Suunto X6/X6m USERS GUIDE
1. General Information...5. 1.1. Care and Maintenance...5. 1.2. Water Resistance...6 1.3. Battery Replacement....6. 1.4. After sales service...8. 2. How to Use Your Suunto X6/X6M...9 2.1. Display...9 2.1.1.Mode Symbols...9. 2.1.2.Function Symbols...10 2.2. Buttons... 11 2.2.1.Short and Long Press.. 11. 2.2.2.Start Button.... 11 2.2.3.Stop/CL Button.. 11 2.2.4.Suunto Button..12. 2.2.5.Arrow Buttons...12 2.2.6. Button Lock....13 2.3.Menus...13 2.3.1. Basic Menu Structure..13 2.3.2.Navigating in Menus...14 3. Modes...15 3.1. General Information....15 3.2.Time Mode...16 3.2.1.Main Display...16 3.2.2.Alarm....16 3.2.3.Time...18.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.3. 3.4. 3.5. 3.6.
3.2.4. Date....19 3.2.5. General....20. 3.2.6. Units...22 Compass Mode...25 3.3.1.Main Display...25 3.3.2. Use...26 3.3.3.Altitude/Sealevel...27. 3.3.4. Compass...28 Weather Mode...30. 3.4.1.Main Display...30 3.4.2. Use...31 3.4.3.Sealevel...31. 3.4.4.Alarm....32 3.4.5.Memory...32 Hiking Mode....33 3.5.1.Main Display...33 3.5.2.Logbook...34. 3.5.3. Use...38 3.5.4.Altitude...38 3.5.5.Alarms...38 Hiking Chrono...40 3.6.1.Main Display...40 3.6.2Memory...41 3.6.3.Altitude...44 3.6.4. Use...44 3.6.5.Reminder...44
3.6.6.Effect of air temperature on altitude measurement..46 4. Additional Features...50 4.1. PC Interface....50 4.1.1.Transferring Data...50. 4.1.2.Suunto Activity Manager Features..51 4.2.SuuntoSports.com...53. 4.2.1.System Requirements...54 4.2.2.SuuntoSports.com Sections..54 4.2.3. Getting Started..56 5. Technical Data...57 6. Copyright and Trademark Notice..58 7. CE ...58 8. Limits of Liability and ISO 9001 Compliance..59 9. Disposal of the Device...59

1. General Information

The Suunto X6/X6M Wristop Computer is a reliable high-precision electronic instrument that is intended for recreational use. Outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy sports such as mountain climbing, hiking and biking can rely on the Suunto X6/X6Ms accuracy. NOTE: The Suunto X6/X6M should not be substituted for obtaining measurements that require professional or industrial precision and should not be used to obtain measurements when skydiving, hang gliding, paragliding, gyrocopter riding and flying a small aircraft. 1.1. Care and Maintenance Only perform the procedures described in this manual. Never attempt to disassemble or service your Suunto X6/X6M. Protect your Suunto X6/X6M from shocks, extreme heat and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. If not in use, store your Suunto X6/X6M in a clean, dry environment at room temperature. The Suunto X6/X6M can be wiped clean with a lightly moistened (warm water) cloth. If there are stubborn stains or marks, you can apply mild soap to the area. Do not expose the Suunto X6/X6M to strong chemicals such as gasoline, cleaning solvents, acetone, alcohol, insect repellents, adhesives and paint, as they will damage the units seals, case and finish. Keep the PC interface contacts clean with e.g. a toothbrush. Make sure the area around the sensors is kept free of dirt and sand. Never insert any objects into the sensor openings.
1.2. Water Resistance Suunto X6/X6M is water-resistant. Its water resistance is tested to 100m/330ft according to ISO 2281 standard (www.iso.ch). This means that you can use your Suunto X6/X6M for swimming and other water sports activities but it must not be used for scuba diving or freediving. To maintain water resistance and to ensure that the warranty remains valid, it is strongly recommended to have all service, except for battery change, done by authorized Suunto service personnel. NOTE: Never push the buttons while swimming or in contact with water. Deliberate or unintentional pressing of the buttons while the unit is submerged could cause the unit to malfunction. 1.3. Battery Replacement The Suunto X6/X6M operates on a 3-Volt lithium cell, type: CR 2032. The life expectancy is approximately 12 months in Time/Weather modes. A low-battery warning indicator is activated on the display when approximately 515 percent of the battery capacity is still available. When this occurs, you should replace the battery. However, extremely cold weather may activate the low battery warning indicator, even though the battery is still fully operational. If the battery warning indicator is activated in temperatures above 10C (50F), replace the battery. NOTE: Heavy use of the backlight, altimeter and compass will significantly reduce battery life.

