SILVA TECH4O TRAILLEADER PRO WATCH
TEST SERIES BY CHARI DAIGNAULT
LONG-TERM REPORT
INITIAL REPORT - November 12, 2009
FIELD REPORT - February 03, 2010
LONG TERM
REPORT - April 05, 2010
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME: |
Chari Daignault |
EMAIL: |
chari.daignault@gmail.com
|
AGE: |
47 |
LOCATION: |
Orlando, Florida U.S.A.
|
GENDER: |
F |
HEIGHT: |
5' 6" (1.70 m) |
WEIGHT: |
135 lb (61.20 kg)
|
I've been a light hiker for 36 years. I take
the minimum I can with me and prefer a pack close to 15 pounds [6.80 kg]. I've
hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida, backpacked the Na
Pali coast on the island of Kauai and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan. I have hiked
dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result,
have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing.
INITIAL
REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION &
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Tech4O
Year of Manufacture:
2009
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.tech4o.com
MSRP: US
$199.00
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured weight 1.80 oz [51 g]
Diameter of
Watch face: 2 in. [51 mm]
Watch Features [per manufacturer]:
Speed
& Distance Mode:
* Speed
* Distance
* Pace (min/mile)
*
Calories
* Steps
* Exercise/moving time
* Fully Adjustable Personal
Profile
* 10 day memory
Digital Compass Mode:
* 1° increment
resolution
* Adjustable declination
* Bearing Lock
* Reverse
Bearing
* Distortion warning
Altimeter Mode:
* Current
Altitude
* Altimeter Lock
* Reference Altitude
* Altitude Alarms
*
48hr Altitude Graph
* 24hr max + min altitude
* Altitude Difference
Calculator
* Total Ascent
* Total Descent
Barometer Mode:
*
Current Pressure
* Barometer Lock
* Pressure adjustment
* 48hr Pressure
Graph
* Current Temperature
* 24hr max + min temperature and pressure
*
Weather Forecaster
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
|
In Package |
The TraiLeader Pro
came in retail packaging and appeared to already have a display. After removing
the watch, I found that the display was actually a piece of cling plastic with a
fake display printed on it. The watch display was blank.
|
On Wrist |
THE
BUTTONS
As shown in comparison with my usual watch, which is
quite large itself, the watch face of the TraiLeader Pro is pretty big. However
once I put it on, the TraiLeader Pro really wasn't cumbersome and it fits
comfortably. If I wear it far enough down on my wrist, the back of my hand does
not press against it. The buttons on the right side of the watch are spaced well
enough apart that if the back of my hand does press against the watch, I don't
end up pressing any buttons.
The watch comes with a Quick Start Guide, a
51 page instruction manual, a PC Pod instruction booklet, a heart rate chest
strap, a 2.4GHz USB PC Link receiver and a mini CD ROM with PC Link
software.
|
Goodies |
There are 5 buttons on
the watch. 3 are on the left side and 2 are on the right. The center button on
the left side of the watch is round and green in color. This button is to
activate the backlight. When depressed, the backlight stays on for about 5
seconds.
The top button on the left is labeled "ESC" and the bottom one
is labeled "MODE". The ESC button is used to return to a previous screen. It is
also used to display one of the two main menus: Time or Trail. The MODE [or M]
button is used to select modes within the main menu selections. It is also used
to confirm selections and to enter settings modes in menus and sub
menus.
The top button on the right is labeled "ST./STP." and the bottom
one is labeled "LAP/RESET". The ST./STP. [or S/S] button toggles the display up,
increases values for certain settings, allows viewing of alternative displays
and starts/stops timers. The LAP/RESET [or L/R] button toggles the display down,
decreases values for certain settings, changes units of measure, enters laps and
resets timers.
MENUS
There are two main menus on the TraiLeader Pro
watch. They can be accessed by pressing the ESC button. Once for Time, twice for
Trail. Using the Quick Start Guide, I was able to set the correct time, date,
units of measure and personal data relatively easily. Most of this information
is input via the Time menu.
The Time menu has the following
modes:
Time/Date [TIME] Mode
Alarm [ALM.] Mode
Chronograph [CHR.]
Mode
Timer [TMR.] Mode
Dual Time [DUAL] Mode
I accessed each of the
modes by pressing the ESC button once from the current Time/Date display. Then
by pressing either the S/S or L/R buttons to toggle up or down respectively, I
was able to toggle through each of them. To initially set the watch for each of
the modes, I toggled to the mode and then pressed the M button and held it for 3
seconds until the settings menu for that mode were displayed.
