| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Highgear Axis Long Term
Report
October 2004
Product Information:
www.highgearusa.com
Below you'll find:
1. Special Note On Test Unit
2. Highgear Axis Overview
3. Highgear Axis Long Term Report
4. Testing Location
5. Contact and Background Information
1. Special Note On Test Unit
My first report on the Axis originally 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 simplest 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
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. For a feature-by-feature detailed
description of the Highgear Axis, please refer to my
Initial Report. For an analysis of real world usage, please see my
Field Report.
3. Highgear Axis Long Term Report
Features
I have worn the Axis (including the original test unit) virtually every day for
a full year now. I have hiked in it, skied in it, showered in it, even slept in
it almost every minute of the test period. In some ways, it is perfect for my
backcountry needs. In others, it is frustrating enough to find me looking at the
competition for my altimeter watch needs. In following the format of my
Initial Report and
Field Report, I will comment on how the Axis has performed on a
feature-by-feature basis:
1) Time: The Axis has kept perfect time. It has not slowed or sped
up to any appreciable degree. I still appreciate that I have easy access to the
calendar, weather, barometer, and temperature data without leaving time mode.
This is such a simple thing that it doesn't get highly advertised, but is one of
the most useful features of the Axis. I probably have it in time mode over 95%
of the time, so this feature's value cannot be overstated.
2) Compass: The compass is easily the greatest failure of my test
unit. All features of the Axis at least worked to some degree - except the
compass. As described in my Field Report, the compass – no matter what direction
I'm oriented to – displays a SE to SW range of 155 to about 210 degrees. It does
not go out of this range. The test unit I have has, quite simply, failed in its
compass ability.
3) Barometer: Whatever disappointment and failure the compass has
been responsible for, the barometer has more than made up for. In my real world
usage, I usually know what direction North is, and if I don't, a 99-cent compass
can tell me. Predicting weather, however, is a much trickier proposition.
Especially in the notoriously finicky Cascades. The Axis has provided me with
eerie accuracy. I can honestly say that for short term (4-48 hour) weather, I
trust the accuracy of the Axis more than the pre-trip reports from the local
weatherman, Internet, or government services. Perhaps this isn't entirely fair,
since the Axis gives me a pinpoint prediction based on my actual location and
the other reports generally focus on massive sections of the range, but then
again, this is what I want. It won't see a "pineapple express" roaring in from
the Southwest 600 miles (970 km) off the coast like the big weather outfits
will, but I can safely rely on this watch to get me an accurate read on the next
day or so, and that's worth a lot. It has helped in simple decisions like
gear and clothing selection, and harder decisions like when to bail out of a
trip or side-route because of nasty changes on the way. The temperature readings
continue to be about 13F (7C) higher than reality due to skin temperature,
though this can vary wildly when hiking in hot direct sunlight.
4) Altimeter: The altimeter continues to be extremely accurate. It
is not immune to drift, but of all the altimeters I've used, it is by far the
most accurate. Drift occurs, but is minimal - much less than the other brands of
electronic (and one mechanical) altimeters I've had experience with. I continue
to have full confidence that if I calibrated daily while on a backpacking trip
or climb, it will indicate my altitude within 10 or 20 feet (3 to 6 meters).
Please see my
Field Report for detailed examples of altimeter accuracy. Using it
over larger elevation gains and losses doesn't appear to affect accuracy to any
considerable degree.
5) Altimeter Data: Because this feature never became the intuitive
on-the-move feature I'd hoped for, I rarely used it. It is possible to record
using this feature, but I always found the need for the manual, and this just
wasn't worth it each and every time.
6) Chronograph: The stopwatch works fine. Nothing particularly
fantastic or intolerable here. With the exception of the non-standard button
controls (see
Field Report), it is a pretty basic digital watch stopwatch.
7) Chronograph Data: Like the Altimeter Data feature, something
about this just never quite became automatic in my head. I needed the manual to
use it effectively, and this prevented me from using it more. It does work, and
if this was a high priority use for me perhaps it would have become simpler to
use, but it stood out to me as one of the only features I didn't use routinely.
8) Alarm: No complaints here. I still haven't overslept, and it's
as loud and effective as ever.
Other comments
The Axis has definitely earned the toughness comments I gave it in my
Field Report. The rotating bezel has lost almost all of its paint at this
point, but that's not a big deal in my opinion. The rest of the face of the
watch is in amazingly good condition. I have not had any altimeter watch - or
any watch for that matter - look so clear and good after this amount of time and
abuse. It's scratched and beat up a bit, to be sure, but it still looks good and
has no permanent damage.
