3 comments about Deluxe Blue Backlit Digital Car Compass.

1. My man is soooo hard to buy for. This was a great little stocking stuffer! He loves it. It is very small and unobtrusive.



2. This started out as a great little item. I ended up returning it the first time I had to replace the batteries (about 2 months later). Once the old batteries were removed, everything was reset, and I had to reset the time, month, year, and even had to re-calibrate the compass. What a pain, and not worth the money. If I only had to reset the calendar, that would be fine, but having to re-calibrate the compass is a pain.



3. Digital Compass with Dual Zone Temperature
   
   The RP3 vehicle product include the digital dompass with direction, time and temperature display. Directions displayed in cardinal points as well as numerical digits. RP3 has a built-in temperature sensor for inside and comes with an additional sensor for the outside temperature measurement.
   Features
   
   * Full Digital compass function
   * interior and exterior temperature display
   * Ice Alert
   * Time clock
   * Crisp blue backlit display
   * Hinged display
   * Displays fahrenheit and centigrade
   
   Bright Back Lighted Display
   A bright back lighted display is must have feature for night driving. The RP3 is equipped with a bright blue split display that shows the its full compass function on the left with time and temperatures on the right.
   
   Temperature Range
   Measures from -35°F to 120°F, in Fahrenheit or Celsius
   
   Simultaneous Dual Zone Temperature Display
   Additional temperature sensor for measuring vehicle exterior temperature is included.
   
   3-Mode Compass Display
   Direction of travel displayed in a large compass rose with directional arrow, 8 cardinal points and a digital numeric readout with +/-5 degrees accuracy.
   
   All-Weather Performance
   Designed to withstand extreme temperatures; no need to remove sensor during peak winter / summer weather
   
   Ice Alert
   Warns of hazardous road conditions when temperature drops to +35°F Magnetic Distortion Flag alerts you when magnetic interferences affecting compass accuracy

2 comments about Coleman Digital Compass.

1. I would never never again buy a product such as this. The directions are so complicated and difficult to understand that this product was TOTALLY UNUSABLE AND A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY. The directions must have been written by a egg-head engineer for another egg-head engineer. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT UNTIL THE DIRECTIONS ARE WRITTEN IN PLAIN ENGLISH FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON -- NOT AN ENGINEER!!



2. Decent product with a few areas for improvement:
   1) User Manual hard to follow
   2) You can not turn the unit off.

2 comments about Brunton Nomad V2 Pro Digital Compass with Barometer/Altimeter.

1. They might have spent more on documenting the setup instructions of this instrument. A multi-column micro-font single sheet of paper is just plain cheap!
   The altimeter isn't much help because it requires constant calibration, as does an altimeter in an aircraft. The difference is that aircraft altimeters are designed to be calibrated, this one is not.



2. I love this tool and used it regularly on a recent motorcycle tour of Colorado. The barometer showed local atmospheric conditions and helped us with daily route planning and it was fun to use to the altimeter and see just how high we were - over 12, 000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. The compass came in handy on our hikes.
   This is not a difficult tool to use and the displays are easy to read. It appears to be made of the usual Brunton quality. I didn't give it five stars because of the included instructions. Finding this hard to read document riddled with typos and confusing layout included with this sophisticated instrument struck me as bizarre.
   Instructions aside, this is one useful gadget.

5 comments about Magellan eXplorist 200 Handheld GPS.

1. This GPS has gotten me out of the woods more than once in the dark. By setting waypoints on the unit 4 of us were able to get back down off North Dome in Yosemite in the dark and find our way back to the car. For the price this unit does plenty to get you out of trouble and as an avid photographer i use it on every trip. Like the old American Express add never leave home without it!



2. dont work well in latin america,only works perfect in USA, because it have all the maps of US soil! but it do the job here in Panama Rep of Panama!



3. I don't have a clue how this item works - I just took it out of the box. What I can tell you is that it does NOT accept a cigarette lighter adapter, as one might conclude it would, given that Amazon and other dealers include a cigarette adapter as an accessory.



