# Ambit2 Sync Failing - is it just me?



## andy from embsay

Ambit2, running the latest version of Moveslink on an iMac. Trying to sync a move from the watch and it starts downloading then suddenly says "sync failed - check your device connection and try again". Usually after five or six tries (sometimes after reinstalling Moveslink) it works - but this is, well, crap. There's nothing wrong with the connection because when I reinstall Moveslink and restart it it immediately "sees" the watch.

Anyone else having this problem? I was wondering if it's big files as it tends to do it with bike rides (which tend to be 2-3 hours rather than 45minute runs).

Edited to say: There's no consistency to when it fails - the latest move has now failed 5 times on % between 9 and 56.


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## cleanton

Write this to the Facebook wall of Suunto. Here it is: https://www.facebook.com/SuuntoMovescount


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## andy from embsay

Don't do Facebook! I've emailed them.


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## andy from embsay

Got to 63% on the sixth attempt...

Does everyone else's take like 5-10 minutes to download a move?


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## andy from embsay

And now just tried it on a different computer (Macbook Air) and it's failed again. This is very, very flaky software...


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## andy from embsay

Just spoken to a nice man at Suunto called George. After I explained at length it couldn't be my hardware as I've used different USB ports and two different computers, he said it could be a firmware problem. He suggested I force a firmware update. I said "but that'll wipe the logbook, won't it George?". George assured me it wouldn't as the logbook is "circular". So I did, and as I expected, it wiped the logbook. So now I have no Moves to check whether the firmware update has worked!

How can a technical support rep know less than me? Fortunately I have the bike ride in my Garmin Edge, so I've not lost the record - but this is really a bit pants, isn't it? I've now copied the log file and emailed it off to them...


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

andy from embsay said:


> Just spoken to a nice man at Suunto called George. After I explained at length it couldn't be my hardware as I've used different USB ports and two different computers, he said it could be a firmware problem. He suggested I force a firmware update. I said "but that'll wipe the logbook, won't it George?". George assured me it wouldn't as the logbook is "circular". So I did, and as I expected, it wiped the logbook. So now I have no Moves to check whether the firmware update has worked!
> 
> How can a technical support rep know less than me? Fortunately I have the bike ride in my Garmin Edge, so I've not lost the record - but this is really a bit pants, isn't it? I've now copied the log file and emailed it off to them...


Copied which logfile? From the Garmin? (What use would that be?)

(No comment on George...)


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## andy from embsay

There's a Suunto log file in "application support/suunto" on my iMac - it shows it doing various activities then saying "sync failed"...


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

andy from embsay said:


> There's a Suunto log file in "application support/suunto" on my iMac - it shows it doing various activities then saying "sync failed"...


Okay, right. That one should help (if it gets to the right person).
I was thinking of the log file that's for the move (which would mean that the download of the move's data worked, but the transfer to Movescount didn't)...


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## beebox

I'm having the same problem with my Ambit too, failed to sync the move with the same error.


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## cobrapa

Gerald makes a good point... did it fail the download or the movescount sync? If it made it past the download, then the move will be on your computer already (all the data from the exercise.)


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## eeun

beebox said:


> I'm having the same problem with my Ambit too, failed to sync the move with the same error.


Had this happen to me with my Ambit. Saved my Movescount2 folder contents and then deleted Movescount2 and all associated files. Reinstalled Moveslink2 and I was prompted to set up/connect to my Movescount account afresh and it all worked fine from there on. I think it's the reconnection to my Movescount account that was the key to it working as I tried it once before and still had the same issues. I run a mac and Mountain Lion.


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## andy from embsay

I have managed to sync a run tonight ok, but I always seemed to have the problem with bigger files (bike rides of 2-4 hrs), but I've also gone in and deleted the Suunto folder from the Library as well - although if that was the problem you'd have thought it'd have worked ok on my laptop, which was a clean install of Moveslink. Suunto support have been dreadful - chased up my two emails to them yesterday (including the log file from the Console) and they basically asked me to explain what the problem was all over again.

Incidentally Copraba - no, the activity never reached my computer - it failed during sync not the upload to Movescount - but in the Suunto folder there's a "log" file which had the various attempts logged in it - all of which ended with:

[17:31:04] [INFO] NspTaskReadPmemRaw: Too many retries
[17:31:04] [INFO] Task 'NspTaskReadPmemRaw' returning with status -2 (TASK_RESULT_ERROR_TIMEOUT)
[17:31:04] [ERROR] loadExerciseLogs: failed with exception: failed to read log data
[17:32:17] [INFO] SyncService: exiting


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## booblik

You are wrong! Suunto never ever has bugs in its software. EVER!

You're wrong it you who is using some kind of garmin cause suunto is perfect. Your computer is [email protected] or otherwise it would work perfectly. Ambit is the bestest!


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## pjc3

Is it possibly a lead problem.....one of my mates had a "sticky" contact on the lead. They are sprung but one of his was not springing out properly and he had intermittent download problems.


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## Gyneron

My Ambit2 also fails from time to time Syncing. What it also does is re-downloading every move in it's memory over and over again. I have re-installed MovesLink already but that did not change anything. I will try the force firmware update now and see what happens.


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## andy from embsay

pjc3 said:


> Is it possibly a lead problem.....one of my mates had a "sticky" contact on the lead. They are sprung but one of his was not springing out properly and he had intermittent download problems.


I don't think so - the firmware update went through just fine so i'd have thought that would have got stuck as well? I have tried the other lead i have tonight though. The other thing is it failed, i quit Moveslink, then restarted it and it immediately "saw" the watch.


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## twelveone

I had this issue as well, got steadily worse until it wouldn't sync at all. Bought a new USB lead from Facewest, problem went away. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## andy from embsay

twelveone said:


> I had this issue as well, got steadily worse until it wouldn't sync at all. Bought a new USB lead from Facewest, problem went away.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


That's useful to know - to be honest I can't remember if I tried the other cable. Might be worth having a spare anyway, so i think I'll buy one. I couldn't see them on Facewest's site though?


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## pjc3

andy from embsay said:


> I couldn't see them on Facewest's site though?


Suunto Ambit Power Cable from Facewest.co.uk


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## andy from embsay

pjc3 said:


> Suunto Ambit Power Cable from Facewest.co.uk


Great - thanks - had missed it. Now ordered!

However Suunto Support have still failed to respond...


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## zwolf

One additional Info to the Problem with sync. I have a X10 with the cable for it and an Ambit. The interesting thing is, that the cables look both the same, both fit also on Ambit, you can charge the Ambit with both, but sync is only possible with the original Ambit cable. If i use the X10 cable Moveslink is not recognising that an Ambit is connected. So the cables looks same but there must be something different inside


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## andy from embsay

An update on this - they don't seem able to fix it. They've sent me a link to another version of Moveslink, I've bought a new cable and the thing still syncs maybe one try out of five.

Worryingly last night I sat and held the clip on the watch as it sync-ed and guess what - it worked. Could be coincidence but could it be I have two cables with insufficiently powerful springs? Surely not!

I've sent the console read out and they're getting their software people to look at it, but if its not software then I wonder if my watch has dodgy contacts?


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## Joakim Agren

andy from embsay said:


> An update on this - they don't seem able to fix it. They've sent me a link to another version of Moveslink, I've bought a new cable and the thing still syncs maybe one try out of five.
> 
> Worryingly last night I sat and held the clip on the watch as it sync-ed and guess what - it worked. Could be coincidence but could it be I have two cables with insufficiently powerful springs? Surely not!
> 
> I've sent the console read out and they're getting their software people to look at it, but if its not software then I wonder if my watch has dodgy contacts?


I think it would be unlikely that 2 USB charge cables are faulty. If it worked by holding it up a little then that suggest a faulty USB port in your computer rather then a faulty cable or a bad connection between the cable and the watch head. Perhaps you need to clean the contact surfaces on your watch and see if that helps.


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## andy from embsay

Joakim Agren said:


> I think it would be unlikely that 2 USB charge cables are faulty. If it worked by holding it up a little then that suggest a faulty USB port in your computer rather then a faulty cable or a bad connection between the cable and the watch head. Perhaps you need to clean the contact surfaces on your watch and see if that helps.


It's certainly not a fault with USB port - I've tried different cables on different ports on different computers!


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## dbryan1970

Andy, I have exactly the same problem. Started 2 weeks ago, tried everything i can think off, the usb and contacts look fine. Suspicious that this started when all the new software updates were released. 

Dave


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## andy from embsay

Well at least it's not just me! And it's not the contacts either - holding the clip on failed several times last night. It eventually worked after about eight attempts. Suunto still utterly silent following me sending them a copy of the console log. I may try it on a PC as both my computers are macs.


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## ifarlow

Interesting... all I can say is my Ambit2 S has worked perfectly from day one. Not a sync problem in sight. Hang in there... hopefully this will get worked out for you.


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## martowl

I have a Mac as well and new Ambit2 simply added to my Movescount database in gear. I have done a few moves now including a nearly 4h run and not had any problems syncing. it is possible that some other software could be interfering. Another issue I have found is that Moveslink will sometimes not recognize the Ambit if plugged into a hub. I also assume you have corrected permissions and verified your disk on the iMac.


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## Gyneron

My Ambit2 failed yesterday also again. Luckily for me it synced well the second time. I have noticed that syncing the Ambit2 is not at all as smooth as syncing the Ambit1. It takes much longer and does not do it in regular interval times between the progress percentages.


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## andy from embsay

I am on the verge of sending this heap of junk back. Numerous emails to suunto support go unanswered and when they do they ask me to describe the problem again. I've sent them the console log and their software people haven't looked at it in almost a week. And when I said can I have my money back they said "only if you've still got the packaging and it's up to the shop you bought it from" - do they not have a law that says things actually have to work where they come from?

Really, really disappointed at the level of competence and service.


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## ifarlow

Ok. Although I doubt it matters at this point, but have you called Suunto? I have not ever had a sync fail, and I too use an iMac. My guess is there is something specific to your computer/setup that is causing issues, and it might be better to actually speak to someone live while troubleshooting. I'm sorry you're having trouble, but what you are experiencing is the exception, not the rule.


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## andy from embsay

martowl said:


> I have a Mac as well and new Ambit2 simply added to my Movescount database in gear. I have done a few moves now including a nearly 4h run and not had any problems syncing. it is possible that some other software could be interfering. Another issue I have found is that Moveslink will sometimes not recognize the Ambit if plugged into a hub. I also assume you have corrected permissions and verified your disk on the iMac.


I've sent Suunto the console logs that show it failing so hopefully they might identify the problem, but they've had it almost a week and every time I call they try to put me off and say "try again in a few days". If I could see what the difference is on the 7th/8th/9th attempt that finally works then I'd know what to do. Soooo frustrating, especially as I've sold my Fenix!

One thing I've noticed is the Suunto data files must be mahoosive - I record the same ride in my Edge and that uploads to Strava or Garmin Connect in less than 30 seconds - the same ride from thr Ambit can take almost ten minutes. Hardly surprising things go wrong.

And no - it's not into a hub (although it was - changed that), and I've tried different USB sockets and different macs.

Thanks for the ideas though - keep 'em coming!


