frustrated by altimeter

[tamzid]

generally like the watch and for the most part thought most reviews were positive...until i got the watch. i calibrated the altimeter based on my location - which i used my house and used Google earth for the elevation (at 361 feet). It seems like everyday i would have to recalibrate the altimeter as it would be off by 40-50 feet and even at times down to a negative number.

I know that with these altimeters u have to calibrate them often, but i plan on going on a really long trip/hike through india and into base camp of mt Everest, there would be times where i would not have access to a computer or an actual topographical map to recalibrate it..so my question is what is an easier solution? is there another Suunto brand that makes this a whole lot easier or another brand altogether..?

please help thanks

	Suunto Visit SuuntoWatches.com to see Suunto's full line of wrist top computers and compasses.

[Stearmandriver]

Are you keeping the watch in altimeter or barometer profile?

If you're in baro profile (the pressure graph across the display when in alti-baro mode) it will track barometric pressure changes for what they really are and your altitude should not drift.

If you're keeping your core in altimeter profile (the big numbers showing altitude when in alti-baro mode) then it's interpreting barometric pressure changes as altitude changes, hence the drift. If this is the case there's nothing wrong with your watch and no, another watch/altimeter will not do a better job.

It's just the reality of barometric altimeters. When properly calibrated to either current local pressure or recently calibrated to a known altitude, they're more accurate than a gps altitude. However, drift will occur in response to baro pressure changes and that's just the way it is. Even state of the art aircraft altimeters need to be calibrated with local baro pressure to be accurate. That's the main reason your local airports report current baro pressure.

Oh yeah, you could try leaving your watch in the "auto" profile. That automatically switches between altimeter and barometer mode as necessary. It's not gonna be 100% calibration-free, but should result in less drift.

	Suunto Core - Click for more info The Suunto Core is the benchmark of Suunto's ABC (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass) wristop computers, furnishing the best features of top-selling Suunto predecessors, and then advancing upon their legacy with innovative environmental monitoring functions that any outdoor adventurer will find invaluable. The Suunto Core is the culmination of years of testing, research, user feedback from the field, and technological advancements in the Suunto laboratory.

	Suunto X9i - Click for more info Introducing the Suunto X9i - the new and improved version of the Suunto's X9, voted "Best Product of 2004" by Fortune Magazine. Now available in two colors, the X9i combines GPS functionality with an altimeter, barometer, compass, and thermometer ... all these instruments, packed into a single watch.

[tamzid]

Thanks for alleviating some of my concerns... I thought it was just a glitch or something and then reading some of the bad responses about the watch got me all worried. But honstly the watch is great and I'm just gonna leave it altimeter mode, I left it on automatic .. and hence the problem when I adjusted the barometer ever soo slightly. Thanks