Viso II

As a tandem and AFF instructor my altimeter has got to be reliable. This was the first altimeter I've really ever had a problem with. For the first couple months I had it, it worked well. Then it started automatically switching from feet to meters after takeoff, which wasn't a huge problem, as I learned the equivalent to both. But then it started being okay for the first jump of the day, then locking up on landing where I couldn't even turn the altimeter off, which also drained the battery, then I'd have to borrow an alti the rest of the day. This is also not the first case I heard regarding the unreliability this altimeter. It is also not user friendly. The instructions are kinda hard to understand, and they don't seem to coorillate with the actual operation of the unit. Won't be buying this again.

I've used it for about a year and i've never had a problem with it. The unit works perfectly both at measuring speed and altitude. It's also great at logging the jumps! (With minor flaws)

It took me about 45 minutes, figuring out how to set it up. But once i got familiar with it, it's a piece of cake.

I purchased the viso 2 after I finished my aff and put about 30 or so jumps on it so far. Really easy to read during freefall and under canopy. A little confusing at first to access the log information it stores after each jump. After a few times playing around it's as easy as operating a cell phone or any other electronic device. Logs you exit alltitude deployment alltitude top speed during freefall and under canopy all very good to have for jump log info. Would recommend purchasing great deal and functionality for the price.

I got a Viso II after my AFF since I had a couple mis-reads of the analog ones during AFF. I didn't want to chance that with my life so I went digital. No problems since.

It has simple logging capability which has been great to keep my jump numbers straight.

The only possible issue is that it's hard to read at low viewing angles (say during tracking).

I ordered the Viso II along with the Elastic Wrist Mount. While I have heard nothing but good things about this altimeter and the customer service behind it, I have heard that the stock mounting leaves something to be desired. Looking at the stock mounts with the wax string I can understand those concerns. The elastic wrist mount is wonderful, it keeps the altimeter secure and stays exactly where you put it on your arm. I put mine near the apex of my left arm and I have a perfectly clear view of it both during freefall and under canopy.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was how small the altimeter was. I was familiar with the dimensions, but was truly surprised at how tiny it seems when it's in your hand.

The unit functions flawlessly and as advertised once you have learned to use it, which can be a task. Be prepared to read the manual with the unit on hand. Everything is controlled with three buttons (excluding the reset on the side) and each item in the altimeter must be gone through to change anything once you have it in the mode. I'm probably slow, but learning to access and change each of the settings in the altimeter took me a few hours with the manual open and the unit in hand.

Once you have it down life couldn't be better, plus the indoctrination helped with figuring out the Optima II.