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## andy from embsay

ifarlow said:


> Ok. Although I doubt it matters at this point, but have you called Suunto? I have not ever had a sync fail, and I too use an iMac. My guess is there is something specific to your computer/setup that is causing issues, and it might be better to actually speak to someone live while troubleshooting. I'm sorry you're having trouble, but what you are experiencing is the exception, not the rule.


I've spoken to Suunto four times - the first time a nice man called George told me to force a firmware upgrade - which wiped the logbook. Then I spoke to someone who said they'd send my log files to the software people. Then I spoke to someone who said the software people would look at it on Tuesday. Then I spoke to him again tonight and he said they'd look at it "in a few days" and that if I want a replacement I have to take it up with the retailer (which I assume is Suunto-ese for "not our problem, fatty - we've got your money").

I'm struggling to see what could be conflicting on my mac - I don't run anything weird or wonderful - if I could see what the difference between the log files is then maybe I'd know - but I don't know enough about it to spot it. Hence I'd like Suunto to actually look at the files, which they seem reluctant to do.


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## ifarlow

andy from embsay said:


> I've spoken to Suunto four times


Ah... I was under the impression you were communicating via e-mail. Got it now.



> I'm struggling to see what could be conflicting on my mac - I don't run anything weird or wonderful - if I could see what the difference between the log files is then maybe I'd know - but I don't know enough about it to spot it. Hence I'd like Suunto to actually look at the files, which they seem reluctant to do.


No idea, but if it's working fine for me and for others, then it seems to me to suggest something specific to your situation. I wish I could offer actual help, but I'm afraid I can't.


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## bowesmana

andy from embsay said:


> I may try it on a PC as both my computers are macs.


Did that make a difference? Have you tried returning it to the place you got it from? If it's consistently not working on more than once machine, more than one cable, it would seem to be a watch issue. I guess you've not had it long, so it ought to be possible to get the retailer to replace it.


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## andy from embsay

bowesmana said:


> Did that make a difference? Have you tried returning it to the place you got it from? If it's consistently not working on more than once machine, more than one cable, it would seem to be a watch issue. I guess you've not had it long, so it ought to be possible to get the retailer to replace it.


Yes, I've considered it, and will once Suunto actually have an attempt at helping - so far I've had one reasonable attempt at support (sending me a different link to download Moveslink) and the others have simply suggested doing things I told them in the email trail I'd already tried. My issue is it's doubtful the retailer (a small local outdoor shop) will have another one, so I'll be watchless until they can get another (unless I get Suunto to send them another one before I take it back - but Suunto didn't seem keen to take any responsibility for their own duff product).


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## jselwyn

Did you figure out a solution to this? I've got an Ambit2 that was syncing just fine at first and now it's been failing to sync. I reinstalled moveslink, tried cleaning the connections, etc…It will eventually sync, though it seems to just be due to luck.


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## starryalley

I'd also like to know if Suunto finally got some solution for you. I just got an Ambit 2 and the first sync is fine (without any moves, just sync settings back and forth). After first recording tracks with it and sync, it took a very long time to finish the sync (just a 30min drive around to test it), probably about 3-5 min. It shouldn't take so long. A second try was to run 30min with it and it also took 3-5 min to download it from ambit2. I haven't got any sync failure though. But moveslink 2 won't even start on my Mac OSX virtual machine and windows xp virtual machine. But my windows 7 virtual machine can run it without problem. (my host machine is Ubuntu) Looks like Suunto created a bad software for syncing the ambit2. Anyone seen the extremely slow sync?


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## BePe

jselwyn said:


> Did you figure out a solution to this? I've got an Ambit2 that was syncing just fine at first and now it's been failing to sync. I reinstalled moveslink, tried cleaning the connections, etc&#8230;It will eventually sync, though it seems to just be due to luck.


I have mac too, and the same problem. Also have pc, and it works fine. So the problem is mac, I think. If I leave mac "alone" to transfer, it fails every time. I think it's the power saving functions or some of them? If monitor shuts down or dims during transfer - fail. Something working background somehow makes it fail. Reading emails is ok. I put ambit to transfer and check emails during this, and never had fail this way


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## pjc3

OK, I have got back from the mountains and now have the sync problem as well. Macbook Air. Pretty peeved but finally synced. In the end just sat and watched, no multitasking and finally got there.

Will try on Mac Mini running W7 and see if has any issues.


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## andy from embsay

Mine has just failed to sync 16 times in a row. I sent the logs to Suunto over a week ago. They are utterly, utterly shameless in offering no support. Any other manufacturer selling a device for £450 that simply doesn't work would replace it - instead I get repeat suggestions to do the same things over and over again. Appalling.

Edited to say: 28 times in a row...


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## pjc3

No problems syncing on the Mac Mini running ML. 10 days of logs, some 8 hrs long. Will continue to monitor. I hate intermittent bugs.......


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## andy from embsay

I've just discovered we have no PCs in the house (thought my wife had an old laptop but it seems to be bust) so I'm stuck with trying over and over again. I think I'm up to 36 attempts now...

Nope - make that 37 - it's just failed again...


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## pjc3

andy,
make a new user account on the Mac and try with that to see if makes any difference? You will need to log into Moveslink again and allow another access to your Movescount page.


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## andy from embsay

It's definitely not the mac - I've just found a Windows 7 netbook I forgot we had. Installed Moveslink2 and the same thing. It's the watch. So now I have to get Suunto to send a new watch to the retailer rather than sending this one back first.


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## andy from embsay

It finally synced my activity on the 43rd attempt. I'll report back on my attempts to get Suunto to replace it...


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## Anticode

I was syncing fine on my Macbook Air using my old Ambit 1 cable. After I sold off my ambit and started using the new Ambit 2 cable, all the initial sync will fail!
After trying a million times, I realized that it only syncs when I am not multitasking on the computer. The moment i start surfing the web... fails....
I think the problem might be both hardware (cable) and software related....


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## andy from embsay

I've tried everything - syncing on Windows and two different OS machines, only having Moveslink running, disabling screensaver, reinstalling Moveslink, removing the watch from Moveslink, logging out of Movescount and nothing works apart from trying over and over and over again - I think for me it can only be something to do with the watch (whether it's firmware - which I have reinstalled - or hardware I don't know). I've now got the retailer involved as my best hope of not being watch-less (which for a brand new product I don't think I should be) is Suunto sending a new one to the retailer and them exchanging it. Fortunately(?) I'm not running at the moment so I have my Garmin Edge as a back up record of what I've done (which of course works flawlessly - and to think I chose a Suunto because of the supposedly superior support...).


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## andy from embsay

Just been for a short (35 minute) run and am now trying to sync in the hope that smaller files will work.

Nope.

I've had a long conversation with a supervisor at Suunto today pointing out that I first sent them a log file on the 12 May. They've been "very busy" with all the splendid spoftware enhancements they've been making, so she thought it was only sent to the software team "a couple of days ago", which is odd as I had an email updating me on the software team's progress four days ago.

I told her I want a new watch and the only thing she could offer is that I send it to Finland so they can look at it and if they decide it is the watch then they'll replace it. I pointed out that in the UK we have laws around merchantable quality, which this watch certainly isn't, and that whilst I don't want to make the retailer pay, if the only option is sending to Finland (so they can be "very busy" and not look at it for three weeks), I will simply take it back and get a refund and buy a new watch - so why not just send the retailer a replacement. She's now taking it up with Suunto Head Office.

I've pointed out thatI'm not the only one with this problem and suggested they have a read of this forum.

Whilst I've been typing this post my Ambit2 has failed to sync another six times...


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## DitDah

Just wanted to chime in that I have this issue as well. MBP user with ambit2. Latest firmware and software. I sometimes have no issues at all...but sometimes it takes unplugging and reattaching the cable to the watch, so far, up to 7 times... and syncing is SLOW.


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## bowesmana

I've started seeing this problem too with Ambit 2 Sapphire. It's happened twice now, both times when I was syncing in background while using the computer. I think I generally connect and walk away and come back later, so maybe there is some problem with it running in background.

Not sure it's any slower than Ambit 1. 

Well, I was typing this while it was syncing for the second time and this time it worked.

I can't recall ever having the problem with A1.


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## BePe

I had the problem with Ambit1, AND have it with Ambit2 Sapphire. I also heard the connection should be fast. It's slow, as slow as Ambit1 was.


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## cooee

Have an Ambit1 and I've had problems this evening big time.


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## andy from embsay

By way of an update I was basically given no alternative but to send the watch back to Finland - despite it failing within a week of purchase Suunto refused to send a replacement to my retailer. They promised me they'd prioritise the repair and turn it round within a day or two - if they can't fix it they'll replace it. They received it last Friday - it's now Tuesday and I've had no contact beyond an automated email saying they expect repairs to take 7 days and they'll email me with an invoice if they're going to charge me. So the promised updates and priority handling have not happened, so Suunto have managed to meet my extraordinarily low expectations to the letter.

I'm not glad for you guys but I am slightly reassured that it appears that there is a more general fault - they did ask me for the serial number to see if they had a dodgy batch, so perhaps there's a manufacturing fault - right now I just want my watch back as I'm having to go running carrying my (perfectly functioning) Garmin Edge!

edited to say: email telling me "the new ambit 2 has left the repair centre" - whether it's genuinely a new one or a repaired one i don't know. I've emailed to ask what the cause is, and I'll post if I get a reply.


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## andy from embsay

Well I have a new ambit2. It syncs ok so far (still waaay slower than the same activity on my Edge) - but no response from Suunto as to what the problem is.

anyone else still having problems?


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## andy from embsay

3rd Move with the new watch (a 3.5 hr bike ride) and the sync failed twice. They clearly have a problem with either the hardware or the software on this device.

We'll see tomorrow - another bike ride planned.


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## JoggWithoutDog

andy from embsay said:


> 3rd Move with the new watch (a 3.5 hr bike ride) and the sync failed twice. They clearly have a problem with either the hardware or the software on this device.
> 
> We'll see tomorrow - another bike ride planned.


Maybe Suunto will just be "fair" to all the Ambit users ... the Ambit1 users ... well, the reason is known ... the Ambit2 users: look above 
Now without sarcasm: Guess they are in stress at the moment - have to fulfil the promise of Suunto satisfying the Ambit1 buyer with V2.5 (... if it works...) and to swipe out the mistakes of Ambit2 version at the same time. Programmers (hope this word excist  are the people of Suunto who are the "poor pigs" (so-called in Germany) at the moment - the bosses should be forced to help them ... for developing the Ambit they even have done a bad job (small memory amount for a clock of 500 Euros)...
JoggWithoutDog alias Joachim


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## twelveone

JoggWithoutDog. Please stop. You are singularly turning me away from this forum with your repetition. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## pjc3

andy from embsay said:


> anyone else still having problems?


Mine is much better now. I wonder if the last firmware helped?


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## cleanton

I have Ambit 2 Saphire since 3 weeks now. Sometimes on the first sync attempt it fails, then I resync and it works.


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## DitDah

Suunto support emailed me today. The gist of the email was...download and install the software again...but this time, keep the watch connected during the entire process. Sounds more like a...no clue what-so-ever tactic...but Whatever...I tried it just to cover that base...so, will let you all know how it turns out in a couple moves.

...I am ever the pessimist...


