Strava problem

[lordofthemark]

Yes, I did search the forum, didn’t find any exact matches to this though.

Until Friday, Strava was working fine for me. Since then it has been acting weirdly. (I use it on an Android/Samsung phone) It sometimes creates a straight line, as if I had paused and left it on, though I am sure I did not pause it (that happened this morning on the way to CCCC) At other times it records a teeny tiny segment (rounds to zero) and cuts out right away (that happened this AM too, on my ride from CCCC in to DC). But that teeny tiny bit is at the correct location. So GPS is clearly working. I tried deleting and reinstalling Strava, that did not help. I tried a (warm) reboot of the phone, but that did not help. I will try a cold reboot before riding home this evening.

I wonder if my phone is to sensitive to touch? (though I checked to make sure the screen was dark before leaving CCCC this AM) Maybe I should change that in settings?

Any other ideas would be appreciated, as this is getting annoying.

Topic

[huskerdont]

@bentbike33 181418 wrote:

Get a Garmin or a Wahoo ELEMNT. These devices have buttons that work with gloves on and can also record the temperature during your ride so you can prove your Rule 9 Badassery to all.

I considered the Element since so many sang its praises, but decided I’d get a Garmin 735xt watch instead that I could use swimming, running, and kayaking. I often use it as a backup for riding but usually stick with the phone since the Garmin slightly underrecords distance (compared not just to the phone but all of the non-Strava cycling computers on my bikes as well as other riders’ information in group rides) and vastly underestimates elevation gain compared to the Strava-modified data from my phone. However, I probably will use it more this winter. I have Raynauds and my hands will go white and bloodless even in the 50s, so I’m doing all the HTFUing I care to do even riding in the winter.

Still, it could be something I’d get in the future. If I’m not riding a bike I’m generally thinking of buying something for them.

[accordioneur]

@n18 181403 wrote:

They generate high frequency signal in the range of 100 to 500 KHz.

The GPS L1 and L2 frequencies are 1575 and 1227 MHz, respectively. Unless the power supply has a really strong upper harmonic or the GPS receiver has an IF in the 100-500 KHz range, I’m not convinced the power supply is interfering w/ GPS reception.

[bentbike33]

@huskerdont 181429 wrote:

the Garmin slightly underrecords distance (compared not just to the phone but all of the non-Strava cycling computers on my bikes as well as other riders’ information in group rides) and vastly underestimates elevation gain compared to the Strava-modified data from my phone.

I have an ELEMNT Bolt. Distance seems accurate, but it tends to exaggerate elevation gain compared to Strava-corrected rides (a feature, not a bug?). It works and plays well with Strava and Ride-with-GPS. It finds the satellites pretty reliably, and I like the route feature where you can plan rides on Strava or Ride-with-GPS and download.

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

Ken have you poked around much in GPS faqs on android/strava forums? You could have recently gotten an update that changed a setting under the hood about which/when/how the app is connecting or pausing certain location services for your phone or for particular apps, or not switching between connectivity through wifi networks and cell towers.

[lordofthemark]

@LeprosyStudyGroup 181436 wrote:

Ken have you poked around much in GPS faqs on android/strava forums? You could have recently gotten an update that changed a setting under the hood about which/when/how the app is connecting or pausing certain location services for your phone or for particular apps, or not switching between connectivity through wifi networks and cell towers.

I have not checked those places yet. I did try a full reboot, and tested by walking around with it in my suit pocket and in my hand. First time I started walking right after I turned Strava on (as I have always done when riding) with it in my pocket. Failed. Second time I walked with it in my hand – and watched it correctly estimate my speed and then when I saved, saw it had recorded the walk correctly. Third time I kept it open for a few seconds while I walked with it in my hand THEN put it in my pocket – and it seems to have stopped the second I put it in my pocket (or the moment the screen went blank?)

Oh, I also turned Wifi off after the first walk, as it was interfering with all phone updates at the location I was at.

[lordofthemark]

@accordioneur 181432 wrote:

The GPS L1 and L2 frequencies are 1575 and 1227 MHz, respectively. Unless the power supply has a really strong upper harmonic or the GPS receiver has an IF in the 100-500 KHz range, I’m not convinced the power supply is interfering w/ GPS reception.