The Trail
menu has the following modes:
Distance [DIST] Mode
Logbook [LOG]
Mode
Compass [COMP] Mode
Heart Rate [HR] Mode
User [USER]
Mode
Altimeter [ALT] Mode
Barometer [BARO] Mode
I accessed these
modes by pressing the ESC button twice from the current Time/Date display so
that I was in the Trail menu. I then followed the same procedure as before of
pressing the S/S or L/R buttons to toggle up or down. I accessed the settings
for each of these modes by pressing and holding the M button for 3 seconds while
in the respective mode.
TRYING IT OUT
Aside from setting the current time and date,
one of the first things I did was pair the watch with the heart rate chest
strap. I had to wear the chest strap to do this and found it easy to adjust and
very comfortable. The strap itself is soft and so far has not irritated my skin.
I did find that I have to wear it right up against the bottom edge of my sports
bra, so I will have to see if that causes any issues as I test the
product.
To pair the watch with the heart rate chest strap, I had to
switch to the Trail menu and then toggle to HR mode. From there, I pressed and
held the M button for 3 seconds until the settings screen for HR mode came up.
One of the selections there is "Pair". I toggled to Pair, pressed M to enter
that setting and waited while the watch searched for the heart rate chest strap.
Once linked, I was able to use and record my heart rate.
To use the
included PC Link software, I also needed to pair the watch with the 2.4GHz USB
PC Link receiver. This is done through the Trail menu while in the settings of
LOG [Logbook] mode. Unfortunately, the documentation for this part was
confusing, as the PC Link instruction booklet appears to have been translated
from Chinese -- literally. I was able to install the software and the USB
receiver, but I wasn't able to figure out how to link the watch to the receiver.
There is a PC Link mode I needed to enter on the watch, but I couldn't discern
how to find it.
I called customer support and we worked 20 minutes or so
on the phone together to figure it out. Customer service couldn't figure it out
either and told me they'd call back. In the meantime, I went through every mode
and eventually found the location of the PC Link mode and was able to link the
watch to the receiver.
With the software and the watch linked, I could
now upload the data from my watch into the logbook software. A sample of my
daily stats [after a trail run] is below:
|
LogBook |
NITS
I've noticed the temperature display on the
watch is several degrees warmer when I'm wearing the watch as opposed to when
the watch is sitting on my dresser. I believe the location of the sensor is too
close to my wrist, which causes the temperature to be influenced by my body's
temperature.
To use the distance, pace and speed displays, I had to enter
my stride length. This needs to be done for both walking and running. To do
this, I had to calculate my stride. The Quick Start Guide does mention that my
stride needs to be entered, but it does not indicate how I'm to calculate it.
Checking in the instruction manual, it indicated that I needed to visit
www.tech4o.com and use their online stride length calculator. To locate this, I
ended up calling customer service again and they directed me to the bottom of
any of their watch pages. There, I saw an image of a man running in a red jacket
with the text, "see your results - calculate your stride length". Clicking on
this image brought up the stride length calculator.
To calculate my
stride with the online calculator, I needed to walk and run a measured distance
and count my steps. The manufacturer doesn't offer any advice or instruction on
exactly how long of a distance this should be. I tried three separate, measured
distances of varying lengths. Each time, the results for my stride length from
the online calculator was different. Setting this is tricky; it took me three
tries to get it right -- if my stride is set too short, my distances will be
short and my speed and pace displays slow. Set it too high, and my distances
will be too long and my speed and pace displays fast. After three trail runs
with the different settings, I determined that I had finally gotten it right the
final time.
SUMMARY
For me, the TraiLeader Pro watch is a great
tool. I can see that I will be able to keep a logbook of my speed, distances and
pace. I can save the temperature, altitude of the run/hike and the barometric
pressure during the run/hike. I'm still learning more each day about the many
functions this watch has to offer and look forward to using it as I train for a
half marathon coming up in January.
I hope that in the future, Tech4O
teams up with an online logbook provider so that I can access my logbook data
from any computer no matter where I am.
