The Perfect Bush Watch!!!

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rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
The blue backlight on the timex I linked to is really about the best backlight I've seen. I also need a watch when camping to make sure I don't miss the news or Book at Bedtime on BBC Radio Four
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,718
1,964
Mercia
A question for the analogoue face watch users, why analgoue??? .

Because it doesn't need batteries or winding up. Its hands and number points are luminous so I can tell the time without ruining my night vision with one of those "blackpool illumination" monstrosities.

It tells the time, never runs out of juice, I can read it at a glance and thats all I need or want it to do.

Red
 

Minotaur

Native
Apr 27, 2005
1,605
235
Birmingham
I wish you were right Squidders - I dont even get a signal in my own home!
A large part of the country near where I live - not to mention a large part of our nearest town and most of the valleys around...
It is not as if Vodaphone is a small company with poor general coverage either!
Screaming at the sky is one of the best communication options around here.:rolleyes:

O2 has the best coverage and their network is used by other providers EXCEPT Vodaphone who have their own. At the bushmoot Luke could not get a signal on his (Vodaphone) mobile but I did on my O2

In Wales, you want Orange apprently, but have found O2 to be better than Vodaphone. Would be interesting to know what the Mid to highlands, or lakes are like?

Have had some weird connection experiences outdoors. No network take a step in one direction, and full connection.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
Anything is better than Vodaphone in my experience or that of family members anyway. I've no experience of Orange, but todate I've honestly had no problems with O2, that said I don't use the phone much so I may have been in 'blind spots'

Interesting article in the Guardian a week or so ago, it was saying that 2009/10 will see GPS fitted to more lower end phones, something else to drain your battery:rolleyes:
 
Oct 6, 2008
495
0
Cheshire
G shock for me .Can be had for about £40, tough as boots and last for years. The only problem I've had with mine was the pin to the strap breaking once, I think it cost me 50p to get sorted.

I had a timex expedition watch with a built in compass prior to the Gshock but the compass was pretty much useless as I recall, I was better at knowing where north was than the watch!
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
The compass on a timex needs calibrating to the area your in. Easy to do, and imo is pretty accurate. It won't replace my Silva, but i know its there if i need it.
 

Grooveski

Native
Aug 9, 2005
1,707
10
53
Glasgow
I like to see analogue hands because they show the time in a more visual way that gives you an overview of what the time is in relation to the entire day. You more easily visualize how long it is until your appointment (or whatever) for example.

Digital is fine and I have a watch with both analogue and digital but digital tells me what the time is now and doesn't relate it to anything. It is therefore up to me to work out what the numbers mean and how they relate to the rest of the day. So it is no longer "quarter to two" where I can see the hands position but "1:45PM " with no other reference.

"Digital clocks are symptomatic of our ambivalent age, they provide the precise time to the nanosecond, but no greater context, an infinite succession of "you are here" arrows, but nary a map"
Stephen Lawhead
 

lostagain

Need to contact Admin...
Jun 27, 2008
195
0
52
Windermere
Like to see someone find north with a digital watch.LOL

Sapper, I'm lucky enough to have a Suunto X6 HR M, built in compass. So you could say I can find North with my digital watch but its only used as a gimmick, you can't beat a real compass (no batteries to run out)(although my analogue watch has batteries too so thats not completely reliable).

Would recommend the X6, heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass and it tells the time too! Can download the watch when i get back from a trip and compare the height chart with heart rate to see how fast my poor old ticker was working carrying my belly up the hills!! :D
 
Oct 6, 2008
495
0
Cheshire
The compass on a timex needs calibrating to the area your in. Easy to do, and imo is pretty accurate. It won't replace my Silva, but i know its there if i need it.

I found mine needed calibrating every couple of days, but then technology and me have had a few running battles. The technology wins till I resort to the cricket bat.
 

HillBill

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 1, 2008
8,141
88
W. Yorkshire
I found mine needed calibrating every couple of days, but then technology and me have had a few running battles. The technology wins till I resort to the cricket bat.

:lmao: The only problem with them is they are prone to interference from a lot of common objects such as laptops or anything with an elctromagnetic field. Don't calibrate them near these objects and the readings they may give can be a little out if near this type of interference.
 

Pang

Forager
Sep 8, 2007
170
0
london
Because it doesn't need batteries or winding up. Its hands and number points are luminous so I can tell the time without ruining my night vision with one of those "blackpool illumination" monstrosities.

It tells the time, never runs out of juice, I can read it at a glance and thats all I need or want it to do.

Red
good point with the bcklight's effect on your night vision, however about the batteries, alot of outdoorsy digital watches come with tough solar tech, which needs only a few hours recharge which you can get from a walk in the morning and such to allow full functionality.
 

Pang

Forager
Sep 8, 2007
170
0
london
Sapper, I'm lucky enough to have a Suunto X6 HR M, built in compass. So you could say I can find North with my digital watch but its only used as a gimmick, you can't beat a real compass (no batteries to run out)(although my analogue watch has batteries too so thats not completely reliable).

Would recommend the X6, heart rate, altimeter, barometer, compass and it tells the time too! Can download the watch when i get back from a trip and compare the height chart with heart rate to see how fast my poor old ticker was working carrying my belly up the hills!! :D
wow, that's quite a watch.
 

ChrisW

Member
Aug 19, 2008
47
0
Bristol
Dont wear a watch myself, haven't done for a few years now. Don't miss it at all. I'm surrounded by clocks for most of the time, and when I'm out it's time to not worry about ... time.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,718
1,964
Mercia
good point with the bcklight's effect on your night vision, however about the batteries, alot of outdoorsy digital watches come with tough solar tech, which needs only a few hours recharge which you can get from a walk in the morning and such to allow full functionality.
But my Seiko kinetic will operate in the dark for days on end (handy when your watch is under your sleeve in the cold) or indeed in a drawer for three months with no light and no battery :)

Its a watch. It tells the time. It never needs batteries (or sunlight). Its never gone wrong. It doesn't need a backlight or any other "more to go wrong" stuff.

Why would I change it? :)

Red
 

bigbear

Full Member
May 1, 2008
1,061
210
Yorkshire
I have an ancient (20 years ?) G shock which has got an altimeter, thermometer etc built in.
The watch itself is bombproof, been used and abuseed in caves, up hills, in dirt and grime, cleans up and no damage.
The altimeter is a very useful tool in the mountains as long as you remember its limitations and recalibrate regularly.
There are a load of other functions which I have never learnt to use- could not see the need.
I cannot but help admire how tough the watch is- tight fistedness stops me buying a nice Timex or similar as long as this keeps going !
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,137
2,876
66
Pembrokeshire
But my Seiko kinetic will operate in the dark for days on end (handy when your watch is under your sleeve in the cold) or indeed in a drawer for three months with no light and no battery :)

Its a watch. It tells the time. It never needs batteries (or sunlight). Its never gone wrong. It doesn't need a backlight or any other "more to go wrong" stuff.

Why would I change it? :)

Red

I like the sound of that - do they still make them?
My "back up watch" (that I wear when my digital one is needing new batteries) is an old fashioned wind up...with a cracked crystal... which was my main watch for years before I went digital. It too never needs batteries or sunlight - but I dont trust it for watersports anymore.
 

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