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## JoggWithoutDog

DitDah said:


> Suunto support emailed me today. The gist of the email was...download and install the software again...but this time, keep the watch connected during the entire process. Sounds more like a...no clue what-so-ever tactic...but Whatever...I tried it just to cover that base...so, will let you all know how it turns out in a couple moves.
> 
> ...I am ever the pessimist...


At the meantime I am too. Today my Ambit(1) ...
JwD alias Joachim


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## cdmackay

I've had just one sync failure in about 2 dozen successful ones, with my new Ambit 2.

I did notice that during the failure, it successfully got data from the watch, then failed during syncing settings, which made me tihnk that perhaps it was a problem contacting the Movescount server; in which case, network issues, server availability etc, all without our control.

The other thing I notice is that the watch connection is not very solid, compared to e.g. the fenix, and so it's prob a good idea to ensure that it doesn't move about during sync. I've been able to force a sync failure by relatively small movements of the connector, during sync.

Cleanign the connectors, on both watch and cable, might be a good idea, too. I also note that the fenix manual says not to use the connection if the connectors are wet, presumably even the small current in use is enough to potentially cause some corrosion.


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## DitDah

Just to add...my sync failures have been on the first step...getting data from the watch. I have had failures with the other tasks...but primarily right from the beginning. Contacts are clean...eraser cleaned...and dry. I don't believe the physical connection to be the issue in my case at least.


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## bowesmana

DitDah said:


> Suunto support emailed me today. The gist of the email was...download and install the software again...but this time, keep the watch connected during the entire process. Sounds more like a...no clue what-so-ever tactic...but Whatever...I tried it just to cover that base...so, will let you all know how it turns out in a couple moves.


Ditto DitDah 

I had the same email - I've had Moveslink installed ever since I got my Ambit 1 in April 2012 and told support that - and they think that reinstalling will solve this problem...

As you say, will reinstall just to cover that base. So far it's about a 25% failure rate for me, but never more than once at a time.


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## pjc3

Same email here as well.


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## DitDah

So...all these years of "do not plug in your USB device before the software is installed" doesn't apply for the Ambit /sarcasm intended. Personally (being the pessimist again) I think it's a delay tactic. Support is soooo slow to respond. Even after I get an automated email saying I will get a response within 72 hours...they still take days or weeks longer. Just a bit disappointed at support.

Sorry...but my expectations were a bit higher ...based on my past years of experience with Suunto watches and quite frankly...the cost.


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## Gyneron

cdmackay said:


> I've had just one sync failure in about 2 dozen successful ones, with my new Ambit 2.
> 
> I did notice that during the failure, it successfully got data from the watch, then failed during syncing settings, which made me tihnk that perhaps it was a problem contacting the Movescount server; in which case, network issues, server availability etc, all without our control.
> 
> The other thing I notice is that the watch connection is not very solid, compared to e.g. the fenix, and so it's prob a good idea to ensure that it doesn't move about during sync. I've been able to force a sync failure by relatively small movements of the connector, during sync.
> 
> Cleanign the connectors, on both watch and cable, might be a good idea, too. I also note that the fenix manual says not to use the connection if the connectors are wet, presumably even the small current in use is enough to potentially cause some corrosion.


I have exactly these problems with my Ambit2. I don't put my Ambit on my 'vibrating' computer while synching because it then fails. I even use my cable from my Ambit1 because I have the feeling the claw is stronger. I think this has everything to do with a very weak hardware link to the watch and is not software related.


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## bowesmana

Gyneron said:


> I have exactly these problems with my Ambit2. I don't put my Ambit on my 'vibrating' computer while synching because it then fails.


I'm not even sure I want to know what one of those is...



Gyneron said:


> I even use my cable from my Ambit1 because I have the feeling the claw is stronger. I think this has everything to do with a very weak hardware link to the watch and is not software related.


I've not even unrolled the Ambit 2 cable and have only used my Ambit 1 - it definitely is heavier and the claw seems stronger to me too. Perhaps I'll try the A2 cable to see if that makes the problem worse.


----------



## cdmackay

bowesmana said:


> I've not even unrolled the Ambit 2 cable and have only used my Ambit 1 - it definitely is heavier and the claw seems stronger to me too. Perhaps I'll try the A2 cable to see if that makes the problem worse.


mmm, did I read somewhere that the A1 and A2 cables are not compatible...?

I read _something_ like this, but can't remember - I'll trawl the FAQ.

Ah no, it was that the X10 cable is not compatible with the Ambit 2. Sorry.


----------



## Gyneron

bowesmana said:


> I'm not even sure I want to know what one of those is...


LOL. I just meant that I cannot leave it on my desktop computer because apparently it vibrates too much due to the fans. I can barely feel it by the way but for my Ambit2 it is enough movement to fail the sync.


----------



## andy from embsay

DitDah said:


> So...all these years of "do not plug in your USB device before the software is installed" doesn't apply for the Ambit /sarcasm intended. Personally (being the pessimist again) I think it's a delay tactic. Support is soooo slow to respond. Even after I get an automated email saying I will get a response within 72 hours...they still take days or weeks longer. Just a bit disappointed at support.
> 
> Sorry...but my expectations were a bit higher ...based on my past years of experience with Suunto watches and quite frankly...the cost.


That's what annoyed me (and is still annoying me) - the lack of response from supposedly "superior service Suunto" - they sent me a new Ambit 2 but only after repeated calls and emails, which often went unanswered, and they've now ignored the email I sent thanking them for the new watch and asking them what the problem with the old one was - as I was interested to see if it was a hardware/manufacturing fault. No reply.

And this info will be useful as my new one is now failing to sync reliably - two fails tonight before it uploaded, and it may be my imaginatioin but the uploads are starting to look slower and with more pauses than when it first arrived (which is what happened with the original).


----------



## DaveOZ

I hesitate to say this for fear of mine going wrong but I have not had a problem with my Ambit2 Sapphire after daily syncs for 3 weeks to my Mac. Perhaps this problem is related to a bad batch rather than a generic fault? I should add that I have synced to two different computers without issue.

Andy, did you write down your serial number? Did they send the same watch back or a new one?


----------



## andy from embsay

New watch, different serial number (only the last 3 numbers are different mind).

My first one managed to reliably fail to sync to 2 macs and a windows machine! So far this one's worked on the 2nd or 3rd go on my main iMac so i've not had to try any others. The frustration is not being able to leave it and go for a shower or whatever as I'm not convinced it won't have failed.


----------



## DitDah

DaveOZ said:


> Perhaps this problem is related to a bad batch rather than a generic fault? I should add that I have synced to two different computers without issue.


...could be... I bought mine on what i believe is the 2nd batch. After the initial release, they sold out quick. I missed it. So, about 3 weeks after that they released more without HR belts and that's when I got mine.


----------



## cdmackay

Serial numbers? Mine is 1320109xxx, bought a week ago, and I've had no issues, other than that one where it connected to the watch, then failed on Settings.


----------



## qtip

Just adding my ambit2 to the list as well. No consistency in synching, mostly failures. Windows computer system. Original Ambit worked just fine on same system.


----------



## jpcrockett

Same problem for me. Ambit1 was great--never a sync failure. I get sync failures with Ambit2 on at least 90% of my tries. Today, I'm now on my 10th try for the same activity. Sometimes it fails after 1% of the download, sometimes after 90%. I've used a variety of computers and cables--no luck. And, I'm on my second Ambit2 as I took the first one back given that it wouldn't sync at all. So much for Suunto's customer service--they've been utterly useless. I have multiple Garmins and have never had a problem, even with devices that cost 30% of what the Ambit2 cost. Very frustrated and hoping that Suunto addresses the issue soon.


----------



## andy from embsay

That sounds exactly like mine - the new one is better (so far), but this fails maybe one in four times.


----------



## pa7a7oz

jpcrockett said:


> Same problem for me. Ambit1 was great--never a sync failure. I get sync failures with Ambit2 on at least 90% of my tries. Today, I'm now on my 10th try for the same activity. Sometimes it fails after 1% of the download, sometimes after 90%. I've used a variety of computers and cables--no luck. And, I'm on my second Ambit2 as I took the first one back given that it wouldn't sync at all. So much for Suunto's customer service--they've been utterly useless. I have multiple Garmins and have never had a problem, even with devices that cost 30% of what the Ambit2 cost. Very frustrated and hoping that Suunto addresses the issue soon.


Hi jp rockett, 
I have exactly the same issue with ambit 2 with the last update firmware 1.0.15. i use 2 different mac (macbook air and iMac with moutain lion 10.8.3 installed), i have also a personnal computer with windows 7 64 bits, it seems work better with windows system than mac os system... 90% issues vs 50%!!! not very good !!!
A other thing, why the data download is so slow (very very slow), the ambit 2 seems use USB 2.0 protocol, and for example, a 5h moutain biking activity take 12 MBytes, so at 10Mbytes/s (very slow usb key), it should be take no more than 2s to download the activity !!!! and i need to wait 10 minutes or more, i don't understand !!!!

sorry for my English !!!!


----------



## bowesmana

Today, 5 failures. I disconnected USB, restarted Moveslink, but when it finally worked, I had disconnected the claw from the watch and reconnected.


----------



## andy from embsay

This does seem like there's a fundamental problem with either the watch or the software. I wonder if Suunto will be interested?


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

andy from embsay said:


> This does seem like there's a fundamental problem with either the watch or the software. I wonder if Suunto will be interested?


As if you didn't know they are, just would like them to be *more* interested


----------



## andy from embsay

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> As if you didn't know they are, just would like them to be *more* interested


To be honest, Gerald, I'm not sure they are - I asked them what the problem with my first watch was - no response. All they did was send me a new one which, whilst it's better, still probably fails to sync more than it works - and yet I've not seen anyone else get anything like a sensible response. Had my first watch not got *so* bad then I'd be doing what lots of others seem to be doing which is continually restarting the sync and just putting up with a flaky product. I pointed Suunto to this website but no response from them to either this thread or my emails.


----------



## cdmackay

what's especially interesting is that some of us seem to be having no problems at all, but I've yet to see a pattern.

For those with faillures, does it only fail when transferring large Moves, or does it also fail when there's nothing much to do?


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

cdmackay said:


> what's especially interesting is that some of us seem to be having no problems at all, but I've yet to see a pattern.
> 
> For those with faillures, does it only fail when transferring large Moves, or does it also fail when there's nothing much to do?


I think that's exactly the problem. I've had problems once or twice, but those I can easily chalk up to the computer. Many reports seem to be coming from people with Macs, but far from all - and it doesn't seem to be too common a problem compared to total Ambits out there. Which isn't to say that it doesn't totally suck to have such problems, but it makes diagnosis far from easy.


----------



## andy from embsay

cdmackay said:


> what's especially interesting is that some of us seem to be having no problems at all, but I've yet to see a pattern.
> 
> For those with faillures, does it only fail when transferring large Moves, or does it also fail when there's nothing much to do?


I thought it was the size of the Moves, or the size of the total logbook (my first one got worse as it filled up) but I'm not sure - the new one failed on a sync within three or four days, and I've had tiddly Moves (like 40 minute runs) fail multiple times. I think there could be something in the suggestion that the connector isn't very good as I've now taken to wiping the contacts every time, but I'm not at all sure.


----------



## pjc3

andy from embsay said:


> .... as I've now taken to wiping the contacts every time


I got out the sandpaper!


----------



## petew

pjc3 said:


> I got out the sandpaper!


