Altimeter Guidance Needed - Please

[Rob S]

$49!!!!! As Frank Barone would say ...... "Holy Crap!"

Thanks for posting that, Tut. This would make a great xmas gift for a friend who has wanted one for awhile. I just hope he doesn't see the sale and buy one for himself.

 

[BIGEarl]

Thanks for all the information.

I was in a BJ's Wholesale store recently and saw a Timex Helix really cheap. I plan to be there in the next day or two and will check. Perhaps I'll take a closer look.

Campmor is a difficult place for me. I never seem to purchase only what I need (want in this case). If I stay out of the store and deal with the place on-line it helps.

I'm still unsure of the digital versus analog arguement, however.

 

[diehard]

Thommen analog for cheep

I too, have a Thommen (the BEST) analog unit, although I haven't used it for several years. In years past, I wanted to accurately record geologic feature locations, in places where I coulden't get a good line of site, on one or more peaks. In some past situations, I would climb 90 ft up a tree, and while swayinf a bit in the wind, try to get a fix on a peak(s), with my Brunton. With the iffy compass fix and the rock solid altimiter reading of my Thommen analog altimiter, I could usually map the spot accurately. Since purchaseing a decent GPS, the Thommen unit has been put on the shelf. With the GPS, I can take the data from the old map points, and find those old places of interest. The bottom line is, should any of you out there be interested in my Thommen analog unit.....I would be glad to see it go to a happy home....for cheep.

DieHard

 

[Orphic Seth]

Lately, I've been returning to simpler, more traditional gear. My altimeter is a beautiful analog made in Germany. It was my grandfather's, and now it is mine. It's dependable and does the job without any batteries-- as was mentioned. Looks great with my wood and rawhide snowshoes and wool pants too!

 

[MattC]

Helix

I bought a Timex Helix about a year ago, and it has failed completely twice-just stopped working. Timex gave me a new one once, and I'm going to see what they can do this time. The first time it seemed like the Indiglo feature somehow got stuck on and just burnt out the battery. The second time it got wet-not submerged or anything, just "'whacking through wet blowdown"-type wet. It never really completely dried out and seems to still have a little moisture under the glass. It stopped working a few days after initially getting wet. I was satisfied w/ the outcome the first time the piece failed-I just had to pay postage and they sent a whole new watch.

Failures aside, I've been pretty happy w/ the piece when it works. On cloudy days it has been known to occasionally be way off, but not always. On clear days it's generally well within 100'. One day last spring on humble little Schunemunck Mt. I got to the summit where the elevation is posted and it was dead-on.

I don't use the altimeter all that much anyhow, it's basically a useful tool when bushwhacking, but not absolutely necessary. The alarm is a nice feature when camping. I think overall it's a pretty good deal for the price-I think I originally paid about $60 or $65 for mine, and it can usually be found pretty cheap, as has been pointed out. Perhaps I've just had bad luck with the failure problems. Oh, and I agree that the little book is hilarious.

Matt

 

[JimB]

I've had my Helix for about 3 years and I've had a few probs but overall like it. My Indiglo button always sticks too, and I just make sure to manually check it when I push it because it will kill the battery. I paid to replace the first battery then bought one of those visor/magnifier things and a small screwdiver kit and have done the rest myself. The first replacement(the one I paid for) the jeweler didn't get the gasket in properly and it fogged up like Matt's. Now I put a little dab of sealer on the o-ring before I put the cover back on. I found that it is much more accurate if you take your time resetting the altitude. I go to reset, change the value to what the elevation actually is and wait about 10 seconds for everything to stabilize. Then I push in the button and it seems to be closer and stay that way. A friend of mine has a Suunto (and a lot more money ) and our watches are always about the same. For the money it is pretty good for what I want to do with it. I like to use it on long climbs to break up the effort into 300 to 400 foot sections with a rest. Or to know that the trail intersection or summit that we are anticipating is just ahead(or not )

 

[Rich Owings]

Hmm, I don't think anyone has mentioned this, but how about a GPS with barometric altimeter? I love my Garmin GPSMap 60CS.

