The fun of a run like the Hochkönigman Skyrace is also when you can use that to check out how “time pieces” like the Suunto9 perform on such a tour…
The Suunto9 firmware is still a relatively early one, so this should just be considered a preview. Talking of an “accuracy analysis” for its GPS in the current (early) state of the software would be misguided.
But, I used it together with a Suunto Spartan Ultra and the Suunto GPS Track POD, all at best GPS settings, anyways.
Thus, you can have some fun checking out how each of those different time/tech pieces recorded my GPS track.
Hochkönigman Skyrace GPS Tracks
The results are far from bad:
If you zoom in, of course you can see differences.
One note, as usual:
The S9 was on my right wrist, the Spartan Ultra on the left, and the GPS Track POD on my running vest’s right shoulder strap.
Thus, there should be – and is – some offset from which direction the respective watch/tool was pointing.
There is one section, in particular, where the GPS Track POD recorded me quite a ways off from where the Suunto9 and Spartan Ultra put me. I cannot really explain this; it is quite strange – and just what happens.
Still, all in all, this is promising.
Suunto9 Outlook
Really, to get into the S9 as one should for a review, it will take a long tour requiring the use of this new watch’s FusedTrack in the Endurance and Ultra battery modes.
Using a low GPS sampling rate to achieve extra-long battery life while getting much better tracks than such low GPS sampling could provide on its own, thanks to FusedTrack, is exactly what the Suunto9 is about, after all.
Of course, there shall also be more testing and data for a verdict, but this still needs updates, time, and data…
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