I hope you are kidding. If not, you are asking for trouble. After every excercise, I wash my watch off and then immediately dry it before syncing. If I didn't, I'd be surprised if I didn't have sync problems. It doesn't take much for the sweat and dna to accumulate in the contact area so it's good to keep it clean and then dry immediately after every excercise.


----------



## pjc3

To clarify....
yes, sandpaper did come into the equation but on the contacts of the clip. It was in desperation when I couldn't download my week's worth of data from a recent trip into the hills.
I similarly rinse and dry my Ambit every use, and always have (both versions).


----------



## Joakim Agren

This is the way I do it:

First I launch Moveslink2 manually
Then I connect the cable to the computer
Then I connect the Ambit to the clamp and check for the lock symbol on the display
Then It will sync with Moveslink2 and start transferring data.

Sometimes my Ambit have trouble syncing if I just hook it up and wait for Moveslink2 to auto-launch. I have also noticed that if I hook up the clamp first and then the computer end, that will sometime fail to sync.


If Moveslink2 and my Ambit have failed to sync once. Then I find it is best to kill the Moveslink2 process in my task manager and then disconnect the Ambit and then re-launch Moveslink2 again from the Start menu (Windows7). Then I connect my Ambit again and it will sync just fine.


----------



## cdmackay

It may be coincidence, but I also always start up Moveslink before connecting the watch. MacOS. I have date/time sync disabled.

Only once had a problem, and even then it successfully connected to the watch, so I assume it was a network issue.


----------



## cdmackay

As to connection issues, I rinse/dry the watch once per day, but that's generally _after_ my daily Moveslink, so the connection is made having been worn all day.

The connection to the Mac itself comes and goes if I wiggle the connector a bit, but once it's connected, I never see a problem within Moveslink itself.

And note that I'm doing this with the watch on my wrist, since I can't be bothered to take it off. So there's no surgical hands-off procedure to ensure that the cable doesn't move.

I would have thought that all our watches were sufficiently new that it's not likely to be a bad batch?


----------



## bowesmana

I wrote on Facebook and linked to this thread. Response today



Suunto Facebook said:


> thank you for your post. I will escalate this to our Movescount team. We are aware of this issue and they are working on it. /Tess_from_Suunto


----------



## Joakim Agren

Moveslink2 just updated to version 1.1.35 and these are the release notes:


Version 1.1.35

- Improved synchronisation speed
- Fixed synchronisation timeout issue 

Perhaps the situation will improve now...


----------



## twelveone

Joakim Agren said:


> Moveslink2 just updated to version 1.1.35 and these are the release notes:
> 
> Version 1.1.35
> 
> - Improved synchronisation speed
> - Fixed synchronisation timeout issue
> 
> Perhaps the situation will improve now...


Well no improvement so far for me, 3 failed syncs and counting... In fact it had been working better for the past week or so until now. lol. or not very lol.

EDIT: synced on the 4th attempt. Didn't seem any quicker to me.


----------



## pjc3

I cleared out my Moveslink2 folder on the Macbook so the Ambit had to download the whole memory. Unfortunately only 18Mb of data to download. Still, no sync issues and I thought it was faster! Shall try a fresh download before /after update on my Macmini and report back.


----------



## pjc3

pjc3 said:


> Shall try a fresh download before /after update on my Macmini and report back.


Posted here


----------



## cleanton

pjc3 said:


> I cleared out my Moveslink2 folder on the Macbook so the Ambit had to download the whole memory. Unfortunately only 18Mb of data to download. Still, no sync issues and I thought it was faster! Shall try a fresh download before /after update on my Macmini and report back.


I don't have Moveslink2 folder in my Macbook. I can not find it. Where is it?


----------



## cdmackay

cleanton said:


> I don't have Moveslink2 folder in my Macbook. I can not find it. Where is it?


Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Suunto/Moveslink2


----------



## pjc3

cdmackay said:


> Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Suunto/Moveslink2


Note that Library is often a hidden system folder.


----------



## kmseteam

Reply to the question on heading: at least it's not me. Having had the Ambit1 for a year and the Ambit2 for a couple of days, used the 1 first with WinXP and later both with Win7, out of every sync there hasn't been a single failure. The Moveslink opens up automatically at startup and the watches and the Moveslink have got their updates also automatically. The MACs seem to exist only to make the life more difficult, that's my opinion.


----------



## Joakim Agren

This is perhaps a stretch. But I unboxed my new Ambit2 sapphire that I will be bringing on my vacation tomorrow. And first I must say what a stunning watch wow, definitely even better looking than the Ambit1 Black!

But one of the things that annoyed me was that they have started to put stickers on the USB connector, they did not on the Ambit1 charge cable. I had to spend about 10-15 minutes getting all the glue out from the connector, and that was no fun!o|

Perhaps and as I said you people with syncing problem, perhaps there is still some glue stuck somewhere on the connector and are causing connection issues( I had some difficulty removing it all)?:rodekaart:think:


----------



## bowesmana

Joakim Agren said:


> This is perhaps a stretch. But I unboxed my new Ambit2 sapphire that I will be bringing on my vacation tomorrow. And first I must say what a stunning watch wow, definitely even better looking than the Ambit1 Black!


Agreed!! I also found the crystal glass makes a great signalling tool or can be used to blind your competitors.



Joakim Agren said:


> Perhaps and as I said you people with syncing problem, perhaps there is still some glue stuck somewhere on the connector and are causing connection issues( I had some difficulty removing it all)?


Good idea, however, I'm not using the Ambit 2 cable, I still use the Ambit 1 cable, so glue's not an issue there.


----------



## pjc3

Same here, Ambit1 cables being used (I have 2 of them). Ambit2 cable went with Ambit1 to new home. He has no download issues.


----------



## cdmackay

Joakim Agren said:


> But one of the things that annoyed me was that they have started to put stickers on the USB connector, they did not on the Ambit1 charge cable. I had to spend about 10-15 minutes getting all the glue out from the connector, and that was no fun!


Yup, same here; very annoying. That said, I've not bothered to remove it, and having no problems syncing

I also got a Suuntu ANT+ USB stick recently; that also had a sticker on the USB plug, but left no residue when removed.


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

bowesmana said:


> Agreed!! I also found the crystal glass makes a great signalling tool or can be used to blind your competitors.


Read my review, have we? 
Ambit 1 Black: strike edge bezel.
Ambit 2 Sapph: signalling/blinding.

I continue to see sync issues sometimes, but typically with Moveslink having remained active in the background and not taking kindly to the notebook being re-woken, an Ambit re-attached, etc. Restart Moveslink and it works...


----------



## bowesmana

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> Read my review, have we?


As a matter of fact, I did! Good review. Sorry for the unintended plagiarism 

I never noticed and little circle of sunlight keeping me company with the Ambit 1, but now there's often a little flickering circle on my left as I run - quite funny. Mind you, when running hard, looking out for tree roots and jumping rocks, I've not yet had time to hone my targeting skills to work out the geometry and the associated arm position to use it as a weapon


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

bowesmana said:


> As a matter of fact, I did! Good review. Sorry for the unintended plagiarism
> 
> I never noticed and little circle of sunlight keeping me company with the Ambit 1, but now there's often a little flickering circle on my left as I run - quite funny. Mind you, when running hard, looking out for tree roots and jumping rocks, I've not yet had time to hone my targeting skills to work out the geometry and the associated arm position to use it as a weapon


Would be difficult, too. Although, maybe that's why people like Kilian run downhill with their arms up? Not just for balance, but also to reflect light back at the runners hard on their heels? 

(Funny thing there: Seems these top runners rather like using the 2S, actually...)


----------



## bowesmana

First two syncs with the new Moveslink worked OK, but the third sync today failed trying to sync 4 moves. Tried again and it worked.
Doesn't look like the Moveslink update was a fix for the problem, but perhaps just a workaround to lengthen timeouts to reduce the chance of a problem.


----------



## DitDah

I have similar findings Bowesmana. Sync failures are seemingly completely random (for me)...


----------



## cleanton

I have also sync failures. It fails many times than it sync.


----------



## bowesmana

cleanton said:


> I have also sync failures. It fails many times than it sync.


Can you confirm your OS and whether you have version 1.1.35 installed, which is supposed to fix the sync problems. I told Suunto about this thread and they seem keen to investigate the problem.


----------



## redpoint

Hey everyone. I joined this site specifically b/c of problems with the Ambit 2. I owned an Ambit 1 for about 1.5 weeks, but returned it when I learned of the upcoming Ambit 2. Just last week I bought the Ambit 2 Sapphire and it's been a nightmare. I did about 10 moves with the Ambit 1 and it was flawless.

For starters, last weekend, I climbed a 6000 ft peak and I decided to adjust the altitude when I reached the top [b/c the altitude reading was off by ~100 m] - the Ambit 2 gave me a reading of -267m [yes, I was told I was -267m below sea level]. No matter what I did, it wouldn't correct. By the time I finished the climb it said I had descending 8000m! Suunto gave me some bs about this.

Now, I can't sync ... just tried to sync my latest move and it failed more than 10 times before I gave up. I just reinstalled moveslink and forced a firmware update [even though both were up-to-date]. We'll see what happens, of course it wiped my log clean. I use a mac and never had any issues with the Ambit 1.

I paid almost $800 for this thing and I'm pretty darn close to returning it. I realize it's brand new and they're be some firmware issues, but wow, this thing is a real pos.


----------



## pjc3

Hi Redpoint.
Both problems are documented. The download problem is a real concern and they are going to have to address the issue or people are going to stop buying Ambit2 once the word is out there (already well posted on FB).



redpoint said:


> For starters, last weekend, I climbed a 6000 ft peak and I decided to adjust the altitude when I reached the top [b/c the altitude reading was off by ~100 m] - the Ambit 2 gave me a reading of -267m [yes, I was told I was -267m below sea level]. No matter what I did, it wouldn't correct. By the time I finished the climb it said I had descending 8000m! Suunto gave me some bs about this.


Can you please add to your problem to this thread. I suspect it is the same issue. The more people document the problem, the more likely they will fix it. Email support has no clue but they may pass it on to the techs eventually!?


----------



## newbie007

Hi,

I do have an Ambit2 and also Sync problems, if I use Windows 7 and Movelink2 (latest version). It simply dosen't work.
With Windows XP (SP3) everything works fine (under Linux with virtualbox).

If the sync failed I cannot find any information (log) what went wrong (terrible...). Verbose mode could help

I do not like at all that I have to upload everything to suunto (?) server. They should develop an independent interface, that you can use your Suunto offline.


----------



## bowesmana

newbie007 said:


> I do have an Ambit2 and also Sync problems, if I use Windows 7 and Movelink2 (latest version). It simply dosen't work.
> With Windows XP (SP3) everything works fine (under Linux with virtualbox).


That's interesting, I've got a number of Virtualbox XP/SP3 VMs on this Windows 7 machine. Maybe I'll try them.



newbie007 said:


> If the sync failed I cannot find any information (log) what went wrong (terrible...). Verbose mode could help
> 
> I do not like at all that I have to upload everything to suunto (?) server. They should develop an independent interface, that you can use your Suunto offline.


Having downloaded the data to your machine, you don't really have to use Movescount, there are 3rd party programs that can use the logs. I use Sporttracks, but there are others. Although the logs will be uploaded to MC, you can do all your analysis elsewhere.


