Improvements since software update to BSA4

[sonnnet]

Ah, good to know Sonnet. I think it should be possible to improve the algorithm, but I am not sure how battery intensive that would be.
Still, I am keeping my hopes up for the next update.

No worries. I am beta testing the 'Gear Tracker' fitness tracking app. The developer said he initially planned to use the barometer to record elevation, but the data was just too unreliable.

 

[Peter621022]

No worries. I am beta testing the 'Gear Tracker' fitness tracking app. The developer said he initially planned to use the barometer to record elevation, but the data was just too unreliable.

Interesting. How about breaking down the gyroscope data? You'd expect that breaking it down in 3 dimensions should give an indication of someone going up or down while making steps.... could you please make a suggestion?

 

[sonnnet]

Interesting. How about breaking down the gyroscope data? You'd expect that breaking it down in 3 dimensions should give an indication of someone going up or down while making steps.... could you please make a suggestion?

I don't know, Peter. There are plenty of sensors on the watch that should be able to determine this (gyro, accel, barometer, pedometer), but they don't! Probably best to see how another watch does it and then maybe someone could replicate with an app.

 

[jfenton]

This past Saturday with new watch and new software loaded on the BT version we went for a hike. Approximately 6 miles and the watch recorded 13,237 steps. Sounds just about right or at least fairly close.

The one thing I didn't like however....I went out of town yesterday noon (Sunday) and came home this evening. Watch sitting on the bureau was at 95% when I left when I return home it's at 2%? Not connected to my phone obviously and just sitting there on the bureau...Thats a 93% discharge sitting there doing nothing over 27 hours.

 

[Duong Tran]

My main focus is on the battery. Anyone notices any improvement on batt after the BSA4 update ?

Mine is 42mm, current settings:
wrist awake on
aod, gps: off
wifi: auto
HRM: frequent
Sleep tracking: on (not using HRM)
others: intact

just live around 1.5 to 1.8 days.
Just got the update today and it does not seem to have any improvement on batt. just wait and hope

 

[Peter621022]

Watch sitting on the bureau was at 95% when I left when I return home it's at 2%? Thats a 93% discharge sitting there doing nothing over 27 hours.

I think this is the most likely cause: If you leave your watch without your phone nearby I expect it will keep trying to contact/find your phone over bluetooth, draining your battery. If you leave your watch for hours it's better to switch it off.

 

[jfenton]

My phone was with me, 196 miles away

But you may well be right. If the watch is trying to connect and keeps doing so that would most certainly drain the battery.

 

[sonnnet]

I think this is the most likely cause: If you leave your watch without your phone nearby I expect it will keep trying to contact/find your phone over bluetooth, draining your battery. If you leave your watch for hours it's better to switch it off.

Not too sure about that, Peter. Modern Bluetooth has power saving features built in to prevent exactly that happening and devices can remain switched on but effectively 'sleeping' for extremely prolonged periods until a 'handshake' is initiated. And Galaxy Watch is Bluetooth 4.2, so it has those features.
What you are describing is more common with a mobile phone (or LTE watch) struggling for a phone signal.
I believe the OP has a BT version of the watch, so it's not struggling for a phone connection either.
So I would keep an eye on this. The CPU has been running overtime for the battery to deplete that quickly. Check the usual suspects: rogue 3rd party apps and watchfaces. Ensure there's enough storage and RAM available (check via Wear app on phone). Make sure there aren't loads of running apps at the same time.
If it continues, it's factory reset or return the watch time.

 

[Peter621022]

Not too sure about that, Peter.
The CPU has been running overtime for the battery to deplete that quickly. Check the usual suspects: rogue 3rd party apps and watchfaces. Ensure there's enough storage and RAM available (check via Wear app on phone). Make sure there aren't loads of running apps at the same time.
If it continues, it's factory reset or return the watch time.

Sonnet could be right, I am no BT expert.
I'd suggest you keep your watch close to the phone for a day without changing anything. Then leave it disconnected like you did before for another day.
If there's no drain with the phone close but there is with the phone far, it has to do something with the connection (could still be a rogue app, btw if it e.g. needs an app on the phone to work properly).
If it doesn't matter where the phone is, go for Sonnet's suggestions.
I still think it is a good habit to switch the watch off if you don't use it for hours or even longer to save battery life, but that's really up to you of course.

 

[sonnnet]

Sonnet could be right, I am no BT expert.
I'd suggest you keep your watch close to the phone for a day without changing anything. Then leave it disconnected like you did before for another day.
If there's no drain with the phone close but there is with the phone far, it has to do something with the connection (could still be a rogue app, btw if it e.g. needs an app on the phone to work properly).
If it doesn't matter where the phone is, go for Sonnet's suggestions.
I still think it is a good habit to switch the watch off if you don't use it for hours or even longer to save battery life, but that's really up to you of course.

Agree with you there, Peter. Good steps to follow.
Re the Bluetooth issue, I had a Plantronics BT headset which could remain switched on but sleeping for a month before it needed another charge! OK, a tiny device with not much power needed, but an incredible feature.
Unfortunately, it was so small I lost it...

