Multifunction Watches

“What do we like people? I'm scopin a Suunto Vector; moderately priced and all the features i'm looking for(i think). i tend to get it in my head that i need things when i just want them. after checking out the watches i almost convinced myself i needed gps on my watch.

http://www.suuntowatches.com/Suunto-Vector.pro”

“Mine just have the time, day and month, alarm and chronograph. :o(”

“Bought it new on ebay. The outside bezel popped off & customer service from SUUNTO is non-existant.”

“The vector is an awesome watch. I have had mine for three or four years. The barometric altimiter is more accurate than my GPS altimeter especially on the side of a mountain.

The manual for this thing is pretty big and I still don't know how to use all the features. You will have to calibrate the altimeter and compass, before you use it.

The altimeter measures barometric pressure so it will change with time and weather conditions. Having a known altitude is the best way to calibrate. You can set the sea level reading (the one the weather man gives), but that only seems to be accurate to about 100 meters.

Keep in mind that if you don't know the altitude at your current position you can at least look at the watch before you begin your hike and it will tell you how vertical you are from that reference point.

There are other altimeter watches on the market, but people complain about the accuracy. My Vector has always been accurate.”

“Bacpac....I use a standard analog watch (Seiko) with a sweep second hand and a one button stopwatch. I need the sweep hand for taking pulse rates on patients. And I use the stopwatch to time our time on scene in a rescue (platinum 15 minutes and all).....”

“I've owned 2 Casio multi-function watches over the last 16 years. That 2nd one is on my wrist right now. Has alt/bar/temp plus the usual stopwatch, etc. features.

Might just have to go GPS on the next one, let me know how well it receives ductape. The biggest bane of small electronics is antennas work best when they are large. Obviously an issue with watch-sized gadgets.”

“

I have this baby and it is sweeeet. Not exactly something I'd wear around at the office, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. That's the forerunner, but I hear the fortrex is just as nice and gearded more for hiking then running and riding. It's has better nav features in place of all the speed/pace, Hr and workout functions on the forerunner.

The foretrex 101 also has replaceable batteries in case the 15 hours the lithium rechargable battery in the 201 isn't long enough.”

“I have the same as bacpac and don't have any complaints.”

“HPM has a Suunto vector. The nightlight feature is useless on his.”

“I have a Casio Pro-Tech which does pretty much the same stuff. I have not used the altimeter yet because I just picked it up last fall.”

“I have a Highgear Axis. I've been exceptionally pleased with mine. I don't pay a lot of attention to the altimeter, as I'm in flatter country most of the time (any change in altitude I make is usually within the standard error of a barometric altimeter), but the barometer/weather forecasting is always spot on.”

“mine's drawn on with a magic marker...it always says 5:00...it doesn't work with my boss though
last edited: 3/10/06 11:25:34 AM”

““HPM has a Suunto vector. The nightlight feature is useless on his.”
treebait
11:01:41 AM
3/10/06

Yep, I forgot, the alarm on mine is worthless. I have slept through it many times. I set the cell phone now as my alarm clock, put it on vibrate and put in my pants!”

“LOL, how many times do you hit the snooze”

“I have a Citizen Titanium watch which is Ecco Drive powered (solar powered). It has a alarm and chronograph.”

“I have an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle with compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.”

“maybe i'll keep looking. are the suunto watches priced in terms of quality or features? it seems like some of the more expensive ones have things i'd never use, like a ski log. they also charge a lot more for the different bands.”

“I just got a Casio Pro-Tech. I've had Casio watches with altimeters for years. The altimeter has saved my butt a couple times. Once we had to ski out of Crater Lake during a white out. We knew the elevation where we started and we knew the elevation where we were supposed to end up at. We took off and figured we were skiing level at about 2 miles an hour, after two hours I used the altimeter to drop down the difference in elevation and found we were right at the spot we wanted. We were literally skiing blind, I doubt we could have found our way out any other way that day.

I used the compass feature at Lassen last week. It was snowing rather hard and I was in the trees heading back to the road. A couple times I got kinda turned around and had to think about what direction I was heading. I could have pulled my compass out of the pack, but it was neat to just pull the watch up, push a button and know where North was in seconds.