----------



## bowesmana

I received this excellent reply from Suunto customer support today re this issue.



Suunto Customer Support said:


> I now got a reply from our Movescount team and there is still a partial bug in the Moveslink2 1.1.35 version to handle the timeout issues in the SDK (=the communication layer between the watch and Movescount, while Moveslink is the user interface for this communication layer). Based on both internal&external feedback, the fix has worked only partially. We have added info of this support case to the reopened bug for the watch software team to investigate as this is not actually only a Moveslink issue. Uninstalling and re-installing Moveslink does not provide help on this matter. We are investigating this issue and working on a solution. We apologize for the inconvenience that this causes and we hope to have a fix soon. Should you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Have a good day Sir.


I think this was a result of posting on Facebook and Tess @ Suunto taking note of the posting as she followed it up by email.

From the above comments, it seems like there's a firmware issue as well (let's hope it's firmware, not hardware).

It's really good to see a useful response, thanks Suunto - this is good info!


----------



## pjc3

bowesmana said:


> It's really good to see a useful response, thanks Suunto - this is good info!


Finally, a useful meaningful considered response!


----------



## andy from embsay

pjc3 said:


> Finally, a useful meaningful considered response!


Yep. My replacement Ambit2 is failing to sync reliably now, but at least if they've worked out it's a software problem so hopefully the end will be in sight.

i'm really, really disappointed in Suunto's response to this though - unresponsive, evasive and their support people are staggeringly ill-informed.


----------



## captrlp

I bought my Ambir2 S about 3 weeks ago and since the second time I used it would follow my altitude up and down a hill and then on the second hill the altitude would lock up and stay there till I ended the move. Started at 1970ft and it would lock up at 2060 ft. This happened every day as I follow the same route every day. Suunto customer support not very helpful, they don't even know that this model watch only uses GPS to determine Altitude! Today watch refuses to sync, up. loads the move but fails on next step to sync. Several emails to support with one answer requesting same information previously supplied, then nothing. From reading this post I am not alone. They have till Wednesday to give me something or back to REI it goes.


----------



## SavageSS

It seems since the latest Movescount update the sync issue has found its way to my Ambit 2. Never before had an issue, now I have to try numerous times to try and sync, very frustrating.


----------



## pjc3

Can you please email support (if only to register the numbers affected as you will get no sense out of them.....)


----------



## twelveone

Have emailed support as I can't sync since the latest moveslink update. Always fails on "synchronising settings". Also posted on fb and there quite a few others reporting the same issue there. 

Do they actually test these updates? Or is that our job?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta


----------



## twelveone

Seems to be working again now


----------



## cleanton

twelveone said:


> Seems to be working again now


This is the problem. Sometimes it works sometimes not.


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

I was just away (at the Lavaredo UltraTrail), and one notebook of mine absolutely failed to sync (three tries, can't quite remember but think it once got to finishing the upload, then failed on the sync settings, the times before that, it failed to load the move).

Back home, different notebook of the same kind/setup, the usual wifi I know to be good (normally, anyways), and it worked without a hitch...

Make of that what you will.


----------



## SavageSS

May be too early to say. But My Moveslink updated today and now testing syncing a few times, hasn't faltered.


----------



## bowesmana

I was testing a new app at the weekend. I made about 7 attempts to get the app right and after each change I would sync to the watch and test it again.

As I had made a move to test the app, it needed to download the move.

It failed in the first sync EVERY time. In the first 5 syncs it always succeeded the second time, but in the last 2 it took more than 2 attempts.

For me it's definitely getting worse. I've washed the watch, dried it well, played around with the clamp to adjust the angle of the connecting pins against the contacts. Can't seem to make any difference.

Now it's regularly taking 5 minutes + to sync when it's successful


----------



## Skijeti

No problems with syncing on my Ambit1. With every update-upgrade i uninstall-reinstall ML2 , launch it manually, connect USB to laptop, connect the clamp to watch. I'm on Win 7. After each exercise i rinse/dry the watch, especially pins on the watch and so far this routine have never failed me. Always syncs on first time.


----------



## bowesmana

Skijeti said:


> No problems with syncing on my Ambit1. With every update-upgrade i uninstall-reinstall ML2 , launch it manually, connect USB to laptop, connect the clamp to watch. I'm on Win 7. After each exercise i rinse/dry the watch, especially pins on the watch and so far this routine have never failed me. Always syncs on first time.


I never had a problem with Ambit 1 and still don't. Just Ambit 2.


----------



## Cyberbob13

Dear all, I too experienced sync problems with Ambit2 and put more pressure on the contact points between the watch and the clamp. Since I do this, syncing works flawlessly. Is it possible that the clamp is not tight enough?


----------



## Guest

Skijeti said:


> No problems with syncing on my Ambit1. With every update-upgrade i uninstall-reinstall ML2 , launch it manually, connect USB to laptop, connect the clamp to watch. I'm on Win 7. After each exercise i rinse/dry the watch, especially pins on the watch and so far this routine have never failed me. Always syncs on first time.


+1


----------



## cleanton

Cyberbob13 said:


> Dear all, I too experienced sync problems with Ambit2 and put more pressure on the contact points between the watch and the clamp. Since I do this, syncing works flawlessly. Is it possible that the clamp is not tight enough?


Yes, agree with this. I also tried to put more pressure on the pins and syncing worked flawlessly.


----------



## Jurij

I have been trying to sync my Ambit2 for over 30 minutes now without success, the furthest I got was to 94% downloaded data from device. This is getting ridiculous.
I had occasional problems in the past, but a reconnection of the device solved it immediately, but this time there's no way to get through. Even when sync fails, the watch still displays "M-sync" and it charges the battery, so the connection appears to be fine. I really hope it is a SW problem and Suunto fixes it ASAP.

Edit: woohoo, after 45 minutes I managed to sync it! Great success! :-/


----------



## bowesmana

Yesterday uploading my latest log failed first time even though I was squeezing the clamp tightly on the contacts. It was OK 2nd time.

So, I did a simple tests. I created a short exercise in my Ambit 1 and synced. No problem. Did the same for my Ambit 2, no problem.

I repeated this a couple of times, still with no problem, then I synced the A2 twice more with a couple of dummy exercises without problem.

I had been doing small exercise syncs with A2 when testing an app a few days ago with lots of failures, so knew this could cause problems.

I had a brainwave that it might be the USB 3 port drivers as looking at the logs as I noticed for a small exercise sync, the A1 sync takes about 140 seconds to sync, whereas the A2 takes about 290 seconds. I guess this is due to the increased memory size.

So, I tried it in a USB2 port, but no joy. I spoke to HTA in Melbourne where I bought the watch from to ask if they had had any report of problems from others, but they said it was the first time they had heard of sync problems.

So, is it just an unlucky few with sync problems... Clearly Suunto recognise there is a problem, but.

It's absolutely maddening not being able to see the pretty pictures Movescount creates after doing a good exercise 

Maybe I should chill out and perhaps the A2 will get some cool vibes from me and decide to work more reliably - that at least may be as good a possibility as all the other things I've tried. Next I'll have to try doing the hoovering on one leg, while juggling my dog and my A1.


----------



## redpoint

It took me 12+ times the other day to get my Ambit2 to sync. Guess this is what "they" mean by "bleeding edge" ...


----------



## redpoint

bowesmana said:


> Yesterday uploading my latest log failed first time even though I was squeezing the clamp tightly on the contacts. It was OK 2nd time.


Just tried this with my Ambit2 - synced fine. Then I lightly picked-up the watch while tethered [after the sync] and it re-synced ... beginning to wonder if the electrical contact is insufficient i.e. it's the cable/connector.


----------



## andy from embsay

redpoint said:


> Just tried this with my Ambit2 - synced fine. Then I lightly picked-up the watch while tethered [after the sync] and it re-synced ... beginning to wonder if the electrical contact is insufficient i.e. it's the cable/connector.


I don't think it is - I've sat and squeezed the clamp on (for the 10-15 minutes a move can take to sync) and it still fails. This is a duff product and Suunto don't seem interested in fixing it - I emailed support about my second Ambit 2 with a log file 5 days ago and guess what? No response.

Oh - and my replacement Ambit2 is sat on my desk on the 4th re-try to sync a Move of 40 minutes.


----------



## pjc3

It has to be a software problem not a hardware ... they are identical externally to the original Ambit. Mine seems to have settled a bit but I haven't clocked up any long logs lately.


----------



## jpcrockett

FWIW, after emails back and forth with Suunto support, they today sent me an email that stated, in pertinent part:

"In regards to your concern, please be informed that we are aware of this issue and we are working to solve this as soon as possible."

Anyway, I think the more of us that email ([email protected]), the quicker a fix might come. Feel free to copy and past my original email to them if you'd like:

"I have the Suunto Ambit 2 and have tried syncing on various computers using the latest versions of Moveslink 2. I continually get an error: "Downloading data from device - failed". I have to disconnect and reconnect the watch dozens of times to get it to sync. I took my first Ambit 2 back to the point of purchase for this issue, and the replacement watch continues to have the problem. I have read of many other users having the same problem. What would you suggest I do? Thank you."

They'll ask you to clear your sync history, check your library, etc. (none of which will help), and, ultimately, to send your log file.

Thanks.


----------



## pjc3

I have already done this but agree, the more the better.


----------



## swissbiky

Same problem here and after weeks of mailing with Suunto's support and sending log files I have received following message.

_In regards to your concern, please be informed that we are aware of this issue and the case is under investigating with high priority. We are trying to solve this as soon as possible_

Almost the same response as above, but sounds like higher priority now, maybe there is hope they fix this nasty issue soon.


----------



## cleanton

I received an email from Suunto support saying that I have to go back to Moveslink2 version 1.1.32. They send me a link to download it. Since then I don't have any issue. Here is the link:

GreDi


----------



## pjc3

Thx but still failures wil the old one.


----------



## redpoint

cleanton said:


> I received an email from Suunto support saying that I have to go back to Moveslink2 version 1.1.32. They send me a link to download it. Since then I don't have any issue. Here is the link:
> 
> GreDi


Still failing for me despite the older version. Boo. Must have tried 60+ times to sync tonight ... usually syncs after 'only' 10-15. This is getting frustrating.


----------



## pjc3

Moveslink2 is a bizarre app. I have no idea what the code is but something inherently wrong. Why do I say this? 

Brand new Ambit2. 6 second test exercise (no HR, no GPS) just to get it synced with my account. It still took 3 mins to down load the 6 second recording! Resulting file is 6kb in the Moveslink2 folder. What is it doing for those 3 minutes? Someone needs to teach Suunto coders some efficiency.


----------



## redpoint

pjc3 said:


> Moveslink2 is a bizarre app. I have no idea what the code is but something inherently wrong. Why do I say this?
> 
> Brand new Ambit2. 6 second test exercise (no HR, no GPS) just to get it synced with my account. It still took 3 mins to down load the 6 second recording! Resulting file is 6kb in the Moveslink2 folder. What is it doing for those 3 minutes? Someone needs to teach Suunto coders some efficiency.


Is it possible that the interface between the USB cable and watch is slow. I'm wondering if upload speed is more a factor of the hardware and throughput rather than the software. It would be nice if it was just the software.