4. I'm a hard-core Garmin fan. I own 5 Garmin receivers ranging from the old GPS 12XL to the newest GPSmap 60CSx. But for the second edition of my book, "Outdoor Navigation with GPS," I was committed to including information about a broader range of receivers. Since Magellan again refused to loan me an evaluation unit, I decided to buy this inexpensive receiver. Not expecting much, I put it though its paces and was pleasantly surprised. It's fairly easy and intuitive to use, lightweight, and rugged. True, it doesn't have any kind of computer interface port or external power port, but for a casual geocacher or hiker, it works just fine. I had no problem learning to use it in just a few minutes, once I figured out that Magellan uses the term "Points of Interest" instead of the industry standard term "Waypoints." (When will Magellan ever settle on a standard name? On their older units they called them "Landmarks.") The grayscale screen is easy to read both indoors and out, and the buttons are easy enough to use. I like the fact that Magellan has provided dedicated "MARK" and "GOTO" buttons rather than burying the functions way down in a softkey menu, something that certain other manufacturers could take notice of. The built in maps are more of a marketing ploy than really useful. They don't have enough detail for highway navigation and without a computer port there's no way to add more detail. There are a few other minor quirks like a user interface that is inconsistent in how you enter numeric data. All in all, though, it is much better than I had expected. I brought it along for a GPS navigation class I recently taught and found that inexperienced GPS users could quickly master it. It's not the choice for the serious GPS navigator, but for the casual user who won't need to connect it to a computer, it may well be sufficient. My original plan was to sell it as soon as I was done writing the manuscript, but now I'm seriously considering keeping it.



5. Nice things about the explorist is it's cheap, ruggedly simple, good screen resolution, nice hand fit, good satellite fix and much better than Garmin's old chips'fitted gps. Great for outdoor adventure.
   Downside is, low resolution track logging. Can't beat Garmin's Etrex features.

1 comments about Brunton Nomad V2 Digital Compass.

1. The compasses were shipped and received promptly. Four of the five worked perfectly. Unfortunately one the the compasses could not be calibrated correctly and was off by at least 5 degrees. This compass needs to be returned.

4 comments about Type S AC12320-60/6 Digital Compass.

1. Deluxe Blue Backlit Digital Car Compass
   
   Seems to work well. Will need a couple of months to check it out.



2. It looks nice, it works good and accurate. Has a lightning button which lasts for a few seconds at night, and an auto-turn off feature. Warns when batteries run on low, however can run for a rather long time after it.



3. Even though I have a portable Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS system, which works very well, I find I often need to know in exactly which direction I am headed, e.g., when the Nuvi says, "Go north to ..." I had purchased one of these compasses for one of my vehicles, and decided to buy one for the other.
   
   I have found that it works very well, once it is calibrated, unless the batteries vibrate loose. It was very difficult for me to figure out how to open the battery compartment, since they provide no understandable instructions, but very easy to do so once I figured it out. I wish the backlight would stay on longer after being turned on. I find it interesting to see how much the direction shown changes before and after calibration, i.e., after it has adjusted for the car's magnetic field with the engine running.



4. We own a small coupe and the compass is too big for the dash and doesn't articulate enough to get it to hang off the visor. It also has chrome trim that reflects. I can't find a place to anchor it so that it is readable. It does fit down by the gearshift but there it's not easily visable and the plastic facia doesn't allow clear seeing when I wear the polarized sunglasses. It does appear to be accurate. It comes with double sided velcro to attach to the dash - not on my new car!

5 comments about Suunto Vector Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and Thermometer (Khaki).

1. a couple of weeks ago I was glacading and when I got to the bottom I noticed that there was some condensation in the display. It still worked OK and after a few hours the condensation went away. But...
   
   After 6 years of mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, mountain biking and just general abuse I guess that it is time to retire the Vector. Overall, it has performed brilliantly. My only complaint is that some of the functions are buried in a system of menus that for me are not that intuitive. So, if I don't use them often, I forget how.
   
   I have decided to replace it with the more expensive Suunto Core. The main reason is that it has a dot matrix display, which supposedly gives more information and has a better menu system. We'll see.
   
   In the end, the Vector has been a very good watch for me and I highly recommend it.



2. I have owned two Vectors. They both wind up having the same problem. After awhile the compass will not calibrate and the compass portion of the watch is useless. I am the type that hardly ever removes the watch from my wrist. The first vector fogged after swimming and then the compass died. I bought another one and after a year the compass died again.
   I will not own another one.
   
