BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Name: Chuck Carnes
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft. 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
Wrist Circumference: 6.5 in (16.5 cm)
E-mail address: ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country: Greenville, South Carolina USA

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking since then. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one-man tent camper for now. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Suunto
Model: X9i
Year of manufacture: 2006
URL: www.suunto.com
Listed Weight: 2.6 oz (76 g)
Actual Weight: 2.9 oz (82 g)                                                                                                           
Minimum Wrist Setting (circumference - measured from inside of closed band): 5.2 in (13.2 cm)
Maximum Wrist Setting (circumference - measured from inside of closed band): 8.5 in (21.5 cm)
MSRP: $499.00 USD (online)

Contents of package:
Suunto X9i wrist-top computer
Extension band
User Guide (translated into eight international languages)
Pocket Guide
"Before you start" pamphlet
USB cable (for charging and transferring information)
Power supply w/ international adapters
CD (includes full manual translated into many international languages and Trekk Manager software)         

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (taken from web site)
The ideal trekking partner for all outdoor enthusiasts. Equipped with GPS, a compass, chronograph, altimeter, and barometer Suunto X9i has everything you need for a successful journey. Regardless whether you're hiking, climbing, skiing or heading off for a fishing trip, Suunto X9i will take you through even the toughest situations.

Features:

Altimeter: altitude, vertical speed, altitude alarm, thermometer

Barometer: Sea level pressure, absolute pressure, weather trend graph, temperature, weather alarm

Compass: Bearing, graphic compass rose, bearing tracking

GPS: Resolution 1m / 3 ft, 12 channels

Watch: Calendar, 3 alarms with date option, dual time, stopwatch

Menu-based user interface familiar from mobile phones

Water resistant to 10 bar

Power supply: USB cable and a universal power supply

PC interface software + USB cable

Full access to SuuntoSports.com

When I first opened the package and retrieved the X9i from the box I thought "Wow, the face on this thing is huge". After I put it on, it only took a few minutes to get used to it. The above three pictures are first, the X9i on my wrist with a US Quarter showing comparison of size. Second, the back of the X9i and third, the closer clasp. I left it on as I started pulling the items from the package that came with the X9i. The items in the package are listed above.

Extension Band

One of the items that I came across that I was confused about was what appeared to be an extra watch band but it was too short to be a watch band. Then I figured it out, seeing that it had the same clasp as the one on the X9i. It is an extension band for wearing the watch on the exterior of the sleeve of a jacket or a bulky piece of clothing.

Being a guy, and not reading the user guide, I started pressing buttons to figure out all of the features of the X9i. I had previously read the 98 page manual on Suunto's web site. So, I sort of knew a little bit about the different modes and settings. Without looking at the manual or user guide, I have to say that for the first run at setting some of the features, it was pretty easy. On the right hand side of the X9i there are three buttons; Up, Enter and Down. To toggle through the different modes, simply press the up or down button. When the desired mode is displayed, press the enter button to change the functions of that particular mode. To set up or change any of the particular functions, press enter again, change the desired numerical or unit setting, press enter again to accept the change; to me it is very simple and straight forward.

Battery Charging

I noticed the battery indicator on the right side of the screen only had one out of six bars remaining for the battery charge. I retrieved the USB cable and the power supply from the package. Along with the power supply, Suunto provides four international power adapters that snap into place on the power supply. I found the US power adapter, snapped it into place on the power supply, plugged the USB cable into the power supply and plugged the power supply into the electrical outlet. At the other end of the USB cable is a clamp type connection that attaches to the wrist top computer. From this point, it took about 5 hours to get a full charge.

The User and Pocket Guide

While the X9i was charging, I took the opportunity to read the User Guide to familiarize myself with all of the functions. I was expecting the User Guide to be the same as the online manual except in book form. This was not the case at all. The User Guide is a 280 page (plus or minus) guide with 35 pages devoted to the English language and the rest devoted to other international languages (FR, DE, ES, IT, NL, FI, SV). The User Guide gives brief descriptions of the modes and pictures of the functions but not enough information to fully perform some of the functions as desired. Also included is a small, multi-folded pamphlet that says "Read this before you start!" on the front. The whole front is dedicated to the English language and it basically gives steps to follow to ensure a good GPS fix. The rest of the pamphlet is dedicated to seven other international languages (FR, DE, ES, IT, NL, FI, SV).

The Pocket Guide is a multi-fold, laminated guide that gives helpful hints and shortcuts for in-the-field use without having to carry the User Guide.

The User Manual and 'Trekk Manager' Software CD

Since the User Guide did not show me, in detail, how to set up my X9i, I decided to insert the CD that contained the User Manual and read from there on how to set it up.