2. How to Use Your Suunto X6/X6M
2.1. Display When your Suunto X6/X6M leaves the factory, it is in sleep mode, with the display empty. Press any button to activate the Suunto X6/X6M. The text defrag of memory is displayed and after a few seconds the Time mode is activated. Later on, you can select which mode is displayed. For information about setting the correct time, refer to chapter 3.2.3. In addition to mode-specific information, the Suunto X6/X6M display includes several symbols. 2.1.1. Mode Symbols The mode symbols on the left of the display indicate the active mode: Time Hiking Compass Hiking chrono Weather
2.1.2. Function Symbols The function symbols indicate that either a function has been activated (such as Alarm) or something needs to be done (battery symbol). The function symbols are: Alarm Active, when at least one of the alarms is on. Weather/Altitude alarm Active, when weather alarm, altitude alarm or asc/dsc alarm is on. Logbook Active, when the logbook is recording data. Chrono Active, when the chrono is on and recording data to a file. Use alti/baro Indicates that the air pressure sensor is used as a barometer and the altitude reading is fixed. Active when you select the air pressure to be displayed as weather information. In this case the altitude reading in Hiking, Chrono and Compass modes is fixed. For more information refer to chapter 3.3.2. Battery Active, when 515 percent of the battery capacity is left and the battery should be replaced. Button Lock Active, when the button lock has been activated.
2.2. Buttons 2.2.1. Short and Long Press The buttons may have different functions depending on how long you press them. The ordinary press or short press means that the button is pressed quickly. The long press means that the button is pressed for more than 2 seconds. 2.2.2. Start Button Short press In Chrono mode, it starts timing and records and displays the intermediate times. In Hiking mode, it records the mark points (altitude and time). Long press Activates the backlight when the backlight is not set to the off position. The backlight stays on as long as a selection is active and 5 seconds after the last selection. For more information about backlight settings, refer to chapter 3.2.5. 2.2.3. Stop/CL Button Short press Returns to the previous menu level or to the previous selection without accepting the selection.

In the Chrono mode, it stops timing. In the main displays, it acts as a shortcut button, that toggles the lowest field of the main display between three different alternatives. The selection stays active even if the mode or menu level is changed. Long press Returns to the main display of the current mode without accepting the last selection. In the Chrono mode, it resets the stopwatch. 2.2.4. Suunto Button Short press Scrolls to a lower menu level. Accepts the selections made with arrows and moves to the next phase. After the last selection, it returns to the Set menu. With two possible selections (e.g. light On/Off), it activates the selection and accepts the selections made with arrows. Long press Returns to the main display of the current mode and accepts the selection. With two possible selections (e.g. light On/Off), it accepts the selection and returns directly to the main display of the current mode. 2.2.5. Arrow Buttons Short press Scrolls from one mode to another. Scrolls the menus up and down, and logbook and memory forward and back. Changes the values. The up arrow increases the value and the down arrow decreases
the value. With two possible selections (e.g. light On/Off), both arrows change the value. 2.2.6. Button Lock The button lock prevents you from pushing the buttons. If the button lock is activated and you try to press a button, the message unlock press suunto is displayed. Activating the button lock To activate the button lock: 1.Press Suunto. The Suunto X6/X6M switches to the Function menu. 2.Press Start within 2 seconds. The buttons are locked and the Suunto X6/X6M switches to the main display of the current mode. Deactivating the button lock To deactivate the button lock: 1.Press Suunto. The following text is displayed: now press start. 2.Press Start within 2 seconds. 2.3. Menus 2.3.1. Basic Menu Structure The menus are organized hierarchically under the modes. When you select a mode, its main display appears. When you press Suunto in the modes main display, the modes Function menu is displayed. The Function menu includes several functions and all the functions include sub-functions or settings. This is called the hierarchical menu structure.
2.3.2. Navigating in Menus You can scroll the menu items with the up and down arrow buttons on the right side of the Suunto X6/X6M. Three menu items are displayed at the same time. The menu item that is currently active and can thus be selected is displayed in reversed color. On the right side of the display is an indicator bar showing the total number of menu items. The number of the active menu item is displayed next to the indicator bar. To move deeper into the hierarchy, select a menu item and press Suunto. To return one step up in the hierarchy, press Stop/CL. Remember that if you just press Stop/CL the changes are not savedfirst you have accepted them with the Suunto button. If you want to return directly to the main display of the active mode, press for more than 2 seconds either Suunto (saves the changes) or Stop/CL (discards the last change). Suunto X6/X6M has been designed to guide you as much as possible when you navigate in the menus. When you perform a function, the Suunto X6/X6M often returns automatically to the menu that you are likely to use next. Also, for example, if you try to do something that is impossible, the Suunto X6/X6M first displays a message and then automatically recommends a function in reversed color to help you to use the functions.

