Suunto Core

[nofun 0]

Has anyone experience with suunto core watch for skydiving?

I know there are several posts about suunto watches and if it's a good using them or not for skydiving. I'm interested to use a watch for outdoor activities and as a secondary altimeter (especially for canopy piloting).

There are people using suunto vector and some other models, but I never heard of someone using the never core-series. Who's experience with the suunto core?

[IanHarrop 41]

this thread about them is fairly recent.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3403752#3403752

At least one welll respecte rigger is using one and has done some testing versus another electronic altimeter. Give the thread a read

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[Pokerstar 0]

I bought one on eBay cause its a cool watch, and it fun to play with on the elevators at work.

I am firmly convinced my instructor will beat me if I try to use it for anything other than telling time, however.

As a back up, maybe. but, I dont know about as a main altimeter.

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---

[porpoishead 8]

c'mon dude

you mean you wouldn't trust your life to some silly ass SUUNTO computer watch...

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[Pokerstar 0]

Quote

c'mon dude

you mean you wouldn't trust your life to some silly ass SUUNTO computer watch...

Well, hell, I've done stupider things, so, sure, why the hell not! :)

Maybe we can sell tickets and split the profits!

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---

[porpoishead 8]

LOL!! right on man

I was just blasting on suunto watches because of another thread in general skydiving..

one of my bros has that suunto altimeter watch he says it works pretty good and it's fairly accurate most of the time.

he still wears a wrist altimeter and has audibles in his helmet though, don't think he has much faith in the suunto.

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[Pokerstar 0]

I hope my gear works better than my new dive computer... I took a scuba refresher course Wednesday night, and since my old digital depth gauge had died (non user replaceable battery) I bought a new Oceanic computer. Sat through the 1 hour class, got geared up, jumped in the pool, and the computer flooded. Hmmmm. I guess it DOES pay to test all new equipment!

The dive shop immediately exchanged it for me, so, I have the new one. Now I just need to go someplace warm to dive, lakes are already frozen over here.

Fortunately, I'm adhering to a pretty strict, uh, drug, uh, regimen to keep my mind, you know, uh, limber.
--- The Dude ---

[nofun 0]

Thank you for your answers and the Link to the other thread. But I can't find any information about the Core-Series from suunto.
The core-watches have some new features like switching automatically from alti-mode to the barometer/weather-mode. This is not good idea for skydiving, but I think you can lock the mode to one or another mode.
Has anyone experience suunto core watches?

[chutingstar 1]

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Thank you for your answers and the Link to the other thread. But I can't find any information about the Core-Series from suunto.
The core-watches have some new features like switching automatically from alti-mode to the barometer/weather-mode. This is not good idea for skydiving, but I think you can lock the mode to one or another mode.
Has anyone experience suunto core watches?

I've got several in the shop and will check out the switching mode you are talking about on the Core...that's news to me. We sell the the Vector, Observer, Core and X10 to skydivers, and have found the the altimeters accurate on each. But let me see if I can get some more info specifically on the Core for you.

Mike

ChutingStar.com

[nofun 0]

Thank you Mike for this information. It's good to know the Core is used by skydivers. I've read about this switching mode on the suunto website (as a feature) and I think this could be a problem for skydiving - I'm not sure if it really is...

[chutingstar 1]

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Thank you Mike for this information. It's good to know the Core is used by skydivers. I've read about this switching mode on the suunto website (as a feature) and I think this could be a problem for skydiving - I'm not sure if it really is...

The Core does have an altimeter only mode, barometic/weather-mode and automatic mode (switch back/forth). You can set in either of those three.

I put it in the altitude chamber with a Digitude and T6 Suunto. I tried both the altimeter only mode and the automatic mode. I didn't see a difference in either mode for climb to altitude (20,000 feet), freefall and canopy. All three were within 100-200 feet of each other all the way up/down.

FWIW, the manual makes it seem there could be issues in certain situations with the automatic mode, so I would keep the Core in the altimeter mode for skydiving. But in my few tests today, I saw no issue with either mode.

Hope that helps,

Mike

ChutingStar.com

[MB38 0]

I dig it, it works well enough. Would I trust it as my only altimeter? Nah, not unless it was a solo where I was staring at the ground the whole time.

As it stands, it's my fifth altimeter [wrist, chest, 2x audible], so why not?

I really don't know what I'm talking about.

[prodiver913 0]

i wanna check out the Core. I use the suunto vector and it is pretty awesome. Never had any problems with it and it's accurate as hell. Goes off perfectly with my Optima. Going to suunto's site. Late....

I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.

[nofun 0]

That's exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you for your qualified answer!

[pierre3636 0]

starting up this thread again - I bought a Sunnto Core and need some help from anyone that uses it for jumping.

what settings do you use when you use it for skydiving? yesterday I took it up for the first time to test with neptune and i must have some setting wrong because at 14000ft the watch had me at 12000ft. I owned and used a previous watch from Suunto and its 100% accurate for skydiving and swooping so I know it works but im doing something wrong!

I had the watch on the BARO/ALTI profile - i assumed as soon as you climb 3ft it switches over to ALTI mode anyway.
I set the REFERENCE altitude to ZERO before take off.

any advice from people using the CORE would be appreciated!

~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~

[m115130 0]

I jump with a core and i just put it on the altimeter setting. It works great from there. I think it might because on the baro/alti setting that it switches over at approx. 3000 feet that might be screwing it up.

Hope this helps

[iwo 0]

Just lock it to alti mode (press and hold lower right key) and you should be okey.

[pierre3636 0]

One more question did you set the refernce altitude to zero or adjust the air pressure to get the altitude ? Sorry mind be silly question !

~ time is ~ time was ~ times past ~

[freeflye73 0]

I have one, would not use it for jumping, The numbers on the display are small and are hard to see without backlight on but that might be different depending on what model it is, i have an core orange and it has orange numbers, Buy a Neputune, N3 or a visio instead.
I actually never used for skydiving and never will, the mentioned altimeiters are a much better options.

//JF

[iwo 0]

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One more question did you set the refernce altitude to zero or adjust the air pressure to get the altitude ? Sorry mind be silly question !

I didn't mess with the pressure, cause setting manually to zero before jump was dead accurate.

I tried orange with negative interface as well and visibility was good as well.

[mjosparky 4]

If you want to know the time buy a watch, if you want to know your altitude buy an altimeter. At pull time the cool factor sucks. jmo

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[dorbie 0]

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LOL!! right on man

I was just blasting on suunto watches because of another thread in general skydiving..

one of my bros has that suunto altimeter watch he says it works pretty good and it's fairly accurate most of the time.

he still wears a wrist altimeter and has audibles in his helmet though, don't think he has much faith in the suunto.

I dropped my altimaster and it started screwing up on jumps. I reset the alti and jumped it several times just to be sure and yep it was definitely screwed up.

Altimeter's sometimes break even ones you trust, I'm not so sure there's much value in gear snobbery when it comes to Suunto, but I haven't checked it, skydiving involves rapid changes and some extreme conditions that might be a factor.

P.S. my broken altimaster was reading about 1k higher on the ground after being reset each jump, which is a pretty undesirable feature in an alti.