|
|
 |
Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Origo Rendezvous Peak > Test Report by Gail StaisilOrigoRendezvous Peak Watch Test
Series by:
Gail Staisil, Marquette, Michigan
For
the last 19
years, backpacking has become a passion. I am a four-season backpacker
and an off-trail navigator. Although
I do take yearly trips to the American West or Southwest, the majority
of my trips are in Michigan and Canada.
My pack weight varies considerably but my base weight is below 18 lb
(8 kg). I am primarily a tarp camper who averages more than 50 nights a
year backpacking in a huge variety of weather conditions including
relentless rain, wet snow and sub-zero temps. Page Contents: Initial Report: September 12, 2009 Tester Information Name: Gail Staisil Age: 57 Gender: Female Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m) Weight: 145 lb (66 kg) Location: Marquette, Michigan USA Email: woodswoman 2001 AT yahoo DOT com Product Information
Initial Impressions and Product Description  The Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch arrived in the color of black with a reverse display as requested. It arrived with an extra battery (CR2032) and an approximately (2 in/5 cm X 3 in/7.6 cm) 35-page instruction manual (very portable). I was surprised to see that the time on the watch was set for my time zone and was correct down to the minute. The day of the week and the date were also correct. The other readable feature on the face of the watch was the temperature that was given in Celsius. The manufacturer markets the watch as having many functions in a "small sleek timepiece". It is probably smaller than many on the market but as expected it is much larger than simple watches I ordinarily wear. Realistically the ones I wear have about zero function other than time. However my homemade wrist compass that I wear while bushwhacking is similar in size. I tried on the watch and found that the wristband has tons of holes to accommodate almost any size wrist. I have a very small wrist (6.25 in/15.88 cm) but there were still two smaller holes on the band itself. The rubber-like band of the watch is a bit stiff so hopefully it will get softer with use. I normally prefer bands with Velcro closures for in the field use so this will definitely be different. The Origo Rendezvous Peak is a multi-sensor watch that has a number of functions but they can be simplified into six categories: altimeter, barometer, digital compass, weather forecast, lap memory and temperature. The complete list from the manufacturer's website is listed below:
The Rendezvous Peak has two large buttons on each side of the face of the watch to work the functions of the watch. I started pressing buttons but couldn't make out exactly how to use the options so it was time to look at the manual. Each button or key clearly has a purpose that is written in small letters near each button on the outside ring of the watch face. On the right side of the watch the top button is to start and stop a function and the lower button is to reset. On the left side the top button is for adjusting or using the back light. The lower left button is for selecting the mode. There is a sensor located between the two large buttons on the right side. The face of the watch also shows a battery indicator. The Rendezvous that I am testing has a black reverse display so that the numbers and letters and such are in light gray and the background is black. It is easy to read except for the forecast weather icon and the unit display (such as ft or m) which I can barely make out while wearing my script glasses. I don't wear glasses in the field so it will be interesting to see if I can actually use the forecast function. There are nine main operational modes for the Rendezvous that are in sequence. However there is a quicker way to access the compass bearing and altitude from the time mode. For the compass bearing, I just simply hit START/STOP and for the altitude I press the RESET button. Both functions will stay for 10 seconds before reverting back to the time mode. If I want to use the digital compass for a longer period of time I press the (COMP) compass mode (which is the first mode after time) and it will stay for 90 seconds. It can be rejuvenated again by hitting the START/STOP button. What is neat about the digital compass is that it has four pointers that appear along the face to indicate magnetic north, south, east and west. Each one is represented by a single mark or segment with the exception of magnetic north which has five marks or segments.