   GS



3. This was an anniversary gift for my husband and he absolutely loved it, we are both deployed in Afghanistan so it's something he will use every day!



4. In my opinion, for the price this is the best hiking watch around. I have been hiking and use all of the watch functions, as far as I can tell they are accurate, except the temperature when it is on my wrist, so I take it off for 15 to 20 minutes as it has been suggested and it is more in line with the temperatures in my area. I hike in 100 degree temps, and a bit higher.



5. As a previous reviewer has pointed out, the older Vectors utilized a positive display, with the numbers in black and the lcd background a grey color. The most recent Vector I purchased on Amazon came with the negative display, which is simply the opposite ... the numbers being grey on a black background. Since the brightness of the grey numbers cannot be increased to stand out better against the black, it makes it ridiculously difficult to read in many lighting conditions. Turning on the backlight helps, but to do that you have to hold the light button down for 2 seconds before it responds. What a pain. The functions of the watch are great, however. Just note there is a steep learning curve to understanding the buttons. A read of the manual is a must.
   
   After purchasing the Suunto Core (Light Green), I have to admit there is no comparison really. The Core is much easier to use, easier to read, more comfortable to wear. The only disadvantage of the Core may be its durability for such a thin and lightweight housing. But so far it's held up to everything I've put it through.

5 comments about Suunto Observer TT Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass (Titanium).

1. SUUNTO Observer
   
   I have owned my Observer for four years now and wear it daily, whether at work or outdoors (hiking, climbing, etc). Basic features include time, date, stopwatch (with split time), altitude/barometer, and compass. There is also a logbook function, that records your ups and downs while hiking. As the star rating indicates, I do not recommend buying this, or any other SUUNTO product, and I explain why.
   
   I bought the Observer because I wanted a tough built watch that could take some roughing up without sweating. The case is indeed impressive (mine is steel, there is also a considerably more expensive titanium one). But rarely do watches fail because their cases crush in, rather, it is the mechanism inside that is usually the first to go. A few months ago I dropped the watch from about one meter (three feet) to a hard tile floor - the screen went black, and there was no response whatsoever. I took it to SUUNTO and after a couple of weeks they informed me that the entire module had to be changed. You might think that a company that tries to pass for the Mercedes Benz of sports watches, would be somewhat embarrassed that their toughest model died on a one meter fall. Perhaps they would fix it for free? No. Perhaps they would sell you the module at a minimal cost? No. They charged a full 200 USD for it and, for a watch that now sells for about 320, this cannot possibly correspond to the actual cost. So SUUNTO tried its best to make a profit out of an unacceptable malfunction of its product.
   
   Some more observations: the crystal in front is superbly hard, just a minor little scratch after four years of use. Mine has the plastic straps with the metal incrustations. Expected lifetime for these is two to three years, and SUUNTO will charge you anywhere from 50 to 100 USD to replace them! To make things worse, it is practically impossible to change the straps yourself - after trying it for half an hour without success, I watched a very skilled technician spend another twenty minutes, with all sorts of weirdly shaped tools, until he managed it - no rational explanation occurs to me for such maliciousness in design. The locking mechanism, on the other hand, is nicely thought out, and very secure. The alarm function is practically useless (hence not mentioned above) as the volume is ridiculously low (and you cannot adjust it). Even if you put the alarm at home to go off in one minute, chances are you will not be able to hear it when it does. The barometric capsule is very accurate, even after four years you can see your altitude increase meter after meter as you go up the stairs. Battery is supposed to be changed by the owner but again, a silly design makes that much harder than necessary: there is a sort of a coin slot in the back to rotate the battery cover, but after you do that, there is no way to pull the cover out (it does not come out easily because of the rubber seal). So you have to try with all sorts of sharp metal objects to pull it out, and this will scratch the rather soft back cover.
   
   Overall, this is a deceptively tough looking watch - it is silly to come up with such a case when the internal mechanism cannot take a G or two. SUUNTO, as a company, has no sense of class whatsoever - their service is slow, overpriced, and irritating. If you need a tough sports watch try a lightweight model that will not reach ridiculous terminal speeds in a fall (while climbing, say). Make it also a non-SUUNTO product, until these geniouses learn how to deal decently with their customers.