Shortcuts The third row contains shortcuts to three functions. To change the function, press Stop/CL. Altitude: In Alti use, it displays the current altitude, and in Baro use, it displays the reference altitude. For more information about the Alti and Baro uses, see section 3.3.2. Bearing tracking: Bearing tracking helps you to follow a certain bearing in terrain. When you scroll to bearing tracking for the first time, it is 0. To activate the search for bearing, move your Suunto X6/X6M horizontally until the chosen bearing is displayed on the first row and press Start. The selected bearing is displayed on the third row until you select a new bearing with the Start button. When you have selected the bearing tracking, the compass rose in the middle row displays a dotted vertical line indicating the bearing tracking set. NOTE: The tracking always remembers the last direction selected, when you next scroll to it. Time: Displays the current time. NOTE: The shortcuts will also function normally in the power-saving mode. When you select the bearing shortcut, the compass will automatically be activated. 3.3.2. Use With the Use function you can define whether the air pressure measurement is used to measure the altitude or to represent the weather conditions. If you select Alti (altimeter), the measured air pressure is displayed as altitude and all changes of atmospheric pressure are interpreted as changes in altitude.
When the Alti use is selected, the altitude reading of Compass, Hiking and Hiking Chrono modes changes, but the atmospheric pressure (sea level) in the second row of the Weather mode remains constant. The absolute pressure changes if it is selected as a shortcut on the third row of the Weather mode. If you select Baro (barometer), the measured air pressure is displayed as weather information and all changes in atmospheric pressure are interpreted as being due to a change in the weather. When the Baro is selected, the altitude reading in the Compass, Hiking and Hiking Chrono modes remains constant. The atmospheric pressure (sea level and absolute) in the Weather mode changes. Select the correct use according to what you want to measure. For example, on a hiking trip, you can select Alti for the day to see how high you have climbed. When you camp for the night, you can change the use to Baro to make sure that the weather changes do not catch you by surprise. To select either Altimeter or Barometer use: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Use with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The Alti/Baro field is activated. 2.Change the content of the field with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. You then return to the Function menu. 3.3.3. Altitude/Sealevel In order for the altimeter to function correctly you need to set the reference altitude. This means that you set an altitude reading that is equal to the real altitude. Set the reference altitude in a place where you know the altitude, for example, with the help of a topographical map. The Suunto X6/X6M has a factory set reference altitude that

corresponds to the standard barometric pressure (1013hPa/29.90inHg) at sea level. If you do not know your current altitude or the correct sea level pressure, you can have an estimate of your altitude by setting the sea level pressure to 1013 hPa/29.90 inHg. In the Weather mode, Altitude is replaced with Sealevel, this functions and is set in the same way as Altitude. To set the reference altitude: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Altitude with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 2.With the arrow buttons, set the reference altitude in the field to match the altitude of you current location and press Suunto. You return to the Function menu. If you do not know your altitude, you can use the air pressure to help determine the altitude. To do this, select the Weather mode and set the current sea level air pressure. You can find out the sea level air pressure, for example, from the airport, weather station or Internet weather pages. 3.3.4. Compass The compass menu includes functions for either calibrating the compass or setting its declination. Calibrating the compass You should calibrate the compass if it does not seem to work well, for example, when it displays the wrong compass heading or the heading changes too slowly. You should also calibrate the compass after replacing the battery. Strong electromagnetic fields, such as electric lines, loudspeakers and magnets, can affect the compass calibration. Therefore calibrate the compass if your Suunto X6/X6M has been exposed to these fields.
You should also calibrate the compass before a long trip. NOTE: Calibrate the compass before using it for the first time. NOTE: Remember to hold the Suunto X6/X6M level during the calibration. To calibrate the compass: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Compass with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 2.In the compass menu, move to Calib with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 3.The screen displays the text rotate 360 and a countdown from 5 to 0. When the countdown reaches 0, the calibration starts. Hold the Suunto X6/X6M level and slowly rotate the device in a full clockwise or counterclockwise circle. The level symbol indicates the ongoing calibration. The animation represents the progress of the calibration. If the calibration succeeds, the message complete is displayed and the Suunto X6/X6M returns to the Function menu. If the calibration fails, the message try again is displayed and the process starts again from the countdown. If the calibration fails five times, the message failed, refer manual is displayed and the Suunto X6/X6M returns to the compass menu. If the calibration fails five times in a row, it may be possible that you are in an area that has sources of magnetism, such as large metal object, power lines, loudspeakers and electric motors. Move to another location and try to calibrate the compass again. You can also remove the battery and then insert it again. Also make sure, that the compass remains level during the calibrationcalibration may fail if the level is un stable. If the calibration continues to fail, contact the authorized Suunto service.

