Suunto inclinometer

[Twoplanker]

My Suunto has an inclinometer on it, but Summit CO's post got me thinking - how accurate is it?

Can anyone with this type of equipment give me an idea as to how to best use it to get an accurate reading? - if that's even possible.

[iceman]

Well, if you just want to check it for accuracy, there's this 65-degree couloir in Colorado...

[laseranimal]

Originally posted by iceman
Well, if you just want to check it for accuracy, there's this 65-degree couloir in Colorado...

[Twoplanker]

I'm not sure I understand how to use it. The inclinometer is built into a watch. On the bezel of the watch (at !2 and 6) there are notches, which are to be lined up with the slope.

This sounds reasonable, but when you think about it, or try it, it's hard to get those notches to line up with the slope if you're on that slope. Basically, you would have to be below the slope to make such a reading. Am I beiing stupid here? Should I go back to the protactor, drinking straw, and weighted string approach? (those work great, by the way, and cost like 25 cents to make.

[iceman]

I don't get why you'd have to be below the slope. Turn sideways on the slope and set the notches so that a line that passedthrough them would be parallel to the slope you're standing on.

Or maybe I'm missing something, I'm not an idiot savant after all.

[Twoplanker]

Originally posted by iceman
I don't get why you'd have to be below the slope. Turn sideways on the slope and set the notches so that a line that passedthrough them would be parallel to the slope you're standing on.

Or maybe I'm missing something, I'm not an idiot savant after all.

The 12 and 6 o'clock notches need to run parallel to the fall line of the slope. Seems like you're describing looking perpendicular to the fall line?

I guess if you're standing at the top of the slope, say on the flat before the slope begins, looking down, that's the best place to make the reading?

[iceman]

Again, maybe I'm missing something here, but I would think that you would want to be on the slope, facing perpendicular to the fall line. Consider the fall line one line, and the line that passes through the notches the other line, and attempt to make the two lines parallel.

(edit: the face of the watch would have to be vertical not horizontal).

[gincognito]

47.

Sick and ashamed and happy (and, wohoo, a-haaa, um, I'm so lame),
d.

[Twoplanker]

Sure, that's what I thought. But if you're standing and looking through the notches down the slope, it's impossible to get the notches to line up with the slope, because of the height of your wrist off the snow. I guess I could get down near the ground... but that seems stupid.

[iceman]

Well, it seems stupid, but it's all I got.

[Twoplanker]

Originally posted by iceman
Well, it seems stupid, but it's all I got.

No, I didn't mean that you sound stupid, just that that approach (the one we're both agreeing on) doesn't sound right. Thanks for your input.

Anyone else got a clue?

[Tavi]

Yup, Ice has got the idea. I would think that it would be hard to get an accurate reading because a watch is fairly small which would make it difficult to get lined up accurately. Perhaps if you hold a ski pole up to the inclinometer, in order to increase the length of the reference line, it would help with accuracy. That's what I usually due with a fluid inclinometer. It seems to help; at least in my head it does.

[Tavi]

Originally posted by Twoplanker
No, I didn't mean that you sound stupid, just that that approach (the one we're both agreeing on) doesn't sound right. Thanks for your input.

Anyone else got a clue?

If you are standing in the middle of a slope face the side (not up or down the fall line). The two reference points represent a straight line from the top to the bottom of the slope. The only question is which plane the watch needs to be. I would assume that you would use the plane in which you can see the face of the watch and the slope angle at the same time. So that would mean that if you were standing with you skis across that fall line facing left so that your left side is up and right side down you would position the watch so that 12:00 and 6:00 represent the slope with 9:00 facing the snow and 3:00 facing the sky.

Okay, I put way too much thought into that one. I'm probably full of shit.

[gincognito]

Maybe Captain Obvious should state this or maybe I'm just overly simple, but couldn't you just do some tests on a wall and a floor and see what works?

Sick and ashamed and happy (and still convinced that the answer is 47),
d.

[Buzzworthy]

I know how to use one. Ill show you soon, but by that time you will have it figured out.

To confirm what I know from Forestry School, I did a google search "How to use an Inclinometer". Lots of info from that search. Also, contact Suunto, they will tell ya real quick.

[char]

Take the watch off your wrist. Then, when you are sighting downhill, uphill, whatever, line up the notches with something that is the same height as your eyes. Just estimate, unless you are sighting on another person, then just stand next to them at the beggining of the day and figure out where to sight. I'll draw you a picture if you like.

[Lumpy]

Originally posted by Twoplanker
IShould I go back to the protactor, drinking straw, and weighted string approach? (those work great, by the way, and cost like 25 cents to make.

Spontaneously concocted under extreme duress by...
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~timaitt/macgyver.jpg

[Twoplanker]

Originally posted by Lumpy
Spontaneously concocted under extreme duress by...
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~timaitt/macgyver.jpg

Macgyver rocks.

[Game Over]

that is funny.

[sluffhunter]

who gives a shit what degree the slope is ( unless you are diggin a pit and need to keep data)

keep your watch and your "machometre" on your wrist and just SKI

[summit]

This is the post that TwoPlanker is referring two (the part on inclinometers is at the end)

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=1298

I think I might move the inclinometer and the rutchblock paragraphs to their own separate posts because I think the info is very suprisiing and informative.