2. I'm on my second Observer. The first one had the wrist band fail after about two years and REI was pleasant enough to replace the watch for me. The second one had the leather band instead of the polymer band. I was hoping the leather would be more durable. No such luck. The leather band failed after one year of normal wear.
   
   However, the watch itself rocks. I wear it as a daily watch but I also use the altimeter function extensively (primarily for tracking vertical feet skied). It is perfect for my needs. I just wish they could make a band that lasted. Why don't they do a simple all metal band? The stainless band on my Tag has lasted 10 years.....



3. I've used this watch for 4 years now and I like the case very much. But the band, either Titanium or SS ( practically the same ) is definitely unacceptable. I've changed it 3 times and lost a watch to it.
   Other annoyances :
   + Watch is not full SS or Titanium.
   + Alarm is inaudible



4. This is a great watch, especially for small to medium build guys. It's a good size watch but it's not nearly the dinner plate replacement that some of it's ABC brethren are.



5. I was impressed with the display. It is very easy to read in all light conditions.

5 comments about Suunto Vector Wrist-Top Computer Watch with Altimeter, Barometer, Compass, and Thermometer (Black).

1. a couple of weeks ago I was glacading and when I got to the bottom I noticed that there was some condensation in the display. It still worked OK and after a few hours the condensation went away. But...
   
   After 6 years of mountaineering, backpacking, skiing, mountain biking and just general abuse I guess that it is time to retire the Vector. Overall, it has performed brilliantly. My only complaint is that some of the functions are buried in a system of menus that for me are not that intuitive. So, if I don't use them often, I forget how.
   
   I have decided to replace it with the more expensive Suunto Core. The main reason is that it has a dot matrix display, which supposedly gives more information and has a better menu system. We'll see.
   
   In the end, the Vector has been a very good watch for me and I highly recommend it.



2. I have owned two Vectors. They both wind up having the same problem. After awhile the compass will not calibrate and the compass portion of the watch is useless. I am the type that hardly ever removes the watch from my wrist. The first vector fogged after swimming and then the compass died. I bought another one and after a year the compass died again.
   I will not own another one.
   
   GS



3. This was an anniversary gift for my husband and he absolutely loved it, we are both deployed in Afghanistan so it's something he will use every day!



4. In my opinion, for the price this is the best hiking watch around. I have been hiking and use all of the watch functions, as far as I can tell they are accurate, except the temperature when it is on my wrist, so I take it off for 15 to 20 minutes as it has been suggested and it is more in line with the temperatures in my area. I hike in 100 degree temps, and a bit higher.



5. As a previous reviewer has pointed out, the older Vectors utilized a positive display, with the numbers in black and the lcd background a grey color. The most recent Vector I purchased on Amazon came with the negative display, which is simply the opposite ... the numbers being grey on a black background. Since the brightness of the grey numbers cannot be increased to stand out better against the black, it makes it ridiculously difficult to read in many lighting conditions. Turning on the backlight helps, but to do that you have to hold the light button down for 2 seconds before it responds. What a pain. The functions of the watch are great, however. Just note there is a steep learning curve to understanding the buttons. A read of the manual is a must.
   
   After purchasing the Suunto Core (Light Green), I have to admit there is no comparison really. The Core is much easier to use, easier to read, more comfortable to wear. The only disadvantage of the Core may be its durability for such a thin and lightweight housing. But so far it's held up to everything I've put it through.

5 comments about Garmin Astro GPS Dog Tracking System.

1. I am a little disappointed with this product. Technically it works well, but the human/canine usability factors are not well thought out.
   
   On the plus side, the vendor shipped quickly, and the units were easy to set up and use. The main unit works well as a GPS, and locates the tracker unit within at least half a mile if there is reasonable line of sight. Going over a ridge loses the signal, but at least the tracking function lets you know where it was lost. (This was tested by leaving the tracker unit inside a vehicle. The signal might be stronger outside.)
   
   On the negative side, the provided carrier harness is worse than useless. Perhaps it works better on short-coated hunting dogs than my rough-coated border collie mix. Every time we tried it, the transmitter would wind up underneath her within a minute or two. Now it goes in a pocket of her backpack.
   
   Another negative is the lack of topo maps. As shipped, it just has major highways & lakes. The supplied PC map software is worthless - it only works on Windows, which I do not use - so it appears that the only option is to fork over more money for maps on SD chips.
   
