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Reviews > Electronic Devices > Watches > Suunto Vector Wristop Computer Watch > Jim Sabiston > Long Term Report
Suunto Vector Wristop Computer  Photo courtesy Suunto Date: July 31st, 2006 Reviewer Information:
Backpacking Background:
Product
Information:
Specifications as listed on the Suunto Website:
A Brief Description of the Vector: The Vector is the original Suunto Wrist Computer, according to the web site. The Vector model comes in various colors including black, khaki, yellow, light blue and X Black. The LCD screen can be ordered in the more typical black characters against the neutral LCD background or with a black background and contrasting alphanumeric characters. The Vector is quite large, but the size seems to be an advantage given the multi-function nature of the watch. The various functions are accessed by four large buttons located at the side of the four 'corners' of the watch body. The combination of the large body and the large buttons make it very easy to operate the watch and to access the various functions. The large LCD screen and characters make the Vector easy to read. Holding the 'Mode' button in the pressed position activates the backlight so the watch can be used in the dark. The backlight stays on for about five seconds. The watch I received is completely black except for the LCD screen. The wrist band is made of a heavy black rubber with what appears to be a stainless steel buckle. The rotating bezel is marked with compass degrees in 30 degree increments. The bezel requires a rather firm push to move, but this proved to be a good thing, as it will not be easy to shift it accidentally. The bezel sits higher than the rest of the watch body and looks as though it will also provide some protection for the LCD crystal, which is slightly recessed within it. The bottom of the watch body has a series of grooves molded into it. These radiate from what appears to be the sensor location for the altimeter and barometer functions. The battery cover, a circular plate slightly larger than a quarter (US $.25 coin), is also located here. The battery cover is partially bisected by a groove designed to accept a small coin, and a quarter seems to be a good fit. The watch is packaged with a manual which is intimidating in its bulk. It is not large, fitting easily in my hand, but it is just over 1/2 in (13 mm) thick! I was relieved to find that the reason for the thickness is that the manual contains dedicated sections in no less than eight languages! These are listed right on the manual cover: EN (English), FR (French), DE (German), ES (Spanish), IT (Italian), NL (Netherlands), FI (Finnish), SV (Swedish). Included with the manual is a small quick-reference card. The card is designed to fold in half and, once folded, is about the size of a typical business card. The card has a light plastic coating which should help preserve it in the field. For a more detailed description of the Vector, please refer to my Initial Report.Long Term Experience: The Vector interested me as it is a fairly basic example of a wrist computer and seemed to minimize the 'superfluous' bells and whistles while retaining a desirable set of navigational and reference aids. My long term experience continues to support this initial impression. The Vector was used on a number of day hikes and canoe trips and especially on an extended canoe trip to the Bog River Flow and Low's Lake in New York's Adirondack Mountains. This gave me an opportunity to use the Vector away from backup weather references. There would also be frequent exposure to rain and water. I also was able to try out the compass function and subject the watch daily to the knockabout environment of life in a small canoe while covering miles and also fishing. The Vector has held up extremely well to a rough-and-tumble existence. The rubber and plastic construction have proven very durable. The Vector received numerous, repeated dunkings while fishing and canoeing and shows absolutely no effects from frequent rain and water exposure. Most of the time I find that I tend to keep the Vector attached to the outside of my daypack or backpack where it has received it fair share of bumps and knocks. It is virtually unaffected by this rough treatment. For the most part, my experience parallels that as described in my Field Report. Please refer to the Field Report for more detailed descriptions of the various functions offered by the Vector. This report will focus on those items that became apparent during the last two months of the test period. Time mode: As the most extended use of the Vector was during my vacation, I made a pretty big effort not to monitor the time or even the date! However, after several days in the backcountry fishing , canoeing and hiking, I must admit the Vector was useful in reminding me that I could not stay out there forever.The most important time function used was the countdown timer. I used this to tell me when my meals were ready, otherwise I tend to get distracted by a camp conversation or a photo opportunity. Altimeter Mode: The altimeter received no use during this part of the test. This is simply due to the fact that one does not experience much in the way of elevation changes while canoeing! Major elevation changes while paddling a canoe are a very bad thing! Barometer Mode: I was particularly interested in using the Barometer function while out of reach of the usual weather reports. The week long