Here is what Ian McCammon said when during his discussion of the test data:
1. Sighting straight up or down the slope is the most accurage way. However this is not always possible, desirable (long walk), and it is not always safe
2. Engineering types who aren't going to do a serious survey with sighting poles and reflectors or lasters rely on high definition topo maps to get an angle because its more accurate than a clineometer or inclinometer (and i forgot what the difference between those two were)
3. The test he conducted at CSAW and with the guides was with side sighting. It was a projected image on a large screen so it was very easy to measure (no wind, cold, gloves, etc) or so we all thought. I would speculate that the results might very likely be as bad or worse when there are distraction For CSAW there were like 50 data points and only one was an outlier.

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...&threadid=1298

Greg @ BPG taught me three methods to get a good reading:

1. sight up or down the slope to an object that is the same height above the slope as your inclinometer (makes sure the angle is right). Either have a buddy read it or if your inclinometer has a mirror (like my Silva compass inclinometer) turn the mirror so that the reading is taken while you are still locked on (reduces error from slight movement from rotating the inclinometer or your head).

2. Place your ski pole on the slip pointing up/down and rest sight up or down the slope and put your inclinometer along the pole... this will help eliminate any small variations in slope and removes shake and sighting problems.

3. If you are not on, above, or below the slope, you look sideways at the inclinometer line up the edge with the side of the slope you are looking at. This can be misleading if you arent looking at the right angle on the slope.





Somethign I think is worth considering: Have everyone in your group measure the slope and measure it more than once and maybe with more than one method. That will make your readings more accurate.

Also I think we occaisonally forget that that slopes are not constant. It might start out at 40deg and be 45 deg 500ft lower and then go back to 40.

Wow... my first post from work (although it is lunch)!!! I love this job!

Originally posted by sluffhunter
who gives a shit what degree the slope is ( unless you are diggin a pit and need to keep data)

keep your watch and your "machometre" on your wrist and just SKI

I assume you are a troll (in which case get back under that bridge and wait for the 3 billygoats)... otherwise you are totally ignorant of backcountry safety and/or a complete idiot.



Edited to add: Magyver has been promoted to Col. Jack O'Neill, USAF

Edited to add: I'm not familiar with a Suunto watch inclinometer but I would be extra apprehensive if it is what I think it is (ie, an electronic inclinometer utilizing an electric accelerometer).

[Ted Stryker]

i've had an S6 for about year now. if your diggin' a pit or something just lay it on a pole (heh).\
overall, its a great product.

[splat]

Simple version:

Tie Suunto watch to string.
Hold at arms length.
Pull protractor from pocket.
Hold protractor with other hand between string and eye.
Line up 90 degree line with string.
Ski to bottom to get poles that slid down hill while you were fucking around with all that shit.

[summit]

Originally posted by splat
Simple version:

Tie Suunto watch to string.
Hold at arms length.
Pull protractor from pocket.
Hold protractor with other hand between string and eye.
Line up 90 degree line with string.
Ski to bottom to get poles that slid down hill while you were fucking around with all that shit.

Classic dood! Fecking awesome!




Here is soemething I saw on telemark tips .com or soemthing:
it can only be used if you are on the pitch being measured

set up your poles in a sideways T (one pole straight up and down, the other pointing sideways into the slope halfway up the vertical slope)

\-|
\


in the ascii diagram
\ slope
| pole
- pole
I suck at ascii art (which is a dead art unless you are some l33t h4x0r w4r3z cr4x0r weirdo (in which case thank you for making cracks and supplying free software!))

if the horizontal pole tip doesn not touch the slope, it is less than 26.6 deg. if it touches or you cannot make it horizontal because the slope touches it... it is more than 26.6 deg. basic trig...

expanding on this: 2/3 of the way up the vertical pole is 33.6deg

from the top of the vertical pole is 45deg

to be truly accurate you would need a spirit level on the top of the vertical pole handle and on the side of the horizontal pole handle. this method of course does not account for rolling variations in the terrain... always take more than one reading in more than one place.


another good point from that post was you cannot see the full slope if your above a convexity until you are well within the starting zone. most of us know that but its good to be reminded i think

[Ted Stryker]

Originally posted by SummitCo 1776
Classic dood! Fecking awesome!




Here is soemething I saw on telemark tips .com or soemthing:
it can only be used if you are on the pitch being measured

set up your poles in a sideways T (one pole straight up and down, the other pointing sideways into the slope halfway up the vertical slope)

\-|
\


in the ascii diagram
\ slope
| pole
- pole
I suck at ascii art (which is a dead art unless you are some l33t h4x0r w4r3z cr4x0r weirdo (in which case thank you for making cracks and supplying free software!))

if the horizontal pole tip doesn not touch the slope, it is less than 26.6 deg. if it touches or you cannot make it horizontal because the slope touches it... it is more than 26.6 deg. basic trig...

expanding on this: 2/3 of the way up the vertical pole is 33.6deg

from the top of the vertical pole is 45deg

to be truly accurate you would need a spirit level on the top of the vertical pole handle and on the side of the horizontal pole handle. this method of course does not account for rolling variations in the terrain... always take more than one reading in more than one place.


another good point from that post was you cannot see the full slope if your above a convexity until you are well within the starting zone. most of us know that but its good to be reminded i think

jeez dude... just reach out and if you can touch it then its kinda of steep.