Since I had this problem while walking, without my light, I am sure you are correct.

[mstone]

The gps in my old phone slowly got worse and worse over time until it was basically unusable (would take forever to register a location, would randomly say I was miles away from my actual location, would cut in and out frequently). Went downhill for probably 6 months. So, in my experience, it might be the first sign that the hardware is on its way out.

[lordofthemark]

@mstone 181444 wrote:

The gps in my old phone slowly got worse and worse over time until it was basically unusable (would take forever to register a location, would randomly say I was miles away from my actual location, would cut in and out frequently). Went downhill for probably 6 months. So, in my experience, it might be the first sign that the hardware is on its way out.

Sigh.

But, again, Google Maps seems to have my location perfectly. Is it not using location services based on the same hardware?

[josh]

@lordofthemark 181446 wrote:

Sigh.

But, again, Google Maps seems to have my location perfectly. Is it not using location services based on the same hardware?

Not sure exactly how the Google location services work, but in addition to GPS, it might also be using cell towers or WIFI networks (or even individual access points) to triangulate your location.

[huskerdont]

@mstone 181444 wrote:

The gps in my old phone slowly got worse and worse over time until it was basically unusable (would take forever to register a location, would randomly say I was miles away from my actual location, would cut in and out frequently). Went downhill for probably 6 months. So, in my experience, it might be the first sign that the hardware is on its way out.

So this is a thing. I wondered if this was a thing.

[bentbike33]

@lordofthemark 181442 wrote:

I have not checked those places yet. I did try a full reboot, and tested by walking around with it in my suit pocket and in my hand. First time I started walking right after I turned Strava on (as I have always done when riding) with it in my pocket. Failed. Second time I walked with it in my hand – and watched it correctly estimate my speed and then when I saved, saw it had recorded the walk correctly. Third time I kept it open for a few seconds while I walked with it in my hand THEN put it in my pocket – and it seems to have stopped the second I put it in my pocket (or the moment the screen went blank?)

Oh, I also turned Wifi off after the first walk, as it was interfering with all phone updates at the location I was at.

Sounds to me like LSG may be right: your phone probably got a “power saver” update that turns off location services when the screen is off. Look in battery management settings.

[mstone]

@bentbike33 181449 wrote:

Sounds to me like LSG may be right: your phone probably got a “power saver” update that turns off location services when the screen is off. Look in battery management settings.

that’s also definitely a thing

[mstone]

@lordofthemark 181446 wrote:

Sigh.

But, again, Google Maps seems to have my location perfectly. Is it not using location services based on the same hardware?

I’d get different results from different apps at first (by the end nothing worked, but it started slow), with waze being the best, google maps being the second best, fitness trackers being the worst. You’d think they’d work the same but apparently not.

[n18]

@accordioneur 181432 wrote:

The GPS L1 and L2 frequencies are 1575 and 1227 MHz, respectively. Unless the power supply has a really strong upper harmonic or the GPS receiver has an IF in the 100-500 KHz range, I’m not convinced the power supply is interfering w/ GPS reception.

Unfortunately, such power supplies use square waves, which have high frequency component. I had a 12V power supply once that interfered with my TV Tuner. It took me a while to find the source. After opening it up, I found that it wasn’t shielded. I got it from a US eBay seller. Another one; from another US eBay seller was shielded and never caused problems. However, it seems from the OP testing that the light is not the source of the problem.

[n18]

I don’t use Strava, but it seems this is a screen-off problem. However, as far as I know, it’s not Android that turns the GPS chip off when the screen is off, but if all apps decide to stop requesting GPS data when the screen is off, then the chip is turned off. So, Android tells the app the screen is off, and the app turns off GPS requests. It’s like YouTube app, if you want to listen to music, and not watch the video, you can’t. YouTube app stops playing both Audio/Video when the screen is off, not Android.

If Strava doesn’t fix the problem, or if there are no settings to change, then one solution is to find an app that keeps GPS on even when the screen is off. So when Strava asks for GPS location, it’s ready.

[Author]

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