canoe trip in the Adirondacks provided this opportunity. Curiously, we were under a very stable weather system for most of the week and the measured pressure never changed more than .05 inHg (1.7 mbar). That said, this was the Adirondacks. Typical of Adirondack weather, we experienced a pretty mixed combination of weather. On any given day, we had dead calms, gale force winds (one of which blew my canoe off the beach requiring a quick rescue mission!), rain showers, bright sun, etc. The barometer held rock steady all through this mixed weather, with two notable exceptions. Most of the rain showers were of the quick passing variety. However, on one morning we received a flooding deluge in the form of a moderately violent thunder squall for about an hour or so. The Vector registered its first pressure drop leading into this storm. The pressure dropped from 28.10 inHg to 28.05 inHg (949.88 mbar to 951.58 mbar) and the Graphic Indicator displayed a single down arrow. The weather cleared shortly thereafter and the pressure held steady for several hours at which point it returned to the previous reading. The second time was at the end of the trip. A line of thunder squalls came through the area and the Vector displayed exactly the same data as during the previous storm. On both occasions, there were strong visual indicators that some unpleasant weather was approaching. The changeable nature of Adirondack weather can cause one to pay less attention to the conditions than one should. By glancing at the Graphic Indicator, I get a quick reminder that I should prepare for something that will likely be worse than a passing sun shower. This feature has proven to be extremely useful. I found myself periodically reviewing the automatic barometric log once or twice a day to keep track of the general weather trend, because I really can't trust my memory for multiple day readings. Very handy feature, that. The Compass Mode: A compass is not strictly necessary for most of the hiking and canoeing I do. It does give a bit of extra confidence, however, and I find myself using it pretty frequently. One of my primary interests was to use the compass function on more open water while canoeing. I wanted to see if the movement of the canoe would cause erratic readings. As we experienced very high winds periodically throughout the Adirondacks trip, I had ample opportunity to put the compass through its paces in this less-than-favorable environment. Using the compass feature in the small canoe proved even easier than I had hoped. I should mention that I do not use the more common canoe design. I use a canoe built by Hornbeck Boats specifically for the Adirondacks, which require frequent carries (called portages pretty much everywhere else). These canoes are small and light and require that the paddler sit on the bottom of the canoe rather than on an elevated seat. This seating position, coupled with the recommended double bladed paddle, make the canoe more like a kayak in use and the result is a very stable seating position, even in the nasty chop that occurs on the larger Adirondack lakes. Suunto recommends removing the compass to take a bearing. I consider this the height of impracticality and have never actually done this during my time in the field. If this were the only way to get a bearing, I would rather use a standard handheld compass worn on a lanyard around my neck, as is my normal practice. Fortunately, my experience with the Vector indicates it gives accurate bearings even when still worn on my wrist. It is absolutely critical that the compass be held level when taking a bearing. I was able to develop a technique that made the Compass function both accurate and practical without removing it from my wrist. I accomplish this in the canoe by bracing my arm against my stomach while leveling the Vector using the built in leveling bubble. This proved both surprisingly easy and accurate with a bit of practice and is far more convenient than using a handheld compass. I continue to find the bezel to be mostly ornamental. It does provide some functionality as a quick reference to 'North' when it is turned to the north bearing indicator position on a targeted course, assuring my eye goes quickly to the right position on the LCD rim. Aside from this, the bezel's greatest value seems to me to be the protection it affords the watch lens, which has only received a very minor scratch so far. Summary:Likes: 1 – Good quality, well made product. 2 – Easy to read large LCD screen. 3 – Light for its size. 4 – A veritable laundry list of useful functions. Dislikes: 1 - Size. This is a big watch, but it is much more than a watch. Is there a way to keep the big LCD and all the great features and trim the size down? There is much to like here. The Suunto Vector is packed with enough goodies to keep any gearhead busy. I have found all the primary functions of use in the field, especially the Compass and Altimeter. The Compass and Altimeter functions have proven to be highly accurate and excellent boons to quick and convenient navigation when matched with a good topographic chart. The Barometer mode has proven to be highly accurate and a very useful indicator of approaching weather, especially when used in conjunction with the Graphic Indicator.Construction is solid and the materials are rugged and durable, perfectly suited to the outdoors. The Vector will remain a regular part of my outdoor kit.
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