----------



## pjc3

No way. It takes the same 3 mins to upload a 6 kb file as it does 22 files totaling 36Mb! It is poorly designed app and/or Ambit firmware.


----------



## bowesmana

pjc3 said:


> No way. It takes the same 3 mins to upload a 6 kb file as it does 22 files totaling 36Mb! It is poorly designed app and/or Ambit firmware.


Ambit 2 takes about 300 seconds (look in output.log) regardless of log length. Ambit 1 used to take about 140 seconds, so I guess memory size is a factor.

The upload mechanism does seem odd if it does indeed traverses the entire memory. I imagine there are reasons, I don't believe Suunto would write the software in such a way if there wasn't one. They've been doing watches with logs for many years now.

I wonder if the fact that the power can go at any second influences what can practically be done in the circular memory.


----------



## redpoint

haha - yeah that's a s/w thing.

At this point, I could handle the s-l-o-w speed b/c it just won't download the data without trying 15-20 times.


----------



## Joakim Agren

Well after being back from my 3 week vacation I had 23 moves to upload so it was a really big log file. But I had no sync issue and the upload took maybe 2 minutes. So far I have no issues with my Ambit2 Sapphire!

This issue is really strange! It somewhat reminds me of an issue with a Sony USB memory stick I have. On my old HP computer from 2007, it behaved strangely and would start receiving data as it should but then all of a sudden the process would stall and there could be a pause up to several minutes before the transfer began again. The whole transfer of files could take up to 10 minutes for a 400MB file. I always thought that it was the memory that was faulty because other USB sticks worked just fine. But then one day I decided to try that Sony USB stick in my new 2011 computer, and voila no issues at all. Files transfer fast as normal. So there must have been some compatability issues between that USB stick and the USB controller on my old computers motherboard. Some sort of communication layer issues.

Perhaps this Ambit2 issue is the same, that there is some hard to diagnose communication layer issues between the Ambit2 and some motherboards and/or computer software configurations.


----------



## pjc3

Joakim Agren said:


> Perhaps this Ambit2 issue is the same, that there is some hard to diagnose communication layer issues between the Ambit2 and some motherboards and/or computer software configurations.


I have issues with :

iMac
Mac Mini
Macbook Air
Mac Mini bootcamped with W7
HTC tablet running Vista

i.e. every computer I have.


----------



## Joakim Agren

pjc3 said:


> I have issues with :
> 
> iMac
> Mac Mini
> Macbook Air
> Mac Mini bootcamped with W7
> HTC tablet running Vista
> 
> i.e. every computer I have.


But none of those are a regular Windows PC.

On your Bootcamped W7 machine do the following:

First hook up the watch and try to sync it normally. If it does not work then pull the USB cable and in windows task manager manually kill the Moveslink process.

Once it is killed, then manually re launch Moveslink2 then hook up the watch again

Does it work now?


----------



## cdmackay

For what it's worth, I've had no trouble at all on a MacBook Pro.

Perhaps there are good/bad cables, or have people with problems found they persist even with another cable?

Perhaps some manufacturing issue in the watch, causing transfer issues, and retries? Although a hardware issue, that could still be worked around with software change (e.g. longer retries).


----------



## pjc3

Joakim Agren said:


> Does it work now?


I shall give it a go when I get a chance. Thx.


----------



## pjc3

I have just checked my "Allowed Applications" in the settings tab of Movescount. 23 Moveslink applications allowed....just shows how many times I have tried to fix this download thing!


----------



## andy from embsay

Joakim Agren said:


> But none of those are a regular Windows PC.


I had sync failures with an iMac, a Macbook Air and a W7 laptop. I bought a new cable. I've now even had a replacement watch - it's slightly better than it was (I think 60 attempts was the record, it usually syncs after no more than 4 attempts now) - the response from Suunto has either been non-existent (normally), incorrect (when I used to bother to ring them) or helpful sounding but ineffective.


----------



## bowesmana

Trying to get much out of Finland after Juhannus (midsummer) for about 6 weeks is pretty much impossible as the masses desert the cities and head to mökki for hyvää löylyä and a good beating with birch twigs.
Things return to normal mid August.

Although they seem to recognise this as a problem, when all your dev team is sitting by a lake cooking makkara on the barbie and drinking beer, not much dev works gets done


----------



## redpoint

bowesmana said:


> Trying to get much out of Finland after Juhannus (midsummer) for about 6 weeks is pretty much impossible as the masses desert the cities and head to mökki for htvää löylyä and a good beating with birch twigs.
> Things return to normal mid August.
> 
> Although they seem to recognise this as a problem, when all your dev team is sitting by a lake cooking makkara on the barbie and drinking beer, not much dev works gets done


HAHA - made my morning.


----------



## Tony L

Got my Ambit2 in July 2013. Synced without any problem each and every time I connect it to the PC, including today's 47min run with 1sec GPS & 1sec recording.

Using PC Windows 7,
Ambit2 SW Ver 1.0.15
Cable from Ambit1. (Ambit2's cable has glue residue on the metallic USB head due to the sticker. It's now in the box.)
ML2 Ver 1.1.36


----------



## andy from embsay

I've had a quite extraordinary email from Suunto Support:

_"__Please accept our apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Please note that we are currently looking for a solution regarding your case and we will come back to you as soon as possible. In case you no longer wish to wait for us finding a solution to your case, we recommend you to get in touch with the retailer and ask for a refund."_

This sort of suggests they've given up - the legendary Suunto customer service seems to have gone...well...a bit "Garminy"...

PS I emailed them (having already had a replacement Ambit2 after weeks of complaining) with a log file from the new watch and full details on 27 June - 3 weeks ago.


----------



## pjc3

Wow! Retailers aren't going to be happy if they start recommending this approach to all.....


----------



## Tony L

I get variable level of response from Suunto's Customer Support email replies. I guess the level of knowledge varies among their Customer Support email response team. I read that the Facebook response team are better.

On the Ambit2 sync problem, anyone narrowed down the field yet? Looks like Windows PCs are not affected. Only Macs & HTC have this problem but not Mac Pro?


----------



## bowesmana

Tony L said:


> Looks like Windows PCs are not affected. Only Macs & HTC have this problem but not Mac Pro?


Wrong . All sorts of machines have the problem, all cables, all USB ports. There seems to be no common thread, apart from the fact that it's Ambit 2, not 1.

Hopefully not an A2 hardware issue...


----------



## Tony L

bowesmana said:


> Wrong . All sorts of machines have the problem, all cables, all USB ports. There seems to be no common thread, apart from the fact that it's Ambit 2, not 1.
> 
> Hopefully not an A2 hardware issue...


OK,.. Since Suunto seems to be clueless on the cause, lets compare SW, HW & manufacturing dates to see if there is a trend.

Mine is SW 1.0.15. HW G.2.K.1. Serial 1320xxxxxx (Manufactured May 2013) & has NO syncing issues.


----------



## bowesmana

Tony L said:


> Mine is SW 1.0.15. HW G.2.K.1. Serial 1320xxxxxx (Manufactured May 2013) & has NO syncing issues.


SW 1.0.15
Serial 1317..
HW G.2.K.1

Sync problems


----------



## Tony L

bowesmana said:


> SW 1.0.15, where do you find HW? Serial 1317..
> Sync problems
> What tells you the date from serial# ?


Long press Top Left & Top Right buttons simultaneously to enter Service Menu. HW Ver shown in Info.
Serial 1317xx indicates 17th week of 2013. Manufactured in April 2013.


----------



## tinman81

Hi all, I too have the same frustrating problem with downloading. I contacted Suunto and was given these instructions

In order to fix the Moveslink2 error, you will have to remove the storage.xml file in /Users/%username%/Library/Application Support/Suunto/Moveslink2 directory. Steps: 1) You have to open "Terminal" utility, write "Terminal" to search 2) Go to the directory "cd /Library/Application Support/Suunto/Moveslink2" command 3) Remove the file "rm storage.xml" command

I cant even find the Terminal utility so I cant say if it works sorry.


----------



## pjc3

I have tried removing the whole directory several times....no better. They are clutching at straws.....


----------



## pjc3

Sapphire
SW 1.0.15
Serial 1314....
HW G.2.K.1

Black
SW 1.0.15
Serial 1324....
HW G.2.K.1

Both have sync problems on Mac


----------



## cdmackay

Tony L said:


> OK,.. Since Suunto seems to be clueless on the cause, lets compare SW, HW & manufacturing dates to see if there is a trend.
> 
> Mine is SW 1.0.15. HW G.2.K.1. Serial 1320xxxxxx (Manufactured May 2013) & has NO syncing issues.


Sapphire
SW 1.0.15
Serial 1320....
HW G.2.K.1

No issues.

So I think we can rule out any recent hardware fix, as we've seen people with 1317 and 1324 with problems, and some of us at 1320 without, all with the same HW version. Unless 1320 was just a good week


----------



## DaveOZ

Sapphire
SW 1.0.15
Serial 1314....
HW G.2.K.1

No issues, ever. MacBook Pro 13"


----------



## pjc3

DaveOZ said:


> Sapphire
> SW 1.0.15
> Serial 1314....
> HW G.2.K.1
> 
> No issues, ever. MacBook Pro 13"


Bugger! Virtually exactly the same as my situation.


----------



## Cyberbob13

For all who have not tried so far: slightly press the clamp to the watch (i.e. Put more pressure on the contacts) while syncing, that solved all sync failures on my side.


----------



## swissbiky

Sapphire
SW 1.0.15
Serial 1317....
HW G.2.K.1

MacBook Pro 13", late 2012

Big issues, normally it takes 3-4 attempts until transferring the log is successful ! And no, pressing the clamp does not make any difference. Also removing all files and reinstalling the software did not improve the situation.


----------



## JiiVee

I have same issue with my Ambit2.

SW 1.0.15
Serial 1316...
HW G.2.K.1

OS: Win8

I have noticed that the problems begin always when i have between 15-20 exercises in the watch memory.
When the problems start, i do "force firmware update" to the watch and everything works well after that...until you have again more exercises!
Now i have done this three times and always after "force firmware update" synchronization works ok.

I recommend to try!

Sorry my bad english.


----------



## Gyneron

SW 1.0.15
Serial 1317..
HW G.2.K.1

PC, OS: Win7

Sync problems. Problems get worse every day it seems.


----------



## redpoint

SAPPHIRE
SW 1.0.15
S/N 1320...
HW G.2.K.1

Will not sync at all - period ["Maybe" after 50 attempts]. 2011 MacBook Pro with OS X [10.8.4]. Movescount Ver. 1.1.32. I've completely given-up on syncing, it just won't sync and I don't have the patience to try 50+ times ... nor should I have to. I can't believe this fix is taking so long.


----------



## MathijsGaalman

SW 1.0.15
S/N 1323...
HW G.2.K.1

Sync is very flaky. On one day it works quickly within two tries. Today is completely dramatic.

I had a version with S/N 1317 before, this one was working with no issues.

I use a MacBook Air 2011 and Moveslink version is 1.1.32


----------



## MathijsGaalman

I just installed a moveslink2 version 1.1.32 on a Windows 8 machine which i've never used before syncing the Ambit2. It connected and synced in 1 go!
How strange is that.


