Silva Outdoor Computer
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January 7, 2007
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May 5, 2007
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July 15, 2007
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Computer
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Carabiner
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Wrist Band
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Lanyard
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Tester's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Tester's Background:
I've
been day hiking for many years, and started
backpacking in 2005. My backpacking has been primarily in Central and
Northern California, on designated trails. My backpacking trips
have ranged in length from 2-4 days, with temperatures from 25 to 75 F
(4 to 24 C), and elevations between sea level and 8700 ft (2652 m). I'm
not an ultra-light backpacker, but I keep my pack weight between 28 to
35 lb (13 to 16 kg) including food and water. I typically hike
from 7 to 11 mi (11 to 18 km) per day and I sleep in a tent.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Silva
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.silvacompass.com/
MSRP: Unavailable
Listed Weight: Not Listed
Measured Weight: computer unit: .9 oz (26 g); wrist band: .5 oz
(14 g); carabiner clip: 1 oz (28 g); lanyard: .5 oz (16 g)
Colors Available: the computer unit is available in Black or White;
there appears to be a choice of Green, Orange, or Black for the wrist
band; there appears to be a choice of Green or Gray for the carabiner
clip; the lanyard is Black.
Battery Type: This computer uses a 3 Volt Lithium battery type CR 2032.
Battery Life: The maximum life span of the battery is 18 months;
certain functions of the computer will reduce battery life.
Changing the Battery: the computer provides a sleep mode which allows
me to change the battery without losing data, as long as I can change
it
in one minute or less.
Warranty: the computer comes with a one year warranty against defects
in materials or workmanship.
Product Description:
The Silva Outdoor Computer can be worn as a watch, or on a
lanyard or on a carabiner. The wrist band, lanyard, and carabiner clip
are included with the computer. The features included in this computer
are an
altimeter, a barometer, a digital
compass, a watch (time/date/alarm), a stopwatch, and a 375 record
logbook. It's water
resistant up to 30 ft (10 m), although the instructions warn not to
push any buttons while it's under water.
The computer has five buttons on it. The buttons are labeled Mode,
Option/-, Set/+, Start/Stop, Light. The Mode button is used to move
around among the five modes: Log Book, Compass, Altimeter, Barometer,
and Time. The Option button is used to navigate sub-modes within a
particular mode. The Option button is also used to decrement values
(thus the minus sign) when in a setup menu. The Set button is used to
access setup menus, such as for setting the time. The Set button is
also used to increment values (thus the plus sign) when in a setup
menu. The Start/Stop button has various functions depending on which
menu is displayed. The Light button turns on the backlight.
Time Mode
The time (watch) mode displays the day of week, time, and date. It
allows me to choose whether the time should be displayed in 12 or
24 hour format, and whether the date should be displayed with month
followed by day or vice-versa. The time mode also has six sub-modes:
alarm, countdown timer, stop watch, stop watch memory, a second time
zone, and a lap counter. The alarm sub-mode provides two daily alarms
and one weekly alarm. The countdown timer sub-mode provides three
countdown timers. The stop watch sub-mode can store up to 50
intermediate or lap times, and five independent stop watch sessions.
The stop watch memory sub-mode is used to look at the stored stop watch
sessions. The second time zone sub-mode allows me to store a different
time than I have stored in the main time mode setting.
