Suunto GPS POD - 2006 BCS

this one is a hard review for me. it really depends on your needs and intended use. for a road runner and road cyclist this could be a great tool to keep accurate track of your distance. i've found that in the wide open this thing works like a charm and keeps very accurate mileage, with few connectivity issues. i used this to track my mileage on a two day mtn bike ride of the Kokopelli trail (http://bit.ly/1947we) and it was spot on... until the battery died. which reminds me i found the battery life disappointing.for the adventure athlete who spends most of their time in the backcountry this unit is.. well.. useless. it just doesn't stay connected enough to give you any meaningful data. i wish it did.

I used the Suunto GPS POD several times for running and backcountry skiing. It worked very well for both activities. I was afraid that the satellite signal would be lost when I skied into thick pine forests, but it never ceased to work no matter where I was or how fast I was going.

That being said, there are limitations to the Suunto GPS POD. First, the battery life is very short. 10 hours of use, and you’ll be heading to the corner store for another pack of triple-As.

Second, it can take its sweet time locating a satellite. Several times I got frustrated while waiting for the red light on the POD to indicate that it was linked up and tracking. Meanwhile, my backcountry buddies were standing in the cold, waiting to go.

Third, using the GPS system to only track speed and distance seems like overkill to me. In the future, I’d like to see Suunto come out with a GPS POD that also creates a track that you can download to Google Earth. You’re being tracked by a satellite anyway, so why not go all out with the GPS features found on other devices?

So, yea, it works as advertised, but I think a Suunto Foot POD or Bike POD would be better for the price.

This is a good product, more accurate than the foot pod I used to use with my Suunto T6 watch and simple to set up. I've used it in the woods a little bit, and haven't lost the GPS signal, but I haven't used it in deep, thick woods, which will be the acid test.

Out of the box and working in fifteen minutes. A bit of experimentation with buttons proved fruitless because the watch menu system does not function like standard digital watches. Once I calmed down and read the manual all worked and sync-ed up quickly. The only negative thing I have to say after the first run: I am disappointed the GPS Pod has no ability to recharge itself. Positive: It was way lighter than I expected.

Everyone who wants to monitor their progress and improve, this device is great. I trail run through canyons and this device keeps a good signal throughout the entire trail. I've ran the same path 5 times and it has consistently given me the same distance. Other than that, it takes a while to find a signal, which can be frustrating sometimes when I want to hit the trail before the sun sets.

The cold start takes a while- especially if you're doing it in a new location- maybe 5 minutes. But once it's locked on it keeps it well. It is worth looking on the various Suunto and forums like Yahoo's Wristop Computers for advice, since there is a lot to know about how to use it. On flat land it seems very accurate- the problem is with mileage in the 3rd dimension- it is not so obvious how one would calibrate it since GPS systems don't really do the vertical dimension well. But if you are running/biking on flat ground calibration is easy. Finally, one of Suunto's strongest points is that when the watch locks on to the pod (or HR belt) it does so positively- Polar products seem more intermittent. Once you've learned to use it, for flat land (outside) it might be one of the better distance/speed units out there.

Yep, it works great. Like the previous reviewer, I've had great success with the Suunto GPS Pod. I've had no problems with the GPS dropping out in steep walled canyons or heavily wooded trails. These devices can be a little finicky, but mine picks up satellites within a few seconds even during cloudy weather. It may be a bit pricey, but if you run and bike it will replace the need for a foot pod and a bike pod. The only thing that would make this a 5 star product is if it actually sent coordinates to the watch so that you could map your run/bike/hike. Suunto hasn't added that functionality, but I still love my GPS Pod.

It's an outstanding tool.

I have to say that there IS a way to actually MAP the runs. You've got to HACK the gps and BUILD a usb port onto it so that the PC can communicate with it.

Then, using a compiler you can download and elaborate the data and send it straight away to more than just google earth / maps and have the full mapping.

Honestly I am disappointed with having to do this and I am not entirely sure i actually will but I read the reviews of others who tried and made it work like a charm.

I think Suunto didn't want this function because they partly have it on the X9/X10 series, still.. these watches are for sailing, definitely not for running.

All in all the mapping is a cool feature but pretty useless unless you want to show your route to someone. What matters is the data you can get from the HR1 belt + the GPS pod.

... then if you really want the mapping, go to the suunto forums and check the mapping thread. You'll see the blog where instructions to hack the pod are, with full explanation on software and steps to take to mod the gps pod.