Problems with Altimeter

I am not a supporter of these artificial experiments to simulate something. Such a test does not have very relevant results. It is far better to do the test in real conditions. And I did both Solar and the old Instinct at one time. I tested both watches many times in real conditions. No matter how your test works, it will not help the user. I think it is best to negotiate with the seller and try the same model in the same conditions. Then they'll see.

trux said:

Then pour some luke-warm or body-warm water on your wrist near the pressure sensor opening (better have a towel or a recipient under the arm ready). You can make some light wrist movements to simulate the running.

Pour water on your watch and you may make some light arm movements?  Oh!  You mean to simulate exactly how perspiration would block the barometer port during an activity.  Lol. 

TeaRacer said:

I am not a supporter of these artificial experiments to simulate something.

No problem, perhaps someone else with Instinct Solar will be willing to cooperate. The advantage of such experiments is that you can isolate the individual possible reasons, eliminating others, which is usually not possible in real-life conditions.

Getting a replacement is certainly also a possibility, but if it then leads to the same results, you've just lost some valuable time (and possibly some days without the watch), and being still there where you were. In contrary, trying to isolate the problem, doig some controlled tests, won't cost you more than couple of minutes.

Pour water on your watch and you may make some light arm movements?  Oh!  You mean to simulate exactly how perspiration would block the barometer port during an activity

Right. I do not mean pouring a liter of water, but just a tea-spoon, creating similar quantity of misture under and around the watch as if you were heavily sweating. 

I think that such an experiment will take time only for me and will not help anyone at all. I've already tested both watches as I wrote. And I have no problem. It would not help the user at all. But if anyone wants to try, they can.

Trux, please explain your "hundreds of similar controlled experiments".  Hundreds, plural, suggests at a minimum 200. But I want to concentrate on the "controlled" part of your comment.

1.  What was the temperature of the watch and the water when the water was applied? We wouldn't want a temperature change to influence the barometer.

2.  Humidity?  Sweat and water evaporate at different rates.  Both evaporate faster in lower humidity.

3.  Gravity and force from movement?  The force from movement will make objects (beads of sweat) move differently than just pouring a little water on the watch.

4.  Evaporation?  How did you control airflow from wind and/or airflow from movement.

5.  Amount?  How do you come up with a teaspoon or any amount that you feel would be equivalent to someone perspiring?

My point is your poorly executed experiments prove nothing.  Just how far are you willing to go to say, "See? I was right.". 

The experiment is the evidence that a liquid entering or surrounding the pressure sensor port does influence the pressure sensor reading. The purpose of the experiment is not to quantitize the effect, but to see whether the liquid has or does not have any influence on the accuracy of the data. Whether it is stronger with a warm or cold liquid, with less or more motion (or none at all), or under lesser or higher humidity is completely uniportant.  Once you know the heavy sweat influences the reading, you simply know it is better avoiding it, to get accurate data.

If you cannot see that, or do not agree, is not a problem. You have the right for your opinion, despite the evidence, and despite you never tested it. What is more important is that it may help others who are willing to listen, and use the advices to improve the data accuracy.

trux said:

If you cannot see that, or do not agree, is not a problem. You have the right for your opinion, despite the evidence, and despite you never tested it

It's never been a question if any liquid blocking the port will have an affect.  The question has always been if perspiration is enough to cause the issue that you maintain is the fault every and anytime someone post an issue with their barometric altimeter.  Therefore, the questions I asked and you said are unimportant are in fact very relevant and you still have failed to provide any evidence regardless of how many times you've already and will continue to insist you that you've done so. 

This thread has great information in it but let's all please be nice to each other while helping out. Thank you.