Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Andy Mytys > Field Report

Highgear Axis Watch

Field Report

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Highgear (http://www.highgearusa.com) Item: Highgear Axis Watch Year of manufacture: 2004 MSRP: $150.00 Listed Weight: None Available Weight as delivered: 1.7 oz (48 g) Operating Temperature: 14 to 120 F (-10 to 50 C) Wristband size: Measured to fit wrists from 5.75 to 8 inches (146 to 203 mm) Available Colors: Graphite Black, Bone, Midnight Blue Battery: One CR2032 battery (included) Warranty: 1-year from original purchase date; limited (does not apply to crystal, strap, or batteries) There is also an $8.95 shipping and handling charge associated with warranty claims

The information in this Field Report of the Highgear Axis Watch is to be taken in addition to my Initial Report, where I summarized the basic functions inherent to the Highgear watch.

Product Description:

A digital wristwatch with various built-in instruments, including a timepiece, chronograph, altimeter, barometer, compass, and thermometer.

A Feature by Feature Analysis of the Highgear Axis Watch:

Time -

My initial plan for testing the time function was to set the time on the Axis watch against the USNO Atomic Clock, and then check back with the atomic clock weekly and record any deviations that occurred. But then it occurred to me, time is relative - human initiated events happen based not on the UNSO clock, but on whatever clock is being referenced. Doors are locked and buses leave based on their own timing, not based on some world geek clock. So, I stopped at my local Post Office, set the Axis based on the digital clock hanging on the wall, and went about my daily life for two months, waiting to see what would happen. While in Europe, I set the Axis' second time zone to run five minutes ahead of the clock at the local bus station (when public transportation is integral to one's day, one quickly learns to ALWAYS be a few minutes early).

I found that life went on without a hitch. NPR radio programs began consistently at or near the top of the hour shown on the watch-face, and my Post Office's doors were still open two-minutes the closing time. In fact, over the course of two months there is less than a five second difference between the Axis watch and the Digital clock on the Post Office's wall that I initially set it against - this may indicate that one or both of the clock's in question drift a little. The important point is that they are still very close to being in unison, and I can accurately predict how much time I have left to get to the Post Office before it closes. While in Europe, I was never late for a bus due to the time shown on the Axis' clock - late buses are another story. And when I returned home, NPR was still running, right on schedule.

The most common mode that's active on my watch is this Time display. I have it set to show, in addition to the time of day, the barometric pressure in units mbar and a graph showing barometric pressure over the past 24-hours. A weather forecast is also shown, in addition to icons telling me if an alarm is active or not.

Alarm -

When tripped, the Axis' alarm chimes for 20-seconds, each second sounding off a series of four quick beeps. I'm a fairly heavy sleeper, so it doesn't surprise me that on some occasions I slept right through the Axis' two alarms, even when they are set to chime sequentially within one minute of each other. During weather that was cold enough to have me wearing a hat while I slept, the Axis' limited alarm didn't stand a chance at waking me.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - I would like to see the alarm have a "repeat" option, where the user could set an interval, defining a period of time to wait after the initial alarm sounded before sounding it again. This process would continue to occur, with the alarm sounding after each delay expired, until the user pressed a button on the face of the watch. While this may cause more wear on the batteries, being able to wake up, especially when an important event such as a timed shuttle is on the day's schedule, is of primary concern.

Chronograph -

I found myself mainly using the chronograph to time how long my dishes had been cooking. I am happy to report that none of my dishes were undercooked or burnt as a result. I also used it on occasion to time how long I had been hiking without rest, which, by assuming a steady pace, played a key roll in helping to determine my approximate position on a map when presented with little topographic relief.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - I would like to see the Axis include a Timer in its list of features. The chronograph answers the question of how much time a given event has been active for, or how long a given event took to execute. A timer reports on how much time is left to finish an event. I would love to be able to, for example, set a countdown timer for eight-hours, hit "Start," and then be able to see how much time remained in my eight-hours with a quick glance. Sounding an alarm when the timer reached zero would be an added bonus.

Chronograph Data Review -

As a backpacker, I didn't find a use for timing laps and reviewing them. Were I still actively running and interested in logging my pace over certain distances, this feature would be indispensable. For the purposes of testing, I did use it. Up to 100 laps of data can be reviewed, stored across up to 30 individual runs. I validated this sceen by making sure that it showed results in line with the watch's documentation and did not find anything out of the ordinary. The review data was presented in a straightforward manner.