----------



## jpcrockett

Over the weekend I had to delete Moveslink and re-install it on my Mac. I was using Version 1.1.32, but apparently it has recently been updated to Version 1.1.35 (it didn't automatically update for me like it has with previous versions). Anyway, according to Suunto, v 1.1.35 does the following:

Version 1.1.35------------------- Improved synchronisation speed- Fixed synchronisation timeout issue

For what it's worth, after updating, I haven't had a single sync issue and the sync times are much shorter. Granted, I've only tried it with three activities, but so far so good. Here's hoping it stays that way ....

You can download the latest version here: Movescount.com - Powered by Suunto

Hope it works for you too.


----------



## pjc3

jpcrockett said:


> Over the weekend I had to delete Moveslink and re-install it on my Mac. I was using Version 1.1.32, but apparently it has recently been updated to Version 1.1.35 (it didn't automatically update for me like it has with previous versions). Anyway, according to Suunto, v 1.1.35 does the following:
> 
> Version 1.1.35------------------- Improved synchronisation speed- Fixed synchronisation timeout issue
> 
> For what it's worth, after updating, I haven't had a single sync issue and the sync times are much shorter. Granted, I've only tried it with three activities, but so far so good. Here's hoping it stays that way ....
> 
> You can download the latest version here: Movescount.com - Powered by Suunto
> 
> Hope it works for you too.


Check back to page 10 of this thread

No improvement for many of us.


----------



## bruceames

I've only had my watch for a week (June 2013 manufacture date), but so far no sync issues...except a few times when I tried to sync with the log in pause mode, after which resetting the stopwatch allowed it to sync. 

The connection does seem to be very sensitive though. If I move my watch a little then it often loses the connection to the PC, so perhaps that could be a problem with some.


----------



## kmseteam

MathijsGaalman said:


> I just installed a moveslink2 version 1.1.32 on a Windows 8 machine which i've never used before syncing the Ambit2. It connected and synced in 1 go!
> How strange is that.


 Not strange at all. And that's because you're not using MAC. I don't use it either and never have had any problems.


----------



## Gyneron

kmseteam said:


> Not strange at all. And that's because you're not using MAC. I don't use it either and never have had any problems.


Well, actually I am a Windows user and have a lot of problems synchronizing my Ambit2. It should be not strange at all because it's expected that the system would work like that.


----------



## kmseteam

Gyneron said:


> Well, actually I am a Windows user and have a lot of problems synchronizing my Ambit2. It should be not strange at all because it's expected that the system would work like that.


Well, to be honest, I just don't understand the goodness of MACs. And I just don't understand why some people have to make their living more difficult by struggling with them. In this thread there are Windows users as well, so that makes me wonder how come mine always works. But it doesn't make anyone's sync work any better.


----------



## Gyneron

Is there any news regarding this synchronization problem?

I really don't understand why it takes so long to come with a suitable solution for the problem.

Other stuff I don't get:


If the connection to a computer is USB, why does it take 3 minutes to download an .xml file of 3MB? It should really only take seconds.
If the transfer of the file fails, why does the transfer start over entirely? I assume there is already some saved data on the drive after it fails. Why can't the software just continue where it left of?
Why does the software not initiate another synchronization attempt after it fails automatically? Just reset it. With the use of already saved data it could be a much faster process and we could leave the watch where it is and come back later. The system could even hide the fact that it failed from us. If Windows would report all its failures and crashes to us we would need an additional hour in a day.


----------



## bowesmana

Gyneron said:


> Is there any news regarding this synchronization problem?
> 
> I really don't understand why it takes so long to come with a suitable solution for the problem.


Finland goes on holiday towards the end of June. Things return to normal around early to mid August.


----------



## Maryn

Sync problem:

Saphire 
Serial 1324
SW 1.0.15
HW G.2.K.1

Does this issue occurs only on Saphire versions?


----------



## jpcrockett

Maryn said:


> Sync problem:
> 
> Saphire
> Serial 1324
> SW 1.0.15
> HW G.2.K.1
> 
> Does this issue occurs only on Saphire versions?


No. Mine is the black version. And, after 4-5 days of perfect syncing, I'm now having issues again. o|


----------



## cdmackay

Gyneron said:


> Other stuff I don't get:
> 
> 
> If the connection to a computer is USB, why does it take 3 minutes to download an .xml file of 3MB? It should really only take seconds.





It is thought that Moveslink2 downloads the entire circular binary buffer in the watch, each time. The parsing of the buffer, and data extraction to write into indivudual XML logs is all done by Moveslink2, after the data has been pulled from the watch.

This means that much more data is transferred than need be, but enables all the decoding logic to be moved to Moveslink2, instead of having all that in the watch.

Whether this is true or not, I could not say; it sounds plausible to me.


----------



## ITMA

Well I'm relatively new to the Ambit but I have to say so far - I'm extremely disappointed with this watch.

I don't doubt the quality of the hardware....lovely. But the software strikes me as being extremely buggy and generally...amateurish. It's clear the firmware is several revisions away from being of the standard of a product that costs this much. But that I could stand if the abysmal Movescount and Moveslink were anything like usable. This thread proves this, but my experience:

* I've spent ages trying to get the watch synched. It appears that the whole watch's memory is being saved each time.

* When the moves finally synch, it says on Movecount "it may be a while before your moves are visible". WTF - how long? I've got a crappy old Garmin Forerunner, and I can upload the "moves" near instantly and start reviewing them (in a wide variety of different apps). When am I supposed to come back to movescount? Tomorrow? Next week? I want to review them NOW - that's why I've just uploaded them! (edit to add - it's been so long now I suspect that for some reason the moves are not being transferred - I can see them on the logbook but not on the apalling movecount).

Terrible fit and finish of the software, and my fear is that they don't seem to be the kind of company with any care or urgency over the quality of their software.

A regrettable purchase for me.


----------



## bowesmana

ITMA said:


> * When the moves finally synch, it says on Movecount "it may be a while before your moves are visible". WTF - how long? I've got a crappy old Garmin Forerunner, and I can upload the "moves" near instantly and start reviewing them (in a wide variety of different apps). When am I supposed to come back to movescount? Tomorrow? Next week? I want to review them NOW - that's why I've just uploaded them! (edit to add - it's been so long now I suspect that for some reason the moves are not being transferred - I can see them on the logbook but not on the apalling movecount).


I've never seen such a message and my moves are always visible immediately - in fact the finished sync has a clickable link in the Moveslink window









I imagine there's a problem uploading the data from your machine to Movescount, for whatever reason. You could check the output.log (Win7 - c:\Users\Name\AppData\Roaming\Suunto\Moveslink2) to see what the last few lines of the log are.

Yes, the sync time is pretty dire and Movescount has some "oddities", but if there are problems, it's worth posting on Facebook. They are continually updating it - nothing much happens over the summer in Finland, but now they should start to become more responsive.


----------



## ITMA

bowesmana said:


> I've never seen such a message and my moves are always visible immediately - in fact the finished sync has a clickable link in the Moveslink window


Yes, I see exactly the same thing in Moveslink but the moves are not showing in Movescount. The message is on the My Moves page...but this isn't the problem because it's been 12 hours now. Must be stuck somewhere, I will look in the logs. By the way, I'm on a Mac right now although I have had successful syncs on a PC.


"MOVESLINK ALLOWED

It might take a short while before your Moves are visible. 
Would you like to customize your device now?


----------



## primus

ITMA, I assume that you've done all the procedures (in particular paragraph 4), as described here?!

Movescount.com - Powered by Suunto


----------



## ITMA

primus said:


> ITMA, I assume that you've done all the procedures (in particular paragraph 4), as described here?!
> 
> Movescount.com - Powered by Suunto


Hi yes, all steps done. I do have it working on a PC, just not on a Mac.

I've now tried it on a virtual machine on the same Mac, (running a very old Windows XP installation), and this time it has synched.

Something to do with the Mac I guess, can't work out why.


----------



## primus

ITMA said:


> Hi yes, all steps done. I do have it working on a PC, just not on a Mac.
> 
> I've now tried it on a virtual machine on the same Mac, (running a very old Windows XP installation), and this time it has synched.
> 
> Something to do with the Mac I guess, can't work out why.


Don't now about Mac!
I have 5 PC based computers and Ambit/Movescount synchronization works only on 2 of them - both are without FireFox installation.


----------



## ITMA

It's really poor. Hit and miss synching, constantly fiddling with USB ports. When I finally do get it to synch, it either uploads no moves (on the Mac), or all but the last move (on the PC). I can see the move in the logbook, but not on the website.

Think of the price of this watch, think of the length of time Movescount has been live.

Why not just allow us to upload to a decent, well though out app like RunKeeper?


----------



## Jurij

I have just taken my Ambit2 on vacation and I took an old WinXP notebook with me, freshly installed Moveslink2 and I got a perfect sync every single time with at least 2 exercises saved per day. The first day I came back home it's back to sync problems on my Mac. In my case, the problem is obviously in Moveslink and not in the watch, since it works like a charm on another PC.
Now all I have to do is to get the middle-right button fixed in autumn, so it won't get stuck every time I press it, which is extremely annoying :-/


----------



## andy from embsay

I'm astounded that they still haven't fixed this - it just shows utter contempt for their customers (or utter incompetence).

I'm on the 5ht attempt to upload a long ride - it just got to 96% before hanging and failing.

I emailed support on 5 July - the only response came on the 19th when they said "go and get a refund".


----------



## pjc3

My most recent response 2 days ago (I regularly email them!)



> We apologize for the delay in replying to your e-mail. In regards to your concern, please be informed that we are aware of this issue and the case is under investigating with high priority. We are trying to solve this as soon as possible. However, should you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us.


----------



## ITMA

pjc3 said:


> My most recent response 2 days ago (I regularly email them!)


Well done for giving them a kick; I guess I'm part of the problem because I simply can't be bothered to email them (my bad - if everyone was like me nothing would get done).

Good to see that something might get done about it.

For info, for some reason my Mac has just synced perfectly for the first time, after a week of trying. Deeply unimpressed.


----------



## Maryn

Does this problem appears on Windows XP? 

I have an old computer with Win XP key....I can check it...

Today I have tried seven times - without success. I tried not to touch the connection, second time holding the buckle...changing the USB ports...doesn't help...o|


----------



## roots-n-rocks

For what it's worth, I've noticed that all of my upload problems are with my iMac which is running OS 10.7.5. 
I'll have upload failure a whole bunch of times in a row, and when it does upload successfully, it is absurdly slow.

HOWEVER,

When I use my Macbook Pro running 10.6.8, I have had 100% success rate. (no exaggeration!) Also I would say that the upload is 
AT LEAST 5X as fast. 

Since the iMac (the machine that has upload problems) is a much newer and more powerful machine, I really don't know what to make of this.
I'm not a very tech savie guy when it comes to computers. Maybe some of you more knowledgable guys and gals will know what to make of this.


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## Maryn

I 've tested on Winx XP, it is working well. 

It takes less time to copy all data.


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## arhuaco

I find it works first time more often if no other programs are open and if I connect straight after booting up it uploads data first go 4 out 5.
(Windows 8)


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## andy from embsay

And still it goes on... The Ambit2 is a great watch, apart from this ludicrously badly designed software that means that it uploads so slowly, which I assume is the reason it crashes. I'm on attempt #6 to sync a 2.5 hour bike ride. I hate it, and I hate the smug so-and-sos at Suunto who simply don't seem to care about the fact their product doesn't work.


