Altimeter Guidance Needed - Please

I realize this may turn into a “great taste - less filling” argument, but here’s my plea for help.

I’m in the early stages of selecting an altimeter. The due diligence phase perhaps. I have not yet made the decision concerning analog versus digital. Consequently, I haven’t started to zero in on a brand and model. I need some help. Can anybody offer some guidance on this topic? I’ve tried working with staff at local retail stores (which I will not name) and it has only been a frustrating waste of time.

Any first-hand experience, good or bad, would be very helpful and much appreciated. I’d also appreciate some pointers concerning important features and unimportant ones.

I am mainly interested in hiking in the Northeast (northern New England for now but expect to expand this a little).

Thanks.
Earl

BIGEarl said:

...I’m in the early stages of selecting an altimeter....
Any first-hand experience, good or bad, would be very helpful and much appreciated. I’d also appreciate some pointers concerning important features and unimportant ones.

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The Timex Helix is more than an altimeter, and I've seen it on sale recently at significant savings.

I really like mine. It's very easy to use and seems to work reasonably well.

It also has: Time/Date, Temperature, Barometric Pressure, Chronometer, Alarm, and 1 model has a compass.

I am going to respectfully disagree with Tom (Sorry Tom!) on The Timex Helix... the altimeter on mine is absolute junk. I set it to the appropriate elevation at the trailhead and it is always way, way off (talking by thousands of feet in some cases!) when I reach a summit. (And I would understand if this happened occaisionally due to barometric pressure changes but it's really off on every single hike. I just know that I'm much lower than it says so if it says I'm near the summit, I still have a long way to go.) It is just basically a really expensive watch at this point. It is entirely possible I got a "bad" one -- I am not the luckiest soul.

I've heard better things about the Suunto watch-altimeters (though don't own one) and would probably look at those instead in the future if I was looking to buy another combo altimeter/watch.

- Ivy

I have had good luck w/ my helix. For the most part it tends to be within 20-50 feet. That works for me. I have heard great things about the suuntos, but they are a good amount of money. If looking at the helix do not get the one w/ the compass. You would be much better off w/o it and saving the 50 bucks. Last I saw campmor had the helix w/o the compass for somewhere around 50 dollars. The helix has been my only experience w/ an altimeter, I am interested in the analog types that seem to get great reviews.

Poison Ivy... call timex and see if they will give you a new one.. They have dicountined that line and might have some hanging around. Worth a shot.

I have an off-brand altimeter watch. Made by Alta / Sports Instruments... something like that. It was relatively inexpensive. $50 I think.

It has an alarm. Total elevation gain/loss. Chrono. A lap feature. Couple of waypoints. Doesn't have the barometer or graph features of the Suunto, etc.

To be honest, apart from the basic altimeter and watch features - including date and alarm, I don't find the other stuff to be of much use.

Couple of observations.

Most (?) altimeters are sensitive to 10 foot changes. Mine is sensitive to 3-foot changes. That is... it will register a change in altitude, and increment the total elevation change accumulator, whenever you move up 3 feet. So, if you sit down for a few minutes and then stand up, the accumulator is incremented. Same thing if you reach down to re-tie your boots. Point being... 3 feet is TOO sensitive. The 10 foot sensitivity of most other altimeters seems about right.

All other things being equal, simpler is better. Imagine you're in sketchy terrain, the temperature is well below zero, and the wind is howling. How many menus will you have to flip through on the altimeter to access the feature that you need to view or reset? Or how difficult will it be to enter a waypoint altitude when you're wearing heavy mittens/gloves and the conditions are miserable.

Having a gazillion features makes the thing way complicated. And expensive. Better, IMO, to buy only the features that you actually expect to NEED.

- Do you NEED an altimeter that is accurate to 29,000 feet?

- Will you be camped at a specific altitude/location for an extended period of time so that a barometer will actually be useful?

- Do you need the thing to count ski runs for you automagically?

- Do you need a log?

- Will a thermometer that is next to your body / inside your jacket give you an accurate reading of the outside temperature?

- How useful will a compass be if you can't lay it on a map to plot a course?

The point being, you can buy a product that is so loaded with features that it is difficult to access / set the basic functions when you need to do so. If you'll be using all of the features then the complexity of access may be acceptable. Just a thought.

I got my Timex Helix through Campmor a couple of years ago and have had no problems with it. I really like it. It's easy to use and doesn't have too many features (no compass). I would say that when it is off, it's 20-50 ft off, no more. I usually bring a note card with me that has the milage between known elevation points and check my calibration whenever I can. I have found my Helix to be quite useful, especially when bushwhacking.

Ivy, I'm beginning to think you have bad luck with equipment between this and your boots!

Double Bow said:

Ivy, I'm beginning to think you have bad luck with equipment between this and your boots!

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Indeed, I have bad luck in general. I do better will other pieces of gear though -- boots and watches are the only trouble spots!

My Helix has the compass. I considered exchanging the watch when it became clear it didn't work properly but decided not to because it has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was a gift from someone who has since passed away so I do smile when I look at it (before cursing at the altimeter.)

- Ivy

I have a Suunto altimax which is about 5-6 years old and has given me excellent service. Altimiter, Barometer, time, stopwatch, etc...

I have found the Altimeter very reliable and would purchase another Suunto if my altimax ever breaks down.

