GaryRay 0 #1 July 16, 2007 so i got to thinking today...becomes a problem once in a while but thats besides the point....ive done a search and i checked the internet. how does an altimeter get its readings? such as my Viso, if it was bar-alt you would have a setting for the air press. of the day, if it was rad alt then it would be huge, what is the science behind it?JewBag. www.jewbag.wordpress.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #2 July 16, 2007 >how does an altimeter get its readings? Air pressure. >if it was bar-alt you would have a setting for the air press. of the day, Yep, you have to zero them. You do this by hand (for mechanical altimeters) or the system does it automatically when first turned on (for electronic altimeters.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GaryRay 0 #3 July 16, 2007 interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now.JewBag. www.jewbag.wordpress.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krip 2 #4 July 16, 2007 Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. Beware of mechanical devicesSomeone landed this weekend with a new alti that was checked with other alti's on jump run 13'k AGL and 1000' BGL on landing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jurgencamps 0 #5 July 16, 2007 Quote Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. Beware of mechanical devicesSomeone landed this weekend with a new alti that was checked with other alti's on jump run 13'k AGL and 1000' BGL on landing Zero your altimeter on the ground, never in the air with another altimeter! Never! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krip 2 #6 July 16, 2007 Quote Quote Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. Beware of mechanical devicesSomeone landed this weekend with a new alti that was checked with other alti's on jump run 13'k AGL and 1000' BGL on landing Zero your altimeter on the ground, never in the air with another altimeter! Never! Hi JC Of courseMy understanding was they did both. Zero on ground and checkie prior to exit for workie. New alti still ended up 1k BGL on landing. Someone was going to take both up on another load and see if the error was duplicated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GaryRay 0 #7 July 16, 2007 with my new Viso im gonna guess it just zero's itself on startup rather than me needing to do it myself.JewBag. www.jewbag.wordpress.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phoenixlpr 0 #8 July 16, 2007 Quote Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. Beware of mechanical devicesSomeone landed this weekend with a new alti that was checked with other alti's on jump run 13'k AGL and 1000' BGL on landing I got -40m altitude reading of my Neptune. Your turn... Guess what could be the result of -40m in swooping... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pre7117 0 #9 July 16, 2007 It will zero on start up and it checks itself while it is on and will reset. (when not in jump mode)HELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azureriders 0 #10 July 17, 2007 QuoteBeware of mechanical all devices Fixed it for you. I prefer digital myself, but have had more than one fail on me for various reasons. Have a plan for it, it will happen sooner or later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
J.Huff 0 #11 July 28, 2007 I've taken my Suunto (electronic) and my alti (mechanical) up to see how they stacked up against one another. They were both zeroed on the ground and then periodically checked for "accurate" readings. I found that the Suunto would be dead on up to 3000 ft. and would ready 100-150 ft. below the alti's reading. By 5000 ft. the readings were nearly identical again. This happenes all the up to 14,000. I'm comfortable jumping with either altimeter without a major pucker factor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mikhail 0 #12 July 29, 2007 Quote Someone landed this weekend with a new alti that was checked with other alti's on jump run 13'k AGL and 1000' BGL on landing At least it wasn't 1000' AGL. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Royd 0 #13 July 29, 2007 Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. You could always take it apart just to see what makes it tick. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 1,623 #14 July 30, 2007 Quote Quote interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. You could always take it apart just to see what makes it tick. Why the ""? I've taken my altimeter to pieces out of curiosity. And clocks, attitude indicators, airplane navigation radios, car engines and transmissions, tachometers, TVs, CD players, VCRs. microwave ovens...... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d123 1 #15 July 30, 2007 Is it a bad idea to obsessively tap your altimeter on the ride to altitude? I've heard that it can damage the small metal piece that enlarge when the air pressure drops. Edit to add: I'm talking about mechanical altimeters.Lock, Dock and Two Smoking Barrelrolls! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnskydiver688 0 #16 August 1, 2007 People use altimeters? I always looked at the ground and when stuff started looking a little too big I would pull. When I was flying my pattern I just went by "feel" Sky Canyon Wingsuiters Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Royd 0 #17 August 2, 2007 Reply To -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- interesting. thanks i appreciate it, i guess i can stop racking my brain about it now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You could always take it apart just to see what makes it tick. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why the ""? QuoteI've taken my altimeter to pieces out of curiosity. And clocks, attitude indicators, airplane navigation radios, car engines and transmissions, tachometers, TVs, CD players, VCRs. microwave ovens... You're the man! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denete 2 #18 August 2, 2007 Okay. To go a little off the original question... Seeing how we should not totally trust any mechanical device (digital or mechanical altimeters), is there any true difference between them? Should I put the same amount of trust in a digital altimeter that I put in a mechanical altimeter? - DavidSCR #14809 "our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe" (look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkfairy 0 #19 August 2, 2007 Yeah, air pressure. Reminds me of my first landing: I was hanging there in the tree, and forunately looked down before pulling the cutaway handle, 25' down, altimeter said 0. But, after a couple of hours there, as the weather changed, my altimeter said it was 500' down. Really good thing I didn't cutaway then.I check and zero my analogue altimeter on the ground, then I check it again in the plane before takeoff, and at jump run. But I also like to have a look at it now and then to see how fast the plane is climbing. Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet. I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sagan 0 #20 August 2, 2007 To take a scuba adage to the question: "1 is none and 2 is one" I use that adage for digitals. The mechanical one + my eyes = 2 so that's 1 too. The final equation: 2 (digi + digi) + 2 (mechanical + eyes) = 1 :) i never said I was good at math < edit > The final equation: 2 (digi + digi) + 2 (mechanical + eyes) = 2 :)-Patrick Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonto 1 #21 August 3, 2007 Quote My understanding was they did both. That's funny! Whooo!tIt's the year of the Pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
