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Suunto off over 500 feet altitude

My suunto everest has been off over 500 feet (low). My handheld gps, truck gps and usgs topo maps all agree 550 feet higher. Seems a little excessive for a pricey watch?

I'm certainly no expert, but I thought you have to recalibrate them sometimes. Especially for the altitude part. I had another brand several years ago, and it never did too well on the altitude as far as accuracy. Maybe they are better now, and I know a lot of guys like them, so maybe I'm all messed up.

--Jim

Like Jim said it probably just needs re-calibration. I have a Casio and you just simply re-calibrate. It determines elevation based on pressure. Mine works great when you realize that with changing pressure due to weather systems you will have some discrepancy.

Barometric altimeters have to be adjusted to the ambient barometric pressure! If there was a high pressure system in place it would cause it to read low. If you Google a picture of an aircraft altimeter you will see a knob on it that you turn on the ground till it reaches the known altitude of the airfield where the plane is parked. Since the ambient barometric pressure is always changing, it is something you will have to adjust for on a continual basis as the weather changes, but what I don't know is if it the ambient pressure swing is enough to make a 500ft difference!

You need to reset it daily based on the current barometric pressure at your location.

It's not your watch's fault!

Instructions 1. Select “Alti-Baro” in the Suunto’s menu. Then choose the “Altimeter” profile. Only use “Altimeter” when the activity involves changes in altitude, otherwise use a different profile, like “Barometer.” 2. Find the reference value for the “Altimeter” profile. Identify your current altitude by looking up your location on a topographic map and reading off the altitude using the contour lines, or use a GPS to provide current altitude, or determine sea level air pressure for your location by looking it up, on the day, at the National Weather Service website (see below.) Some newspapers have this data in the weather section too. 3. Enter the reference value by choosing “Reference” from within “Alt-Baro” and choose “Altitude” if you are using a known altitude as reference, or “Sea Level” if you are using a published weather service reading. Set the value using the plus and minus buttons. The altitude will be changed to the correct altitude because if you’re using a known altitude, you will have set it accurately, and if you’re using a sea level reference, the Suunto will calculate your accurate altitude based on known changes in air pressure.

Yes - recalibrate. I have a Suunto and it never works unless I reset it every time I start hiking. Not the watches fault, just the way it works.

Thanks!

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