Altimeter Mode
The altimeter mode displays the speed of vertical ascent/descent, the
actual altitude, and the time of day. I have the choice of
whether the altitudes are displayed in feet or meters. The altimeter
uses barometric pressure to calculate the altitude, and it must first
be set with a known altitude before it can be used. The instructions
warn that the computer cannot differentiate between a change in
altitude and a change in weather conditions, so the altitude displayed
will be incorrect if there is a change in the weather since the last
time a known altitude was set. The altimeter mode also has an alarm
setting, so I can have an alarm ring if I reach a selected altitude. It
also has a lock setting, which the instructions recommend setting
overnight or while on level ground; the lock setting tells the computer
to treat changes in barometric pressure as actual weather changes
rather than altitude changes. The altimeter mode has three sub-modes:
altitude difference function, 24 hour memory, and trip ascent and
descent. The altitude difference function allows me to tell the
computer to start at the current altitude and display the difference as
I ascend or descend. The 24 hour memory is automatic, and it stores the
actual altitude every hour on the hour. The trip ascent and descent
sub-mode automatically stores the cumulative trip ascent and descent
since the
last time I reset the value. However, this cumulative data is only
collected when the computer is in altimeter mode. If it's switched into
any other mode, such as time or compass mode, the cumulative ascent and
descent data is not collected until it's put back into altimeter mode.
Barometer Mode
The barometer mode displays the temperature in either Celsius or
Fahrenheit, the barometric pressure in Millibar or inches/mercury, the
time of day, and indicators to show barometric trends over the last 10
hours. The trend indicators compare the current barometric pressure to
that 5 hours ago and 10 hours ago. The trend display can show from 1 to
5 segments, where each displayed segment indicates a change of 1 mbar
(.02 in/Hg.) The barometer mode has three sub-modes: barometer pressure
difference, automatic 24 hour memory, and barometric sea level
pressure. The barometric pressure difference function lets
me tell the computer to measure the difference between the current
barometric pressure and that in the future. The automatic 24 hour
memory automatically records the barometric pressure and temperature
every hour on the hour. The barometric sea level pressure lets me
program sea level pressure; the instructions recommend that I don't
change this setting.
Compass Mode
The compass mode displays the direction using N/S/E/W, the
direction in degrees, the time, and a "digital compass needle." The
digital compass needle is four small marks, one on one side of the
display, representing Magnetic North, and the other three all together,
representing South. The compass allows me to adjust for the
difference between True North and Magnetic North. The compass mode has
one sub-mode, Route. This sub-mode allows me to repoint the compass
needle to a desired route, rather than North/South.
Log Book Mode
The log book mode allows me to record 375 records, with each record
consisting of altitude, ascent/descent rate, barometric pressure,
temperature, time, and
date. I get to select a time period from one second to 99
hours; this time period indicates to the computer what interval to use
between log book records. The log book mode has four sub-modes:
history, recall chapters, cumulative chapter data, and recall single
value. The log book history sub-mode allows me to scroll through the
various chapters in the log book, look at the data in a particular
chapter, and/or erase a particular chapter. The recall chapters
sub-mode allows me to open a selected chapter, look at the number of
records in the chapter, and/or erase records stored in this chapter.
The cumulative chapter data sub-mode allows me to view cumulative
ascent and descent data as well as a count of how many ascents and
descents occurred; these values are over the time period covered that
that particular chapter. The recall single value sub-mode allows me to
view individual records within a chapter.
Technical Information
Altimeter: The altimeter is effective from -1600 to 29,000 ft (-500 to
9000 m) and I can
select whether it displays feet or meters. It has a resolution of 3 ft
(1 m.)
Barometer: The barometer has a measurement interval of 8.9 to 32.4
in/Hg (300 to
1100 mbar). It has a resolution of .05 in/Hg (1 mbar). It has a
temperature range of -5 to 140 F (-20 to 60 C). It has a temperature
resolution of 1 F (1 C).
Compass: The compass displays the eight major directions, the direction
in
degrees, and a North-South needle. It must be operated in a flat
position, it's not accurate if it's tilted.
Watch: The watch is accurate within 30 seconds per month. The
preprogrammed calendar
goes up to the year 2020.
Storage: The computer should be stored in temperatures of 68 to 86 F
(20
to 30 C).