   A minor irritation is the fact that the manual and menus refer to all the dog-related functions in hunting terms - and bird hunting in particular. That seems oddly restrictive.
   
   To summarize, it is a good product, and with a little tinkering should do what I want - keep track of a dog who likes to take off on her own - but with a little extra thought, it could have been much better.



2. I had a hard time convincing myself to try this because I already had a traditional dog tracking system. Trust me it would be like comparing apples to oranges.
   
   I've been using this system for two months now. I will never go `coon hunting again without it. It works exactly as advertised. I feel a little guilty because it takes most of the guesswork out of hunting. You will know exactly where your dogs are and where they've been, and you will know when they've stopped moving.
   
   
   My gripe list:
   
   The dog unit isn't nearly durable enough. The antenna has been lost. The replacement antenna has now been damaged. The clip that holds the unit to a collar has broken.
   
   The battery only lasts for twenty hours.
   
   The topo maps should be preloaded.
   
   It should be compatible with the RINO series, from a layman's perspective it looks like the same technology.
   
   
   If you buy this unit go ahead and buy:
   
   The mag mount antenna, you pick up some serious distance with it.
   
   Extra pack of antennas, they come two to a package. I lost one right away and I check them for tightness now. They will get damaged, especially if you use the vest instead of the collar attachment.
   
   Extra collar attachment, it might break if your dog decides to go in a hole chasing something.
   
   Extra DC20 for each dog you hunt. I knew exactly what dog #1 was doing and I hated not knowing what exactly what dog #2 was doing.



3. Fantastic! I'm not a hunter, but I use the Garmin on my dogs when we go hiking. I've found the product to be very accurate. The construction of the product is very rugged. I'm glad I elected to use the shorter antenna because my dogs like to rough house. I'd be afraid they would damage the longer antena when rolling around. The piece of mind I have knowing that I can locate my dog should he chase after a rabit or deer is worth every penny to me.



4. I purchased the astro primarily for hiking with my dog in the wooded dunes of West Michigan. It surpassed my expectations. My dog will be chasing something 200 yards away, well out of sight and hearing range, and it works great. All of the stress and worry of not knowing where the dog is is gone. Because my dog doesn't stray for more than 200-300 yards, I haven't had a chance to test the full range, but within those yards and in very hilly terrain it's tracked flawlessly.



5. I bought this Garmin setup after looking for a GPS based dog tracking for a long time. Competing models either require monthly subscription (through cellular phone system) or were dog tracking *only*. The Garmin handheld unit is useful as a standalone GPS device, with the benefit of communicating with the dog GPS unit.
   
   I don't hunt, but rather intended to use this to allow my dog to run free while walking him. He loves to track rabbits and deer and for that purpose this Astro worked great. In the area I walk there is much vegetation and he can easily be out of site as little as 20 yards away. After a very watchful eye the first time I used it, I found that it worked far beyond my expectations ... GPS always gave me a distance and position on the map, and the compass always pointed right at him. Occasionally it would lose either GPS reception or RF communcation, but it would always come back in 10-15 seconds. I tried both the backpack and the collar, and actually had better results with the collar even though it would often swing to the side or bottom of his neck. More counterweight would probably help, but he's usually got his head down to the ground and it could easily be a nuisance for him.
   
   Although the dog unit is supposed to be waterproof, I did encounter severe problems when he decided to cross a small river. He doesn't swim so I didn't expect this to ever be a problem, but this time it was shallow enough for him to cross and it seems to have gotten the collar unit wet enough to be a problem. I can't determine if the GPS reception was affected or the RF communication with the handheld unit, but it started indicating that he was 100-200 yards away, even though he still was within eyesight. Eventually it crept up to reporting him as 600 and even 900 yards away (I could still see him)! The compass indicator started pointing in what appeared to be random directions. It took awhile (maybe 15 minutes) but after it dried out again, the reporting went back to normal and was right on. I intend to investigate what was going on, and maybe I just have a defective unit. My dog never broke an antenna like others are reporting ... come to think of it however, maybe it *is* broken and it's just not visible to me.
   
   Aside from the dog collar issues, I love the handheld unit. I'm still finding features that I didn't know it had, and it is far beyond my previous model (GPS 12).