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

[Martin Häntzschel]

Pros
-Awesome Battery Life
-Great GPS accuracy
-Barometric altimeter that I didn’t have in my old Garmin 735xt
Cons
-(Major) Does not track small hills ascent data (Possibly due to 3 to 7 meters barometer altimeter reading threshold)
Image 1 - Ascents and descent in height A not tracked properly
Image 2 - Ascents and descent in height A not tracked properly (same elevation as image 1)
Image 3 - Ascents and descent in height B not tracked properly, while Ascents and descent in height C are tracked sometimes
(images loaded in https://imgur.com/a/IiGhp1G)"
-(Major) Watch crashed during an activity on the first week of usage. Partial data was recorded, some data was lost.
-(Medium) Does not allow to track drills distance while swimming
-(Medium) Does not allow to configure beeping before interval starts
-(Medium) No light button, I have to click the middle button during trainings and that switches to different screens
-(Low) Does not allow to configure open interval recovery (only time or distance)
-(Low) Does not allow to configure warm up and cool down in interval training
-(Low) Androd app starts week automatically on sundays, does not allow to configure it for weeks starting on mondays
-(Low) No watch face editor, or watch apps availability
-(Low) Navigation between watch screens is sluggish

What do you think people? My trainer, tells me, do 400m ascent on those small hills from the picture, I cannot measure it
He has a Spartan Ultra and also suffers from the same problem.

Thanks in advance for your comments!

[Dimitrios Kanellopoulos]

@Martin-Häntzschel

Great feedback!

Sometimes, you can light up the screen with little long press of middle button or turn backlight on that does not consume.

Your ascent if that matters for in the app, ok. IF you want to show it to other services you can correct elevation in strava. The threshold is 3m exactly and your arm swings about 1 maybe more in some cases. FYI watch out on other brands , I am not sure were the current state is atm , but some brands have that filter even on 10m for barometric devices.
I am not saying the above to make you stick with Suunto but if that is your major concern you could test the devices with the 14day return policy.

One more point, please consider taking it with your coach, warm up and recovery are not part of interval training. No one expects to warm up to the second and cooldown to the second for the prescribed time. If it’s a 5mins warmup, setup your intervals, go to the place you need to do them and press start intervals. Its more frustrating to start the interval without being ready, or having to pause in order for them not to start. Same goes to recovery.

About the other points, I bet you are right and I am sorry about the crash, I just hope you did not have the major issue that other people report when having installed both apps, MC + SA.

Thanks a lot for this great feedback and putting a ranking to your issues, regardless of me debating here, I ll try to make sure these requests exist in our backlog at least.

PS. Saw your pictures, I am not sure they are only 3m (the one with the football players looks about 5+). Strange it should have recorded it , perhaps you go to fast down ?

[Martin Häntzschel]

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

@Martin-Häntzschel

Great feedback!

Sometimes, you can light up the screen with little long press of middle button or turn backlight on that does not consume.

• Medium issue, does not bother me that much.

Your ascent if that matters for in the app, ok. IF you want to show it to other services you can correct elevation in strava. The threshold is 3m exactly and your arm swings about 1 maybe more in some cases. FYI watch out on other brands , I am not sure were the current state is atm , but some brands have that filter even on 10m for barometric devices.

While the elevation correction in strava is ok, I want to see it instantly while I train, to see when I reach the x ascent meters my coach told me to do. Garmin Fenix devices work much better on those small hills, as my friends tell me.

I am not saying the above to make you stick with Suunto but if that is your major concern you could test the devices with the 14day return policy.

I filled return order on the place I bought it

One more point, please consider taking it with your coach, warm up and recovery are not part of interval training. No one expects to warm up to the second and cooldown to the second for the prescribed time. If it’s a 5mins warmup, setup your intervals, go to the place you need to do them and press start intervals. Its more frustrating to start the interval without being ready, or having to pause in order for them not to start. Same goes to recovery.

Minor issue, does not bother me

About the other points, I bet you are right and I am sorry about the crash, I just hope you did not have the major issue that other people report when having installed both apps, MC + SA.

Thanks. I didn’t use MC, just the SA

Thanks a lot for this great feedback and putting a ranking to your issues, regardless of me debating here, I ll try to make sure these requests exist in our backlog at least.

Thanks

PS. Saw your pictures, I am not sure they are only 3m (the one with the football players looks about 5+). Strange it should have recorded it , perhaps you go to fast down ?

Yeah, it’s about 4 to 5 m. I stay on top running for a couple of seconds and go back down.

Thanks for the complete answer!!!

[Martin Häntzschel]

Another thing my coach told me is that with the Suunto Ambit 3 peak, small hills ascent was measured flawlessly. His spartan ultra doesn’t work in the same way, it behaves like my 9 baro. Sad thing

[stromdiddily]

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.

[marcosmc]

I totally agree with the warm up and cool down. It was really stressful to do the warm up with limited time, much better now. However still missing further customisation of the intervals and the possibility to visualise them afterwards in the app.

[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.