On the 10 day trips with the kids, we used the barometer function to try and get an idea what the weather was going to do, it was accurate more often then not....at least it gave us an idea if the clearing was just the clouds breaking or the weather actually changing.

I'm not sure how well I like the solar powered feature, I've had no problems with it, it always stays fully charged, time will tell.

The temperature feature requires you to take the watch off for 20 minutes to get an accurate reading....not sure how often I will use that.

I bought my watch here , they carry quite a selection of different watches, including the Suunto's. Prices are very good too.

Right after I bought my watch, they came out with it in a black titanium version , figures.
last edited: 3/11/06 10:09:06 AM”

“I like & reg use altimeters but you have to set them daily to barometric pressure. (local airports are usually good for this) A moderate change in weather will also offset it's readings.”

“They tell you to readjust it any time you get to a known elevation. I try to do that when I leave the trail head but I usually forget.”

“thanks steve, very helpful”

“Any updates on watches...looking to upgrade and thinking of the Suunto”

“Suunto has a GPS watch with altimeter.”

“I have the Vector, I think. I like it.”

“Sorry, I don't think any of them can handle fire yet.”

“My Vector eats batteries like mad.”

“tech...I had a Chase Durer (250.00) for five, countem FIVE years. The alarm pin popped out. I sent it back to Chase for repair...they told me repairs...445.00!

So I had written a nice letter about how tough the watch was...etc etc...they sent my dead watch back. (I put it in the dresser drawer)

Two months later my jeweler calls..he has my Watch? From Chase Durer? Turns out they sent me a "repaired model" for a whole 50.00. Heck I paid for it and took it.

When it wears out I still have my 80.00 Seiko (LOL).

I am thinking about a watch with GPS for trips. Thats what I was asking about (LOL)”

“How bad HPM? I have had my watch now for 3 years and I just replaced the first battery.

I don't know, is that bad?”

“The first battery was good for two years.
Then every year, now it's just about every six months.”

“I've had a casio triple sensor since 1996. I keep waiting for it to break so I can get a replacement.”

“That reminds me.
I need to get another battery for the Suunto. It's dead again.”

“HMMMM..years ago we had a choice of the "official" issued Army Wristwatch ($65.00 or more in 1980) or a timex green plastic knock off $20.00) I took the latter and it lasted for YEARS>”

“I have a Casio triple sensor one, and I have to say I like it. I got the toughSolar one, which seems to be working great. Charger seems to work well. You ever have issues with the battery then I leave it in a sunny window for a day and it's all charged up again.
I had one of the older versions before this but broke it whenI tried to change the battery. It seems pretty accurate on the altimeter front. Compass is no more than a backup rough guide.”

“I don't know what brand he had, but I once shared Gooch Mountain shelter with a guy whose altimeter watch kept rising in elevation all night even though we were stationary. I asked him if he actually had it in stopwatch mode.”

“The altimeter feature in many watched also makes a good barometer.”

“ROTFLMAO...hyway.....”

“In the Suuntos the altimeter runs off of barometric pressure. So if a storm runs across you the altimeter will shift.”

“lol hyway - you can only use it as a rough guide - what you actually do is set it when you're at a known elevation (when you know exaclty where you are on the map) and update it whenever you can. It takes 10 seconds to do.”

“All watches with altimeters use barometric pressure. You can track the barometric pressure and predict the storms.

The Suunto Vector owner's manual states that leaving the watch in altimeter mode will create extra drain on the battery.”

“I forgot to add that I have to get a new battery about once a year.”

“I got the very first model of Casio alt/bar/temp watch, in 1990. That one did depth, too, and was pretty accurate. Had to give them an appendage for it, but held on to my left arm so I would have a place to put the watch.”

“Amazing ain't it the way the prices for these things are dropping. I found a calculator in an old Trunk that was my Dad's FIRST CALCULATOR in the 1960s. The price is still on it....$299.00. Today same calculator at the Dollar Store.”