Likes
Can read the
displays
Band is comfortable
Buttons are easy to access
Many usable
functions
Easier to use than expected
LogBook
software
Dislikes
Some parts of manuals are confusing
Customer
service didn't know how to link the watch and software
Many functions depend
on exact stride calculations or they're very "off"
Temperature function is
influenced by body heat
FIELD
REPORT
FIELD LOCATIONS AND
CONDITIONS
I've worn the Silva Tech4O TraiLeader Pro
watch during several day hikes, backpacking trips and walks through the
neighborhood. Our day hikes are in the Hal Scott Regional Preserve and we've
done two backpacking trips into the Little Big Econ State Forest where we hiked
in, did some kayaking and camped overnight a couple nights. The weather during
the past three months has ranged from sunny and humid with daytime temps ranging
from over 90 F [32 C] to cold with freezing rain and snow with temps below 24 F
[-4.4 C]. Current temps are still a bit below normal, averaging at around 65 F
[18.3 C].
The watch accompanied me on my 4-day-a-week training runs as I
trained for a half marathon I completed in the first week of January. I also
took the TraiLeader Pro along with us on a week-long trip to Firestone, Colorado
over the winter holidays. Although we didn't get to do the hiking and skiing I
had hoped we would, I was able to test the watch in much different conditions
than I would at home. The weather in the Denver area was blustery and snowy the
day we arrived, with temps around 19 F [-7.2 C]. The rest of the time we were
there, it was clear and dry with lows around 12 F [-11 C] and highs around 32 F
[0 C]. The area we stayed at in Firestone is at an altitude of about 5670 ft
[1728 m].
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
Although I had set my stride using the online
tool provided by Tech4O and it appeared to be set correctly, I never really
could get accurate distance or speed readings when hiking or running during this
test period. Because the watch doesn't use GPS satellites to track my location
and instead relies on an accelerometer, I found discrepancies in my speed,
distances, steps and pace measurements in spite of following the instructions
for setting the stride length. The watch usually over-measured; meaning that if
I ran 2.38 mi [3.83 km], the watch would show I had run over 2.5 mi [4.03 km] --
which did wonders for my ego, but not as much for my fitness levels. It's most
likely a learning curve, but I still find the entire process for setting my
stride length very time-consuming and convoluted. [The process is explained in
my Initial Report above.]
I had fun with the weather forecaster; which is
essentially a function that is accessed from the main Time menu. By pressing the
ST./STP. button while in the Time/Date mode, a little graphic will show whether
it will be/is sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy or even raining. It works indoors as
well and I found it to be quite accurate if the watch has not changed locations
drastically for a couple hours. The temperature function works best when the
watch is not on my wrist. My body's ambient temperature influences the reading
by making it at least 10 degrees higher.
The compass is tricky to
calibrate and it took me several times to get it right. This entailed having me
turn 360 degrees in a clockwise circle while holding the watch horizontal and
ensuring the watch was in the compass calibration mode. I did this outside my
house and by the time I completed the calibration, the neighborhood kids were
all staring at me.
|
Hiking |
The Dual function of
the watch was a great help when we traveled out to Colorado. With our east coast
time being 2 hours ahead of Colorado's Mountain Time, I was able to tell at a
glance what time it was in both places. The watch displayed both times
simultaneously, with the alternate timezone [Mountain] showing larger than our
home timezone [Eastern]. I enjoyed keeping the watch in Altimeter mode as we
drove in and out of the mountains; I set one of the alarms for 6,000 ft [1829 m]
and it went off as we went up and then went off again on the way down as we
passed that set point.
|
High Altitude |
Due to the
problems I was having with inaccuracies with regard to distance, speed and pace,
I wore another GPS-enabled wrist device along with the TraiLeader Pro on my
training runs for the half marathon. Since this was training for a major race,
accuracy was extremely important and although the TraiLeader Pro was close with
its output, it was not spot-on. I wore the TraiLeader Pro on my right hand
during these runs, and found that I was able to easily maneuver the menus with
my left hand. For the Big Race, I only wore the GPS-enabled device, as running
with as few things as possible hanging off of me is usually best.
The
heart rate monitor worked fantastically for my training runs and I was able to
keep a daily log of my heart rate during those workouts. Unfortunately, while
trying to save the data to my computer, I ended up wiping it all out. Although
I'm sure it's something I did, it still made me quite angry. I have a
screen-shot of a log book entry I made while at the office so that I at least
have something to show for the HR monitor.
|
Log Book |
SUMMARY
So far, in spite of how negative my reaction
appears to be with the accuracy of the accelerometer, I am enjoying the use of
this watch. It gives me hours of fiddling and playing -- and once I learned the
layout and structure of the menus, it was much easier to navigate the
instructions to find what I needed.
