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Highgear Axis Watch- Initial Report
April 2004
Product Information: www.highgearusa.com
-or- www.highgear.com
Below you'll find:
1. Special Note on Axis Test Unit
2. Highgear Axis Overview Description
3. Highgear Axis Detailed Description
4. Highgear Axis Initial Impressions
5. Testing Plan and Location
6. Contact and Background Information
1. Special Note on the Highgear Axis Test Unit
This report first appeared in October 2003. While initially the Axis
performed almost flawlessly, it did develop incredible altimeter drift and
barometer problems over the course of a few months. Highgear recognized
this issue in some watches, and the decision between BackpackGearTest.org and
Highgear to put the test on hold was made. This report evaluates the new
version of the Axis only! While very similar in appearance, there do seem
to be functional differences in some units. The most simple way to
distinguish the two versions of the Axis is by the weather prediction icons.
The new version has an open-circled sun icon (as pictured on the Highgear
website), while the previous version has a solid, filled-in sun icon.
2. Highgear Axis Overview Description
The Highgear Axis watch is an altimeter/barometer/digital compass watch marketed
towards outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to the altimeter, barometer, and
compass, the Axis features the standard digital watch capabilities of dual time
zone time keeping, chronograph (stopwatch) functions, and alarms. The graphite
colored Axis that arrived at my home for testing is identical in appearance to
the watch on the www.highgearusa.com
website.
3. Highgear Axis Detailed Description
Weight as measured on my digital scale:
>1.7 ounces (50 grams)
Year of Manufacture:
>Estimated 2003
Specifications as claimed by Highgear:
>Compass Resolution:
1 degree
>Barometer Range:
300 to 1100 mbar/hPa
>Barometer Resolution:
1 mbar/hPa
>Altimeter Range:
-1600 to 29500 feet (-500 to 9000 meters)
**Website reports -2296 feet to 29500 feet (-700 meters to
9000 meters)
>Altimeter Resolution:
1 foot (1 meter)
>Thermometer Range:
14F to 122F (-10C to 50C)
**Website
reports range from -4F to 158F (-20C to 70C)
>Thermometer
Resolution: 1F (1C)
**Website
reports 0.1 degree resolution
>Operating
Temperature: 14F to 120F (-10C to 50C)
>Storage Temperature:
-5F to 140F (-20C to 60C)
>Water Resistant:
100 feet (30 meters)
>Battery: CR2032
Features and capabilities as summarized from the Highgear Axis Instruction
Manual: (presented in order of function as the user cycles through the various
modes)
1) Time: Keeps time in 12 or 24 hour formats for 2 time zones. Can show
abbreviated day of the week and date of the month (i.e. TU 14) for Tuesday, the
14th. While there is no mention of this in the instruction manual, the website
reports that the calendar is pre-set until 2049.
2) Compass: Shows the direction in degrees, as well as in 16 lettered
directions (i.e. 18º and NNE). It also shows small marks that represent North
and South. There is a rotating bezel on the face of the watch with the cardinal
directions and degrees printed on it. While the instruction manual makes only a
passing mention of this, it does have the ability to set declination to your
location. Finally, the website and user manual reports a leveling bubble for
accuracy, but the watch I received does not have this feature, nor does the
website photo of the watch described.
3) Barometer: Shows the current barometric pressure, a graph of the
barometric pressure over the past 24 hours, and an icon of predicted weather
over the next several hours. The options are sunny, sunny with clouds, cloudy,
and rainy.
4) Altimeter: Shows current altitude, graph of the past 8 hours of
altitude gain and loss, and scrolling accumulated and maximum altitude with the
push of a button.
5) Altimeter Data: Saves 20 altitude data points, which records the
altitude, time, and date.
6) Chronograph: Standard stopwatch features with lap capabilities. Times
are to the 1/100th of a second.
7) Chronograph Data: Save the times of up to 100 laps from
"multiple" runs. The website reports 30 runs. Stores run number,
month, day, lap number, lap split, best time and average lap time.
8) Alarm: Allows 2 daily alarms to be set. The alarm is a simple
20-second beep.
4. Highgear Axis Initial Impressions
First of all, I should preface my impressions by stating that I have worn a
Casio altimeter/barometer watch almost every day for the past 7 or 8 years. I
wear it in-town, in the woods, and on mountaintops. I have become quite familiar with the functions of
altimeter/barometer watches in this time, but to be honest, it has taken years.
