F5 Barometer settings

Hi all

Suunto user here intersted in the latest Fenix model, since it has a lot of stuff missing from the Suunto series.
However, I have been going through the forums for the last days and I have seen a lot of threads regarding altimeter/GPS accuracy.
I currently have a Suunto Traverse (I have owned a Vector and Core previously) and their reliability is excellent.
Anyway, going through F5's manual, I stumbled upon the below description for barometer settings
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix5/EN-US/GUID-CDC9DDEE-C576-4E1D-B007-BC737686793A.html

Which has an Auto option

Suunto's have an auto option for ages now. Basically, when in Auto if you are sitting around in an office for example, the watch automatically goes into barometer mode, which means
that any change in the pressure is registered in the barometer but it does not affect the altitude (since you are in the same spot more or less)

Now, if you go outside (the sensor needs a change of 5 vertical meters I think) it automatically goes into altitude mode, registering any change in pressure as an altitude change
This feature is extremely useful, since it saves you from a lot of calibration (leaving the watch in home will not affect the altitude even if pressure changes)

I checked the F3 manual and I did not see this setting
Can a F3 owner confirm that currently this setting is not available for F3?

Can anyone else verify whether this Auto setting in F5 is more or less what the Suunto's have been doing all these years?

Regards

0 gaijin over 8 years ago

I can't see when the Barometer mode would be useful, unless you're leaving the watch in one place for some time and want to be absolutely sure it doesn't wander in elevation.

Sailing comes to mind. I think I remember a post some time ago where a user was perplexed by the changing Elevation while sailing - an environment where Elevation remains constant. To assure the recorded track maintains constant Elevation, use of the Barometer mode on the fenix 5 series of watches - as I understand it with absolutely no experience on the fenix 5 platform, of course - would alleviate this concern.

HTH

0 bellostom over 8 years ago

In GAIJIN's second set of photos he's been moving sufficiently for the watch to switch to attributing pressure changes to changes in altitude rather than to weather changes. So, if you stay still the Fenix 3 attributes pressure changes to barometric pressure changes due to weather, but if you are moving around sufficiently then the Fenix 3 assumes pressure changes are due to change in altitude only. From the user manual, it looks like the Fenix 5 is adding the option to have things like they are on the Fenix 3 (Auto) or to manually choose to lock the pressure change attribution to either altitude (Altitude) or ambient barometric pressure (Barmeter).

I hope that makes sense now.

Thanks, this is clear now and basically replicating what Suunto already does. I hope it is as accurate though

0 mcbadger over 8 years ago

Sailing comes to mind.

HTH

Good thought. You'd also want to have a clear barometer reading for incoming bad weather.

0 webvan over 8 years ago

The GPS Altimeter Auto Calibration function found in the fenix 3/tactix Bravo watches is an entirely different question which is made more difficult to address simply because it does not function as described in the Owner's Manual.

This thread answers my questions and it seems the F5 has the best of both worlds, i.e. Auto/Alti Lock/Baro Lock, but I'm intrigued by the GPS Altimeter Auto Calibration question that would normally come in handy in Auto mode. Can an F3 owner shed some light on its pros and cons ? Thanks !