Rich Owings

"We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey

 

[carole]

for Poison Ivy

I could just send a private message to Poison Ivy but I'll post it here to expose my foolishness in case it may happen to others. I had used my altimeter watch quite regularly to get familiar with it's function and was quite pleased to see it very accurate. So then I joined a few on a hike and showed off my new watch. As the hike progressed we checked the elevation gain and it just seemed way off. So my watch wasn't impressing anyone.

Long story short - when I got home I looked at it closer and saw I had somehow set it to read in meters rather than feet.

 

[askus3]

I got my Suunto Vector on e-bay for $100. Check for altimeters there - you might get a good deal! BTW. I am satisfied. It usually is off 40-100 feet, but I can live with that differential. At least I have a good idea of when I am nearing the top or bottom. Sometimes those downhills and ends of hikes never seem to end, at least this way I know I still have a couple of more hundred feet to go. It used to get so frustrating to hear the cars on the road you are supposed to come out on and you never seem to get there.

 

[Peakbagr]

I've had a Peet analog for 0ver 20 years. Its temperature compensated, and is usually within 20 feet accuracy. As someone else said, no batteries to fail. Also, instant readjustment by turning face of dial, and because its in a leather case, can't get ripped off your wrist on a thick bushwack.

On the other hand, I was on a recent trip out west where 2 of my friends has Suunto wrist digitals. Their altitudes corresponded with mine, and they didn't have to pull their altimeter out of their packs or off a belt case to instantly check their elevation. Gave me something to think about.

PB

 

[DougPaul]

Hmm, I don't think anyone has mentioned this, but how about a GPS with barometric altimeter? I love my Garmin GPSMap 60CS.

Have one too--works well. Generally quite accurate--typ within 10 ft on peaks. The automatic calibration from the GPS is very handy.

Also have a Thrommen [analog] barometric altimeter. Temp compensated, works very well. Requires calibration from a known altitude. Needs no batteries.

Doug

 

[WildPeaks]

Carole,
Don't be embarrassed by simple mistakes. Sharing helps others. It's very common to make that mistake. Out on the ocean people will ask what my depth sounder is reading, thinking theirs is broke. When all it is doing is reading Fathoms vs. Feet. With 6 feet to a Fathom, you can see the concern!

AskUs3,
You should expect to see minor errors like that due to the ever changing Barometric Pressure.
Just adjust it at every known elevation. Summits, Trailheads, etc.

Re: GPS's
It's best to get a GPS with a compass built in for orientation of the map page when standing still. And they usually give you an altimeter with that package!

 

[DougPaul]

Re: GPS's
It's best to get a GPS with a compass built in for orientation of the map page when standing still. And they usually give you an altimeter with that package!

Some people like the electronic compasses in GPSes, some don't. I almost never use mine. (But I do like the altimeter that comes in the same feature package.)

They draw a fairly significant current from the batteries, so turn the compass off when not using it. They are also not very accurate in practice and are not very good for sighting. (My mechanical compass is more accurate, far better for sighting, and can be used with a paper map.) One should also carry a decent mechanical compass as a primary or a backup.

If you use the GPS compass, don't forget to calibrate it.

Doug

 

[4098]

I have a Suunto Advisor that replaced a Casio. Casio worked great but band kept breaking and REI had the Advizor on sale of $199. It seems wonderfully accurate and I also use it for running as it also has a heart rate monitor.
Built in compass doesn't seem terribly reliable so I rarely use that function. I have had it for 3 years with no problems. Would highly recommend the Suuntos.

 

[WildPeaks]

If you are a member at REI, they are offering an additional 20% off 1 item. Here is a link to 3 Suunto unit closeouts.
http://www.rei.com/outlet/category/29354096.htm?vcat=OUTLET_SSHP_CLIMBING_SA