Altimeter -

The Highgear Axis watch comes with a digital altimeter, which has a resolution of 1 foot (1 m) and a working range extending from -1,600 to 29,500 feet (-500 to 9000 m). The altimeter measures in 1 foot or 1 meter increments, depending on the display units that have been selected. The top portion of the screen can also, at the press of a button, momentarily show the accumulated and maximum altitude values, defined as aggregate sum of individual altitude increases and single maximum altitude since the counter was last reset. Historical altitude levels over time are shown as a bar graph in the top area of the screen.

Overall, I found the altimeter to be very accurate, but less so on a step-by-step basis. There were some slopes I traversed that reported an elevation gain/loss of three feet (1 m) after each stride, but the actual grade of the trail was much too gentle for such a change to actually be occurring. However, when altimeter readings were taken at the top and bottoms of topographic features, they typically reported to within 20-feet (6 m) of those printed on USGS topographic maps for the given location. I had similar results whether hiking in areas with gently sloping terrain, or in areas where the relief was more pronounced (e.g. 700 feet (213 m) of change within a distance of one-mile (1.6 km)). It was nice to be able to rely on the Axis' altimeter to the point of feeling confident that the highpoint of a winding trail had indeed been reached, and that all extended uphill stretches for the given day's were hike behind me. When benchmarking the Axis watch against a USGS topographical map along a section of the Appalachian Trail, ridge, valley, and shelter elevations where all accurate to within 15-feet (4.5 m).

The altimeter does tend to drift a little from day to day, and as a result Highgear recommends calibrating it daily. In my case, I see less than 500 feet (150 m) of variance between my home and most places I visit during a given week. I found that the Axis watch could keep a relatively accurate altitude while moving throughout such a narrow range of change, both in cases where the differences occurred over short and long distances. Even when traveling by air, the Highgear would report an altitude at its final destination within an accuracy of twenty-feet (6 m). As a result, I find myself calibrating the altimeter once ever two-weeks, if the reported elevation proves inaccurate by more than 50-feet (15 m) - otherwise, I leave it alone. I also reset the altimeter against a known altitude upon arrival at my trailhead.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - Currently, the altimeter reports accumulated and maximum altitude values. I would like to see the addition of reporting a minimum altitude.

Altimeter Data Review -

I didn't find a use for storing and reviewing altimeter data on my hikes. For the purposes of testing, I did use it. Users can review any altimeter readings captured while in the Altimeter display mode. In addition to altitude, the time and date of the event are shown. Up to 20 readings can be stored. I validated this sceen by making sure that it showed results in line with the watch's documentation and did not find anything out of the ordinary. The review data was presented in a straightforward manner.

Barometer -

I didn't find myself directly using the units mbar reported by the Highgear Axis Watch - barometric pressure in mbar units is simply not a common measurement reported by local weather-forecasters, and hence I have an overall lack of familiarity with it. That said, the units mbar drives another function of the watch that I did use - the weather forecast feature.

Depending on one's geographic location, the Highgear Axis watch may be able to use the relative change in barometric pressure over time, together with trends in altitude, to produce an amazingly accurate forecast for local weather conditions.

The Highgear's forecast predicts weather anywhere from a few hours to an entire day in advance. The watch gives no indication as to when the weather may occur - it is the wearer's responsibility to use the forecast for what it is, a prediction of near-term weather related events, and prepare themselves for what may come. While a prediction of rain doesn't always mean precipitation overhead, a historical review of area weather, in most cases, revealed that rain fell within a 20-mile (32 km) radius of where the forecast was made.

More often than not, however, showers in the Axis' forecast meant showers on the trail. In fact, I've become so certain in the Axis' ability to forecast weather in my area that I hike with confidence, ignoring the near-term forecast given by local meteorologists - even with their fancy satellites and radar, they have not proven to be more, or even as accurate, as my watch. On a recent hike, I was in communication with other hikers via cellular telephone while on route to the trailhead. Everyone was experiencing rain, some of which could be classified as torrential. Everyone was hungry for a hike though, so even the thought of violent storms was looked upon with anticipation. I looked at my Axis watch, however, and had to deliver the bad news - as hard as it was raining, we would have fair weather for our weekend's excursion. Sure enough, by the time we reached the trailhead, all traces of rain had moved off, and the weekend proved to be as sunny as the Highgear predicted.