Initial
Report January 7, 2007
Initial Impressions:
I received this computer on January 3rd, 2007, and it was complete and
in new condition. I find the computer to be exactly as described on
Silva's website. The computer comes with a wrist band, a lanyard, and a
carabiner clip,
so I
have an option of three different ways to carry this around. It arrived
with the unit in the wrist band, so that's the first way I tried it
out. The band has various holes on the strap, so I can tighten it
securely
around my wrist, but it's a pretty large/bulky unit to be wearing on my
wrist. I'm not accustomed to having something so large on my wrist, so
it felt a bit awkward. Perhaps I will get used to it with time. I then
tried it out using the lanyard instead of the wrist band. The lanyard
has an adjustment ball on it, so I can adjust it to the length I want,
and the excess strap is simply at the back of my neck. I didn't want to
wear it at work around my neck, but I might prefer the lanyard to the
wrist band during outdoor activities. I then tried it out in the
carabiner clip. This seems like it might be a nice way to carry it when
backpacking; I could clip the carabiner to an accessible strap on my
pack. I found it easy to switch the computer between the different
carrying options, and I also found that it appears very secure in each
of them; I don't think it would accidentally come out.
First I decided to try out the time mode. I had to read the
appropriate section in the user's manual to figure out how to set the
time and date, but it was fairly easy to do once I read the
instructions. I find the display of the date portion a bit odd, it's
not a display I'm accustomed to. It displays the date of January 3,
2007 as 1.0307. There is an alternative date format, but it
simply switches around the month and day; it still has this display I'm
not accustomed to, with the date in xx.yy format, with the year as a
superscript number. I do like that when the computer is in
watch mode, it clearly displays WED at the top, to indicate that it's
Wednesday; it makes it very easy for me to quickly glance at it and
immediately know what day of the week it is.
Next I tried altimeter mode. I found out from the instructions how to
set the current altitude, which I set to 12 ft (4 m.) However, when I
left the setup mode, I found that it was displaying the current
altitude as 68 ft (21 m.) I tried this several times, but each time as
soon as I left setup mode, the main altimeter was displaying the
current altitude as 68 or 72 ft (21 m.) I then, just as a test, went
back to setup and set the current altitude as 1000 ft (305 m); when I
left setup, the display showed the current altitude as 1056 ft (322 m).
I'm guessing this has something to do with the computer misinterpreting
changes in barometric pressure as altitude changes, since that's
something the instructions warned about, but if it can happen within a
matter of the several seconds it takes me to go from setup back to the
main display, I'm not sure how useful the altimeter will be. I might
need to call customer service about this to make sure I'm not doing
something incorrectly.
Next I tried barometer mode. The first thing I noticed was that the
temperature displayed was much higher than I knew the room temperature
to be. I looked through the instructions and found a note that if the
computer is being
worn on my wrist, the temperature display will be the temperature of my
wrist, not the air temperature. I took the computer off my wrist and
set it on my desk. It took what I considered to be a long time for the
temperature displayed to come down to the actual room temperature. I
found a note in the instructions that I should wait at least 10 minutes
after removing it from my wrist to read the ambient temperature, or the
temperature displayed might be a combination of my wrist temperature
and the ambient temperature. I'm not sure why this takes so long, since
the instructions also indicate that the temperature is sampled every
second.
Next I tried compass mode. Holding my wrist level, since the
instructions indicate the computer must be level for the compass to
operate correctly, I faced the direction I knew to be South. The
compass correctly indicated this. I then turned to face West, and the
compass indicated this too. The compass responded quickly and
accurately to my changes in direction. After playing with it for a
while, it went into OFF mode. I looked in the instructions and found
that the compass will go off every 45 seconds, to save battery life, so
I have to press Start/Stop to wake the compass up every 45 seconds.
I didn't spend much time investigating log book mode, since I hadn't
had any real changes in data to log, but I did go into it and find the
logged records as expected.
I find the labels of the five computer buttons difficult to read except
in the very best lighting conditions. The labels are located on the
face of the computer, behind the clear plastic, but they are written in
a dark font on a silver background, and they are outside the area that
lights up when the backlight is used. I also find the display of what
mode I am in difficult to read. It is across the center of the
display, but also written in a dark font on a silver background. It
does get lit up when using the backlight, but even with that I find it
difficult to read. I find all other parts of the display easy to read.
