X9i

Comments about Suunto USA X9i:

I have had and used the X9I over the last 2 years.
If used inside the context of some limitations it can be an excellent tool.
A full blown GPS it is not.
It is great for storing way points to be accessed when needed as in navigating in storms where compass navigation is diffcult.
I store trailhead points and other points for recall in case of white outs etc. and to navigate to a new point if needed.
I have downloaded routes to it and followed those routes. Satelite fix is slow, but for a tool that I can be conveniently accessed without adding the weight and bulk of a full Gps,and,I am willing to carry on every trip, it provides the info I need in pinch without adding any real weight and bulk over a regular ABC watch.
I look forward to newer models that are quicker and have a better battery life, but this one has proven to be very useful tool in the context I use it.

Comments about Suunto USA X9i:

gps lock can only be achieved with perfect view of the sky and then takes 15-20 minutes. Go near a tree and reception is gone. Suunto contacted to no avail.

Comments about Suunto USA X9i:

i was mountain biking downhill, and the constant shaking broke the cover i sent it to the manufacturer, and they sent it back put the cover back and one outing broke it again. I wasted my money on this, they should take it out of the market, it gadgetry is fine but the material is poor, the plastic cover will surely break, and for the price o [$] its not worth buying.

Comments about Suunto USA X9i:

This is a very poor piece of equipment, and if you rely upon it without a backup, it may get you into trouble. There are really only two deficiencies, but they are both big ones. The battery life is extremely short. I found that even when sampling every sixty seconds, the batteries did not last a full day. The only thing that I would recommend this product for is very short day trips. If you are conservative, plan on using it for four hours, with some minimal margin of safety, and that is assuming that you take it off the charger and immediately put it into use.

Also, the X9i charged up from my computer extremely slowly (i.e. several days). Wall-charging was much faster. The reception was very poor inside of a vehicle, and though I never tried it, probably marginal under trees and clouds. Outside, under clear skies, reception was very good.

Until Suunto comes up with a solution for the battery life, and a better antenna, both of which may be impossible in such a compact unit, this product is enthusiastically not recommended.