In the states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, I found the Highgear Axis watch to deliver an accurate forecast, and in some cases contrary to that of the local weatherman's.

On the other hand, I spent a month in Poland with my Axis and the forecast was inaccurate to embarrassing proportions. Altitude and barometric pressures were correctly reported from day-to-day, but the changes in mbar and its effect on the weather simply didn't follow the formula programmed into the watch.

Compass -

The digital compass on the Axis watch has a resolution of 1 degree with 16 direction pointers. The declination is adjustable, and the compass can be recalibrated manually at any time. The watch face has a small black triangle imprinted in the plastic that serves to give a point to which all measurements and readings are relative to. The bearing is shown both in degrees and cardinal points. The bearing in degrees is measured from true north if a bearing has been set, otherwise magnetic north is reported. The watch also has a rotating azimuth ring around its face that's marked in 30 and 45 degree increments, with either the degrees (30 degree increments) or the direction (N, NE, E, etc. in 45 degree increments). This ring, pictured in the image at the top of this report, can be turned for orientation purposes.

Note that all tests described below were performed multiple times, over the course of multiple days, with the compass re-calibrated prior to each test. The results published here are representative of single test cases, but are typical of the results I observed across all my field-testing.

The graph above depicts a set of compass bearings taken at random intervals. Two bearings were taken at each location, one using the Axis watch's internal compass, the other with a Silva type-3 baseplate magnetic compass. Compass readings were taken standing up, with the devices held parallel to the ground, chest-high. While taking readings, pens, compasses, and other items that could skew the results of the reading compass were removed from the immediate area. Testing was done along a local trail characterized by flat terrain. Temperatures were in the mid-70's (~24 C). The Axis' built-in compass was calibrated by rotating the unit clockwise, three times, while holding it chest-high and parallel to the ground, with each rotation lasting 10-15 seconds (per Highgear instructions). Magnetic declination was 5° west, and set as such on both an analog compass and the Axis watch.

The graph uses blue bars to illustrate the readings taken using the Silva compass, and red bars for the readings taken using the Axis watch. As you can see from the table above, readings were generally off by either a slight or a wide margin, with most pairs of bearings showing less than a 10° difference between the liquid-based magnetic compass and the Axis' built-in compass. However, the correlation between the two compasses is rather spotty, and in the 255° to 315° range deviations are shown to be anywhere from 42° to 87° - UNACCEPTABLE!

I started my testing by drawing a grid on a piece of paper, with a line going off in each direction to be tested. I oriented the grid to face north (with a declination of 5° west), and labeled "N"orth on my grid. The Silva and Axis compasses were then held against the various gridlines, with their readings logged.

Compass readings sway to a large degree based on their proximity to the ground. For example, a reading of 3°N would jump to 16° NNE if the compass was placed on the ground, meaning that folding a map out onto the ground and taking compass readings directly on top may result in a false set of bearings. The table to the right illustrates the degree of drift I encountered:   Magnetic Compass Reading     Axis Compass Reading   0/360° N 16° NNE 45° NE 82° E 90° E 144° SE 135° SE 147° SSE 180° S 179° S 225° SW 224° SW 270° W 207° SSW 315° NW 333° NNW

The same readings, when taken standing up and at chest-level, prove more inline with reality. Even here though, one can still see large amounts of deviation occurring in the 255° to 315° range, just like those shown in the bar graph above.   Magnetic Compass Reading     Axis Compass Reading   0/360° N 03° N 45° NE 49° NE 90° E 103° ESE 135° SE 143° SE 180° S 186° S 225° SW 233° SW 270° W 247° WSW 315° NW 284° WNW

Tilt is another factor that can greatly skew the Axis' internal compass. While I didn't find it difficult to maintain my wrist at a position parallel to the ground, I was shocked to find just how little "tilt" is really needed in order to throw the compass readings completely out of whack. In the images below, the watch is facing north in both cases. The grid containing my direction guides is secured to the ground, and my arm is resting over it. The image on the left shows a reading of 16° NE, just as indicated in the table above. The image on the right shows the Axis facing in the same direction, but with a slight tilt to it. Notice the skewed result that the compass shows - 148 ° SSE!

