Suunto Core 2 - Feature request, Weather trend indicator

Alpha

@Egika
What software version do you have? Yours is the only watch where I see movement in the graph! I haven’t seen this in any YouTube videos either. I don’t know which version it was when I bought it; I updated to 1.13.38 in August and to 1.13.44 in September, but the graph is still flat! 🫤 The storm alarm has never gone off either. And I have it set to ON. The authorized service center couldn’t help me either. They told me to wait for the next update or come in to return it.

Egika

@Alpha IU am on 1.13.44 as well. There is no newer version in test atm

Alpha

@Egika
Okay. Thank´s. I’ll wait! By the way, www.suunto is probably still down. It lists version 1.13.38 as the latest!

mikekoski490

@Alpha Are you locking the barometer? I realized Core 2 had to be locked in baro mode screen to get weather trends and show changes in baro graph. Since I’ve been staying in baro mode overnight my baro graph matches exactly that of my other ABC watch.

Before I realized this, I had the Core 2 in time mode mostly, so all changes were considered changes in alti and therefore the baro graph was flat/unchanged.

Core 2 doesn’t have auto baro/alti switch, so you have to remeber to switch out of baro mode when leave the house or camp and proceed with an activity. That said, if you drive while locked in baro mode, it’s a good way to test if your baro alarm is working (as it’s assuming changes are related to weather not altitude)!

Its also why Im guessing Core 2 doesn’t display baro trend arrow on the main watch screen - because as soon as you are on the main screen, it’s forced into alti mode and baro readings are disabled?

Alpha

@mikekoski490
Well, you’ve got me there! It seems logical, but it actually isn’t! Who came up with this?! Why would anyone change something that works (in Core Alpha)?! Yes, I can either set the feature manually, or if I don’t want to deal with it, I can set it to “Auto” and not have to worry about a thing. As soon as I start moving, the watch switches over. The developer in question should come up with some kind of explanation for this. I don’t know how, though. Or maybe they should find another job. 🫤
My English isn’t very good…
Am I understanding this correctly (that can’t be true )—that if I want to track barometric changes, I have to stay on the “baro” screen the whole time?!

Adam Krůžela 0

@Alpha I really hope a firmware fix is in the works. I’ve also noticed that if I leave the watch in barometer mode, the graph moves—which is, unfortunately, completely useless. It kind of annoys me that the firmware is being designed by someone who likely hasn’t spent much time outdoors.

I could live with the fact that sunrise and sunset times aren’t calculated on the watch itself—requiring a Bluetooth sync—or even the lack of an altimeter log, even though it makes no sense (the hardware is undoubtedly far superior to what existed 20 years ago); however, the absence of an automatic barometer makes absolutely no sense—if only because the failure to switch modes or detect the current state significantly compromises altitude accuracy during transitions.

mikekoski490

@Alpha That is my understanding of how it currently works, so yes the only way to track barometric changes against the 24 hour graph is when the Core 2 screen stays in baro mode. As soon as you switch to time mode, it assumes all atmospheric changes are related to altimeter.

And if you forget and leave it in baro mode and change elevation, it assumes the change is weather related and will adversely impact the baro history graph and trend arrows and no way to reset them until time does.

Its too bad, as the auto baro/alti switch feature was a big breakthrough with the Core, and is now pretty standard on all current gps ABC watches by Suunto and others like Garmin/Coros etc, so not sure why they went backwards here. The only reason I can think , is to ensure extreme accuracy, as the auto mode could get knocked out of baro mode and into alti mode if there was an extreme change in air pressure, but that was rare and definitely outweighed the convenience of auto mode.

Now Im back to treating my Core 2 same as my old Suunto Observer, but at least even with the Observer you could be locked in Baro mode and still use the main watch screen.

Im hoping this gets fixed in a future update.

Egika

@mikekoski490 said:

Its also why Im guessing Core 2 doesn’t display baro trend arrow on the main watch screen - because as soon as you are on the main screen, it’s forced into alti mode and baro readings are disabled?

Are you sure about this?
I just checked my Core 2. It was sitting on the desk untouched for a couple of days in time mode.
Still I get a baro trend:

Alpha

@mikekoski490
Thank´s! I’m hoping for a major update. I just don’t understand this change.
On my Traverse Alpha, I rarely adjust the altimeter settings. It works great there. As far as accuracy goes (without adjusting the values), the Core Alpha falls somewhere between the Core 2 and the Traverse.
I just want to use the watch—not constantly monitor and adjust it to tell if I’m moving up, down, lying down, or swimming…
I’d at least like to have the option to choose a setting mode again.

Alpha

… Question moved.
https://forum.suunto.com/topic/15924/suunto-core-2-questions-advice-before-possible-return/3?_=1791890855732

mikekoski490

@Egika Hmmm…Ill have to check on that, but from memory/my use, if the watch is left for 2 days in time mode, the watch defaults to alti mode, and the baro graph has been flat which I have assumed is because its reading changes in pressure as elevation change - Ive also had the alti drift hugely in time mode. Baro graph flat. Huh. Ill leave mine in time mode for 24 hours and see what happens to the graph.

Also, the manual is incorrect as it states the trend arrow is visible in time and alti modes as well, which it is not.

And their description re: storm alarm is not great. It creates a scenario where you are hiking and the storm alarm goes off - then states the storm alarm will only go off in Baro mode, so…why would you have it in baro mode hiking? I guess it only works if your hikes are deadplan flat and you dont need the altimeter?

Activating storm alarm

The storm alarm notifies you that a pressure drop of 4 hPa / 0.12 inHg or more has occurred during a 3-hour period. Suunto Core 2 will activate an alarm and flash an alarm symbol on the display for 20 seconds. The storm alarm only works when you have activated the barometer profile. (in other words, the storm alarm wont work in time or alti modes)

Possible real-life situation: Storm warning

You are hiking in a dense forest when your activates the storm alarm. (?)

PS - I really like the new Core 2 generally, because my old Core I could not read at all! Just wanted to make sure no one read this thinking the Core 2 is bad. Just needs a few updates I think to add features that most original Core users really appreciated. FYI in my opinion the display is definitely 40% better, and I can actually use the green backlight to light up my bedroom at night enough to help me NOT walk into the corner of the bedframe.

mikekoski490

@Egika Hi. So I left my Core 2 on my kitchen table in time mode for 24 hours. I took photos of the time of day/altimeter screen/baro screen yesterday morning and this morning if anyone is interested I’ll post them. At least with my core 2 running latest software:

24 hours later, the altimeter drifted by 46 meters, from 30m to -16m.
The baro graph is flat as a pancake (on my other watch the 24 hour graph is a steep incline, going from 1021 to 1027 overnight)

At least for me, the watch must be left in baro mode to track changes in air pressure as weather related and lock the alti from drifting. In either time or alti modes, it locks the barometer, so changes in barometric pressure impacts the altimeter and causes the alti to drift accordingly.