|
The third case is still intact, mostly because I don't use the watch because it just doesn't perform. It's a poor GPS. Its a poor watch. Save your money, or buy a nice Garmin AND a watch/barometer/compass combination. It's dead in four hours when engage in constant GPS tracking.which by the way, it won't accomplish becasue it keeps dropping the signal.Suunto reports that the small antenna configuration makes this so.I guess they didn't tell the folks at Garmin, because they seem to make small antennas work just fine.Now, let's talk about case failures, rubber gasket failures, and button failures. It really should be withdrawn.
However, it IS all these things in a single device. It's a poor compass. I believe they simply tried to put too much into a single package, and thus sub-optimzed everything. Of the many features the device offers, the GPS is the least reliable and worst performing. Unlike every other Suunto product I have owned, this one is a PIG. 15 to 20 minutes in open terrain and on open water with unobstructed horizon.Frequent tracking 'drop out'When it loses signal and drops the tracking, it stayes 'dropped'. It doesn't then re-acquire the signalBattery performance is OK, so long as you don't use the GPS.
All within the first 12 months. The front case top de-laminated.twice. The issues are as follows:Very slow to get a lock on GPS. It's an OK barometer. The rubber gasket that covers the actuating buttons failed due to fatigue, since you use the buttons a lot to keep the instrument tracking.
Too bad, since that is the feature most desired by the purchaser. As much as 45 minutes when first turned on in a new reagion.Very slow to re-acquire GPS position, even after having had a solid lock within the previous hour. And on and on it goes.This product has probably created more bad will for Suunto than its worth. you will be ahead of the game and for a lot less money.
Uniqueness of this watch was the GPS feature. Some of us rely on these technologies with our lives.literally. No reasonable remedy. I paid a lot of money for these features and am now only using it as a time piece. I would give "negative" stars if I could. Even as an ordinary watch, I have to recharge every couple of weeks to use it. However, I have yet to acquire a sufficient satellite signals to use any of the functions of this watch that require GPS feature. Their response was that their upgraded model X10 should work better in acquiring the signals.
I have written to Suunto and asked to trade it in for X10 but they refused. My argument to them was that if the watch does not work as advertised, they should not market them as such. Maybe they produce other products that are good but based on their company policies, I will never purchase another Suunto product again but will be a living negative advertisement of their products. Way to go Suunto.
I have owned this watch for two years. The water resistance is now gone so it is in the shop again. The GPS is always slow to aquire a signal strong enough to mark a point or navigate by. Neither are clear. The buttons have a poor tactical feel to them that requires looking at the watch carefully or enabling the slilly beeps. I own several GPS receivers and watches. I have read the manual and tried the PC software. It failed me in a mild rain.
I regret trying to get this watch to do both. The battery goes dead very quickly and was replaced at the factory at my expense. All the time it spends trying figure out it's location it is also running down the battery fast. I wish I could get my time and money back.
The temp function is worthless, however this cannot be accomplished with any watch since your wrist warms it. In a car - forget it.
Thought it would be nice to have all this functionality in a watch. Received this watch last week.
Since it will not hold lock even in an open flat area unless held level and away from your body, you can't very well move about with it strapped to your wrist and get any usable data. I have over 14 years experience with GPS systems.
This one is perhaps the least stable I have ever used including the older sequencing receivers. I let it acquire and load the satellite emepheris data for 15 minutes, after which it still could not hold position fixes with any normal movement, even it open terrain with good satellite geometry.The other functions work well enough, stopwatch, dual time, compass, barometer, etc.
In conclusion it is not as good as the Casio triple sensor pathfinder you can get for about 160 dollars, which has a compass, baro temp function and a battery that lasts years rather than days like this one does (between recharges).
I'm in the military and purchased this watch mainly for Land Navigation. When switched to MGRS this watch performed above my expectations. While in the desert the watch performed outstanding and outfited my squad with a ten digit grid. I love this watch mainly for military use the only downfall to me is the battery life.
|
