subject: Timekeeper Altimeter - Is There A Most Important Feature? [print this page] When you are talking about a watch altimeter there are a variety of functions available that can seem important. However, there is one piece of information they can give you that is more important that all the other data that may be available.
When you have loads and loads of information available, it is very easy to get hung up on what you should pay attention to and what you can ignore. You have to be selective about the information that you take in and make sure it is relevant to your situation or you can get overwhelmed very quickly. You'll have no time to spend in the woods to figure out these types of things. You need to understand them before you go in and understand them thoroughly.
These are the things most watch altimeter types can tell you:
* Temperature -the temperature is usually given out in either Centigrade or Fahrenheit measurement scales.
* Compass direction - this should and should be your primary instrument but it's great to have as a backup in case you're when one fails. This can be invaluable. Having a backup compos is like buying insurance. There's just no way this can be a bad thing.
* Altitude - this is just a scaled factor of the barometric pressure. So, it has to be calibrated rather frequently. This you can do rather easily if you have a point of reference. You're in essence just setting the barometric pressure to a fixed point - usually a certain altitude that you know either from experience or from a chart you are carrying with you that has credibility.
* Barometric pressure - barometric pressure is what it is. This is measured through use of and aneroid way for this inside this device.
Which is the most important though?
Without a doubt it is your barometric pressure. The reason I say that is multifold:
* With barometric pressure you can predict the weather
* If you know barometric pressure you know your altitude
* Safety in knowing as much as you can about might be coming your way
In any case, if you are outdoors much a watch altimeter type will be a great companion that you will come to depend on. The great thing about a watch is all this information is in one place. You'll have to have an altimeter, barometer, compass, a title chart, etc. - you get my drift. Everything is in one place right there on your arm. And, it has a battery that lasts for at least a year, depending on how you're using the functions on the watch.
