Right out of the box, the Garmin Enduro reports overly generous total elevation gain numbers. I prefer my GPS watch to be accurate not generous. Before the Enduro I had been using the Fenix 3 HR for a number of years and its accuracy has been time-tested against so many ultra trail races I’ve ever been in. So I have a solid reference to compare the Enduro with. With that said, I suggest making the following changes:
The Enduro comes with three satellite options: GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO. By default it’s set to use only GPS with options to select GPS + GLONASS or GPS + GALILEO. For Trail Running activity it’s highly recommended to use GPS + GLONASS for increased tracking accuracy. This is a per activity setting.
■ Long Press MENU button | Settings | System | Data Recording | Every Second
■ Long Press MENU button | Settings | Sensor & Accessories | Altimeter | Auto Cal. | During Activity: OFF | Not During Activity: OFF
■ Long Press MENU button | Settings | Sensor & Accessories | Barometer | Watch Mode | Barometer (Default: Auto). I’ve found Auto jacks up elevation gain a lot and until a future firmware addresses this problem, the only way is to force Watch Mode to Barometer (more info from Garmin).
■ Another setting that is still work in progress is the 3D Distance and 3D Speed. Gamin says this about what they do. In reality, it’s not so clear cut depending what activity they’re used in. I’ve turned these off for Run and Bike activities but for Trail Run I’m still undecided. I’m inclined to turn them ON for Trail Run activity to dial in more accuracy especially in areas where the trails have no satellite coverage. That said, a number of sources have pointed out that the watch does not use GPS to determine altitude once the activity has started, it’s the barometer that does the work. So where does that leave us with the 3D settings?
Before starting an activity, calibrate your Altimeter using DEM where DEM is supported. It’s also faster and does not fluctuate unlike calibrating with GPS which is known to be less accurate. In areas where DEM isn’t available, I enter altitude manually using the figure I obtain from Accurate Altimeter app instead of waiting for GPS to make up its mind.
