"Not Accurate" - Review of Highgear AltiTech 2 Altimeter

I bought the Altitech Altimeter for the altimeter feature to use on a planned trip to Peru, where elevation changes from general travel will go from sea level to well over 11000. I live in Tucson, and drove from 2400 feet in 106 degree weather to the peak at nearby Mnt. Lemon which is 9080 feet and about 71 degrees. The distance is about 25 miles. When I reached the peak, the altimeter reading was nearly 500 feet off - I checked the altimeter readings to elevation posts on the drive up, and it was always off by around 300 feet. When I returned to my start point, the alitmeter was off by around 300 feet. I don't mind barometric drift, but something that is 300 feet off is of little use to me. The manual says I need to calibrate the altimeter often to known points of elevation - but to constantly have to do this renders the instrument useless as an informational device. I consulted my brother who is a Helicopter Instructor Pilot for the Army - he told me that he had given up on Altimeter watches, after trying several. He suggested a GPS unit instead, which is what I purchased (cheaper by about 10 dollars too and I am very pleased!) - I was concerned that there may not be GPS coverage in Peru, but my brother also assured me that there would be (since commercial airlines use them as standard equipment) - I must admit I was rather saddened by the poor performance of the watch - I think it has to do with barometric altimeters in general, not the Altitech specifically. And there is something nice about an instrument that does not depend on satellites! I was very happy with the ease of sending the instrument back - This site does a very good job at letting you know that it got the returned item and posted a credit to your credit card. Certainly no hassel there and I would not hesitate to use this site again !
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