Using the Mode Settings So far, I have tried out what I consider to be the more difficult-to-learn functions (based on multiple pages of instructions for those modes). I've found that a few practice attempts definitely helped after following the directions. However I am sure that the small manual will be packed with my gear for easy access until everything becomes intuitive. Since I love to navigate off trail, I immediately recalibrate the COMP (compass) and set the compass for the local declination to see if the directional display looked correct as compared to my baseplate compass. The cardinal points lined up well. The next day I checked the compass again but as it had been in a car for a few miles the direction was off significantly. I re-calculated it and everything was fine. The manufacturer does recommend frequent re-calculation at new trailheads as well as after changing a battery or being near a magnetic field. An extra mode within the Compass Mode is called the Bearing Mode. After setting the bearing the desired bearing will show up in degrees on the top line of the watch face. The current bearing is shown in degrees on the middle line. The segments or markers on the perimeter of the watch face light up and are correlated to how close they are to the desired bearing. For instance each marker equals 6 degrees of accuracy so if there are two markers lit up the current bearing is 12 degrees off the desired bearing. The BARO (barometer) Mode was a bit more confusing to me as it uses millibars or mbars for air pressure readings. The barometer setting also has a weather forecaster which should be set to the current weather with an icon (sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy or chance of precipitation/rainy). Those forecast icons should change if there are changes in barometric pressure. The next step is to adjust the sea level pressure according to the local weather report. Since millibars or mbars are not used for pressure readings in the United States I had to find a conversion table for converting the known pressure using inHG to millibars. The current pressure was at 30.17 inHG so that converted to 1022 mbars. At this point I feel that periodically changing the pressure will likely be an inconvenience as I doubt I would have a conversion table with me in the field. Also since I am used to reading the barometer in inHG I am familiar with the numbers and their consequences. I have no experience for reference with the millibars.The final step is to note the barometric pressure graph that is located at the top row of the watch in this mode. Pressure changes are mapped for the previous 30 hours and are refreshed when the sea level pressure is reset. The ALT1 Mode features an altimeter reading that is directly related to the barometric pressure. The manufacturer recommends that a reference altitude should be set before a hike to insure a higher degree of accuracy. An altitude graph is located at the top of the display in this mode. It shows the altitude history for the last hour. It will continue to update no matter what mode is currently being used. Each column in the graph represents a reading every two minutes. The Altimeter DATA Mode records the maximum altitude and accumulated altitude. I cleared the data that was already on the watch as the actual amount was significant. The rest of the mode functions were easy to use. Even though the TIME Mode was accurately set when I received the watch, I went through the motions and the only number I really had to change was the temperature unit which had been in Celsius. There is also a key lock which can be activated to prevent going into another mode while in the Time Mode. The remaining functions were CHRO (Chronograph) for measuring elapsed time, split times and two finishes, DATA (Chronograph Data) which records data for 99 runs, ALRM (Alarm) Mode (two alarms), and the TIMR (Countdown Timer) Mode which is just that. As the months progress I'm sure I will use every function for some part of my trips. I also plan to use this for other sports such as trail running and more. Top of Page Field Report: November 28, 2009 USA Locations and Conditions During the field test period, I have worn the Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch during four backpacking excursions for a total of thirteen trail days. I have also worn it daily for other activities. Locations ranged from and included boreal and deciduous forest communities, backcountry lakes, islands and more. Elevation ranged from 600 ft (183 m) to approximately 1400 ft (427 m). Trip 1 - Mid-September Solo Backpacking Trip: Location: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail Distance: 42.4 mi (68 km) Length of Trip: 4 days/3 nights Pack Weight: 31 lb (14 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 36 F (2 C) to 75 F (24 C) Trip 2 - Late-September Solo Backpacking Trip: Location: Grand Island National Recreation Area - Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail/Bushwhack Distance: 18 mi (29 km) Length of Trip: 3 days/2 nights Pack Weight: 27.5 lb (12.5 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 44 F (7 C) to 73 F (23 C) Trip 3 - Early-October Backpacking Trip: Location: North Country Trail, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail Distance: 30.3 mi (49 km) Length of Trip: 3 days/3 nights Pack Weight: 29 lb (13 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, rain Precipitation: 0.58 in (1.47 cm) rain Temperature Range: 32 F (0 C) to 47 F (8 C) Trip 4 - Mid-October Backpacking Trip: Location: Craig Lake Wilderness and McCormick Wilderness, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail Distance: 14 mi (22.5 km) Length of Trip: 3 days/2 nights