Likes
Water resistant
Large
display is easy to read
HR monitor
Weather forecaster
Dual
Timezones
Log Book
Daily Logs
Dislikes
I deleted all my logs
accidentally [probably my fault]
Accelerometer is not easily calibrated to
stride length
No online data access for storage of data or tracking of
use
Temperature readings are influenced by body heat
LONG-TERM
REPORT
LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND
CONDITIONS
In the approximately two months since my Field
Report, the Central Florida locations and conditions for my Long Term report
have been essentially the same. Temperatures have been markedly cooler though,
and we've had several nights where we got below 32 F [0 C]. I've worn the
TraiLeader Pro on every day hike and during at least 5 trail runs and several
road runs during this phase of testing. I estimate the total number of
runs/hikes to be around 48.
I have been utilizing the TraiLeader Pro as a
training aid while on my runs by using the heart monitor to assist with
determining fitness levels and as a gauge to assist with increasing my running
speed.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
During this testing period, I focused almost
exclusively on the heart rate monitor with this watch. Being a trail runner and
a road racer, I was intrigued with using this tool to help me train properly
based on what my body could tell me. Although I've been running for over 30
years, I'd never used a heart monitor to assist with training.
The trick
to using the heart monitor correctly is to determine the proper heart rate at
which you're able to run your easy runs. To find my maximum heart rate (MHR) I
used a pre-determined formula of 209 - (0.7 * Age). This predicted my MHR to be
176. The best way to use the heart monitor is to ensure that easy runs stay easy
and hard runs are hard. So my easy runs should have a rate somewhere between my
maximum and my resting heart rate (but closer to my MHR).
Using the watch
with the included heart monitor, I found there were several factors that would
influence my beats per minute (BPM), which were accurately displayed on the
TraiLeader Pro. Dehydration will cause my BPM to increase dramatically. While
running on the trails in 80+ F (26.6+ C) degree heat, I noticed after about a
half hour that my heart rate had increased. I had set points on the TraiLeader
Pro for high and low BPM and the watch had started to beep. This notification
made me realize that I needed to stop and hydrate myself.
It's funny to
notice that on days when it was particularly stressful at work, my BPM would be
markedly higher than usual, even on easy runs. And on days when I could find no
reason for an increased heart rate, it made me realize that maybe I needed to
pull back a little on my training and give running a rest for a couple days.
Hiking always fills the void nicely.
Over the almost six months during
which I've been testing the TraiLeader Pro watch and training for races, it's
been interesting to make note of how my resting heart rate (RHR) has improved.
I've gone from having a RHR of around 67 to one now closer to 55. I partially
credit this improvement to my infatuation with the heart monitor on the
TraiLeader Pro.
One of the best features of the TraiLeader Pro is the
size of the watch face. Although I occasionally end up pressing buttons
inadvertently, the size of the watch face gives me a display I can easily read
-- this helps enormously, as my eyes are in transition (old eyes) and reading
small print is becoming more and more frustratingly difficult.
I like
that I can set high and low set points on almost everything the TraiLeader Pro
tracks -- and that I can log almost everything it tracks. Being able to go back
through several month's worth of hikes and runs to see heart rates, temperature
changes and changes in the weather gives me more insight into what is physically
more comfortable for me during activities.
Calculating my stride still
has not come easily and so I still wear a GPS-enabled device on my other arm. I
don't know how much larger the TraiLeader Pro would have to be to include a GPS,
but it would make the watch that much more invaluable a tool for me.
The
compass, while a nice tool to have, doesn't work well at all while on my wrist.
Having to calibrate it by spinning in circles while trying to hold the watch
horizontal is quite the feat and messes with my coolness factor. Even after what
I believed to be proper calibration, the compass had difficulty keeping its
bearings and would suddenly begin to display incorrect data. This was the case
each time I attempted to utilize it. Maybe its my magnetic personality.
SUMMARY
The TraiLeader Pro has become an integral part
of my training gear for trail and road runs. I could find no flaws or complaints
with regard to the heart monitor and its functioning. The design of the watch,
although large, allows for easy reading of the display, even without glasses. I
was able to use the watch with no problems on my right and left wrists, losing
no functionality. Although the accelerometer and the compass were not up to the
same standards as the other features, I really love this watch.
CONTINUED USE
The Tech4O TraiLeader Pro watch will continue
to be part of my running and hiking gear. As long as the heart monitor holds up,
I will continue to use it as a training tool with regard to trail and road
racing.
This concludes my Long Term Report. Many thanks to Tech4O and
BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this great piece of
equipment.
This report was created with the
BackpackGearTest.org
Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.