Improvements since software update to BSA4

[sonnnet]

Erh... could it be this simple? My floor counter went up again, now at 68 while the weather was stable, sunny in fact.
The pressure sensor of my phone showed a stable value of around 1025 hPa, my watch sensor went from 1012 to 987 in a short time.
That made me think: water leaves scale if you let it evaporate. Sweat leaves salt.
I never really cleaned the watch (it looks clean, also on the backside).
So I cleaned and dried the watch pressure sensor. The pressure value jumped up to 1030 hPa immediately and has been stable since.
Now let's see what happens when it starts raining again, but that value jump after cleaning seems promising, I'd say.

Interesting development! By the way, where is the pressure sensor?
You might be on to something in general about cleaning, too. I clean my watch every day, but hadn't thought about it. I wear it in the shower first thing in the morning, then take it off and dry the case and bracelet with a soft cloth. I do it more for comfort than anything else, but in fact it means it gets a clean every day. Also, before a workout, I wipe the case and HR sensor with a cloth or my T-shirt. More for an accurate HR reading than anything else, but again it keeps it clean in general. Maybe a cleaning routine is important to keep the watch functioning well...

 

[sonnnet]

But sonnett, you could be on to something with the sensor power saving.

Yeah, could be something in it. I don't think anyone knows for sure what that setting does, but I turned it off on the old and the new softwares and I get good results for steps, floors, HR and GPS. Could be just a coincidence though. One thing for sure (for me anyway) is that turning it off definitely doesn't make anything worse.

 

[sonnnet]

I just changed that setting. I have been getting really great steps since I turned on the first workout, knock on wood it stays this way. It's like there is some code written into the software that the step counter isn't fully activated until it starts a watch workout.

Samsung said it was working on stopping the cheaters in the monthly step challenges. I don't think keeping a counter from working is the way to go about it.

P.S. My watch thinks I have climbed stairs when I take a shower.

So, have you seen an improvement in the watch recording steps in general, too, even when you aren't doing a workout? And when the screen is off?

 

[Peter621022]

Interesting development! By the way, where is the pressure sensor?

It's that sunk in white dot behind twelve o'clock at the back. I'll start cleaning it on a regular basis.

 

[Peter621022]

Yeah, could be something in it. I don't think anyone knows for sure what that setting does, but I turned it off on the old and the new softwares and I get good results for steps, floors, HR and GPS. Could be just a coincidence though. One thing for sure (for me anyway) is that turning it off definitely doesn't make anything worse.

A good way to test it would be to switch it on again. If you get worse results then you know. If it's inconclusive you may have to repeat switching back and forth a few times and keep track of improvement / it getting worse.
Personally I'd expect it is a setting for a system app involved in power saving mode that will need sensor access once triggered. If that is true it shouldn't do much while in normal operation, so I am very interested in your findings if you switch it back on.

 

[skatergirl]

So, have you seen an improvement in the watch recording steps in general, too, even when you aren't doing a workout? And when the screen is off?

Yes ... It is like once I set a workout on the watch, it was the cue for the tracker to start working. Now I am getting steps throughout the day.

 

[edubb256]

Since updating to BSA4, my step counting accuracy has improved. I've not made any changes in the settings.

 

[sonnnet]

Yes ... It is like once I set a workout on the watch, it was the cue for the tracker to start working. Now I am getting steps throughout the day.

That's excellent. Pleased it's finally working properly for you.

 

[sonnnet]

A good way to test it would be to switch it on again. If you get worse results then you know. If it's inconclusive you may have to repeat switching back and forth a few times and keep track of improvement / it getting worse.
Personally I'd expect it is a setting for a system app involved in power saving mode that will need sensor access once triggered. If that is true it shouldn't do much while in normal operation, so I am very interested in your findings if you switch it back on.

I had considered that possibility too - it would make logical sense.
However, this guy also found it helped with 'heart rate always on' not dropping out:

https://youtu.be/f_9GCdAmKuA

You are right the way to test it is to switch it on again, but I'm a bit loathe to do that now I've got everything working as I want it to. In fact, I'm extremely pleased with the watch now. It performs brilliantly for everything that I need it to do, including all my fitness tracking indoor and outdoor.

Maybe at some point I'll change the setting to test, but right now I'm getting perfect HR and GPS tracking and it's a joy to use.

 

[skatergirl]

That's excellent. Pleased it's finally working properly for you.

Thank you! My mood has improved!!

 

[Peter621022]

You are right the way to test it is to switch it on again, but I'm a bit loathe to do that now I've got everything working as I want it to.

Appreciated. Mine is still off as well, but since I didn't have issues with step counting or HRM I can't really test the influence. Let's keep it in mind.

