UKC

Atltitude/Barometer irregularity

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Amar desai 15 Dec 2017
My Suunto core seems to have very irregular altitude readings. At sea level it’s shows 98m and inside a 1.3m pool is shows -98metres (or some other very odd figure).
I have tried to put in a reference value several times but no no luck.
 Howard J 15 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

Atmospheric pressure varies due to changes in weather as well as altitude, and over time any altimeter will lose accuracy. You should expect to have to reset it to a known height before using it, but it could lose accuracy even during the course of a day. If you don't use or reset it for several weeks it can be wildly out.
 Al_Mac 15 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

You're never going to be able to use the altitude measurement in water since it uses air pressure to detect height changes. If you read the manual it'll tell you how to set the altitude, but this is only fixed for a given pressure reading - if the pressure changes then your altitude reading will change, which is why it's very handy to know the altitudes of critical points to allow for a check/reset throughout the day if for instance a weather change is rolling through.
 nniff 15 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

The best way to set it is to find a spot height on the map and set it from there. Sea level is not constant and varies quite widely across the globe.
 jkarran 15 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

Have you ever calibrated/zeroed it? Atmospheric pressure changes all the time even at fixed height, sometimes surprisingly quickly. I'd presume default the 'zero' altitude is set at 1013.25mbar. +98m is very roughly 330ft, -10mbar (if memory serves) so on a typical settled winter day that seems reasonable (1003mbar @ sealevel).

It won't work properly underwater unless it has a mode for salt and fresh water. You should probably read the instructions.
jk
 krikoman 17 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

My Bryton has a calibrate button, I've set my house altitude as the datum, I press a couple of buttons and it set the reading to the height of the house.

There must be some way of doing this as others have said air pressure changes all the time.


 Dark-Cloud 17 Dec 2017
In reply to Amar desai:

Takes about 3 button presses to calibrate altitude on the Vector, I expect the core is the same, use it all the time in mountain marathons and just reference at every checkpoint, get to be habit after a while.
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