NOTE: If the Use function has been set to Alti (altimeter), the barometric value stored in memory is always the same. To view the weather information stored in the memory: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Memory with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The first information page is displayed. 2.Scroll the information with the arrow buttonsthe up arrow scrolls forward and the down arrow backward. 3.To stop viewing the memory content, press either Suunto or Stop/CL at any time. 3.5. Hiking Mode 3.5.1. Main Display When you select the Hiking mode, the main display opens. The main display has three rows. Ascent/descent rate First row displays the ascent/descent rate in the selected unit. For more information about defining the ascent/descent rate unit, refer to chapter 3.2.6. Altitude The second row displays the altitude. For more information about defining the altitude unit, refer to chapter 3.2.6. Shortcuts The third row contains shortcuts to three functions. To change the function, press Stop/CL.
Asc: The cumulative ascent since the logbook was started. If the logbook is not running, the display shows text asc 0. Differ: When you select the Differ function, it displays the difference in altitude and time since the last reset of the function. To reset and start a new measurement, press Start. Differ is always in the measuring mode, i.e. it measures the time and altitude difference constantly but displays them only when you select the function. During the first 10 hours both hours and minutes are displayed. After that, during the next 89 hours, only hours are displayed and, finally, the display shows only a dash and letter h. Time: Displays the current time. 3.5.2. Logbook The logbook allows you to save information regarding, for example, a hiking trip. When you start the logbook, it starts gathering information about the cumulative ascents and descents, average ascent and descent rates, highest and lowest points and specific marks you can set during the trip. When you stop the logbook, the information gathered thus far is recorded as a logbook file that can be viewed later. The maximum duration of one logbook is 168 hours (one week). After this the logbook stops automatically. The Suunto X6/X6M can store 20 logbook files at one time. More logbooks can be saved on your PC with the help of the PC Interface. For more information, refer to chapter 4.1. NOTE: To record a complete graph of the activity, use the stopwatch in the Chrono mode. Starting the logbook To start the logbook: 1.Press Suunto in the main display.

2.In the Function menu, scroll to Logbook with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 3.Scroll to Start and press Suunto. If the logbook is not running and there is enough memory left, recording begins. The message logbook started is displayed and you return to the Function menu. If the logbook is already activated, the message logbook already running is displayed and you return to the Function menu, where the Stop field is displayed in reversed color. If there is not enough memory left, the message memory full is displayed and the Suunto X6/X6M moves to a display that asks you to erase a logbook file. Select the logbook file to be deleted with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The file is deleted from the memory and you return to the logbook menu. Stopping the logbook To stop the logbook: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Logbook with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 2.Scroll to Stop and press Suunto. The recording stops and the message logbook stopped is displayed. You automatically return to the Function menu. If the logbook was not running when you tried to stop it, you return to the Function menu. Viewing logbook files The logbook list includes the logs recorded in the Suunto X6/X6M memory. With the list function you can either view the logs or erase them from the memory. You can scroll the list forward from the first item and either forward or backward from all the other items.
To view the log files: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Logbook with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 2.Scroll to View and press Suunto. A list of all the saved logbook files is displayed. 3.Scroll the list with the arrow buttons until the logbook file you want to view is active and press Suunto. The first display of the logbook file is shown. 4.Press the up arrow to move to the next display. The displays are shown in the following content: Starting date and time, total time of the file and the number of runs. An ascent and consecutive descent of at least 50 meters is considered a run. Total ascent and the average ascent rate Total descent and the average descent rate The highest point, date and time The lowest point, date and time The marks the user has added to the logbook file include the altitude, date and time of the mark. The maximum number of marks is 10. Total ascent and total descent are updated in 10 s intervals. To return to the main display, press Suunto for more than 2 seconds. NOTE: If you try to view the list but there are no recorded logbook files, the message no logbook files is displayed and you return to the logbook menu. Erasing logbook files To erase the log files: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Logbook with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. 2.Scroll to Erase and press Suunto. A list of all the recorded logbook files is displayed.
3.Scroll the list with the arrow buttons until the logbook file you want to erase is active and press Suunto. The Suunto X6/X6M displays the file and the text erase?. 4.If you want to accept the deletion, press Suunto. You return to the list of logbook files. 5.If you want to cancel the deletion, press Stop/CL. You return to the previous menu. Viewing logbook history The logbook history contains the cumulative values of ascents and descents and the highest point of all logbooks (Hiking and Chrono Modes) recorded during the Suunto X6/X6M lifetime. To view the history: 1.In the Function menu, press Suunto to enter Logbook. 2.Scroll to History and press Suunto. 3.Press the up arrow to scroll the history information. The information is displayed in the following order: Cumulative ascent. Cumulative descent. Highest point, date and time. Resetting the logbook history To reset the logbook history: 1.Connect your Suunto X6/X6M to Suunto Activity Manager. History Reset History. This will transfer the current history 2.Click Wristop data to SAM database and set the history values in the Wristop computer memory to zero.

