S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis

[Audaxjoe]

I had a Garmin Fenix 5 and my partner also has a Fenix 5s. Both recorded a similar altitude gain as the Suunto 9 Baro. However different Garmins seem to record different altitude gains - like a 30-40% swing. I have come to the conclusion (with Garmin at least) that the elevation seems to be dependent on the individual watch or device!! i.e. it isn’t consistent even with the same model units.

With the backlight, I just leave it on at night.

Having came from a Fenix 5 (and before that the 3) I wouldn’t go back, but that is not to disrespect the Fenix, it also is an incredible watch. Try before you switch as advised above is a fine idea.

[karel louda]

@Audaxjoe
Why do you switch to Suunto, and why you would’t go back? Yet, I test both (Suunto 9 and Fenix 5), but in a week i will one (or both) give back. They are both very different watches.

[Martin Häntzschel]

@stromdiddily said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

Fascinating thread!

I don’t train to that level of ascent/descent precision but am not sure you’ll find anything more accurate for total ascents and distance than what you have.

I WILL say that running side by side w an A3P and an S9 the S9 is slower to show ascent values on the display. They will however typically match up in the end.

@stromdiddily The thing is that going up and down the small hills where I train, due to the threshold the Suunto 9 Baro has, it doesn’t actually count the ascent meters, while the Fenix and the A3P do count them.

[Martin Häntzschel]

@Audaxjoe I don’t doubt the S9 Baro is a great watch, but for training in the small hill where I train, I need a device to count the ascent meters. Due to the threshold, the S9 Baro doesn’t do the job sadly.

[Brad_Olwin]

@Martin-Häntzschel said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

@Audaxjoe I don’t doubt the S9 Baro is a great watch, but for training in the small hill where I train, I need a device to count the ascent meters. Due to the threshold, the S9 Baro doesn’t do the job sadly.

Why don’t you try the nonbaro model? That should work and has all of the same features.

[Martin Häntzschel]

@Brad_Olwin said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

Why don’t you try the nonbaro model? That should work and has all of the same features.

Hi Brad, the thing with a nonbaro watch is that those track ascent with GPS, and it’d be the same as with my old Garmin 735xt or any other watch without barometric altimeter, they don’t track ascents and decents correctly.

[Brad_Olwin]

@Martin-Häntzschel said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

@Brad_Olwin said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

Why don’t you try the nonbaro model? That should work and has all of the same features.

Hi Brad, the thing with a nonbaro watch is that those track ascent with GPS, and it’d be the same as with my old Garmin 735xt or any other watch without barometric altimeter, they don’t track ascents and decents correctly.

It is better than you think, and it might be good enough for what you need. I have not tried it on small hills. For me, it is not as accurate as the baro model but it does a good job.

[Dimitrios Kanellopoulos]

@Martin-Häntzschel Would you be so kind to share a file with me in private?
I would prefer a fit file from Strava if possible.

You can do that via going to your strava web , then finding the activity and then appending at the end of it /export_original . That will download the original file, including some raw watch data that I can look into. If A3 works better on this Ill be damned but I can create then a case.

Example:

Strava activity link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2196586907
Getting the fit file: https://www.strava.com/activities/2196586907/export_original

PS. You can pm me or if privacy is concerned , it’s ok I suppose then.

[Martin Häntzschel]

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos Evening_Run.fit https://www.strava.com/activities/2207527271
Morning_Run.fit https://www.strava.com/activities/2201309099/

[Audaxjoe]

@karel-louda said in S9 Baro - Going to return/sell due to following analysis:

@Audaxjoe
Why do you switch to Suunto, and why you would’t go back? Yet, I test both (Suunto 9 and Fenix 5), but in a week i will one (or both) give back. They are both very different watches.

I switched as I kept getting faulty Fenix 5s. The altimeter was so erratic is was funny. And the battery life was also pants, like draining around 5-8% an hour in watch mode. The barometer and battery problems are well documented in the Garmin Forums and the barometer has been a nightmare since the Fenix 3 HR - it would drift from my house (about 20 meters above sea level) to show a reading of 8000+ meters then dive to -5000 meters in about 20 minutes…

I tried the Suunto 9 Baro and although it has far less features than the Garmin, what it does it does very well and the battery is exceptional. Having got used to the Suunto I wouldn’t go back to the Fenix. My missus has a Fenix 5s and that has been solid.

My Suunto also gives very conservative climbing figures. I use a Garmin Etrex sometimes for navigation on a bike, if I say go for a ride and the Etrex says 1200 mtrs climbing the Suunto will give about 700 meters and if I press elevation correction on Strava it is about in the middle! My Fenix 5 and my partners 5s also provide low readings.

Both are lovely watches. And the smart watch features on the Garmin are altogether better.

Enjoy what ever you choose, remember both are just tools (some may say toys…) what is important is getting out there
and enjoying the run/ride/swim/hike

[Dimitrios Kanellopoulos]

I took a look at your file I cannot see anything really bad

https://quantified-self.io/user/1sfdpFEiLEgW0jzpVaHyoqMnwdE2/event/Go7ANjEEF5kRyozb3Epu

You get 449 ascent for going up and down about 50 times .

[Martin Häntzschel]

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos Great analysis Dimitrios, thanks! So in those hills, it works.

I didn know about quantified-seld.io, great tool!

So I just uploaded the other file I shared in my post above, https://quantified-self.io/user/UAKIzFErHIOQXJS2koLu7No1W602/event/pTImHZ8ZGVokcICHf3a4
You can see that I did 5 1km intervals going up and down the 4m hills you can see in picture 1 here https://imgur.com/a/IiGhp1G.
So I went up and down around 22 times each interval. 22 * 5 * 4 gives me 440 ascent meters, but the watch tracked 124 ascent meters. Is it due to the threshold?

[Dimitrios Kanellopoulos]

@Martin-Häntzschel I think so pal.

Take a look I zoomed in on the first interval.

The avg diff is really on the boundaries of 3m.

So it’s not that the watch does not record those, but rather it sums it up with a threshold.

That is what I think but yeah it might not suit you, understandable Cool

[Martin Häntzschel]

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos yep, saw that, so well, with this watch, due to the 3m threshold, Suunto Baro 9 doesn’t count those ascents. I wrote to support@suunto.com about this, and also I’m gonna get a Fenix 5 fit file to compare.

Thanks again buddy.