Here's a picture of the display. Note that the "light" button label,
located at the bottom of the display, does not show up in the picture,
but it really is there.
Overall, so far, I find this computer packed full of useful features
and the instruction manual very easy to follow. There are some features
I need to investigate further, such as the problems I encountered with
the altimeter, and those will be reported on in future amendments to
this report.
Field
Report May 5, 2007
Customer Service
As I mentioned in my Initial Report, I had trouble setting the
altimeter. As a recap, when I tried to set the altimeter to 12 ft (4
m), the display would simply jump to a higher elevation as soon as I
finished setting it. I experimented with this, trying to set it to 1000
ft (305 m) instead, and it still jumped to a higher elevation once I
finished setting it.
I called customer service to get help with this. The lady who answered
the customer service phone number offered to read me the instructions,
but since I had them right in front of me, I declined that offer. She
didn't have any information other than what was printed in the
instruction booklet and on their website, and she didn't walk me
through any steps nor ask me to try anything. She said all she could do
was to have me send in the unit for testing and possible replacement.
During the course of our conversation, she
asked me three different times if I was sure I lived at 12 ft (4 m)
elevation. I felt as if she didn't believe anyone could live on the
coast, even though I had told her I lived in a coastal town in
California. She also told me twice that it would be unusual for the
altitude function to be broken if all the other functions worked; I
felt like she didn't believe that it wasn't working.
To send the unit in, the method they use is FedEx, and they pay the
return postage. She didn't know how to set it up such that I could drop
the unit off at a FedEx location, she could only set it up such that
FedEx would come pick it up from me sometime in the next three business
days. Since I didn't feel comfortable leaving it on my front porch for
3 business days, I had her set it up so FedEx would pick it up at my
workplace. But because it was being picked up at my workplace, the
return unit also had to be shipped to my workplace rather than my home.
My preference would have been to drop off the malfunctioning unit at a
FedEx location and to have the replacement shipped to my home.
Two and a half weeks after FedEx picked the unit up for the return, I
still had no replacement unit, so I called customer service to find out
when I would be receiving it. They told me the replacement unit had
been ready in their shipping department
for the past 4 business days and they didn't know why it hadn't been
shipped back to me yet. One week after that, I called again and was
told it
had been shipped and would arrive in four more days, and it did. So, in
total, it was about four weeks from when I sent in my malfunctioning
unit until I received the replacement unit.
Unfortunately, the replacement unit had exactly the same problem with
setting the altimeter! Because I had this unit as a tester for
backpackgeartest.org, I was able to get a phone number to call a tech
rather than going through customer service again. I called this number
and spoke to a tech who was familiar with the Silva Outdoor Computer.
He told me that I should press all four buttons at once to reset the
unit. He also told me all their customer service representatives know
about this undocumented reset feature and it usually fixes any
problems. Too bad the customer service person I spoke to didn't tell me
about this since it fixed the altimeter problem!
Field Information
I've used the Silva Outdoor Computer for two days of skiing and two
days/one night of backpacking since my Initial Report.
The first day of skiing was at Mount Rose Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe,
NV area of the Sierras. The elevations were between 8260 and 9700 ft
(2518 and 2957 m) and the temperatures were in the 30s and 40s F (-1 to
4 C). The second day of skiing was at Homewood Ski Resort in the
Lake Tahoe,
CA area of the Sierras. The elevations were between 6200 and 7880 ft
(1890 and 2402 m) and the temperatures were in the mid 30s to low 50s F
(2 to 11 C). My experiences with the Outdoor Computer were
identical both days. I put the outdoor computer on the included
carabiner and attached
it to the outside of my snowsuit - I wore it that way all day on both
days. I chose
the carabiner because when I tried wearing it as a watch it was too
bulky to fit comfortably under the sleeve of my snowsuit, and I thought
if I
wore it on the provided cord around my neck it might bounce around a
lot
while I was skiing, and possibly fall off. I checked the time,
temperature, and altitude often, and I found that (as
far as I could tell) they were all accurate. The altimeter wasn't
always accurate down to the foot, but it was always accurate within
about 40 feet (12 meters.) Within the 40 feet (12 meters) margin, I
could stand perfectly still and see the altimeter reading jump around!
