# Protrek Accuracy



## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

I need a lightweight watch with a barometer, altimeter, thermometer and compass, preferably with solar power. I have jumped the gun and bought a Casio Prg 70T which meets all these requirements but..............It's just dawned on me that I am expecting too much.

Has anybody used Casio Protrek features (other than time keeping) and found them accurate, even reasonably accurate?


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## Mutley (Apr 17, 2007)

I bought a Protrek Triple Sensor watch last year (not sure which model)

I found that

1 Unless you hold the watch perfectly flat the compass can give slightly spurious readings

2 You can't wear the watch & use the thermometer as your body heat will throw the reading out (I think the manual says have it off the wrist for at least 30 mins in order to get a true reading)

3 The altimeter requires calibrating before use. I found it useful to give me a rough idea of ascent /descent distance. (Although the last time I used it on a hike which started at sea level by the time I got back to the same place it was reading -25m)

The barometer seems to work ok (I think) & use it when out fishing to give me an idea of what the weather is likely to do.


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## Uncle Alec (Feb 14, 2011)

I've used the baro for approximate weather prediction, and found it to be surprisingly accurate when compared to a "real" barometer.


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## Dazzer (Dec 7, 2011)

I have found over the two years I have owned my Sea PathfInder the barometer has proved to be excellent.

Every now and again I would do a check with the local weather to ensure it doesn't need adjusting.

It always been within +/- 2mb of the weather forecast.

I also use the readings to keep and eye on weather situations when fishing, the 24Hr bar graph is very useful.

As said in the previous post, temp reading is useless unless you take the watch off and expose it too the temperature you want to measure for 30mins. I calibrated mine in one of our thermal chambers at work. I found it to be quite accurate but could never be arsed to take off my wrist for 30mins !

Also as said the compass needs to be flat and is quite accurate. Although you need to ensure no interference from other magnetic sources. I. Have used the compass to help me in my astronomy sessions.

Hope that helps.

Daz.


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## tall_tim (Jul 29, 2009)

Personally I wouldn't use a digital compass in the hills, where your life quite literally depends on accuracy. I have had suunto, Casio and t-touch compasses and all were ok, but quite liable to fluctuations of a degree or two (this could translate to several metres over a reasonably short traverse), on some Scottish peaks (iron content in the rocks), or even when too close to a car, tin shed and so on.

The altimeters can work great if you calibrate them often - easy in the hills using coutours on maps with dissecting paths etc. Coupled with a barometer, you have to be careful that one doesn't interfere with the other - ie an approaching storm - falling pressure could be interpreted as you gaining altitude, though some watches will keep these seperate or compensate.


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## Davey P (Sep 9, 2010)

I've got a Casio Protrek and a G-Shock Riseman, and the only function I use on either of them, apart from telling the time, is the backlight :lol:


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## Moustachio (Feb 3, 2011)

Mutley said:


> I bought a Protrek Triple Sensor watch last year (not sure which model)
> 
> I found that
> 
> ...


I concur, bout the same from my t-touch also, though the compass benefits from a proper needle reading, which I think/thought it made it a bit easier to read. Both great bits of kit, but if out in the proper wilderness I'd still take a proper compass.

Have to say though, the ultimate tool would be something like a GPS Garmin.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Many thanks for the replies, they were much appreciated. 

I read some of the instruction manual and it hurt my head, there is a disclaimer in it regarding accuracy, not scientific standard etc. Not that I need scientific standard accuaracy, I only want to know approximately which way I am cycling, how hot it is, how high I've climbed and is it likely to rain. Trouble is after (mostly) getting to grips with it's features I've realised the watch isn't swimming proof..................... 

Anybody looking for a PRG-70-T (Titanium)?


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## Deco (Feb 15, 2011)

I've had a few of these so called ABC watches & the most accurate (and easiest to use) by far was the T-Touch Expert. However it's not by any means a light watch.


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## taffyman (Apr 26, 2011)

i have had a few protrek in my time and found them very good providing that you calibrate it before you start your walk it can give you very good idea of infomation but does not take the place of a map and compass


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## shadowninja (Apr 14, 2009)

As they say above, you need to calibrate it. You also have to understand how it works. It's based on atmospheric pressure so if you're changing altitude and the weather is changing then you're going to get screwy readings. On the level, it's great for predicting the weather and it's what I use my Pro-Trek and Riseman for.

Re the thermometer, it will give you your skin temp unless you remove it for about 30 minutes. Not entirely useless but not useful when you're... actually trekking.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Update:- It was too complicated plus I had doubts about the many feaures accuracy...............plus, it wasn't waterproof enough. I didn't have any idea of it's worth so I sold it on Ebay for Â£138 (.99p no reserve) 2 weeks after buying it for Â£35. :huh:


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## Moustachio (Feb 3, 2011)

crikey that was a bit of a result for you, nice one!!!


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