 

[Peter621022]

Someone ordered sunny weather and got it. Please send it back and have it replaced by occasional rain. I'm in the middle of an investigation here.

 

[sonnnet]

Someone ordered sunny weather and got it. Please send it back and have it replaced by occasional rain. I'm in the middle of an investigation here.

We've got as much occasional rain as you would like, Peter. I'll gladly swap you! Lol

 

[skatergirl]

But ... today my tracker was at first working great. I then started a workout. When I should have gotten my notification of 6,000 steps, I checked my watch and it was at about 4,500 steps. GRRRR.

I checked for any lingering app updates in the Google Play Store. There were about five of them, even though I have it set to auto update. I updated them and then I restarted both the phone and the watch. I hope this was the only issue. I am not in the mood to get mad again.

 

[sonnnet]

But ... today my tracker was at first working great. I then started a workout. When I should have gotten my notification of 6,000 steps, I checked my watch and it was at about 4,500 steps. GRRRR.

I checked for any lingering app updates in the Google Play Store. There were about five of them, even though I have it set to auto update. I updated them and then I restarted both the phone and the watch. I hope this was the only issue. I am not in the mood to get mad again.

Oh no, hopefully it was a one off. Maybe turn that setting I've been talking about back to ON. It's probably not connected, but if your watch was working fine beforehand, might be a good idea to revert to the previous setting. After all, we still don't really know what that setting does.

 

[Peter621022]

I checked for any lingering app updates in the Google Play Store.

This may also be worth a try:
Could you please check if there are any apps active in the background?
At some point I noticed my watch getting less responsive with many apps visible in the "recent apps" overview. After clearing those the watch was its jolly old self again.
If that happened to your watch, it may effect your step counter.
I now clear the recent apps stack on a regular basis.

 

[skatergirl]

I do put all my background apps to sleep on a regular basis. I try to keep everything as clear as possible over this watch. This watch is like a crabby boyfriend, lol.

 

[Peter621022]

A quick update on my Floor counter issue.
I think I narrowed the cause of over counting down to climate control / air ventilation.
I work in a big office building with central climate control.
If that kicks in, the air pressure changes. The variation in air pressure while walking around is bigger than the variation you get from climbing or descending stairs only. So sometimes I climb stairs with no floor count, sometimes I descend but gain 2 or 3 floors. I can sit behind my computer and gain dozens of counted floors in an hour.
I first thought it must be the sensor being broken, but it isn't.
Measurement did improve a bit by loosening the watch band to prevent my skin from covering/touching the sensor (sunk in, but not enough apparently). By also regularly cleaning the sensor with rinsing water and towel, typically after a workout / dance class (flamenco, quite a work out), I get a fairly straight line if the pressure is stable and the value about the same what my phone shows.
But I can see the variation in measured air pressure increasing once I step into the office building.
That makes it a software issue. I think the floor counter app doesn't check on actual elevation by e.g. also looking at the built in gyroscope in combination with actual steps being made.
For now, the floor counter is useless to me, which is disappointing but not a life changer.
Let's hope Samsung will have improved the algorithm in the next firmware.

 

[sonnnet]

A quick update on my Floor counter issue.
I think I narrowed the cause of over counting down to climate control / air ventilation.
I work in a big office building with central climate control.
If that kicks in, the air pressure changes. The variation in air pressure while walking around is bigger than the variation you get from climbing or descending stairs only. So sometimes I climb stairs with no floor count, sometimes I descend but gain 2 or 3 floors. I can sit behind my computer and gain dozens of counted floors in an hour.
I first thought it must be the sensor being broken, but it isn't.
Measurement did improve a bit by loosening the watch band to prevent my skin from covering/touching the sensor (sunk in, but not enough apparently). By also regularly cleaning the sensor with rinsing water and towel, typically after a workout / dance class (flamenco, quite a work out), I get a fairly straight line if the pressure is stable and the value about the same what my phone shows.
But I can see the variation in measured air pressure increasing once I step into the office building.
That makes it a software issue. I think the floor counter app doesn't check on actual elevation by e.g. also looking at the built in gyroscope in combination with actual steps being made.
For now, the floor counter is useless to me, which is disappointing but not a life changer.
Let's hope Samsung will have improved the algorithm in the next firmware.

Peter, that's interesting about indoor climate factors. Although mine was spot on for a while, I've been monitoring it and to be honest, it's erratic. Sometimes correct, often over counting. After a bit of research, it seems this is common. The data from the floor counter, which as you know is linked to the barometer, is unreliable. Luckily, I'm not too concerned about floors, so I can live with it. I know you had a fitness purpose for it, so that's disappointing, I'm sure.

 

[Peter621022]

I've been monitoring it and to be honest, it's erratic. Sometimes correct, often over counting.

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.