The user's manual warns that changing weather can cause the altimeter
to give false readings, however, it was a perfectly clear day so I
don't think that's what was going on. I also had the log book running
all day, but
I didn't check the records during the day, and, unfortunately, they
were lost (incident described below) before I got to study them in
detail. I didn't really get the opportunity to test the Computer's
water resistance in very wet conditions; it wasn't raining or snowing
at all, but I fell enough times that the Outdoor Computer got snow on
it
every once in a while; it didn't affect it at all.
I had turned the log book on at the beginning of
the first day, then I promptly forgot about it, so it remained on for
the entire weekend. I believe I had it recording a record every 10
minutes. In the middle of the night after returning
home, it reached its limit of 375 records and sounded a loud alarm to
let
me know about that. After pushing a button in the dark to quiet it, I
went back to sleep. A week or so later I went to review the log book
records, and I found that the time and date were completely wrong, and
the log was empty. I don't know what happened! I reset the time and
date and ran the log book for a little while, then stopped it and
verified that the log book entries were there, so I know it works, and
that the previous records were just lost for an unknown reason,
probably related to whatever caused the time and date to get reset too.
To test whether it would reset itself again, I hung it from a
hook for a week and then checked back on it; the time and date were
still correct and what happened previously to cause it to reset remains
a mystery.
The backpacking trip was at Henry Coe State Park, CA. The elevations
were between 1080 and 1350 ft (329 and 411 m) and the temperatures were
in the 80s F (27 C) during the daytime and in the 40s F (4 C) during
the coldest part of the night. Once I arrived at the starting
point of the hike, I checked the Outdoor Computer and found that the
altimeter was displaying the correct elevation! This surprised me a bit
since it had been a couple weeks since I had looked at it and I figured
due to changes in weather and the drive from sea level to the state
park, the altimeter might have lost track of the current elevation, but
it was still correct! I did find that the time was 3 hours and 5
minutes
ahead of what it should have been - no explanation for that! After
resetting the time, I started the log book so it would record a log
book record every 20 minutes. I left it going until I got to the
campsite, then I turned it off for the night. The next day I did the
same thing - had it record a log book entry every 20 minutes from when
I started hiking until I finished. I wore the Outdoor Computer on
the carabiner attached to my pack the first day, and on the neck cord
around my neck the second day. I prefer the carabiner method rather
than having something around my neck, but both methods were acceptable
and neither was uncomfortable or difficult to use. I didn't wear it as
a watch because it's too bulky that way and catches on my pack when I'm
putting it (the pack) on and off. During these two days of hiking, I
found the altimeter to be basically accurate (as far as I could
determine) whenever I checked it. Because it was such a hot day, I
checked the temperature on the Outdoor Computer frequently, and it
often displayed temperatures that I believe were higher than the
outdoor temperature really was - at one point when I checked it, the
reading said 122 F (50 C). However, the digital thermometer my hiking
partner had with him gave very similar readings to those I was seeing
on the Outdoor Computer. Since the
Outdoor Computer temperature readings have generally been correct, my
guess is that it was sensitive to being in directly sunlight, and
that's why it was giving higher readings than I believe the outdoor
temperatures really were. I tried to use the digital compass a couple
times just for the fun of it but I had trouble figuring out how to use
it and I didn't have the manual with me. It seemed like I could turn
myself 90 degrees or more without the compass reading changing
accordingly. After getting back home and reviewing the manual, I
believe I need to recalibrate the compass. I will try this and use it
during my long term testing over the next two months.