The watchband has held up very well, but provided one of the more interesting
discoveries of the test. I decided to replace it with an aftermarket band in
case I ever had the need due to a problem with the plastic band that comes with
the Axis. This, plus my desire for a much longer wristband that could go on the
outside of a jacket while skiing, led me to look into alternatives. An e-mail
from Highgear indicated that there are no longer versions of the wristband made,
and that replacements to the existing one are $12 USD. So, I looked to
aftermarket watchbands. This proved challenging. After about 6 stores and a lot
of hunting, I finally found one that worked. The spring pins that hold in
the Axis watchband are very difficult to access. I've changed a lot of
watchbands over the years, and this was easily the most difficult. In addition,
the span the band covers is just 1/2 in (1.27 cm) - a width that proved hard to
find. Even in a number of "The Band" brand displays, this size wasn't
available. I finally found it at a retailer with a huge inventory of bands and
made the switch. I now prefer the Velcro aftermarket band to the original, as it
is much more flexible and comfortable. A longer ski-friendly band option
would be a welcome additional option to the Axis.
My greatest frustration with the Axis continues to be the "feel" of the side
buttons. Originally crisp and solid, they have become mushy, particularly the
left side buttons that get frequent use. These buttons often need multiple
pushes to engage them, and sometimes considerable force. This is compounded by
gloves, which more often than not became an exercise in frustration. If I were
to only use the Axis as an outdoor watch, with use limited to backpacking and
climbing trips, this would not have been an issue for years. But for day-to-day
use, it is a problem that needs to be remedied in my opinion. At this point I
would recommend the watch as a dedicated outdoors watch, but not necessarily an
everyday timepiece.
Long Term Report Pros:
- Incredible weather prediction abilities with easy to
read icons
- Most accurate altimeter of the 5 digital altimeters
I've used over the years
- Tough casing and super-durable and large face
- Big, easy to read numbers
- Date, time, weather, temperature are all on one screen
and easily read
Long Term Report Cons:
- Digital compass on this unit is essentially useless
- Buttons have gone mushy and can be very frustrating at
times, bringing worries of long-term durability
- Some features almost require the manual to utilize
Long Term Report Recommendations for Improvement:
- Don't change the barometer/weather prediction setup!!
It works incredibly well!!
- Add an altitude "lock" feature for in-camp situations
to prevent even minor drift
- Fix the mushy button problem
- Fix the compass issues, or – better yet – offer the
Axis without the compass feature entirely at a lower price while retaining all
other features.
- Develop some sort of menu navigation that could make
all features usable without the manual by simply cycling through menu options
(i.e. "yes" or "no", "forward" or "back", "cancel" or "select" – functions
that most users are familiar with from common digital products.
4. Testing Location
The majority of my usage of the altimeter watch for the test period was in the
Central Cascades. Weather is quite changeable in this range. July and August
were ridiculously dry and hot, and September and October have been very wet.
Elevations ranged from sea level in Seattle to alpine and sub alpine areas of
the Cascades, mostly between 5,000 and 7,000 ft (1520 to 2130 m).
5) Contact and Background Information
Name: Curt Peterson
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Height: 6'3" (1.91 m)
Weight: 270 lbs. (122 kg)
Email address: curt <at> boopants <dot> com
Location: North Bend, WA, USA
I live in the Cascade foothills, just 20 miles (32 km) from the Pacific Crest
Trail via footpaths leading right from my backyard. The vast majority of
my outdoor activities are here in Washington State. During the summer I backpack
and dayhike, and continue into the fall and early winter until the snows
overtake the Cascades. In the winter, I ski 1 to 2 days per week, and backpack
in the Central Washington tundra-like steppe at least once. Spring and early
summer I usually climb, most often on the Cascade volcanoes. In addition, I try
to go to the coast in Olympic National Park at least once a year, so the range
of locations that I test gear is pretty broad. I hike on a forested trail each
and every day with my dog, no matter what the conditions are.
I played football in college and like to evaluate products from a big guy
perspective, as there is definitely a shortage of both gear and reviews from
this point of view. 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.
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and
Highgear for the opportunity to test the Axis watch!
Read more reviews of Highgear gear
Read more gear reviews by Curt Peterson
|