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## andy from embsay

By the way - does this problem occur with the Ambit 2S?


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## Kristerekelund

andy from embsay said:


> By the way - does this problem occur with the Ambit 2S?


I have the Ambit 2s and an iMac running lion 10.8.4, I've had the watch for a couple of weeks now and I've never had any problem with sync.


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## Adam Rosser

roots-n-rocks said:


> For what it's worth, I've noticed that all of my upload problems are with my iMac which is running OS 10.7.5.
> I'll have upload failure a whole bunch of times in a row, and when it does upload successfully, it is absurdly slow.
> 
> HOWEVER,
> 
> When I use my Macbook Pro running 10.6.8, I have had 100% success rate. (no exaggeration!) Also I would say that the upload is
> AT LEAST 5X as fast.
> 
> Since the iMac (the machine that has upload problems) is a much newer and more powerful machine, I really don't know what to make of this.
> I'm not a very tech savie guy when it comes to computers. Maybe some of you more knowledgable guys and gals will know what to make of this.


I have a 2010 Macbook Pro running 10.8.4. I have had my Ambit 2 for a couple of weeks and have had no problem syncing. It is a little slower than I expected, but I assume that is because of odd circular memory arrangement. In any event, it never takes more than a minute or two to sync.

If there are problems on one particular Mac, but not on another Mac or on Windows, it sounds like it is a software interaction problem. That is, one piece of software of the problem computer conflicts with Moveslink. See if you can find out what different software you have installed on the two computers.


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## Adam Rosser

Adam Rosser said:


> I have a 2010 Macbook Pro running 10.8.4. I have had my Ambit 2 for a couple of weeks and have had no problem syncing. It is a little slower than I expected, but I assume that is because of odd circular memory arrangement. In any event, it never takes more than a minute or two to sync.


Arrrh!!! I jinxed myself. Today I have the sync failure! No apparent explanation. I also get the exact same failure in Windows in VMWare on the same Mac.


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## DitDah

Just an update... I hadn't heard from Suunto in months about my sync issues, despite their assurance that they're "working on a fix"...and they'd get back to me. So, I emailed them a few days ago and here is the body of the test they replied with:

"Thank you for contacting Suunto Customer Support.

Due to the analysis done by our Software team, it seems that you are having an issue related to the well-known timeout.For this inconvenience , we are currently trying to find a solution and as soon as we will have more details, we will keep you updated.As regards the VO2 value, the issue is in the graph.Both the highlight and the graph display the same max vo2 parameter.We are sorry for this delay and we appreciate your patience..."

As for the VO2 issue I'm experiencing...that is probably another thread on it's own. I think the values are flip flopped...or, maybe I'm not reading it correctly.

anyway, FYI folks...They have now identified the problem (advised me) as being the mind boggling " well-known timeout " issue.


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## andy from embsay

Hi Adam - it isn't an issue relating to one Mac (in my case, anyway) - my first Ambit2 failed to sync multiple times with 3xmacs and 1xWin7 machines. I think it's when the memory gets to a certain size it just kind of gets sluggish, then Moveslink gets bored of waiting for the next bit of data and just gives up. That's how it seems to me. My second Ambit2 is slow to sync (5 mins or more) and probably takes between 4 and 10 attempts to sync an activity. If Garmin would make the Fenix look a bit more "wearable" I'd be off like a shot - Suunto have really let themselves down with this. At least it's now "well known" - they spent two months telling it was my mac, my lead, my horoscope...


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## DitDah

andy from embsay said:


> ...Suunto have really let themselves down with this...


COMPLETELY agree with this... I'm a bit more than disappointed at the time taking to fix these issues...and acknowledge them in the first place.


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## Adam Rosser

I am now getting an even weirder result. My Ambit 2 appears to be syncing. It goes through the four steps, and all seems OK, but no moves are synced to Movescount and no settings back to the watch. This is what happens on my mac.

I also have Windows 7 on VMWare Fusion. In Windows, it all syncs correctly and uploads the activities.

I don't understand it and don't know how to fix it. I will try reinstalling.


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## pjc3

Adam Rosser said:


> I don't understand it and don't know how to fix it. I will try reinstalling.


Go into the Moveslink2 system folder and delete the output.log file.

Library>ApplicationSupport>Suunto>Moveslink2


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## pjc3

> An update to Movescount will be done Thu 29th August, bringing mostly usability improvements & bug fixes. Also there will be a new version of Moveslink2, which should help many of you who have been experiencing syncing issues with your Ambit lately.


We'll see........


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## paul1928

Just posted to Facebook:

Movescount - Powered by Suunto An update to Movescount will be done
Thu 29th August, bringing mostly
usability improvements & bug fixes. Also
there will be a new version of
Moveslink2, which should help many of
you who have been experiencing syncing issues with your Ambit lately. 2 hours ago near Porvoo, Southern
Finlnd, Finland


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## bruceames

It would be nice if Moveslink2/MC had the added functionality of importing individual STE/XML or GPX logs. Just about every other program can do it, why not Movescount?


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## Grandbug

Sync failing pb fixed with the latest update (Moveslink for Mac updated to v1.1.37 and Ambit 2 updated to firmware 1.5.14) yeeheee!! Syncing is much faster too!


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## Gyneron

So far, so good. First move synced just fine in one try.


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## pjc3

*Cautiously optimistic*

Tested new version.

Flushed Moveslink2 folder. Used my Sapphire as this has more issues than my black.

Old Moveslink2 test:
Failed 8 times in a row when left alone. Squeezed clip and synced on 3rd attempt. 8mins23seconds for the logs to appear in the folder.

New Moveslink2 test:
Synced first go without touching clip. 3min30sec. Repeated twice without touching clip and both at 3min 30sec.

I think Suunto may have sorted this.

Now to test the new firmware!!!


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## pjc3

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

Still synchronising first attempt and in about 2 mins.


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## bruceames

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

Never had a problem syncing, except one time last week when everybody did (uploading from watch to PC, but not syncing to MC). I'll have to check to see if it's faster...


----------



## bowesmana

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

Reliable and faster for me. So far, 3 syncs, all first time and under 180 seconds whereas it was normally 250-400 seconds.


----------



## redpoint

DitDah said:


> COMPLETELY agree with this... I'm a bit more than disappointed at the time taking to fix these issues...and acknowledge them in the first place.


And now with Samsung [today] and Apple [very soon], watches with much more capability [and much cheaper] will be flooding the market. I'm giving my Ambit2 another month [for a firmware/software update] and then it's going back, I haven't been this let-down by a product in a long time.

**Just read above about the updates, will check them out.**


----------



## bruceames

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



bowesmana said:


> Reliable and faster for me. So far, 3 syncs, all first time and under 180 seconds whereas it was normally 250-400 seconds.


I've noticed Ambit2 syncing is faster than before, while the Trackpod takes the same time as before. So whatever they did was likely done to the watch itself, rather than MC.


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## bruceames

redpoint said:


> And now with Samsung [today] and Apple [very soon], watches with much more capability [and much cheaper] will be flooding the market. I'm giving my Ambit2 another month [for a firmware/software update] and then it's going back, I haven't been this let-down by a product in a long time.
> 
> **Just read above about the updates, will check them out.**


Depends on what you mean by "capability". If you mean GPS fix times and accuracy, battery life and memory, R-R recording, I highly doubt it. You obviously have a defective watch and I'm surprised you haven't returned it yet. The moment the GPS signal gets worse, I'd be dropping that watch like a hot potato. No way that's supposed to happen.


----------



## pjc3

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



bruceames said:


> So whatever they did was likely done to the watch itself, rather than MC.


Not so. I tested the old and new Moveslink2 prior to upgading firmware.


----------



## compass_error

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

I'm still having sync problems with Movescount 1.1.37 and SW 1.5.14
8 failures before successful download (6 moves)


----------



## bruceames

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



pjc3 said:


> Not so. I tested the old and new Moveslink2 prior to upgading firmware.


Well in any case, whereas the Ambit2 and Trackpod sync equally fast before, now the Ambit2 syncs faster.


----------



## DitDah

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



compass_error said:


> I'm still having sync problems with Movescount 1.1.37 and SW 1.5.14
> 8 failures before successful download (6 moves)


...seriously??? I don't like hearing that. I've done the update to MovesLink and my Ambit2...and so far (fingers crossed while knocking on wood) I've had 100% first time success on the last 4 or 5 syncs...and they've been FAST. I did delete the logs in the library first...which, I hope helped. Anyway, hope it keeps up, so far, I'm happy with the results.


----------



## pjc3

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



compass_error said:


> I'm still having sync problems with Movescount 1.1.37 and SW 1.5.14
> 8 failures before successful download (6 moves)


Oh dear :-( Mac or Windoze?


----------



## compass_error

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



pjc3 said:


> Oh dear :-( Mac or Windoze?


Windows 7 laptop (still can't get my Win7 desktop to even recognize the sync cable being plugged in)

At other times it syncs on the first try. I'm just concerned that they didn't completely fix the issue.


----------



## arhuaco

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

Mmmmm, strange. Mine has been running perfectly since the major update.


----------



## Jurij

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

100% successful sync since the upgrade so far, hopefully the issue is fixed!


----------



## redpoint

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

All seems good since the update.

I did have a major GPS error today though. Look at this, all the track that looks like it was attached to a rabbit is not where I went. You can also see where the watch lost GPS contact for several kilometres.


----------



## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

Ouch, that's one heck of an ugly track 

That last bit, though, looks like the end of a track of mine did, when/because the watch ran out of memory (during an ultra, when it didn't help that the memory is circular since it was all one looong recording).


----------



## redpoint

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*



Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> Ouch, that's one heck of an ugly track
> 
> That last bit, though, looks like the end of a track of mine did, when/because the watch ran out of memory (during an ultra, when it didn't help that the memory is circular since it was all one looong recording).


You're only seeing a small section. The long run-out without a fix was midway through and I was in a treed area so it must have just lost reception. The rat's-nest track was above tree line so there were no trees above me - probably the worse GPS error I've ever seen. Not sure what's up.


----------



## compass_error

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

My sync was regularly failing on the first attempt, seemingly unrelated to the number of moves stored, but almost always worked on the second try. Slowly I've been getting more annoyed and on Saturday figured I'd update again just in case. I regretted that immediately... at first. Moveslink started the software update but failed within a minute showing a big red error, and the watch had only the Suunto logo and wouldn't respond to any buttons. I had a race the next day that I really wanted HR data for and cursed myself for not thinking. I kept trying to run the software update, searching for other solutions at the same time (saw one response from Suunto telling them to return their watch for service). Finally after about 10 attempts the software update was successful, and I've had first-time success on every sync since then.


----------



## DeNZeL

*Re: Cautiously optimistic*

I used to have sync problems before.

What I did is that PRIOR to attaching the USB cable to my Ambit2, I'll do a manual log-in first in Movescount (website). Once you are already logged-in on the website (just leave the browser open, by the way), I will launch Moveslink2 and attach the USB cable to my watch. This procedure works every time for me.. it always syncs at 100% without any errors.

The key here is to make sure that you are already logged-in in Movescount before trying to sync your Ambit2 in Moveslink2.

Hope this method will also work out for you guys. Cheers!


----------