The Suunto X9i
Below is a diagram of the X9i and the different placements of buttons, indicators and symbols that pertain to the different functions and modes. I will briefly describe each mode and its function along with the different indicators that can be used in that particular function. The display on the X9i is divided up into three rows; top, middle and bottom. In the diagram below the indication of 'Wed 4.06' is considered the top row. The time, indicated as '8:08', is considered the middle row and the indication of '34' is considered the bottom row. Keep this in mind while reading the following modes, as these rows can display many different things. Because of the complexity of this product, I will not cover every aspect that it is capable of. For in-depth descriptions of particular functions, see the on-line manual on www.suunto.com.
Time
The first 'Mode indicator' (left side of display - shown in diagram) is the 'Time' mode. Here the time can be shown in standard or military time. On the top row, the day of the week is shown along with the date; no other function can be shown on this row. The middle row displays the current time in large, very easy to see, numbers. During the time setting process, the user can set it manually or allow a satellite to display the correct time; no other function can be shown on this row. The bottom row displays the AM/PM indicators and the 'seconds'. By pressing the 'Stop/Back' button repeatedly on the bottom left side, the user can toggle the display to show the 'seconds', current time in another country or the 'Stop Watch' function and then back to the 'seconds'.

If the Stop Watch function is desired, toggle to that function as described above. To start the stop watch, press the 'Start/Data' button on the top left side. To stop it, press the 'Stop/Back' button. Lap functions can also be displayed.

Altimeter / Barometer

The second 'Mode indicator' is the 'Altimeter / Barometer' mode. Here, a graph can be shown for the Barometer and a numerical distance for the Altimeter. In this mode, the user decides which of the two is displayed.

In the Barometer mode, on the top row, the barometric pressure at sea level is displayed; no other function can be shown on this row. The middle row displays the barometric pressure graph during the last 6 hours in 15-minute intervals. The bottom row displays temperature, absolute barometric pressure or current time. In the Barometer mode, if the 'Start/Data' button is pressed, the display shows times of sunrise and sunset.

In the Altimeter mode, on the top row, the vertical speed is displayed; no other function can be shown on this row. The middle row displays the altitude from sea level. The bottom row displays temperature, absolute barometric pressure or current time. Also in the Altimeter mode, if the 'Start/Data' button is pressed, the display shows times of sunrise and sunset.

Compass

The third 'Mode indicator' is the 'Compass' mode. Here, on the top row, the cardinal and half-cardinal point abbreviations are displayed; no other function can be shown on this row. Notice the circular North indicator above the 'North' abbreviation. The middle row displays the heading in degrees. The bottom row displays time, bearing lock or bearing.

Navigation

The fourth 'Mode indicator' is the 'Navigation' mode. This mode is a little bit more complex. In general, on the top row, the direction to a waypoint is displayed along with a circular bearing indicator. More of this is covered in the manual. The above picture is not displaying anything because I do not have the GPS on and/or do not have a waypoint selected. When the GPS is on and a waypoint is selected, the top row will display the name and number of the navigated waypoint. The middle row displays the distance to the next waypoint. The bottom row displays current time, bearing or estimated time to waypoint.

Activity

The fifth 'Mode indicator' is the 'Activity' mode. The Activity function records data from a track. The GPS can be turned on or off in this mode. If the GPS is turned on, there are three different fix intervals to chose from; 1 sec., 1 min. and manual. If the 1 sec. interval is selected, the X9i will establish a satellite connection every 1 second. At this interval, the battery is used more often and the estimated duration time is 4-5 hours. If the 1 min. interval is selected, the X9i will establish a satellite connection every 1 minute. At this interval, the battery is used less often and the estimated duration time is 12 hours. If the manual interval is selected, the X9i will only attempt to establish a satellite connection when the 'Stop/Back' button is pressed and held for more than 2 seconds. At this interval, the battery depends on the manual usage.

This mode is also complex and several different views can be displayed in the top, middle and bottom rows. In the picture above, I have chosen to view speed (top row), distance (middle row) and current time in the bottom row.

Function
The 'Function' mode is not indicated on the 'Mode indicator'. To access this mode, the user holds down any of the buttons for more than 2 seconds and the 'Function' mode will display. In the Function mode, the user can turn on and off the GPS, mark a memory point during travel, mark a 'Home' spot, find the 'Home' spot and view the current position.