Logbook marks You can add marks to the logbook file and record the information about the altitude of a specific point and time. This can only be done in Hiking mode. The maximum number of marks in each file is 10. To add a mark, short press Start when the logbook is running. A long press activates the backlight and no logbook mark is made. The marks are added in the logbook file and they can be viewed through the file list (refer to chapter 3.5.2.). When you have added the marks, the message mark point saved is displayed. When you have saved the marks, the PC can create a profile that connects them with a line. With this feature you can, for example, create a simplified altitude profile of your trip. You can also use marks to compare the difference in time and altitude between two points of the trip. (Compare with the Differ function on chapter 3.5.1.) 3.5.3. Use With the Use function you can define whether the air pressure measurement is used to set the altitude or to represent the weather conditions. For more information, refer to chapter 3.3.2. 3.5.4. Altitude With this function you can set the reference altitude. For more information about the reference altitude, refer to chapter 3.3.3. 3.5.5. Alarms The altitude alarm is intended to warn you if you pass the preset altitude limit. The ascent/descent alarm, in its turn, warns you if your ascent/descent rate is faster than the preset rate. When the alarm sounds, you can acknowledge it by pressing any button.
NOTE: The alarms are functional only when the Use function is set to Alti. Setting altitude alarm To set the altitude alarm: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Alarms with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The alarm menu is displayed. 2.Scroll to Altitude and press Suunto. The On/Off field is activated. 3.Change the status of the alarm to either on or off with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The altitude field is activated. 4. Change the altitude with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. You return to the Function menu. Setting the ascent/descent alarm To set the ascent/descent alarm: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Alarms with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The alarm menu is displayed. 2.Scroll to Asc/Dsc and press Suunto. The On/Off field of the next display is activated. 3.Change the status of the alarm to either on or off with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The rate field is activated. 4.Change the asc/dsc rate with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. You return to the main display. NOTE: The ascent is indicated by positive values, the descent by negative values.

3.6. Hiking Chrono 3.6.1. Main Display When you select the Hiking Chrono mode, the main display opens. The main display has three rows. Altitude The first row displays the altitude in the selected unit. For more information about defining the altitude unit, refer to chapter 3.2.6. Stopwatch The second row displays the total time or the split time. The split time is the time from the start of the timing to this moment. When you navigate to the main display, the time on the second row is either 0.00,0, the time of the previous timing, or, if the stopwatch has already started, a running time. The time starts running when you press Start. If you want to view a split and lap time (on the third row), press Start again. The time on the middle row stops for 3 seconds to display the split time and then starts running again. When you want to stop the timing, press Stop/CL while in the Chrono mode. The stop time is then displayed on the second row. You can zero the display by long pressing Stop/CL. NOTE: If you want to continue the same timing after viewing the lap and split times, press Start instead of zeroing the display. NOTE: You must have free space in the memory to be able to start the timing. If the memory is full, the message memory full is displayed and the Suunto X6/X6M suggests the oldest memory file to be erased. Erase the suggested file by pressing Suunto or select and erase another file. After the deletion, you can start the chrono. For more
information about erasing memory files, refer to chapter 3.6.2. Lap time The lap time means the time from the last press of Start, i.e. from the last intermediate time to the current time. The lap time runs on the third row. When you press Start, the lap time stops for 3 seconds to display the lap time and starts running from zero again (for the next lap). When you stop the timing by pressing Stop/CL, the last lap time is displayed on the third row. 3.6.2. Memory The memory records data continuously when the chrono is active, that is, when the timing is running. Viewing memory files The memory file can be viewed in relation to the time and altitude data. To view a memory file: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Memory with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The memory menu is displayed. 2.Scroll to View alti and press Suunto. The list of memory files is displayed. In the file list the files are organized so that the latest file is the first. 3.Scroll to the file you want to view with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The first information screen is displayed. 4.Scroll the information with the arrow buttons. The information is displayed in the following order: Total ascent and the average ascent rate.

The memory capacity is 33 h with 10 s recording interval and 200 h with 60 s interval. Free memory capacity in % is displayed in the Interval menu below the intervals with the text Free%. 3.6.3. Altitude With this function you can set the reference altitude. For more information about the reference altitude, refer to chapter 3.3.3. 3.6.4. Use Alti/Baro With the Use function you can define whether the air pressure measurement is used to represent the altitude or the weather conditions. For more information, refer to chapter 3.3.2. 3.6.5. Reminder You can activate a reminder to sound a signal after set periods. This feature is helpful, for example, when you are hiking and want to remember to drink at regular intervals. It can also be used for interval training. NOTE: You do not have to acknowledge the reminder in any way when you hear it. Starting the reminder To activate the reminder: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Reminder with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The Reminder menu is displayed. 2.Scroll to Start and press Suunto. If the interval is set, the message reminder started is displayed and you return to the Function menu.
Stopping the reminder To stop the reminder: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Reminder with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The Reminder menu is displayed, and if the reminder is active, the Stop field is displayed in reversed color. 2.Scroll to Stop and press Suunto. The message reminder stopped is displayed and you return to the Function menu. NOTE: If the reminder is not active and you try to stop it, you return to the Function menu without any message. Reminder interval When you navigate to the Reminder menu for the first time, the interval is 1.00. After this, the interval displayed in the Reminder menu is the interval that was set the last time the reminder was used. To change the interval: 1.In the Function menu, scroll to Reminder with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The Reminder menu is displayed. 2.Scroll to Int and press Suunto. The minutes field is activated. 3.Set the minutes with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. The seconds field is activated. 4. Set the seconds with the arrow buttons and press Suunto. You return to the Reminder menu and the Start field is activated. NOTE: The reminder interval can not be shorter than 5 seconds.

