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DIYSteve
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PostThu Mar 24, 2016 2:44 pm 
spamfoote wrote:
Welcome back to the dark side. Did you get the 5000m version or the 10,000m version? Heavier than the alti watches, but at least they work.
Neither. Years ago I had a Thommen that was stolen. Last year I picked up a cheap ($60) mechanical altimeter calibrated in feet to 15,000'. It weighs 77g, only 8g more than my Core Alu watch, much lighter than my old Thommen, and it has been sufficiently accurate for my use, which includes a GPSr for off trail travel. Although I added an item (altimeter + GPSr + watch), my clock/navigation package total weight actually decreased a bit because I now use a lighter GPSr.

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DIYSteve
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DIYSteve
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PostThu Mar 24, 2016 2:49 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
putting the air holes on the side was probably a smart move.
There are no free lunches. I surmise that the ports were placed underneath on the Core to protect them from dust, which can degrade the sensor.

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Cyclopath
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PostFri Mar 25, 2016 8:59 am 
BigSteve wrote:
Although I added an item (altimeter + GPSr + watch), my clock/navigation package total weight actually decreased a bit because I now use a lighter GPSr.
This was my experience, too. smile.gif My Fenix 3 weighs about 20 g more than Suunto Core, but it also has GPS with crude but workable mapping, navigation, waypoints, etc. The battery is good for 20 hours of GPS time. I only use GPS while I'm hiking, turn it off once I get to camp. Without GPS the battery is good for a month and a half. I bring a 3 oz battery pack, which can charge the watch about a dozen times. Previous GPS was a hand held unit, 7 oz w/o batteries. Watch is 3 oz w/ battery. Previous GPSr took AAs. The longer the trip, the more weight I save. biggrin.gif (I almost never actually used the maps on the GPSr anyway.) In practice, the altimeter in the watch has been much more accurate than the one in the hand-held GPS hanging from my pack strap. I've never regretted selling the hand-held.

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thunderhead
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PostMon Mar 28, 2016 12:09 pm 
I gotta throw a shout out to the awesome altimeter watch that has served me faithfully for the last 9 years. http://www.amazon.com/La-Crosse-Technology-XG-55-Altimeter/dp/B000BNP98E 60 bucks on amazon, the pressure sensor is extremely precise when you calibrate it for non-standard surface pressure and column average temperature(surface pressure is more important). It has not failed me once, in 9 years of use, and has been a key nav tool for me over endless hikes and climbs, including helping keeping me away from crevasses and avy slopes in 0 visibility. The battery lasts about 1 to 2 years, and is fairly easy to replace if you have a tiny watch screwdriver. The advantage of the pressure altimeter over the GPS altimeter is many: compared with the power hungry GPS it has nearly endless battery life, it functions without the possibility of blocked or slow-loading radio signals. It also functions as a barometer when you are stationary in camp, especially useful for primitive forecasts when deep in the backcountry for an extended period. The downside of course is requires a little bit of intelligence/calibration for best use.

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Pef
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PostMon Mar 28, 2016 11:53 pm 
Thanks for the info folks. From wading through the Amazon reviews and reading above posts, I get the impression all digital watches of this type have a pretty high failure rate, and getting a good one comes down more to luck than brand or $
BigSteve wrote:
My current suggestion is none of the above. After 20+ years of alti watches, I've switched to a mechanical analog altimeter and an analog solar powered watch (Citizen EcoDrive).
Interesting, never even considered this option, in fact I am a bit surprised mechanical altimeters are still made smile.gif What model do you use BS? I'm guessing a good one is going to be expensive.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Mar 29, 2016 2:53 pm 
I should mention I had mine on my (left) wrist when I got hit by a car going 35 to 40 mph. I blacked out during the impact, but I was sure I broke my left elbow, so it's very likely the watch came in contact with the car as it hit me. It's as accurate as it was before the crash.

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DIYSteve
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DIYSteve
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PostTue Mar 29, 2016 6:11 pm 
Pef wrote:
What model do you use?
This $60 one

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Pef
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PostSat Dec 03, 2016 2:42 pm 
Update. I finally went with a Suunto Core after seeing one on Amazon, for almost half the price REI was selling them for. It worked fine for four months, then stopped working with a similar problem to the one that killed my cheapo Highgear watch after eight+ years, the main mode button simply stopped working. Very disappointing. Suuinto replaced it with a new model by return of post with no questions, which was nice, but I now have little confidence in the build quality... Should have taken more note of all the negative reviews on Amazon I guess.

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Jaberwock
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PostSat Dec 03, 2016 8:26 pm 
I really wish that they made these things thinner. I mean it's almost 2017 and there isn't a decent altimeter watch less than like 1cm thick. My Suunto Core has been OK, but I wish it was thinner. I get it that people want a large face on their altimeter watches, but I'd like to see smaller volume/thinner if they're going to keep the face large. Seems like an area that could benefit from more competition between companies, the Suunto Core came out in 2007.

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