My experience is that altimeter watches are not particularly intuitive or
user-friendly, especially in the moments when they are needed most. Pulling out
a user manual in a storm at 13,000 feet (3962 meters) is not really an option. I
have also owned 3 other altimeter/barometer watches and a Brunton Sherpa
altimeter/weather monitor.
That said, I am quite impressed with the Highgear Axis so far. Granted, it's
only been a short time, but after staring at an altimeter/barometer watch for a
few thousand days, I've come to know what to expect from a wristwatch
environmental conditions station, learned their limitations, and how to make
them work for me - even if they aren't 100% accurate to the true state of
things.
For organization's sake, I will cover my initial impressions feature-by-feature
as listed above:
1) Time: Pretty basic function. There is nothing truly exceptional about
this function, except perhaps the display. While in the time mode, the user has
access to the calendar, weather, barometer, and temperature data - all without
leaving time mode. This is an excellent capability, in my opinion. Especially
when climbing, I want to be able to gather information with just a quick glance
and not have to cycle through small buttons with gloved fingers.
2) Compass: This feature appears to work just fine. After a quick
calibration, I compared it to a standard magnetic compass with a declination
feature, and it was right on. No complaints so far, but I have not had it in the
field yet. There will surely be more on this feature in future reports.
3) Barometer: This has been one of the most impressive feature so far. It
has been very accurate. On my old altimeter watch, the only way to tell what the
weather was going to do was to watch the tendency graph. If it went down, there
might be bad weather. But how far does it have to go down to warrant bailing on
a climb? When to turn around? These are stressful decisions when you've
committed days and effort into a volcano climb, for instance, and the weather is
borderline but not so bad that it's a certain bail out. The icons take some of
the guesswork out of what the weather will do by offering small images of sun,
clouds, and rain. In the short time I've had the Axis, it has been about 90%
accurate, and has definitely outwitted the weatherman on television. Granted,
the barometer is on my wrist and gives me real-time, pinpoint information, which
the weatherman does not, but that's exactly what I'm looking for. I had always
thought the best a wristwatch barometer could do would be to give a 24-hour
general weather pattern. The Axis has given me weather patterns in about 4 to 8
hour cycles and has been almost without fail. I was sure there had to be
mistakes in the predictions, and even went so far as to consider re-calibrating
during one stormy spell, but was completely impressed when every prediction
proved accurate.
I would be absolutely satisfied with a 75% accuracy rate in a wrist barometer.
The 90% + I am getting so far is just phenomenal. I had hoped that the Axis
would be a fun toy on trips, but if the weather prediction capability holds, it
truly has the potential to change the backpacking experience by allowing me to
predict weather. The temperature reading is always high because it is influenced
by skin temperature of the wearer. This is unavoidable, however, and I have
never seen or even heard of a product capable of compensating for this. For me,
the goal is to find a relatively constant number that the temperature is
increased by. So far, it is about 13F (7C) that I need to subtract to get the
actual temperature. If I need an actual environment temperature, I can always
remove the watch and leave it in the ambient air for a half-hour or so to get a
true temperature. Highgear notes that the skin temperature variance is
roughly 10F-15F (5.5C-8.3C).
4) Altimeter: While the changeable weather we have had over the past week
has caused some slight altitude drift, it has proven extremely accurate for
short-term uses. I climb to the 3rd story of a building on campus to my
classroom, and the altimeter consistently measures the climb at 27 or 28 feet
(8.2 to 8.5 meters). The way I use an altimeter on climbs, this is plenty
useful. For storing accumulated elevation or measuring altitude on a multi-day
trip, I will need to find a way to minimize the drift or re-calibrate
frequently. That said, it's as good as any altimeter I've used (about 5
different ones), and the 1 foot/1 meter resolution is a huge improvement over
the 20 foot/6 meter resolution I've become accustomed to.
5) Altimeter Data: I have only begun to use this feature, but plan on
utilizing it much more on future trips. So far, it has proven useful in
recording regular points (i.e. home and work) so I can compare current readings
to actual or stored readings.
6) Chronograph: There is nothing noteworthy about the stopwatch feature.