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Trip #1:
Location: Maui, HI
Weather Conditions: Warm and misting rain
*Temperature: 88 F (31 C)
*Total Time: 1.5 hrs
*Total Distance: Did not register
*Highest Point: 948 ft (289 m)
*Lowest Point: 535 ft (163 m)
*Ascent: 404 ft (123 m)
*Descent: 167 ft (51 m)
*Max Speed: did not register
*Average Speed: did not register
*Laps: 1
(* - information taken from the Suunto X9i)

Report: I have been wearing the Suunto X9i everyday from the time that I got it until now. That time period was really for me to get used to the size of the watch and to get used to the functions and where all of the buttons were. This was the first technical trip that I used the X9i to gather information. This was a guided group trip that I decided to take while I was in Hawaii. The guide drove us to the trail head and escorted us down to one of the many waterfalls on the island of Maui. As we got to the trail head, I scrolled to the Activity Mode and turned on the GPS so that it could start locating satellites.

The information above is the data that the X9i gathered on this trip. I glanced down occasionally to see how strong the signal was for the satellites. The GPS fix interval was set on 1 second which searches, or continues to connect to, the satellites every second. The strength indicator for this is six bars that is located above the middle row as seen in the diagram above noted as "GPS signal". One bar indicates very weak strength up to six bars that indicates very strong strength. Each time that I looked at the indicator, only one bar was flashing. When I pressed the 'Data' button, I could see that it was receiving data but I wasn't sure of the accuracy. At one point during this trip 'GPS manual mode' would flash on the display and have a series of beeps. When this appeared, I figured that I had lost the satellites signal so I quickly reset it back to 1 second intervals. When this occurred, I made note of the tree coverage to see if this could have caused the loss of satellites signal. I did have some tree coverage but the canopies were very open and airy. As mentioned earlier, the data above is what the X9i recorded during this trip.


Trip #2:
Location: Maui, HI
Weather Conditions: Clear and cold
*Temperature: 52 F (11 C)
*Total Time: 1.7 hrs
*Total Distance: 33 miles (54 km)
*Highest Point: 9,554 ft (2,912 m)
*Lowest Point: 13 ft (4 m)
*Ascent: 9,980 ft (3,042 m)
*Descent: 456 ft (139 m)
*Max Speed: 63 miles/h (102 km/h)
*Average Speed: 20 miles/h (33 km/h)
*Laps: 1
(* - information taken from the Suunto X9i)

Report: I started out on this trip in a car from the hotel. This trip was to the top of Mt. Haleakala at the Pu'u'ula'ula Summit. The observation area is at an elevation of 10,023 ft (3055 m). My plan for this trip was to drive to the Park Headquarters Visitors Center which was at an elevation of 7,000 ft (2134 m) and park, hike to the top and then come back down. When I left the hotel I toggled to the Activity Mode and turned on the GPS so that it could start getting a GPS fix. It was a 1 hr. drive to the Visitors Center so that is why the data above shows the Max Speed of 63 miles/h (102 km/h). The satellite connection was made as the X9i was resting on the front dash of the car on the way to the Visitors Center.

When I arrived at the Visitors Center to park and to start the hike up, the ranger stopped me at told me that I had to drive up and not walk up because of the darkness. I guess I failed to mention that it was 2:30 a.m because I was going to see the sunrise at the top of the mountain. At that point my plans were drastically changed but I kept the GPS on so that I could continue to record data. I drove the rest of the way up and stopped the data recording when I reached the top. One thing that I noticed was the difference in the readings of the Altimeter and the stated monument elevation. The stated elevation on a display board was 10,023 ft (3055 m). As seen in the picture below that was taken at this display board, it reads 9,580 ft (2920 m). The temperature was reading 72 F (22 C) because the X9i was under a jacket because it was really 52 F (11 C) outside of this jacket and very windy. I did not set a datum elevation at the Visitors Center because I wanted to see if the X9i's altimeter function would read the same or very close to the datum stated at the mountain top. It turned out not being the same and in fact, about 443 ft (135 m) off. I don't know why it would be this far off because I noted the elevation of the X9i in different locations along the mountain top and it stayed the same. The signal for the GPS was very weak and that could have been the cause for the difference in the readings but there was absolutely no tree or object coverage at all; the area was wide open. So, my only other thought was that I did not set the datum elevation at the Visitors Center.

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Report: As seen in the Trip #1 and Trip # 2, the information given above did not come from the Suunto X9i. I used a hand held GPS along with the Suunto X9i to get my information. Unfortunately, the X9i never locked on a satellite long enough to receive information. I had the satellite fix interval set at 1 sec. until after about 2- 3 minutes, it would beep and go back to 'manual mode'. I was constantly having to scroll through and keep setting it to the 1 sec. fix intervals hoping to get a fix to receive information for my trip. During all of this I played with the compass and found it to be very helpful. I was able to give it a bearing from the hand held GPS and proceeded to use the X9i to get to my spot. All other features of the X9i seem to work really well and I enjoyed the ones that did work; I was just very disappointed in the GPS. I did notice that when the temperatures dropped below freezing, the display was very slow when changing modes.

