It's 2024 - Anyone Still Training Only With An Ambit?
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I already had 4 watches after Ambit 3 Peak - 9 Baro, Fenix 6X, Fenix 7X, and now Race S.
I still have my Ambit 3 Peak. I think the last time I charged and used it was perhaps a couple of years ago, but only to test another watch against it. Also, its accuracy is no longer on par with modern watches with dual band GPS. Both Fenix 7X and Race S are far more accurate, especially in terms of distance accuracy.
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I just dusted off my Suunto Ambit 1 after 8 years to Garmin. Ambit is bulletproof and with a quick charge ready to go. Integration across (via SuuntoLink) to the App works - would love Bluetooth to Android phone. Even the HR monitor fired back up with a change in battery.
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@sky-runner Observed that as well on my A3P, but found out that this behaviour is caused by availability of the GPS signal. Clouds do worsen that signal.
Do Fenix 7X and Race S share the functions of the A3P?
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I am usino my A3P as a backup device during mountain activity.
From time to time I am also wearing it on a daily basis, just because I like better the unique look of it.
A suunto designed like an A3P and the capability of a SV or Ocean I would buy by all means -
@overgrowntrail said in It's 2024 - Anyone Still Training Only With An Ambit?:
Do Fenix 7X and Race S share the functions of the A3P?
Yes, of course. Functions of A3P are basic compared to modern watches and the battery life of A3P is quite short - only 20 hours in GPS mode with one second refresh. For comparison, Race S should do 50 hours in the same configuration.
But I must say I liked presence of dedicated View button on Ambit and used it often as an additional shortcut button and to switch between different map modes, and to rotate the bottom data field as well. Ambit had a dedicated waypoint screen, which was easy to switch to and see details about upcoming waypoint. That is lost in current Suunto watches.
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@Tieutieu
Thanks for clarifying. Looks like the issue is in temperature sensor. Today during a hike watch had correct altitude data until I stopped the trekking exercise and had some ice climbing- then I noticed that temperature was not indicated and altitude was growing higher and higher. On my way back I launched trekking again expecting it to switch to gps altitude mode but it didn’t help - altitude was not indicating but ascent went up to 22000 meters. Now sitting at home looking at my watch I see temperature showing minus 15c while of course it’s 20+.
I’ll switch exercises to altimeter mode, turn off storm alarm and this looks like an end to barometer usage in this watch. -
@sky-runner
Interesting, because when I had to decide what model to choose, not all models were covering the sports I was looking for. A3P was the only one back then.Very practical is the ability to store waypoints without the need to unlock the buttons first. And, even if the charging cable is historical, it is immune to water and dirt (unlike USB-whatever). Battery life could be longer, but learned to arrange with 20-30 h.
Technology moved on. Good that more is doable now, but do I need all those new bells and whistles? Eeeh, no. But I understand that the enormous price tag has to be defended somehow.
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2025 shout out for the Ambit 3 Peak. Mine is still going strong, even if I mostly use a Race. Thinking of picking up an Ambit 3 Vertical, just for retro-fun. Happy Christmas all!
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Still using an Ambit2 for ski activities. Simplicity and robustness.
I don’t run anymore with it, a 9PP is much better for everything now but I think of using again the Ambit in 2026 for ski. -
@overgrowntrail said in It's 2024 - Anyone Still Training Only With An Ambit?:
Battery life could be longer, but learned to arrange with 20-30 h.
I would strongly advise against using the extended 30h battery mode on Ambit. It simply doesn’t work as it should be, and I doubt that Suunto has ever fixed it.
10 years ago I used this 30h mode during my first 100 mile ultramarathon (which was the famous Western States). For a few hours the extended battery mode worked OK, although the distance accuracy was less than perfect. But during the run something has happened and the watch started being increasingly less accurate at measuring distance, and by the end it was consistently doubling the distance - adding 0.01 mile (16 meters) for every 10 steps that I walked when I took walk breaks and looked at the watch. After the race I had an exchange with Suunto support. From that it seemed that over the course of the race the amount of GPS errors accumulated and it switched to measuring distance from the accelerometer, but continued to also measure distance from GPS and adding both distances together, hence doubling the distance. Also, it didn’t even last 30 hours and the battery died at 25-26 hours.
So Ambit 3 Peak wasn’t flawless by any means!Also, at the time Ambit 3 Peak had a similar issue with double counting distance in tunnels - you’d go into a tunnel and it would switch to accelerometer based distance, but upon exiting the tunnel, once it regained GPS, it would add GPS distance too. I observed this when running Seattle Marathon. I wonder if this has been fixed in modern Suunto watches? I haven’t had a chance to test that.
Also, comparing distance measured by Ambit 3 Peak at the highest accuracy vs modern Suunto or Garmin watches, when running on trails in Pacific Northwest of USA, A3P distance was consistently short by 3-7%. Despite its large antenna, it wasn’t as accurate as people think. It was more accurate than most watches at the time a decade ago, but compared to modern watches with dual-frequency GNSS, A3P accuracy is mediocre.
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@sky-runner said in It's 2024 - Anyone Still Training Only With An Ambit?:
It was more accurate than most watches at the time a decade ago, but compared to modern watches with dual-frequency GNSS, A3P accuracy is mediocre.
Can’t disagree, but I still like them
