Altimeter Watch: Suunto Vector Review
Suunto has long been known as THE consumer's best choice in the altimeter watch industry. With a lineup that includes the Core, Lumi, X6, and T lines, it's hard to go wrong. What most people don't know is how they got started.
A brief history lesson; Suunto was started in by Tuomos Vohlonen in 1936 when he patented the first widely available, mass produced liquid compass. Over the years the company evolved by developing dive computers, and eventually made the leap into altimeter and outdoor watches. The 90's saw tremendous growth of their outdoor computer lines, led by the award winning Suunto Vector. While Suunto has continued to evolve, the Vector remains a staple in their watch line - and sales remain solid despite the introduction of new watches like the Suunto X10, Suunto Core and Suunto Lumi.
This year, the Vector is celebrating ten years in the industry. Let's take a look at what set's it apart for veteran mountaineers and weekend warriors alike.
Suunto Vector Black
Altimeter - The Altimeter on the Vector measures up to 29,000 feet, which means unless you need to know your altitude on an airplane (which won't work anyways!) you can get anywhere in the world, even the top of Everest, and have an accurate measurement. Other altimeter features include a vertical ascent total and a 24 hour memory, which stores your journeys over the last day.
Barometer - Need to know if the weather is going to be changing soon? The barometer keeps track of changine air pressure, letting you know when it is ok to stay outside and when you need to think about heading indoors.
Compass - While we at altimeterwatch.net are not big promonents of digital compasses, the one on the Suunto Vector comes through in a pinch when needed. Be careful about using it too often - digital compasses are a serous battery drain.
Other features include time (duh), low battery indicator, and crazy durable exterior. Speaking of durable, chances are you will not have to return this altimeter watch. If you are looking for more function than form for your adventure needs, look to the Vector. Not much as changed over the years, which is a great thing.
Unfortunately, Suunto has limited it's Vector line to the Vector Black, Vector XBlack, and the Vector Yellow. All are $199 retail - a great deal on this bombproof, functional, rubber meets the road device.
Altimeter Watch Tutorial: Types Of Altimeter Watches
There are two methods 99% of altimeter watches use to calculate altitude - global positioning systems (GPS) or barometric pressure.
For those that own an altimeter watch that gives altitude based on GPS readouts, your altitude will be as accurate as the map datum the watch is using to generate altitude. We'll discuss why in a minute. The majority of altimeter watch owners have an altimeter watch that calculates altitude using barometric pressure. In the following paragraphs I'll discuss the difference between GPS and barometric pressure altimeter watches and give examples of each.
GPS altimeter watches use latitude and longitude coordinates to identify your position on the grid and read out an altitude. This data is delivered to the watch from the manufacturer satellite and usually is based on USGS datum. If you have a GPS enabled altimeter watch you never need to recalibrate your watch since the information being displayed comes from a satellite and not from "on ground" conditions. Examples of GPS enable altimeter watches include the Forerunner series from Garmin and the Suunto X10.
Almost every non-GPS altimeter watch on the market uses barometric pressure to determine altitude. The watch has a function in it's built in software that takes the barometric pressure and calculates altitude. Because of this, the altitude readout accuracy needs to be carefully scrutinized, particularly if the weather has changed significantly since you last calibrated your watch. Examples of barometric pressure altimeter watches are the High Gear Axis and the Suunto Core. As already discussed, barometric pressure altimeter watches are subject to the outdoor weather conditions and as such should be calibrated at regular intervals.
The price points on GPS and barometric pressure watches are varied, with GPS enabled altimeter watches generally being more expensive. An altimeter watch using barometric pressure (such as the HighGear Axis or Suunto Vector) can be found for as little as $100. The GPS enabled altimeter watches are generally more expensive, with an entry price of around $250.
Altimeter Watch: Suunto Core Update
The Suunto Core altimeter watch came out in 2007 as the next generation upgrade to the Suunto Vector. In addition to being an altimeter watch complete with logging, the Suunto Core also boasted an altimeter, chronograph, barometer with storm warning, and digital compass.
Suunto Core Aluminum Black
The Suunto Core was poised to become the next great thing in altimeter watch technology! And initially, the outdoor gear industry was enamored with the Suunto Core and it's vast improvements on existing altimeter watch technology. The feature set promised to revolutionize the industry - with great features like the storm warning the Suunto Core was set to go beyond a data delivery device, and turn itself into a safety watch critical to every outdoor person's gear staple.