It's pretty much the same as any digital watch out there.
7) Chronograph Data: I have not used this feature yet, but it is
definitely intriguing. I often walk or jog a local park loop route, and keeping
a log of times - particularly best and average times - has appeal. Maybe this
feature will be what gets me to do the loop more regularly!
8) Alarm: There is nothing out of the ordinary here, either. The alarm
works, it's enough to wake me up (I'm a heavy sleeper - at least at home in my
bed), and isn't too long or annoying. That's really all I ask for in a watch,
and it serves this purpose.
5. Testing Plan and Location
Testing Plan
I plan on wearing the Highgear Axis watch daily until testing is complete. I am
eager to test it in the backcountry, where I have come to rely on my altimeter
watch quite a bit. I have taken to using an altimeter watch and a topographical
map to quickly find my location. Knowing what general area I'm in or what trail
I'm on, this is much quicker and much more accurate for me than using a compass.
Of course, a compass would provide reassurance of my location, and having a
compass on my wrist that is pre-adjusted for declination and available at a
glance is quite attractive. I've used this altimeter method of location for a
few years now, checking my accuracy with a GPS receiver, and it's quite good
given the margin of error of my altimeter. With a stated accuracy 20 times
greater than my current old Casio, the Axis could offer faster, more accurate
placement using this method, along with the backup of a compass. I use this
system on virtually all trips.
I'll be testing the Highgear Axis with a focus on the following questions:
1) Does it actually work? By work, I mean does it give accurate and consistent
elevation and barometric readings? Are they "close enough", or are
they as accurate as the manufacturer claims - an incredible 1 foot resolution.
2) Does the elevation drift so significantly as to be unusable? A common
complaint of altimeter users is that they wake up higher or lower than they went
to bed - without moving! Understanding how the altimeters work explains this,
but better altimeters are supposedly capable of minimizing drift to provide
consistent data - despite the weather changes that cause drift.
3) Is the product practical and simple to use frequently? A huge pain? Is it
small enough, simple enough, and strong enough to handle frequent use?
4) How accurate is the barometer over time? Is it accurate both in mountains and
in the city? Can it be counted on to help make the big decisions like turning
around on a climb or bagging a trip?
5) Does the temperature feature offer relatively accurate readings? Most
altimeter watches are hugely influenced by the body heat of the wearer. Is the
Axis the same? Can it compensate for the user? Is it a useful tool in
determining what to wear to bed in the backcountry?
Testing Location:
The vast majority of my usage of the altimeter watch will be in the Central and
North Cascades. Weather is quite changeable in this range in the spring and many
opportunities to use the Highgear Axis will be available. I would likely wear
the watch daily, tracking the accuracy of the barometer, altimeter, and
thermometer. I will also be testing the Axis on the National Seashore beaches of
Cape Cod in early July.
6. Contact and Background Information
Background Information:
Review by Curt Peterson: e-curt@a...
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3" (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 lbs. (122 kg)
I live in Seattle and do the vast majority of my outdoor activities in
Washington State. During the summer I try to head to the backcountry at least
every other week, averaging 3 to 5 multi-day trips in July and August. In the
fall and early winter, I usually do a couple day hikes a month and probably one
overnight per month. In the winter, I ski 1 to 2 days per week, and backpack in
the Central Washington steppe 1 to 2 times over the season. Spring and early
summer I usually climb, most often on the Cascade volcanoes. I usually go to the
coast in Olympic National Park at least once a year, and try to summit at least
one big volcano a year, so the range of locations that I test gear is pretty
broad. I also do a 3-mile walk each day with my dog, no matter what the
conditions are, and I often evaluate gear during that time.
I played football in college, and have been pretty active my entire life. I have
been camping and backpacking as long as I can remember.
First in Utah as a child, in Minnesota until I finished college, and here
in Washington ever since. I served on the Product Test Committee for Seattle's
biggest outdoor gear retailer for a two-year term in the mid-90s, then guided
backpacking tours with my wife in Olympic National Park for a few summers.
I've been interested in the most recent shift to lightweight thinking for the
past few years and really enjoy checking out new ideas and
approaches to backpacking.
I’d
like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Highgear for the opportunity to test the
Axis!
Read more reviews of Highgear gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson
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