Summary of feelings about the Outdoor Computer after two months of
Field Testing
Comfort:
I find the Outdoor Computer very bulky when worn around my wrist - it
sticks way out, catches on things, and is too large to fit nicely under
sleeves or gloves that cover my wrist. I find it comfortable to wear
around my neck on the provided cord; it bounces around a little when
I'm active, but is not uncomfortable.
Durability:
The Outdoor Computer has held up well so far - no noticeable scratches
on the display, no problem with it fogging up in cold or snowy
conditions. I have not yet tested it in very wet conditions.
Usability:
The display of which mode I'm in is impossible for me to read in bright
sunlight. It's difficult to read in any lighting situation, but in
bright sunlight I have to shield the Computer from the sun in order to
read the mode at all. After going through the user's manual many times,
and using each feature several times during field testing, I'm now able
to use the basic features without referring to the manual. I still find
I need to refer to the manual for some of the advanced features that I
haven't used as often, such as reviewing the log book records.
I find the user's manual easy to understand and sufficient to tell me
how to use all the features of the Outdoor Computer.
I find the buttons a little hard to press because the buttons are
exposed all the way around the outside edge of the Computer, thus I
have to be careful where I grasp the computer or I accidentally press
multiple buttons at once. I also find the buttons to
increment/decrement values when in "set" mode are inconsistent in their
sensitivity; sometimes a light press of the button will increment or
decrement the value by one unit, and sometimes it will
increment/decrement the value a lot - scrolling very quickly through a
bunch of units as if I had held the button down for a period of time.
As far as I know, the buttons do not get pressed accidentally during
outdoor activities - I have not noticed the Computer being in a
different mode than where I left it, and I have not heard beeps
(indicating a button press) coming from the Computer unexpectedly.
The backlight is nice and bright and lights up the display enough to
read in complete darkness, although it doesn't stay on for very long
(it stays on for 3 seconds) so
I have to read very quickly or press the backlight button repeatedly.
Accuracy:
So far the altimeter seems fairly accurate. I don't think it's accurate
down to the foot, but in general it has been within 40 ft (12 m) or so
of what
I believed to be the actual altitude.
The clock seems accurate although
I have had two strange problems. One was one day when I looked at it,
the time and date were completely wrong. The other is that when I
checked it on a different day before starting a hike, the time was 3
hours and 5 minutes ahead of the real time. I have no explanations for
what happened
in either of these situations.
The temperature readings don't always seem
correct to me. It's possible that it's very sensitive to being in
direct sunlight, but at one point when hiking in full sun
in temperatures in the low 80's F (27 C), it read 122 F (50 C)! In
general when hiking
in the sun, it seems to read higher than what I think the actual
temperature is. However, under controlled conditions it does seem
accurate in its temperature readings. It seems to take about ten
minutes to adjust when it changes temperatures under controlled
conditions.
As far as I can determine, the cumulative ascent and descent values in
the log book are correct. It's a bit hard to tell since I had it set to
record an entry every 20 minutes, and I can't determine from a map
exactly where I was during a given 20 minute period. I hope to test
this further by setting a larger time interval for the log book entries
on a hike during the long term testing period.
Additional Testing
I will continue testing the Outdoor Computer for an additional two
months and report on any changes of opinion I have. I will be
taking a plane trip during that time period, so, if the airline allows
me to use it on the airplane, I will report on use of the altimeter
while
in an airplane. I will also be snorkeling several times in May, so I
will have the opportunity to test the water resistance of the Outdoor
Computer - it's advertised as water resistant up to 30 ft (10 m). I
will also try to test the compass and barometer functions more during
the next two months since I haven't have much opportunity to test them
yet.
Long Term
Report July 15, 2007
Field Information
I've used the Outdoor Computer on one airplane trip and one day of
snorkeling since posting my Field Report. I had additional day hikes
planned during my Hawaii trip, on which I planned to test the compass
and barometer functions, but the snorkeling destroyed the computer so
I was unable to use it on these day hikes. After receiving another
replacement unit, I tested the compass function at home, but I did
not have the opportunity to test the barometer function (no changing
weather conditions here!)