Report: This was a very steep descent into the gorge and back out. I turned the GPS on as soon as I got to the rim so that it could be establishing a satellite connection while I was getting my stuff on and ready. I did have a little bit of tree coverage but the leaves were off of the trees and it was sunny with no clouds in the sky. For the whole time of the trip the X9i never established a connection. I changed the mode to the Altimeter at one point and noticed that it read -181 ft. (-55 m). I knew this was wrong and did not realize that the elevation had gotten that far off. I have no idea how it got that far off. I changed it to the compass mode and again, enjoyed the use of this feature.

My Findings During Field Use:
The first portion of my testing period was to get myself familiar with the X9i and all of its functions. I mainly focused on the comfort of the X9i while wearing it, the strength and weakness of the satellite fix and the accuracy of the data that the X9i recorded. The face of the X9i is certainly big for a wrist watch and I found certain articles of clothing to catch on the side of the X9i while putting on a jacket or removing a shirt or something in the like. The display of numbers and information is very big and very easy to see. I am still trying to get used to the size of the X9i, which I think will get more comfortable the more and more I wear it.

From the trips mentioned above I uploaded the data to the Trek Manager software that was included in the package. I simply opened Trek Manager on my computer, connected the X9i to the provided cable connection and found 'Download from X9i' on the Trek Manager Software. From that point, the date that the data was taken shows up on the Trek Manager software. Double click on the date and the information is displayed in the 'Track' window. A profile of the terrain is displayed in the 'Profiles' window and a map, if available is displayed in the 'Map' window.

I have not had much luck on uploading and configuring a map for the area the data was taken. I have tried several different ways and several different maps with no luck. I contacted customer service and found out that I am not able to use my current TOPO! Software. However, Google Earth has a file transfer that allows a Suunto user to upload the waypoints and routes to Google Earth to view. I tried this and it was very cool to see the routes that I was able to get, show up on Google Earth in 3D. I can see that the Trek Manager would be a great tool to use in making routes and waypoints so I want to get this figured out so that I can take advantage of this software. Below are my findings of the particular features of the X9i.

The Altimeter:

The stated elevations that the altimeter displays have been slightly off than the stated elevations at a given point on a monument or map. But to be fair, I can not say that the X9i is in-accurate because I don't know how accurate a map or surveyed monument point would be. In future testing, I will set the datum elevation to read the same as a monument reading to find out the accuracy at a different location. The elevation read out is very easy to see and can be seen easily while walking and glancing at the display; I don't have to stop and focus my eyes on a small number.

The Barometer:

The Barometer has shown changes in display readings that seem to match the weather as it changes. When going to the top of Mt. Haleakala, the barometer changed drastically as I went higher and higher in elevation. The weather was clear and cold but I assume the air pressure is what caused the change. I have not encountered a storm to find out how the barometer will display the readings. 

The Compass:

The Compass seems to be accurate compared to a stand alone compass. It is very easy to calibrate the compass by activating the 'Calibrate' mode and rotating the X9i in a counter clockwise fashion until the display reads 'Complete'. So far I have only had to calibrate it one time since I have been using it. When the Compass mode is displayed, it is very easy to follow the directional circle that displays the direction in which you are heading.

The Temperature:

I feel that the temperature is close to being correct based on local temperature readings from radio or television. The sensor certainly gets better accuracy if it is uncovered from clothing or any object that might hinder the reading. For example, the picture shown above of the elevation on Mt. Haleaklala, the temperature outside was 52 F (11 C) according to a car external thermometer, but when under a jacket sleeve, the temperature read 72 F (22 C). As mentioned above, I have found that the display readings seem to change slower when the temperatures are below freezing.

The GPS:

The set up for the GPS seemed to be very easy while following the instructions in the manual. The connection time between satellite and the X9i is stated to be around 12 minutes. I found that to be pretty much accurate as long as there is open area while it is trying to make a connection. I found the connection to be slightly longer, if not at all, when objects or in the way or covering the X9i. I am very disappointed in the satellite reception for the X9i. This is a great feature for this watch and it does me no good if I never am able to get a connection. This takes all the fun out of being able to track my routes and making plans for a trip.

The Battery:

The battery seems to go a long time between charges. While the GPS is being used, I can see the battery indicator deplete fairly quickly. During normal use, the charge stays for several weeks. At one point while at home I noticed the battery indicator was down to the last bar. I decided to let the battery deplete completely to see what happens when I charge it back up. After a full charge, I had to reset the time but the compass still seemed to be correctly calibrated. I don't know if route information is lost during battery depletion because I had already downloaded my previous information to Trek Manager and deleted from the X9i.

This concludes my Long Term Report. Thank you Suunto and BGT for this opportunity.