UKC

Hello!

I want to buy an altimeter, I haven't really got much further than that.

Things I'd like

- I don't want a lot of other features.  A stopwatch/timer might be nice, and a clock, but I have both of them on my phone already and basically want the most simple reliable altimeter possible

- I would actually most like a small thing like a compass with a string that I could keep in a pocket, but I think they all mostly come as part of watches?

- if it's a watch (which I think most of them are) I have very small wrists, I'm a not-very-tall woman, so I'd like a small watch. 

- it has to be a barometric altimeter, not just doing GPS to know where I am and so how high the land is (I want it for mountain marathon type things, and the GPS ones are banned)

- Lighter gear is better than heavier gear

Any ideas? I know nothing about buying altimeters, so even things like 'mine is a such and such brand, it seems ok' would help!

I've got a Casio pro trek prw 3000

https://www.protrek.eu/euro/collection/prw-3000-1er/

No complaints, fairly straightforward to use all the basic features - the manual is fairly hefty, I think there are a fair few menu options etc that I've never really explored. The main reason for going with a pro trek is they are solar powered (at least that version is) so no faffing around with charging it. I quite like the little barometer graph too so you can see whether pressure is rising or falling.

Can't comment on accuracy as I've never attempted to check it. Provided I actually remember to calibrate it it's never been noticeably wrong.

I mostly use it for ski touring and made a little strap to attached it onto my rucksack shoulder straps rather than wearing it on my wrist so I don't have to rummage through several layers of clothing and ski pole straps to see it. I guess this would improve the temperature reading too but it's still probably too close to me not to be affected by body heat. Probably not much of a concern for mountain marathons.

It might be a bit chunky for small wrists, especially with the strap it comes with, but you could always change it, or it wouldn't be too hard to knock up some sort of lanyard.

I bought it from some far east online watch shop, was a fair bit cheaper than rrp. I'll see if I can find a link for it.

Thanks!  That's really helpful.

I've got a Casio SGW-300H-1AVER

It's not small, but I've got very skinny wrists and it's not ridiculous.  It's simple and works well.  The batteries last for years and years

Thanks!

I’ve had several watch altimeters, and they all have a risk that the hole to allow atmospheric pressure into the watch can get clogged up.  This is particularly so for Suunto models where the ports are on the underside of the watch and for mine got block with sweat, and dead skin.

If I was buying again I wouldn’t wear on my wrist but keep permanently on a rucksack strap.

Me too. The watch is always on the rucksack strap.👍🏻

Thanks!  That's handy.  Did you just put it on your rucksack strap with the watch strap, or did you take the watch strap off and change the attachment?

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Force-4/Hand-Held-Digital-Compass-Barometer-A...

I've not used this but , meets the requirements and is £40

Sadly I learnt my lesson too late, and have not replaced.  Ideally if I had one again I’d like to replace the strap with something else less bulky….

Hi Sally, I just received my Casio SGW 300 watch, using a site mentioned on a previous thread on this topic.

Shipped from Las Vegas for £40 and free postage to France. Comes naked in a padded envelope; if you want the box, add £15.

So far, it works well. I carry it hanging from rucsac cos on the wrist affects the thermometer.

I got this one cos: light, inexpensive, durable (according to reviews on here and elsewhere), accurate.

Good luck with your purchase.

julian

Not that it will be appropriate in your case but Garmin have an answer to the GPS ban - their latest software upgrade has an Adventure Racing mode that disables the GPS and maps from being used in real time, allowing the barometric altimeter to function normally. When the race is over, there is a Verification mode to prove that the GPS was not used, but all the data is still there in history. Sounds cute, not sure if the authorities will be happy with this as a solution. Not arrived as an update to my watch yet so can't confirm how well it works.

That is cute!  I think I am more looking for something cheap that I can lose in a bog than a full blown top of the range Garmin, but it's nice to know the options.

Thanks, Julian!  Lots of people seem to get on with the cheap Casios, I was wondering if there was anything with a smaller watch face, but I think I'll probably end up getting something like this.

Ooh, interesting!  Looks bigger than just using a watch face though, ain't that always the way...

If using a barometric altimeter without GPS, be aware of its limitations. I found them to be reliable on days with stable weather, ie stable air pressure. Makes sense of course. Only accurate if adjusted to a known altitude at the start of the day, eg on a trig point.

I found that the days I wanted it to be most accurate were the most inclement days, and these were the days it could be out by a significant amount in a short period of time. If you keep an eye on the readings and adjust the altimeter to match each/some spot heights you get to, no problem. But if you don't watch it then it can drift over a relatively short time and then leave you questioning it's value when you can't see two metres in front of you. I'm not saying don't get one, just to be aware that changing weather conditions will change the reported altitude, quite often when you most want an accurate altitude. But keep a close eye on it and they're great tools. 

And, in addition to that fantastic advice, I'd add that having an understanding of the trend can help — knowing whether your altimeter will tend to under-read or over-read in the conditions of the moment can be valuable as it puts bounds on the inaccuracy, rather than it just being an unquantifiable inaccuracy. All information is useful information for navigation, as long as you're able to evaluate it and recognise the scope of its usefulness.

All true - you just need to check and calibrate more than once a day and be aware that air pressure  is subject to change for reasons other than height.  In a race there are numerous opportunities to recalibrate.

For the OP - the plastic casio watches are also light - it's not like you've got a diver's watch on your wrist (or rucksack strap)