A hiking friend of mine has a Casio altimeter and his altitutde reading is typically about 50-100' behind mind when climbing. Eventually his will "catch up" to my Suunto though.

Bob

alti

hey BIGEarl

I use the SUNNTO VECTOR, yes there is a little getting use to the gadgets.I like to place myself on the map while on a trail, just by finding elevation contour lines and then X marks the spot i also was able to help route find a climbing route on cotopaxi with it. there really cool : cool: tools in outdoors

I have a Casio that I bought in 91' during my first trip to the Cascades. It is rather simple, watch altimeter only and is set to 20 feet increments. It has been amazingly accurate. The downside is each setting such as switch from metric to feet or to set the digital time requires pushing three buttons. since the manual has long gone I don't bother. It has a pair of hands on a standard watch face to tell the time, easy to set. The digital time readout on the bottom is another three finger push of unmarked buttons. Therefore over a period of years the digital readout was permanently set to Pacific Daylight Time.

Rather than reset the thing at the trailhead as due to barometric pressure it was either high or low a hundred feet, I'd just subtract or add. If the summit was up 2500 feet this thing would almost always gain the exact elevation change. I cannot complain about the accuracy this sucker is almost always right on. I noticed that its current equalivent model, obviously my old one is discontinued, costs about $150-$175 when I paid about a hundred. Anyway I'd buy another Casio in a minute if this one is an example of how an altimeter should work.

Analog

I've been using a Thommen analog for nearly 25 years, it is fanatastic, very accurate, no batteries, easy to read. I've tried the digitals, but I like the analog better.

I'll just echo what other posters have already said about the Timex Helix .... no problems whatsoever ...... and always within 50 feet of actual ...... most times dead on. But the temperature ....... different story. I think the temp gets messed up by body heat. On a 70 degree day, it will say 92 degrees.

i12climbup said:

But the temperature ....... different story. I think the temp gets messed up by body heat. On a 70 degree day, it will say 92 degrees.

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In the helix instruction book it says you have to hang the watch off something (branch, pack etc,etc) for 15 mintues in order to get an accurate temp reading.

ripple said:

In the helix instruction book it says you have to hang the watch off something (branch, pack etc,etc) for 15 mintues in order to get an accurate temp reading.

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Thanks, I apparently missed that ........... which reminds me, did anyone else get a chuckle out of their instruction book? It was definitely written by someone with a sense of humor. I don't have it in front of me, but I recall laughing every few moments while reading it which caused some curious looks from others around me on the plane. (Probably why I missed the part about reading the temp .... )

Very funny book... "remember you can't eat your watch"

Avocet Altimeter

I have the Avocet Vertech ski altimeter. I’ve had it for about 8 years, it was a gift. I use it for skiing and hiking. It displays the altitude in 10’ increments. It will record vertical feet descended or ascended depending on what mode you’re in, skiing vs. hiking. I’ve used it in airplanes with pressurized cabins and helicopter skiing. While in the helicopter it read the same altitude as the helicopters altimeter. As far as skiing goes it’s a fun toy. I like it as a tool for hiking. I can pick the exact contour on the hiking map if I’m still on the trail. It’s fun to tell people that ask how much farther. I let them know how many feet to the summit. It’s also a watch, timer, stopwatch, alarm, cumulative vertical feet climbed or skied. It comes with two straps, one like a regular watch strap and an elastic strap large enough to put on over a winter coat sleeve.

For the most part it is very accurate. It will swing depending on the local barometric pressure. I’ll check it when I get to a known elevation. I always recalibrate before I leave my house, elevation=730’ on my deck. I don’t recalibrate during the hike. I’ll check the altitude when I reach a summit, but I won’t recalibrate unless it’s way off. But if you see that the altitude is off by hundreds of feet saying you’re higher than you really are the pressure is dropping, you may be in for a storm. This is useful if the visibility is low or can’t see over the next ridge.

I know a few people with the Suunto that really like some of the graphing features. One of the guys is a pilot and says it’s as accurate as his planes, while it not pressurized.

Jim

We have owned a pair of the first generation High Gear Altitech altimeters for over two years now. They've been very consistent and reliable. We do make a point of correcting them to the published altitude at the trailhead, but they "drift" surprisingly little during the course of a day. Even when used for a week or more, with 1x/day correction, they are very consistent. FWIW, this has been true both here in the east as well as at higher altitudes out west.

i12climbup said:

Thanks, I apparently missed that ........... which reminds me, did anyone else get a chuckle out of their instruction book? It was definitely written by someone with a sense of humor. I don't have it in front of me, but I recall laughing every few moments while reading it which caused some curious looks from others around me on the plane. (Probably why I missed the part about reading the temp .... )

Click to expand...

Yes, the book is a scream! I remember it was written in like 6 different languages, and if you leaf thru, each lagnuage has the guy biting the watch!

It worked for me. I remember more or less everything it does, but that might be because it so intuitive to use as well.

I've been using a Suunto Vector for about 7-8 yrs. $200.00. So far, no problems. It's a replacement for a Casio $70.00, that fell off it's band twice. No bad luck. Just a mismanufactured watch.
LL Bean attempted to fix it once. Then when it fell the second time, I just paid the difference for a better watch.

i just took a look at the campmor website and they have the timex helix for $49 on sale. I was thinking of buying one myself now.