Author Topic: ABC Gadgets  (Read 3393 times)

Lost Soul

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ABC Gadgets
« on: September 22, 2012, 12:45:19 PM »
Notwithstanding the brief positive thread on the Sunnto Core from January does anyone have any views, and particularly experience on using ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) watches?  Are they ultra-reliable, accurate, easy to use precision tools with genuine value to the responsible navigator?  Or, are they more of a life style purchase, a fashion accessory to be conspicuously displayed on a well-toned wrist in the café on top of Snowdon? 
« Last Edit: September 24, 2012, 08:56:32 AM by Lost Soul »

Lyle Brotherton

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Re: ABC Gadgets
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2012, 08:50:12 AM »
Leon, my thoughts and experience for you :)

Size and convenience have long been on the side of Suunto ABC watches, particularly in climbing where weight is an important consideration yet more so how you physically wear the instrument.

A couple of years back I went winter climbing with the legendary Dave ‘Heavy’ Whalley up to Coire an t-Sneachda, in the Cairngorms. All the routes, Jacob's Edge, Ladder and Hidden Chimney were so busy we opted to ascend the Goat Track and go on over to Beinn Mheadhoin via the Shelter Stone.



Heavy had just got the handheld satnav from Garmin, the 60Csx, and at the time I was a Suunto X10 Military. Heavy’s 60Csx was clipped to the shoulder of his rucksack, and secured using a paracord lanyard. My X10 was worn as a wristwatch.

Heavy ran into difficulties with the loose paracord catching his ice-axes and stopping to check the unit, on this relatively east climb (Grade III), he found awkward. Whereas the wristwatch X10 suffered with neither of these difficulties.

I think it is good to review why ABCs are so useful.

The Altimeter is ideal for all activities where knowing your altitude and ascent and descent rates is essential, and modern ABCs allow you to track your progress in terms of altitude climbed.

Their logs record store all your movements in altitude between the start and stop times, the duration of ascents and descents, average ascent and descent speed.

The in-built Barometer displays the current sea level pressure, usually as a graph, showing recording of the last 24 hours with a recording interval of 30 minutes and is used as a weather trend indicator, plus some of the higher spec models have a Storm alarm which works when there is a sudden drop in air pressure, which may be related to worsening weather conditions.

Suunto ABCs have an automatic Altimeter/Barometric switch, which senses the wearer’s movement. When climbing, it records changes in elevation, and when resting, it records changes in barometric pressure, so for example a drop in air pressure, if you are camping on a ridge is recorded for what it really is: a change in barometric pressure, not altitude.

The Compasses are digital and can be set to track a given bearing.

The main problem with handheld satnavs was that they relied soley upon a GNSS altimeter, and in climbing any rock face you have at least half the sky obscured from the units view, plus the satellite signals that you do receive may be subject to mulit-pathing, as they reflect off the rock face around you. The 60Csx overcame this problem by being the first handheld satnav to incorporate both a GNSS altimeter and a barometric altimeter. More than this, the boffins at Garmin created an algorithm that correlated the readings between the two, in particular pressure spikes which may be more of an indicator of weather system changed that of any ascent or descent. However, they were still clumsy to store and use on difficult routes.

Interestingly, the Suunto X10 I was wearing had both of these measurement systems, but not the correlating algorithm.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that for some time I have been testing the new Garmin Fēnix, mainly in parachute jumps. These types of wrist-worn satnavs herald a new era for climbers, as they add to ABC’s satnav capabilities, and in my opinion, make the standard ABCs a fashion accessory to be prominently displayed on a well-toned wrist in the café on top of Snowdon ;)
« Last Edit: September 24, 2012, 12:51:29 PM by Lyle Brotherton »
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance” - Plato

Hugh Westacott

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Re: ABC Gadgets
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2012, 08:46:31 PM »
Leon

I'm a walker who rarely strays beyond the shores of Great Britain and have used a Suunto Vector for many years but gave it up a couple of years ago in favour of a Garmin Foretrex 401 which is worn on the wrist like a large watch.

The Vector gave me good service. I found the altimeter accurate to within ±10 metres. I occasionally used the barometer for forecasting the weather but preferred to rely on my miniature Sony radio (which is useless in Scotland). The tiny buttons that control the various modes are fiddly and not easy to use. The Foretrex altimeter/barometer is as accurate as the Vector's but lacks the barometric history so cannot be used for weather forecasting unless you go to the trouble of manually recording the pressure at regular intervals.

The Foretrex has many more functions, some of which I find useful because I regularly lead walks and need to know things such as how much longer it will take to get to the station in time for the train.

I find the Foretrex just about perfect for my purposes and is reasonably-priced but appreciate that it would not suit many members of this forum. It has no mapping function but that does not concern me because I prefer to use a paper map.

Hugh

Callum

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Re: ABC Gadgets
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2012, 09:38:05 AM »
Leon, I too, as a mountaineer, used to use Suunto ABC's, and I agree entirely with Hugh and Lyle's postings, it is just a matter of finding the loot to buy a new satnav now :(

Lost Soul

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Re: ABC Gadgets
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2012, 06:04:37 PM »
Chaps,

Thanks for your information, appreciated.

Leon