Pack Weight: 27 lb (12 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, windy Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 27 F (-3 C) to 52 F (11 C) Performance in the Field Initial Use During my first extended journey while wearing the watch I also took along the small manual that came with it. Because my memory for technical details is often limited these days, I have continued to carry it for the other long trips in case I needed a reference. I am so pleased that the directions are in a tiny booklet format rather than a long letter-size page as it is easy to flip through it to find out what I need. I wear the watch on a daily basis for all my activities. It has been mostly comfortable to wear despite having a very small wrist. I often wear it over a long sleeve shirt and sometimes over two. I have even worn it over a jacket as there are plenty of holes in the wristband to adjust the band to accommodate layers. The watch is very sleek and I haven't found it to get in the way or catch on anything. Time Change The time plus date and day of the week feature has remained accurate even though one month has featured 30 days and another 31 days. Since I live in an area that uses Daylight Savings Time I needed to change the time on the watch at the end of October. I took out the reference manual to acquaint myself with the procedure (the watch had arrived with the correct time so I didn't have to do it then). In order to reset the time I had to press and hold the adjust key for two seconds until the prompt "HOLD" appears. I have found that I always don't seem to hold the adjust key down long enough and have to do it over. The first option after this is to select a time zone (between Zone 1 and Zone 2). I suppose this would be handy especially for long distance travel half way around the world. However since I haven't recently traveled to another time zone I just don't think about using that option. I had to press the MODE button to confirm the zone. After that it toggles through the hour, minutes, seconds, year, month, day, 12 hr or 24 hr display, temperature preference (F or C) and key tone (off or on) that can be set. When one of those options is blinking, it can be reset by pressing START/STOP or RESET before pressing MODE to confirm after each one. I haven't found a way to by pass any of these options after setting the time other than by pressing MODE after each one. Key Lock There is a key lock feature that is handy so that the watch won't accidentally go out of the time mode. Several times in the groggy morning hours I wanted to check the time. Instead of hitting the backlight button (ADJUST) button, I hit the MODE button instead. I know this is crazy but in my defense they are on the same side of the watch face. Anyway, I had to toggle through all the modes before I could get back to time. Now I have reverted to locking it in the time mode for the evening hours during trips. Finding My Way Although I have used the digital compass (COMP) regularly to confirm my direction on trails, during one of my trips I figured an azimuth with my baseplate compass and topo map so that I could bushwhack across an area of an 
island. I
wanted to head from the tombolo of the island where I had set up camp
and bushwhack across the adjoining "thumb" of the island (a
tombolo is
a connecting land formation consisting of sediment between two islands
making them one land mass). There aren't any foot trails across the length or width of the "thumb" area so I carefully calculated an azimuth to see if I could come out at a camp site that is normally only accessible by sea kayak or such (I have only accessed it by ice travel in the past). I followed the bearing with the digital compass feature but I also had a baseplate compass as a backup to check if the bearing was consistent (after several times checking it, I was confident that it was accurate). I was able to run a fairly straight azimuth only deviating now and then around obstacles. I made simple adjustments in my direction to compensate. I hoped to come out at the camp site which was at almost lake level and down a very steep descent (cliff). Luckily I came out at the perfect place to start the descent and ended up right in the camp site. The camp site is not visible from the forest above nor down through the dense forest descent so I was highly pleased with the accuracy of the digital compass. On the return trip I used the back bearing and came out where I started. The azimuth was about 1500 meters in length (0.93 mi) each way. I simply used the digital compass mode for this azimuth. I truly, truly wish that the compass reading would stay on for longer than 90 seconds in both the digital compass mode and the bearing tracking mode. To me it is highly frustrating or inconvenient to have to hit the START/STOP button seemingly hundreds of times to keep the compass display. It is highly nonfunctional that way as it disrupts the flow of following an azimuth through the forest. I much prefer using my homemade wrist compass (which I haven't used while testing the Origo) or a baseplate compass where I can see the bearing without making any adjustments. I feel that the biggest improvement to the Rendezvous Peak would be to have the ability to keep the setting in digital compass mode for as long as I wish. The way it is set up now it is only useful for checking direction once in awhile when I am hiking on a trail, certainly not long sections of bushwhacking. I do realize that the compass setting is one that takes high power consumption and that is probably why it is set up that way. With that said, I have also tried using the Bearing Mode feature to find my way. Although it is cool to see how much I am off the