of steps. My Band 2 recorded 96 floors. I'll probably hit 100 by the time I go upstairs to bed.

 

[Captain_Eric]

I hope Microsoft is reading this, or better yet, that you folks are reporting this to them. Disappointing. I hope they can fix it.

 

[DroidUser42]

BTW - Barometric pressure was low last evening (29.43) and it is climbing this morning (29.55).

That's about 10 floors going down.

 

[BlueCube4]

Barometric pressure climbed up to 30.0. I was raking leaves (between wind gusts) for a few hours today. Floor count is at 118 (10 was the actual number I walked up). Hard to believe a couple weeks ago I was complaining about the floor count being too low.