X9i: How to Achieve a Maximum Performance?

[Tyler]

If you have the time and the interest, read Willem Minten compendium.

Table of contents are below (this guy is the X9 master!)

Link: SUUNTO X9i Compendium

1 About this document 4

2 Birds eye view of the features of the X9i trekking wristop. 5

3 First things first 6

3.1 Charging the X9i 6

3.2 Setting up the X9i 7

3.2.1 X9i user interface and DISPLAY MODES. 7

3.2.2 Setting up the displayed GPS UNITS. 10

3.2.2.1 Available datums and position notations in X9i 10

3.2.2.2 How to set correctly the datum and position format in X9i? 12

3.2.2.2.1 Problem statement 12

3.2.2.2.2 Correct assignment procedure. 13

3.2.2.3 An example showing the assignment procedure. 14

3.2.3 Setting up the current time. 17

3.2.4 Setting up the X9i with STM. 17

3.3 GPS FIX. 17

4 Recording Tracks, ALTitude, MEMory points and other data. 19

4.1 Recording Tracks and ALTitude. 19

4.1.1 Accurate position recording. 19

4.1.1.1 Start a track log AFTER the ACTIVITY is set to ►.. 20

4.1.1.2 Continue a track log NOT by setting the GPS ‘on’ 20

4.1.1.3 GPSFIX, recording intervals, memory capacity, battery lifetime. 20

4.1.2 Accurate altitude recording. 22

4.1.2.1 Influences on altitude measurement: barometric drift and ISA. 22

4.1.2.2 Guidelines to obtain very accurate estimations of the altitude. 23

4.1.2.3 Altitude measurements at the same spot 25

4.1.2.4 A few practical examples 27

4.1.2.4.1 Example 1: Pic de Moufons 27

4.1.2.4.2 Example 2: Puigmal 28

4.1.2.4.3 A last example. 30

4.1.2.5 Conclusions on ISA corrections 30

4.2 Recording MEMORY points. 31

4.3 Instant display of the recorded data. 31

5 Displaying Tracks. 32

5.1 Digital mapping software with X9i drivers. 32

5.1.1 Displaying Tracks in CompeGPS. 32

5.1.1.1 Setting up CompeGPS LAND. 33

5.1.1.2 Reading Tracks / Routes / Waypoints 34

5.1.1.3 Mapping in CompeGPS: OPTION 1: Internet servers. 37

5.1.1.4 Mapping in CompeGPS: OPTION 2: Digital maps. 41

5.1.1.5 Mapping in CompeGPS: OPTION 3: Scanned maps 42

5.1.1.6 Putting things together in 3D. 45

5.1.2 Displaying Tracks in STM. 46

5.1.2.1 Setting up X9i with STM. 46

5.1.2.2 Calibrating a scanned map, and displaying maps 48

5.1.2.3 Reading and displaying Tracks, Waypoints, Routes 52

5.2 Digital mapping software without X9i drivers: use GPSBabel 53

5.2.1 Example: Transcode track logs with GPSBabel to NGI Digital Topographic Maps 53

5.2.2 Example: Transcode track logs with GPSVisualizer to GoogleEarth. 56

6 Programming Routes. 59

6.1 Digital mapping software with X9i drivers. 60

6.1.1 Programming Routes / Individual Waypoints in COMPEGPS. 60

6.1.1.1 Creating a ROUTE/WAYPOINT. 60

6.1.1.2 Writing the Route to X9i 64

6.1.2 Programming Routes / Individual Waypoints in STM. 64

6.1.2.1 Creating a Route from scratch. 65

6.1.2.2 Editing/Inserting/Deleting a Waypoint somewhere in the route. 66

6.1.2.2.1 Editing. 66

6.1.2.2.2 Inserting. 66

6.1.2.3 Splitting the Route into pieces 68

6.1.2.4 Concatenate two Routes together 69

6.2 Digital mapping software without X9i drivers. 70

6.3 Direct programming on the X9i display. 70

6.3.1 Be careful about the map DATUM and Grid. 72

6.4 Track Back. 75

7 Instant Navigation. 76

7.1 Navigation options. 76

7.2 The Navigation Display. 77

7.3 Compass display mode. 79

8 Position accuracy of the X9i 80

8.1 Precautions. 81

8.2 Three illustrative examples. 81

8.2.1 Demanding example. 82

8.2.2 A less demanding example. 82

8.2.3 A best practice example for demanding conditions 83

8.3 Which distance is the most accurate one?. 85

9 On the field charging. 85

9.1 Shoping list 85

9.2 Assembly. 86

9.3 Which battery pack is the best?. 88

9.4 Effects of degraded charging. 89

10 Using X9i in real life: how to make things work. 89

10.1 Preparation of the hike: creation of the route. 90

10.2 Executing the hike. 92

10.3 Post journey analysis. 93

11 Pitfalls and workarounds. 95

11.1 Firmware bugs, abnormal behavior in X9i 95

11.2 Weak points of X9i and related best practices. 96

11.3 Bugs and weak points in STM + workarounds. 97

12 APPENDIX: Cartography and GPS in a nutshell 98

12.1 datums and position coordinate systems. 98

12.1.1 Orthometric and ellipsoidal height 98

12.1.2 Geographic and square coordinates 100

12.2 GPS and maps. 104

12.3 Do certain UTM coordinates refer always to the same location on earth?. 105

12.4 Further readings. 106

13 File formats. 107

14 Some valuable functions. 108

15 Document printing instructions

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