Table 3 shows an example in which the temperature offsets are negative. This time imperial units are used. The reference altitude is set at 3280 feet. At 9840 feet the altitude difference is 6560 feet and the Suunto X6/X6M shows 100 feet too much (-14 F * 6560 ft * 0.0011/F = -100 ft). Your actual altitude is thus 9740 ft. Table 3. Example using feet and Fahrenheit. Lower point Set reference altitude (real altitude) 3280 ft Displayed altitude Real outside temperature +36.3 F Normal (table) temperature +47.3 F Temperature difference (= real - normal) -9 F Sum of temperature offsets -9 F + -5 F = -14 F Higher point 9840 ft +18.9 F +23.9 F -5 F

4. Additional Features

4.1. PC Interface With the PC Interface you can transfer and store the logs you have gathered with your Suunto X6/X6M to your PC. The logs can be either hiking logs stored in the Suunto X6/X6M logbook files, weather logs stored in the weather memory or chrono logs stored in the chrono memory. When the data has been transferred, you can organize, view and add related information to it easily with the Suunto Activity Manager software. The PC Interface cable and Suunto Activity Manager are delivered in the same package with your Suunto X6/X6M. The installation instructions for the software can be found on the cover of the Suunto Activity Manager CD-ROM. 4.1.1. Transferring data Make sure your computer has a free serial port and is not used by other processes. Start transferring the data by attaching the cable to the computer serial port and plugging the other end to your Suunto X6/X6M. You can also use USB port with serial/USB adapter. The wristop goes automatically to the data transfer mode.
When the cable is connected, open the Suunto Activity Manager (SAM). Click on the Wristop icon in the upper left corner of the SAM to open the data transfer window. Press the Connect button in the lower part of the window to transfer the list of the log files from the wristop computer to the SAM window. When you drag and drop the logs into appropriate folders, they are saved to the hard disk of your PC. The folders are located on the left side of the SAM data transfer window. If the Suunto Activity Manager is already open before you have connected the cable, click on the Connect button to display the log list. When you have uploaded the logs, you can delete them from the Suunto X6/X6M memory by dragging them to the Recycle bin in the lower left corner of the Suunto Activity Manager to create more space for new logs. For further information, see the Suunto Activity Manager Help. To access the help, click the help icon on the upper right corner of the display. You can also refer to the Suunto Activity Manager Tutorial for step-by-step instructions. To access the tutorial, click on the Tutorial link in the Help Contents window in the SAM Help. 4.1.2. Suunto Activity Manager Features Users You can create a user profile and add information about yourself and your Suunto X6/X6M. Creating user information is useful if you have several wristop computers you want to use with the same computer, or when many people use the same wristop computerwith the user information you can always find the correct data, such as logs. Logs When you have uploaded the logs from the Suunto X6/X6M, you can organize them with the Suunto Activity Manager. You can, for example, create folders where you can

store the logsthe hiking logs can be arranged in a different folder than the skiing logs. You can also sort the logs, move them between folders and delete them or search the log information. It is even possible to upload them to the SuuntoSports.com site. Charts and Data You can examine the log information by creating charts from it. The charts show the development of altitude or temperature. Open the folders and select the logs you want to see. Click on the Open Logs button to view the file as a chart. If you have opened several logs, they are listed in the window below the chart. There you can select which profiles you want to view simultaneously. You can also add bookmarks to a chart. The bookmark can either be a text or an image for example a photograph of the highest peak of your trek. You can also view the log information as a data list where the altitude, and temperature values are listed in chronological order. To view a data list, click on the Data button on the upper part of the chart window. Both charts and the list can be printed. Analyzing Data You can analyze the data in the logs according to your activities and possible time periods. Select the files you want from the folder and click on Open Logs. Then press Analyze. The analysis can display information about altitude zones and durations. The analysis results are displayed as 3-D bar diagrams that you can rotate on the screen.
Changing Suunto X6/X6M Settings You can change some Suunto X6/X6M settings with the Wristop Computer section of the Suunto Activity Manager. You can change the following settings: Asc/Dscselect the used ascent/descent unit (m/s, m/min, m/h, ft/s, ft/min, ft/h). Altitudechange the used altitude unit (m or ft). Pressure select the used pressure unit (hPa or inHg). Temperatureselect the used temperature unit (F or C). Timeselect between 12- or 24-hour display. Dateselect the date format (day/month, month/day, day). Lightselect the light setting (Normal, NightUse, Off). Tonesset the button tones on or off. Iconsset the icons on or off. For more detailed information and step-by-step instructions for the above features, refer to the Suunto Activity Manager Help or Tutorial. 4.2. SuuntoSports.com SuuntoSports.com is an international free web community where you can refine and share the data that you have measured with your personal Suunto instrument and analyzed with the sport-specific PC interface. SuuntoSports.com offers you a number of features that help you get the most out of your sport and your Suunto X6/X6M. If you already own a personal Suunto sports instrument you can access all sportspecific functions through registration. If you do not yet have an instrument you may either log on as a guest or register yourself. As a guest you can view and read, but registration gives you the right to use other functions and participate in discussions.