However, within a few months of the 2007 product release, early adopters of the Suunto Core started registering significant and repeated complaints. Common issues were low battery life, product casing quality, and firmware malfunctions. It appeared Suunto had been either premature in it's release of the Suunto Core, or just had not spent enough time testing product quality.
Throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009, Suunto (true to it's reputation as THE leader in the outdoor watch industry) invested considerable capital into fixing existing Core units and remedying the underlying issues. The watch at its core (pun intended) is still a great product and Suunto has stuck to it's guns in keeping this watch on the market and positioning it as the altimeter watch for your outdoor adventures.
Suunto Core Light Green
The great news is that over the last year, the Suunto Core altimeter watch issues have been resolved and when buying one you can almost (nothing is 100%, right) be sure you are getting a great watch that will last for years. The Suunto Core runs from $249 to $499 and is available in Black Yellow ($249), Light Green ($249), Regular Black, All Black Military ($299), Orange Black ($349), Light Black ($349), Aluminum Black ($499), and Aluminum Light versions.
Altimeter Watch: Top five things you should look for when buying your altimeter watch
I was sitting down with my Suunto rep on Monday going through their 2010 line. They have some really, really cool stuff coming out, particularly related to altimeter watches. With all of the altimeter watch choices out there, making an intelligent and frugal decision about your next altimeter watch purchase can be a very daunting activity.
#5 - Budget. The plain fact is there are many, many really good altimeter watches in the market. The bad news is like anything else you pay for what you get, particularly if you want add on features like a stopwatch or barometer. If you are in the $100-$150 range, go after some of the High Gear or Nike watches. If you can afford a bit more, go for the Suunto Core or even the Suunto X10.
#4 - Durability. Depending on how you plan to use your altimeter watch, how durable it is should be one of your main concerns. While the Suunto Core models have received very good reviews, we have experienced many returns due to software and band breakage. The High Gear Axis watches have a lot of the same issues. The best of the bunch is the Suunto Vector (my rep confirmed this in our meeting too) - it takes a beating and keeps on ticking. Look for a watch with a solid band and face. You want one that can survive a fall while hiking or a drop while changing. Another consideration is how well the altimeter watch face handles scratches.
#3 - Compass. Many people want an altimeter watch that has it all. Our recommendation is to eliminate the compass as a decision maker when choosing your watch. Digital compasses are a battery drain and just are not that accurate compared to a regular hand held compass. Spend the $20 on a good Suunto or Brunton compass and don't think about it anymore.
#2 - Activity. How will you be using your altimeter watch? Do you need one for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, maybe all of these? Many altimeter watches have some very cool features like vertical rate of ascent and descent, barometer (which warns of coming weather conditions). Consider what you will need your altimeter watch for and choose one that makes the most sense for your needs. Remember, you are buying a watch that compliments your activity, not the other way around.
#1 - Accuracy. After all, the purpose of an altimeter watch is to know your elevation. A common complaint from new altimeter watch owners is that the watch does not show the correct altitude. Do you mind re-calibrating hourly (or every few minutes, depending on changing weather)? If not, then a lower end watch might work for you. Want an altimeter watch that automatically adjusts based on changing weather conditions? The Suunto Core does just that. Decide how accurate you need your watch to be before making your purchase decision.
Introduction to the Altimeter Watch blog
This first post will serve as an introduction to the Altimeter Watch blog. The purpose of this site is to provide an unbiased, informative, and objective guide to assist you with your altimeter watch purchase. We'll be reviewing all altimeter watch manufacturers as well as individual altimeter watches. So read on, enjoy, and take the time to learn about altimeter watches so when you buy your altimeter watch you will make an informed decision. We'll start by providing a top ten - the top ten things to look for when deciding on an altimeter watch.
When looking for your first (or next) altimeter watch, there are many things to consider. Obviously, manufacturer, price, features in addition to altimeter, durability, and activity will determine which altimeter watch you ultimately choose. Lets take the time to learn all about these fantastic tools and hopefully educate you a little too.
First, what is an altimeter watch? As it's name implies, an altimeter watch is a watch that tells you the altitude, among other things. Some also include a set of other features such as time, chronograph, barometer, rate of ascent/descent, temperature, and compass. Your intended use of your altimeter watch will dictate whether you need all or just some of the previously listed features.
During the next month we'll count down the top ten things you need to look for when deciding on an altimeter watch. Number 10? Deciding on a budget. Check next time for deciding which altimeter watch to buy depending on what you can afford.
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