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Tech4o Traileader 1 - Watch
Equipment DetailsManufacturer: Tech 4 O Brand: Tech 4 O Model: 2831400 Product features: - Compact, rugged trail watch with barometer, altimeter, and digital compass
- Accelerometer sensor produces highly accurate speed and distance measurements
- Altimeter measures current altitude and ascent/descent rates; altitude alarms
- Barometer tracks current pressure and temperature; 50-lap chronograph
- Digital compass offers 1-degree inclement resolution; 1-year warranty
Sports reviews of Tech4o Traileader 1 - WatchCustomer Review: W-O-W! ! ! Am I impressed! Suunto watch out! Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I am a HUGE fan of Suunto wrist computers (watches for the layperson), and I have owned several versions over the years, and my latest, the yellow Suunto Core is my new #1 favorite gadget--or rather WAS until I opened up my Traileader 1. Holy freakin' $#&*!! this watch does it all! It does basically everything my Core does, and goes even further with the addition of the incredibly useful Accelerometer, and tells me (accurately) just how FAR I've walked, hiked or ran. It gives me an approximation of my calorie expenditure, how fast my walk/run was and exactly how many steps I took on my trek. One additional handy item that the Traileader has that is missing from all Suunto models (at least that I am currently aware of) is similar to the HighGear Altimeter/Barometer watches, a visual representation of what the weather should be like depending on current barometric pressure. It'll have a sun for clear days, clouds, rain, or partly cloudy image on the top of the screen giving you an instant take on today's conditions. Where this is a great tool for outdoor people, it is sometimes incorrect and unlike my HighGear model, won't allow me the ability to correct the image if it is in fact incorrect. If they give me this option, then I honestly don't think I'd have pretty much ANY gripe about this watch whatsoever.
Sure, it's big--but name me another watch that packs as much as this one does and in a smaller package and I'll buy it. As big as the Traileader is, it isn't really any larger than other watches of comparable abilities available. It fits comfortably on my wrist and isn't terribly heavy or bulky, either. Still, you're going to want to see it in person before you make a purchase just in case. It IS a shade bigger than my Core, but not that you can tell without holding them both up at the same time. It isn't as 'visually friendly' as the Core, but man does it more than make up for that with what it CAN do.
It DOES take a bit to set up the functions that this watch is capable of performing. The Pedometer/Accelerometer takes a bit of time, but not much if you are even remotely tech-oriented. Just measure 10 steps (make sure to do each step the same as you would on a regular hike) and figure out how many inches you walked total, and divide that by 10 and you've got your "Stride". Put that into your watch, and the next thing is to set the sensitivity rating so it'll count properly as you walk. I measured mine with a local Jr. High track so I knew that walking around it once was exactly a quarter-mile, so it makes calibrating actually simple. It DOES take some time, though. But if you want the most out of your purchase, I recommend you take the time.
Setting up the altimeter is easy, and yet another feature the Traileader has that is absent in all the Suunto watches I've owned is you can record a Reference Altitude that you can store for whenever you finish or begin a hike that involves altitude changes. If the weather influences your altitude--which it eventually will do--it's nice to just go back to your Ref. Altitude and you don't have to play with it further.
The Sleep Mode is also particularly useful. When you are using the Pedometer function, if you happen to stop for a few minutes, you can set your watch to save battery power by going into Sleep mode until you are ready to get back to your hike. If you are familiar with how quickly these types of watches need battery replacement, you will immediately appreciate what a genius idea this really is...and wonder why nobody else has copied it.
The digital compass is also quite useful, and I particularly like how it looks on the oversized screen. This is one area where some digital compasses are all kind of unique in how the display works...my personal fav was the display on my Suunto X6HR model, but this one comes a close 2nd place.
Overall, this is a phenomenally useful tool for the person who loves the outdoors and wants to know where they are, and how far they've gone when doing it.
PROS: Pedometer is accurate--IF you take the time to set it up properly. Visual aid of weather is great--when it works. Altimeter is handy and far as I can tell, accurate as well. Barometer is also handy. Oh yeah, it also tells time!
CONS: Large, if you have a small wrist, or just dislike big watches, you're going to want to see it IN person before buying to make sure its what you want. Not as 'Pretty' as Suunto--but remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
For those die-hard Suunto fans, I say give this watch a SERIOUS look before spending the nearly twice what it'd take to get less features. I don't see me abandoning my Suunto products just yet, but if the Traileader is any indication, the company that gets me to do it will be called Tech 4O.
Description of Tech4o Traileader 1 - WatchTrailleader 1 find yourself way off the map looks like a watch, works like the ultimate survival tool. The new traileader packs everything you need to navigate the wildest of wild places into a compact, rugged stainless steel case. Equipped with rugged ventilated polymer band. A barometer watch and an accelerometer watch for the trail leader. How it works the key to the accuracy of tech4o watches lies within their accelerometer sensor. The accelerometer sensor works by first detecting changes in the users movement (acceleration) that are translated into varying degrees of electric current within the sensor. These electric currents are instantly decoded by the tech4o watches into highly accurate measurements of speed and distance and displayed on the watch face. Accelerometer sensors are commonly found within a diverse range of industrial products in which accuracy is critical to performance, including automobile air bags and tilt meters. Now, thanks to tech4o engineering, you can experience the same highly accurate measurement of your outdoor performance by using accelerator and traileader watches to track your own speed and distance! features speed & distance mode: speed distance pace (min/mile) calories steps exercise/moving time fully adjustable personal profile 10 day memory digital compass mode: 1° increment resolution adjustable declination bearing lock reverse bearing distortion warning altimeter mode: current altitude altimeter lock reference altitude altitude alarms 48hr altitude graph 24hr max min altitude altitude difference calculator total ascent total descent barometer mode: current pressure barometer lock pressure adjustment 48hr pressure graph current temperature 24hr max min temperature and pressure weather forecaster time, date, day, 2 alarms, 50lap chronograph, 6 timers, dual time zone... The Tech4O Traileader 1 may look like a watch, but it works like the ultimate survival tool, packing everything you need to navigate the wildest of wild places within a compact, rugged stainless-steel case. The accuracy of the Traileader 1 stems from its accelerometer sensor, which detects changes in the user's movement (acceleration) and then translates them into varying degrees of electric current within the sensor. Next, the watch decodes these electrical currents into highly accurate measurements of speed and distance and displays them on the watch face. Accelerometer sensors are commonly found within a diverse range of industrial products in which accuracy is critical to performance, including airbags and tilt meters. The Traileader 1 does more than just track speed and distance, however, with sophisticated instruments that determine your pace, calories burned, steps, and total time. Plus, the watch records a fully adjustable personal profile--helping you develop custom training routines--and offers an ultra-reliable 10-day memory function that tracks your progress in the short term. The Traileader 1 is also equipped with a number of instruments for hiking and climbing, including an altimeter, barometer, and digital compass. The altimeter measures your current altitude, reference altitude, and ascent/descent rates, while offering such features as a 48-hour altitude graph, a 24-hour maximum and minimum altitude indicator, and altitude alarms. The barometer, meanwhile, gauges the current pressure and temperature, with a weather forecaster and 48-hour pressure graph thrown in for good measure. And the digital compass is a must for back-country trips, with such features as a 1-degree increment resolution, an adjustable declination, a bearing lock, and a distortion warning. Other details include a recessed lens designed for the long haul, a 50-lap chronograph, six timers, and two alarms. Equipped with a ventilated polymer band, the Traileader 1 carries a one-year warranty.
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