 

[Peter621022]

Agree with you there, Peter. Good steps to follow.
Re the Bluetooth issue, I had a Plantronics BT headset which could remain switched on but sleeping for a month before it needed another charge! OK, a tiny device with not much power needed, but an incredible feature.
Unfortunately, it was so small I lost it...

I HAVE a Plantronics BT and I wouldn't know how long it lasts on stand by since I always switch it off. Ha ha.
Sorry about your loss, though, it IS a nice headset.

 

[sonnnet]

I HAVE a Plantronics BT and I wouldn't know how long it lasts on stand by since I always switch it off. Ha ha.
Sorry about your loss, though, it IS a nice headset.

Seems we have a similar taste in electronics, Peter! Take care of that headset

 

[Greymire]

Sonnet could be right, I am no BT expert.
I'd suggest you keep your watch close to the phone for a day without changing anything. Then leave it disconnected like you did before for another day.
If there's no drain with the phone close but there is with the phone far, it has to do something with the connection (could still be a rogue app, btw if it e.g. needs an app on the phone to work properly).
If it doesn't matter where the phone is, go for Sonnet's suggestions.
I still think it is a good habit to switch the watch off if you don't use it for hours or even longer to save battery life, but that's really up to you of course.

I agree on the rogue app, especially if it was still connected to wifi. Some watch faces give you crazy battery drain. Also if you had wifi on auto and was on the fringe it may connect and disconnect a lot. I have an odd dead spot in our house with wifi in a bedroom that should not be an issue bases on distance. I would lean toward a watch face or as recommended above, a full reset. I wonder if the charger stops charging once it turns green (full) ? I know the better wireless phone chargers do to prevent battery damage. I actually hope so because I often forget my watch when it's charging. Ha ha.

 

[Peter621022]

I wonder if the charger stops charging once it turns green (full) ? I know the better wireless phone chargers do to prevent battery damage. I actually hope so because I often forget my watch when it's charging. Ha ha.

If you use a charger dedicated to Li-ion batteries it will stop charging once the battery is full, since Li-ion batteries can overheat if you keep (trickle) chargeing it once the battery is full.
Older chargers will switch to trickle charging to compensate for the self-discharge of the battery. Li-ion batteries do show self-discharge, but much less than older battery types, say 1-2% per month.
That can be harmful to the battery if you leave it lying around for a longer time almost empty. A friend of mine couldn't charge her gear S3 anymore after not using her watch for months. Apparently, Li-ion batteries don't like being stored fully charged either, so if you plan to not use your watch or phone for a longer time it's best to charge it to say 50% and then leave it.
I got the info from this highly recommended article: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
The interesting question is if the battery is actually full from a battery point of view if your charger light turns green. It probably isn't. Li-ion batteries are "calibrated" using a built in battery management system, which will indicate the battery is full or empty (100% over 0%) while it really isn't to prevent the battery from getting damaged.

 

[Greymire]

If you use a charger dedicated to Li-ion batteries it will stop charging once the battery is full, since Li-ion batteries can overheat if you keep (trickle) chargeing it once the battery is full.
Older chargers will switch to trickle charging to compensate for the self-discharge of the battery. Li-ion batteries do show self-discharge, but much less than older battery types, say 1-2% per month.
That can be harmful to the battery if you leave it lying around for a longer time almost empty. A friend of mine couldn't charge her gear S3 anymore after not using her watch for months. Apparently, Li-ion batteries don't like being stored fully charged either, so if you plan to not use your watch or phone for a longer time it's best to charge it to say 50% and then leave it.
I got the info from this highly recommended article: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
The interesting question is if the battery is actually full from a battery point of view if your charger light turns green. It probably isn't. Li-ion batteries are "calibrated" using a built in battery management system, which will indicate the battery is full or empty (100% over 0%) while it really isn't to prevent the battery from getting damaged.

Thanks for all of the info. I have heard that newer chargers do not charge to 100%. If so then the watch itself is calibrated with the chargers to read 100% when it is actually lower. Interesting stuff. It amazes me how they use Lithium these day. When I was in the military you had to get special permission to carry our Lithium radio batteries. Of course the batteries were larger than today's cell phones but Lithium was not considered stable and the battery could actually explode if water got into the cell.

I should add it was the technology of using the Lithium Ion that made them safe. We used the dangerous old style Lithium rechargables.

 

[dsankir]

Hi,
Is there any way or application to get position-coordinate data (lat-lon) on GW using standalone gps?

Cheers

 

[sonnnet]

Hi,
Is there any way or application to get position-coordinate data (lat-lon) on GW using standalone gps?

Cheers

Yes various apps can give this info. Obviously make sure the watch isn't connected to your phone or it WILL use the phone's GPS.

This app is v basic, but gives you coordinates

http://apps.samsung.com/gear/appDetail.as?appId=OHLFZPHziU

 

[dsankir]

Thanks a lot quick answer...

 

[sonnnet]

Thanks a lot quick answer...

No probs

 

[dsankir]

Thanks a lot quick answer...