Without carrying another compass to use for comparison, it is difficult to trust the Axis' compass - one can never be absolutely sure where the deviation will occur, and by how wide of a margin. Due to the results of my testing, I do not trust the Axis' compass for any readings in the field.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - In addition to a working compass, I would like the Compass display mode to include the time of day. If the compass was field-worthy, I would most likely leave this display mode active while hiking. To have the time shown at all times would save me from having to jump through the watch's various display modes just to view the most basic data. I would also like to have a push-button function on the Compass display that would show me what degree of declination the compass was set to. Currently, the declination information is only available while calibrating the compass.

Thermometer -

The Axis' thermometer has a 0.1-degree resolution with a working range from 14 to 122 F (-10 to 50 C). The temperature can be presented in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. I find the digital thermometer to be nearly useless. While wearing the watch on my arm, the room temperature shown is typically 10 degrees to 15 degrees (5-8 C) higher than the actual air temperature. When outside in cooler temperatures, the deviation between actual and reported temperature is even more pronounced. The skewed result is due to the effect that body heat has on the watch's inner thermometer. To get an accurate reading, the watch must be remove from the wearer's wrist. However, the electronics in the watch can't simply wait a minute, take a temperature reading, and show a value that's within a degree or two of being accurate. The process is actually drawn out over 30 minutes, sometimes longer, with the temperature reading slowly moving towards the actual air temperature. The process is dragged out because the Axis waits a full 2.5 minutes before revising the temperature shown, and it takes a multiple readings to get within a few degrees of accuracy.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - I understand the fact that body temperature will influence the accuracy of the temperature reported by the watch, and have no issues with this. What I would like to see is a faster response in computing the air temperature after the watch has been removed from the wrist. If the Axis wants to play around for hours figuring the exact temperature down to the tenth of a degree that's fine, but get me to within a degree of that mark within a few minutes of removing the watch off my arm.

Display/Backlight -

The Highgear's display is always crisp and clear. In cases where the LCD screen is difficult to read due to ambient light levels, the backlight provides the necessary illumination to address the issue. Unfortunately, the backlight stays on for a period of only three-seconds, while, for example, the compass calculates position and remains active for ten seconds. Having to press the backlight button while taking compass readings at night can change the position of the watch-face momentarily, affecting the compasses ability to compute what it feels is an accurate bearing.

Andy's Upgrade Wish List - It would be nice if the backlight would recognize when it was used against the Compass display mode, and stay on for a longer period as a result - ten seconds would be nice.

Water Resistance -

In terms of water resistance, the Highgear Axis watch has been subjected to rain, bathhouses, and swimming pools. The watch still works as new.

Other Considerations:

• Durability: The watch has held up fairly well over two-months of use. The screen is still scratch free, and the band shows no signs of deterioration. At the same time, degree markings painted onto the face of the rotating azimuth ring have begun to wear off. The main direction markers for north, south, east, and west can be salvaged, as their designations are stamped into the plastic. I can always apply a little black paint into them with a toothpick. However, all other degree points are merely painted onto the smooth surface of the ring, and once gone they may not be so easy to replace. I have also noticed that the bone color of my band has begun to fade. When my Axis watch was new, the color of the band and body of the watch were the same. Now, the band is slowly changing towards a more grayish, even dirty, color. No amount of soap has been able to restore the band's color to the way it appeared when new.
  
  
• Ergonomic Design: Compared to other multi-function watches I've tried, the Axis fits my wrist well. It is light and comfortable, and I don't even realize that I'm wearing it. While its face does sit off the arm about 5/8-inch (160 mm), I can still button the cuff of a dress-shirt around it.
  
  
• User Interface: As mentioned above, the Highgear's display is always crisp and clear. The data is shown in a manner that's easy to see - while some display modes present a lot of information, the position and size of the data shown is such that they do not appear cluttered or intrusive. I found the task of initializing the watch and navigating between its displays and functions to be very intuitive and easy to learn.

Next Steps:

In the final stage of my testing, I will continue to evaluate the various functions of the Highgear Axis Watch, and their accuracy and usefulness in the field.

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys@gmail.com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Gender: Male Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Weight: 165 lb (75 kg) Wrist Size: 6.75 inches (171 mm)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Highgear Axis Altimeter Watch > Andy Mytys > Field Report