bearing by the segment display, it is still a pain to have to reactivate the feature every 90 seconds. The actual bearing displays only as a bunch of dotted lines when the 90 seconds expires unless I hit the MODE button again. It is always helpful while at camp to confirm what direction I want to set up my tarp to protect me from prevailing winds. This was especially the case one night while I was set up on a tiny peninsula that jutted into an inland lake. It was quite windy and probably not the best place to be (protection wise) but the views were awesome. I have also found it handy to use the compass to confirm direction of travel during 4WD travel on mostly very remote back roads. My vehicle does not have a built-in compass and I normally store a simple compass in the center storage compartment at all times in case I need it. Having the compass right on my wrist makes it a lot easier when I pull over to access the direction. Altitude/Barometer Most of my trips in the last two months have not had big changes in altitude. However on one trip which had a ton of descents and ascents I was excited about the total altitude climbed during four days of travel. Unfortunately I hit the ADJUST button by accident on the third day and wiped out my accumulated data. I do use the altitude feature for many of my trail runs. Since the trails are very hilly it is cool to watch the display for the overall trend. Most of my runs are 1.5 to 2 hrs in length so I can only see part of them as the display is for only an 1 hour time period. I normally reset the accumulated data (DATA) before a run as I like to see how much I am climbing on these day outings (usually over 4000 ft (1219 m) although the actual difference in altitude is just over 200 ft (61 m). I just run it over and over again! I still have trouble adjusting to mbars without a conversion table. All I know is that if the mbars drop drastically, I'm in for bad weather. My home is at the altitude of about 800 ft (244 m). If I set the current mbars converted from the inHG pressure reading it shows that the altitude is 793 ft (242 m). Although that difference is not terribly significant, it is still measures 7 ft (2.13 m) different. I know that the altitude reading is based on air pressure so I'm sure that's why it doesn't match (the pressure is constantly changing as I live right next to a huge body of water). In the end result I guess the difference measured in feet of altitude is more important than the actual altitude reading if I base the readings on what I actually traveled (during an outing). Other Features The weather forecast icon remains too hard for my eyes to see to be useful. Even in broad daylight I can barely make out the current icon even while wearing reading glasses. I did notice that the only time I can see the icon without difficulty is when I am sitting under a halogen lamp at home which is not very useful in the field. I would prefer that the icons were larger as I'm sure this might be a common issue for many people with older eyes. The temperature reading seems fairly accurate as compared to a temperature unit inside my house (it normally runs less than a half degree different or just a little higher). In order for the outside temperature reading to be somewhat accurate, I have to remove the watch for at least 20 minutes. This works well at camp. I wake up early naturally so I rarely use an alarm clock. I have used the ALRM function in practice and it has been simple to use. Once the ALRM mode is selected, I press the START/STOP button to toggle the alarm to the on or off position. Then I hit the RESET key for 2 seconds and the ADJUST/HOLD feature displays. The hour digits will start flashing and then I can use the START/STOP button to increase the number or the RESET key to decrease. The MODE key is then pressed which cycles to minutes etc. The MODE key is pressed to confirm the choice. One thing that is notable is to make sure the time chosen is in sync with the time of day or night (AM or PM) or the alarm will go off 12 hrs after I wish. The battery bar still retains three bars so hopefully it will last a long while. Being rather cold here during the last two months, I haven't done any swimming while wearing the watch but I have not protected it from water either. I have worn it while collecting water in the huge waves of Lake Superior and at home I have worn it in the shower a few times to just see if it had an effect. It has remaining working correctly. The watch is still in great condition and I have somehow avoided scratching it. I also wish the modes could be toggled or cycled in the opposite direction. Wouldn't that be neat for convenience? Summary In conclusion, wearing the Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch has been an enjoyable experience so far. There is a definite learning curve in learning to use all the features of the watch. I have made several mistakes in adjusting the watch but I feel that I now have it mostly mastered. Although I use many of the features I wish the compass feature could stay activated for more than 90 seconds at a time. In the long term period I will continue to use many of the features on multi-day trips as well as for every day use. Top of Page Long Term Report: January 26, 2010 USA Locations and Conditions During the long term test period, I have worn the Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch during three multi-day backcountry trips for an additional eleven trail days. I have also worn it daily for other activities including 31 days of cross country skiing so far this season. Locations ranged from and included boreal and deciduous forest communities, backcountry frozen lakes, groomed and ungroomed ski trails and