Sport Forums SuuntoSports.com has its own Sports Forum with pages for each Suunto sport. The basic features and functions are the same for all sports pagessport-specific news, bulletin boards and chat rooms. Users can also suggest links to sports-related sites and tips regarding the sport and equipment to be published on the site, or publish their own travel reports. Sport forums include presentations of sports-related locations. Users can rank the locations an comment on them, and the results are published next to the resort information. You can also create ranking lists for other thingsfor example, what group has most members, who has uploaded most logs or has collected the biggest verticals, visited the highest places, and so on. 4.2.3. Getting Started To join the SuuntoSports.com community, connect to the Internet, open your web browser and go to www.suuntosports.com. When the opening page appears, click the Register icon and register yourself and your Suunto sports instrument. You can change and update your personal and equipment profiles in My Suunto section afterwards. After the registration you will automatically enter the SuuntoSports.com home page that introduces the site structure and functional principles. NOTE: SuuntoSports.com is continuously developed further and its content is subject to change.

5. Technical Data

General Operating temperature -15 C to +50 C/+5F to +120F. Storage temperature -30 C to +60 C/-22F to +140F. Weight 54 g Water-resistant 100 m/330 ft (according to ISO 2281) Mineral crystal glass User-replaceable battery CR2032 PC interface with serial connector Extension strap (accessory) Altimeter Display range 500 m to 9000 m / -1600 ft to 29500 ft Resolution 1 m / 3 ft Barometer Display range 300 to 1100 hPa / 8.90 to 32.40 inHg Resolution 1 hPa / 0.05 inHg Thermometer Display range -20C to 60C / -5F to 140F Resolution 1C / 1F Compass Resolution 1
6. Copyright and Trademark Notice
This publication and its contents are proprietary to Suunto Oy and are intended solely for the use of its clients to obtain knowledge and key information regarding the operation of Suunto X6/X6M products. Its contents shall not be used or distributed for any other purpose and/or otherwise communicated, disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Suunto Oy. Suunto, Suunto X6/X6Ms and their logos are all registered or unregistered trademarks of Suunto Oy. All rights are reserved. While we have taken great care to ensure that information contained in this documentation is both comprehensive and accurate, no warranty of accuracy is expressed or implied. Its content is subject to change at any time without notice. The newest version of this documentation can always be downloaded in www. suunto.com.
The CE mark is used to mark conformity with the European Union EMC directive 89/336/EEC.
8. Limits of Liability and ISO 9001 Compliance

Suunto X6 watch. Outdoors-Magazine.com http://outdoors-magazine.com

Suunto X6 watch.

- Very old articles -
Publication: Friday 8 November 2002 Update: 17 October 2002

Description :

A test of the Suunto x6 wrist computer.
Copyright (c) Outdoors-Magazine.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License
Copyright Outdoors-Magazine.com

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This information is SERIOUSLY outdated.
Suunto is a Finnish brand specialized in sports instruments, from diving computers, to compass and altimeters.
The X6 is a: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Compass Barometer Altimeter Thermometer Clinometer Chronometer Two time-zones watch.
I paid mine 280 Euros [1], classic street price is around 340 Euros.

The Suunto X6

I have owned the Vector from the same maker and can attest of it's resistance, it is the only watch I have kept for four years, a resistance that the two Casio triple sensor I have owned never reached [2]. The vector had some defaults, it was big and thick, it had a plastic glass, and was water-resistant to only 30 meters.

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Compared to old Casio models and to the vector from left to right, top to bottom The first Casio with a barometer / altimeter / depth meter ever made. a Double sensor model (alit, thermo) another double sensor model a triples sensor model (alit, baron, compass, thermo) a Suunto Vector a Suunto X6
Thickness compared to the Suunto Vector (left)

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First contact
The X6 has a mineral glass, is water-proof to 100 meters, and is of a reasonable size.
Out of the box, you need to set it up, this is a pleasure, I could do it without the documentation through the menus of the watch. This interface is highly intuitive, like on Nokia mobile phones, a real pleasure on a complex watch.

Menus of the X6

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More details

The watch includes a chronometer, 3 time alarms, and one repeat count-down timer. There is a way to have silent or noisy button pressing, a way to lock all buttons, an electro-luminescent background, which I sometimes use to see in total darkness, and which can be setup to light each time a button is pressed for night use, or on a special button.
There is the choice of units (Hpa, mb, m, ft, 24 or 12 hours, american or european date format [3].