The airplane trip was an overseas flight from California to Hawaii. I
put the Outdoor Computer in altimeter mode, and although I didn't know
our exact altitude as we ascended, the altimeter reading went up at a
rate that seemed reasonable to me for an ascending airplane. However,
it never went above about 7900 ft (2408 m), even though I'm pretty sure
our flight went quite a bit higher than that. My guess is that the
inside cabin pressure was tricking the altimeter. I don't think this is
a fault of the altimeter, I think this is probably normal behavior.
Upon our descent, I watched the altimeter reading again, and the
altitude it displayed decreased at a rate that seemed reasonable as we
descended, and was fairly accurate after the flight had landed.
The day after arriving in Hawaii, I decided to try out the Outdoor
Computer while snorkeling, since it was rated as water resistant down
to 30 ft (9 m). Unfortunately, it was not water resistant after all.
After about 45 minutes of snorkeling, all on the surface (no diving), I
got out to lie on the beach. I glanced at the Outdoor Computer to see
what time it was, and it was blank, and looked like it had condensation
on the inside of the display. Since I was on the beach, there was sand
and water everywhere, so it didn't seem like a good place to open it up
and have a look. When I returned to the condo (hours later), I took a
closer look at the Computer. It appeared that the back panel was
properly snapped in place - I had never opened it, so it was as it was
when I received it. I opened it up and
found a little water inside, and the internal parts had red (rusty?)
moisture on them. I dried it out with paper towels, but it never came
back to
life. Here's what it looked like:
Compass testing: After receiving a replacement unit, I calibrated the
compass, as per the instructions in the user's manual. I then faced
what I believe to be South, and watched the compass reading. It was
slow to respond, but did end up displaying South. I then faced East,
and watched the compass reading. It displayed OFF. I looked in the
manual again, and read that it turns itself off after 45 seconds, to
save the battery. I pressed Start/Stop to turn the compass back on, and
it correctly displayed East. I believe the compass is accurate under
these controlled conditions, although it's slow to respond to changes
in direction.
Customer Service
After returning home from Hawaii, I called customer service and told
them I had gone snorkeling with the Outdoor Computer on and it had
died. They told me other people had encountered similar experiences
wearing them while swimming, and that they (customer service) thought
perhaps the seals were not good enough for wearing in the water so they
were recommending to people that they not be worn in the water. When I
mentioned that the manual said it was water resistant to 30 ft (9 m),
the customer service representative was surprised and said that perhaps
that was incorrect. This time they did not offer to pay for return
shipping, they just told me to mail it to them and they would inspect
it and send me a replacement. I mailed it to them and called them back
a week and a half later to find out the status of the replacement. They
told me it had been received, but because they had a flood 6 months
ago, their departments and offices were still a bit unorganized, and it
had not made it to the correct department until the day before I was
calling. They told me it would be sent back to me in 3 more business
days, and should take 7-10 days after that to arrive. I received
the replacement 12 calendar days after my phone call, which is when I
was expecting to receive it based on the information from the customer
service representative.
Summary of feelings about the Outdoor Computer after four months of
field testing
To be honest, I'm not impressed with this product. I have had it for
approximately four months and have had to have it replaced twice, and
also had to contact a technical person outside of customer service in
order to get it working after the first replacement unit arrived in the
same condition as the one I had sent in. Additionally I have had the
entire unit reset itself once, losing all my data, and I have had the
time become several hours off once while it was not in use (although at
all other times during the four months, the unit has kept accurate
time.) I find the display very difficult to read as mentioned in my
Initial and Field reports, in almost all lighting conditions.
Conclusion
I will most likely not be using this Outdoor Computer in the future.
Thank you to BackpackGearTest.org
and Silva for giving me the
opportunity
to test this Outdoor Computer.
Read more reviews of Silva gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
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