more. Elevation ranged from 600 ft (183 m) to approximately 1400 ft (427 m). Trip 1 - Early December Solo Backpacking Trip: Location: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail Distance: 11 mi (17.7 km) Length of Trip: 2 days/1 night Pack Weight: 27 lb (12.25 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Cloudy, light snow Precipitation: 0.14 in (0.36 cm) Temperature Range: 17 F (-9 C) to 25 F (-4 C) Trip 2 - Late December/Early January Hike-in Rustic Cabin Trip: Location: Hiawatha National Forest - Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Trail Distance: 16.6 mi (27 km) Length of Trip: 4 days/3 nights Sledge Weight: Estimated 60 lb (27 kg) including fresh (heavy) consumables Sky and Air Conditions: Snow, snow and snow Precipitation: actual new snow measured was more than 16 in (40.64 cm) Temperature Range: 11 F (-12 C) to 22 F (-6 C) Trip 3 - January Wilderness Sledge Trip Location: McCormick Wilderness - Michigan, USA Type of Trip: Bushwhack Distance: 26 mi (42 km) Length of Trip: 5 days/4 nights Sledge Weight: Estimated 50 lb (22.7 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Sun, clouds, and light snow Precipitation: 0.12 in (0.30 cm) Temperature Range: 6 F (-14 C) to 40 F (4 C) Performance in the Field Continued Use  I have continued to wear the Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch for my daily sport activities. Although worn foremost as my timepiece, some of the other functions came in handy during my journeys. During my first backcountry trip (trail trip) of the long term period, I mostly used the compass function (COMP) to check my direction for setting up my tarp pointing away from prevailing winds and also to determine where the sun would rise in the morning. During the second trip it was handy for checking the direction of trail intersections in the national forest which were mostly unmarked. During my third trip which was entirely bushwhacking it also was useful to check the azimuth that we were following. As stated in the field report, I dislike the fact that the bearing only shows for 90 seconds before it disappears. This can be frustrating but since I wasn't in the lead position on this trip it wasn't that much of a factor. I only needed to check the direction for my own reassurance that we were going the right way. Again it was handy for orientating my tarp direction at camp as well as the sunrise direction. Origo does suggest that the compass shouldn't be used for "activities in which losing your way can create a dangerous or life threatening situation, always be sure to use a second compass to confirm direction reading". I do carry a baseplate compass as well and I haven't had any problem with a difference in accuracy. I would however add the suggestion that the Rendezvous is difficult for following a bearing simply because it has to be reactivated constantly. During skiing, snowshoeing and other activities I have mostly used the watch as a timepiece and for checking the total amount of altitude climbed. The temperature reading is not accurate for such outings as wearing the watch on my wrist heats up the sensor resulting in a much higher temp reading than the ambient air. As mentioned in the field report the weather icon is not visible to my eyes and I wish the icon was much larger so that it could be useful. The watch continues to be comfortable to wear. Since it is the winter season that requires wearing several layers, I often wear the watch over one or two light layers. I continue to like the fact that the watch doesn't catch on anything due to its streamlined style. The only thing that is often annoying is when I remove the watch, the band has to be pulled very tightly backwards in order for the prong to release from the band. This causes pinching or squeezing my wrist in order to get it off. This is more irritating when I am in a hurry. Sometimes to try to avoid the pinching I wear the watch a bit more loosely but this results in the watch rotating around my wrist with the watch face on the backside of my wrist. However, the way this prong/band combination is designed would likely result in never accidentally losing the watch in the field as it simply would be too hard to get off (I once lost a watch in extremely rugged terrain as it was pulled off by rough encounters with brush). I have been able to press the mode buttons while wearing gloves but I have to be a bit more careful not to press more than one button at a time due to bulky-clad hands. The battery bar indicator still shows three bars and all the functions remain working in proper order. The durability of the watch has not been in question as the rugged materials have held up well with only a few surface scratches. In conclusion, the Origo Rendezvous Watch has been a fun watch to wear. While I have enjoyed using all of the functions I do wish the compass mode had an extended timer on it. I would also prefer to have the barometric pressure to be read in InHg rather than mbars (or at least be given the choice to change it from one unit to another). Despite a few nitpicks, the watch has proven to be both durable and functional for my backpacking and other sport endeavors. I will continue to wear the watch for many of my activities. Pros
Tester Remarks Thanks to North American Gear, LLC and BackpackGearTest.org for this opportunity to test the Origo Rendezvous Peak Watch. This concludes my Long Term report and the test series. Top Picture Courtesy of: North American Gear, LLC Top of Page Read more reviews of Origo gear Read more gear reviews by Gail Staisil Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Origo Rendezvous Peak > Test Report by Gail Staisil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