The compass

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One thing I found painful with digital compass is generally the calibration process. A digital compass need to be calibrated often, and if the calibration procedure is too difficult, this is a problem. The calibration procedure is the easiest and most accessible I have ever done. The precision of the compass is 1 degree, and the clinometer is used to tell if you are measuring while the watch is kept flat [4].
But There is no indicator to tell how flat you hold the watch, as the system used is to highlight the bearing (making it bold when the clinometer tells the watch it is in an acceptably flat position. So, while the precision of the compass is one degree when the watch is held flat, the real precision may be much less than that, as the clinometer accepts some 10 degrees variation. The precision is quite good when looking for the north or south, as in that case the watch does not need to be flat, but when measuring to west or east, the difference of measures on the compass is around 15 degrees in bearing. The bubble level of the Vector allowed for a much better precision. I do not understand, the calibration software emulated a bubble level, using the clinometer, so why did't Suunto included it to the measurement mode, is a mystery. I did a few tests in real, and with a precision compass trying to acquire targets and measure their bearings, I would say that the precision is finally good, generally in a 0 to 3 degrees range from the compass. I have some more tests to perform on this, and will update this article.

The altimeter

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The altimeter has a one meter precision. all concurrents so far only deal in 5 meters increments. Altitude and climbing rate alarms are available. A "Log" can be taken of the altimetric data, giving marked points, highest, and lowest points, total ascent, total descent, etc.

The barometer

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The barometer can provide a graphic of the last hours variations, and a "tempest alarm" that rings when pressure drops more than 4 Hpa in the last 3 hours. A log of the last 48 hours is constantly taken.
The thermometer as always gives the temperature of the watch, which is not the air temperature or your temperature, but in-between, and needs a quarter of an hour to stabilize to air temperature, when removed from your wrest.
The priority is given to the barometer or to the altimeter, though setup. So, in altimeter mode, any difference of pressure is interpreted as altitude, and while in barometer mode, as weather data. All other maker models, and the Vector model, did both at the same time, and ultimately, if never recalibrated the data get crazy, so I do not understand the point. It must be the alarm of the weather mode that forced to have to choose one or the other mode. Anyway, this is stupid, as you have to remember to set the right mode.

The chronometer while in action also records a log of all data every 10 or 60 seconds.
The clinometer gives the declivity of slopes up to 60 degrees. May be a nice feature for free-ride snow surfers like me [5]. But then while the clinometer can record inclination in all directions (as proves the compass calibration mode), it is only sensible to one direction while in display mode. The direction is not the parallel to the forearm (which seems to me the best way to approximate a slope) but the inclination of the wrist rotation axe, rendering the tool nearly useless, unless you use the sight on the watch's crown.

The PC interface

The PC software

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All the data logs can be transferred to the PC and most parameters of the watch can be controlled from the pc software. Honestly, this feature could be absent for me, I consider it as a curiosity, rather than something useful. Now if someone tells me that it enables to flash updated versions of the watch's software as they become available, then it would be another story, but it is so far only a possibility.

The back of the watch

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The battery can be changed by the user [6].

Conclusion

This is a great outdoors watch. Much more compact than it's precursors. It corrects their previous defaults, but gets some others in exchange. It seems well built, and has a very easy access to all functions. Definitively designed for the outdoors people.

Update - July 2003

It is now 9 month I have had this watch, and I have a few more comments: My X6 had the unfamous "reset" problem, the time would come back to factory setting, once or twice every week. The problem appeared after 4 months. On the last occurence, the watch actually reset the whole memory (memory defrag message) and never displayed anything since. The watch is back to service, under the 3 years

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warranty. Please check in the comments for this article for more information on this. The altimeter, though very precise, may be too sensible. On long periods (weeks) in altimeter mode, it never really came to a similar altitude in places I am used to go. It should happen from time to time, when the sea presures are the same, at least it is the experience I had from previous watches. So I suspect there is a drift in altimeter measurement, originating from another source than normal barometric pressure. The resin band discolorated somehow, and will ultimately break soon. Anyway, the best would be to be able to adapt a vecro band, as the plastic against skin feeling is not great in summer. The compass real accuracy is not 1 degree, but rather 10 degrees. 1 degree would be when the watch is flat, but as the indicator of flatness tolerates some 10 degree angle, this reflect on the precision of the compass. Having to swich to barometric measure mode or altimetric measure mode is a pain, because though you have direct access to each screen, You have to do setup manipulations to get the data.

Update conclusion

As much as I loved the Vector, which worked consistently without problems for a few years, I must admit that the X6, though technologically impressive, is not resistant or even reliable enough for my use. What I ask first from a watch is to give the time on a consistant manner, and if it fails, well, I am right to consider it is Not a good watch. The question is still open, expensive fragile gadget, or good watch? At the moment, I tend to think the first. I would also tend to think now that the observer is probably a better model to own, as it is closer to a Vector. While waiting for the X6 to be repared, I got a Casio PRG50 Titane Pro Trek Watch,.
Post-scriptum :I will modify this article over time with my findings.
[1] 1 Euro =1US dollar [2] I am not easy with my watches, as my parents were selling watches, I never cared to care for my watches. [3] which is the first time I really get a DD MM. it was time, I really hate the MM DD format [4] a condition sine qua non [5] it does not however replace knowledge of the snow and normal precautions. [6] Following the maker instructions, and with great care

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