subject: Wrist Watches With Altimeters - What Makes The Altimeter Function? [print this page] Wrist watches with altimeters are actually one of the most awesome little units conceivable. If you stop and take into consideration what's encased in this small casing, it is really an wonderful testimony to miniaturization.
Nevertheless, how can a watch altimeter work?
It's very easy. You will find there's small barometer in the timekeeper which calculates atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure changes all the time together with weather conditions. And, all the altimeter inside the watch is performing is translating that barometric pressure reading in to an elevation readout.
Most often, these wrist watches will certainly measure really accurately. To within 1 m or 3 feet isn't unusual. For the purposes of travelling or hiking up in the mountains, this degree of exactness is plenty good.
You will need to be cautious though. These kinds of wristwatches can get out of calibration in short order. Particularly as the day goes on in the barometric pressure changes as a direct consequence of either changes in weather or perhaps changes in temperature, you have to seek out the place to benchmark the unit. What i'm saying by that is that you simply have to be compelled to get a known point of elevation and reset the watch to that point.
Why is important to know how high you are?
If you're in the woods and are using or topographical chart to find your way around, it is good to also have an alternate source of altimeter information to tell how high you are. This is just an extra level of safety that you get from having an altimeter watch.
Since weather can really affect barometric pressure, it will also affect the readout on the watch of elevation. Therefore, you've got to take the time and find some known locations throughout your track that will allow you to reset and benchmark the watches altimeter setting. The way you do that is just find somewhere of known elevation like a body of water, or a mountain ridge to set your watch synchronous with that location.
In good weather, the pressure is usually higher and therefore your barometric pressure will read higher than your actual altimeter setting will read. Also, in less favorable weather conditions the pressure will it read lower and you will actually get the same fluctuation in altimeter reading on the other side of the spectrum. That's why it's a good idea to calibrate frequently.
With watches with altimeters operative mechanism is simply a small barometer. That offers clear options for you in terms of weather predicting capability.
