Suunto Altimax Altimeter WAY off!

**Schnappi** · 01-20-2008, 01:38 PM

My Altimax altimeter is reading about 5200m low, as in approximately -5200 at sea level. At first I thought it was the battery, as from time-to-time, the clock and date would reset and the display wasn't very dark. I replaced the battery, and the altimeter is still way off. If I try to adjust the reference altitude, it gets to a certain level and then displays "def". It will not let me increase the reference altitude anymore.

Has anyone ever experienced this? Is there some sort of master reset I can do, or is it just hosed.

**hemas** · 01-20-2008, 01:48 PM

Try setting it up with the air-pressure instead of altitude...

No master-reset AFAIK.

Still having problems, leave en enquiry @ Suuntos Help-center. They have always treated me well... (hooking up with parts and alike).

**GapersGoHome** · 01-20-2008, 02:17 PM

maybe try taking out the battery again? Only thing I can think of. Sounds like the sensor, though. I would call Suunto; they stand behind their product better than most any company I have dealt with.

**ptavv** · 01-20-2008, 05:00 PM

Recalibrate it?

**Hugh Conway** · 01-20-2008, 06:46 PM

send it in for repair. early altimax/vectors had a shitload of similar problems

L7 · 01-20-2008, 06:55 PM

My observer will do that when I go to recalibrate but after a bit the def disappears and I just carry on from that point and get to the right level. The help desk is the real answer though.

**Schnappi** · 03-14-2008, 11:49 PM

Bad News: Tried registering with Suunto service. Based on the serial number, it told me that it was out of warranty. Not a huge shock as I paid £40 for it on eBay a few years ago.

More Bad News: Lost it in Verbier (at least I have 0 excuses to not go out and buy a new one)

Good News: Found it

Bad News: Found it in the washing machine

Disastrous News: The battery lid had come off (I guess I didn't lock it last time I tried pulling the battery out). It looks very wet inside.

Good News: Dried it out on the radiator and put the battery back in. Time function works fine

Bad News: Altimeter still way off.

Pretty impressed that this thing still tells time. Will definitely buy another Suunto.

**jahroy** · 03-15-2008, 07:51 PM

i just bought an altimax.....

i've used it at the mountain twice. both times the logbook went blank as soon as i hit 30,000 ft of vert. i got it off ebay, so it might be an older model.... but is 30k really the maximum vert it can log per session? if so, that's pathetic. the recording interval is set to 20 seconds, but that seems like the only option that would work for resort skiing.

anybody else have this happen?

**KungFu Eddie** · 03-16-2008, 01:16 AM

Originally Posted by Schnappi

Bad News: Tried registering with Suunto service. Based on the serial number, it told me that it was out of warranty. Not a huge shock as I paid £40 for it on eBay a few years ago.

More Bad News: Lost it in Verbier (at least I have 0 excuses to not go out and buy a new one)

Good News: Found it

Bad News: Found it in the washing machine

Disastrous News: The battery lid had come off (I guess I didn't lock it last time I tried pulling the battery out). It looks very wet inside.

Good News: Dried it out on the radiator and put the battery back in. Time function works fine

Bad News: Altimeter still way off.

Pretty impressed that this thing still tells time. Will definitely buy another Suunto.

Try washing it on a warmer cycle.

**Schnappi** · 03-16-2008, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by KungFu Eddie

Try washing it on a warmer cycle.

I'm just going to nuke it in the microwave for 10 minutes on high power.

**hutash** · 03-17-2008, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by Schnappi

Bad News: Tried registering with Suunto service. Based on the serial number, it told me that it was out of warranty. Not a huge shock as I paid £40 for it on eBay a few years ago.

More Bad News: Lost it in Verbier (at least I have 0 excuses to not go out and buy a new one)

Good News: Found it

Bad News: Found it in the washing machine

Disastrous News: The battery lid had come off (I guess I didn't lock it last time I tried pulling the battery out). It looks very wet inside.

Good News: Dried it out on the radiator and put the battery back in. Time function works fine

Bad News: Altimeter still way off.

Good new: It is now a very clean malfunctioning altimeter.

**Schnappi** · 03-08-2012, 11:50 AM

ba-bump

So, last year, I bought a new vector. Less than a year later, the altimeter was screwed (max 13km; min -15km). Now it chews through batteries in less than a week. Awesome.

**Beyond** · 03-08-2012, 01:05 PM

^^^ I did the same dance with Suunto, kept replacing ones that got moisture inside them when they shouldn't (no wash cycles), other maladies, always for a nice discount from the company, finally just thought, "Enough. Stop." Have been happier since using my phone. Which gets dropped/tortured/frozen/baked far more than the Suunto, and still is full function. Using a barometer as an altimeter is b.s. anyway...