No regrets

This is my first Pathfinder and I am really impressed. I am putting it through its paces right now in Afghanistan and it is doing very well. I bought it to replace a 4 yr old G-Shock (tough solar) that would not recharge anymore. The functions are great. The compass is accurate for general direction and navigating. The barometer has been on par with several other instruments I have at my dispossal in the military. I have not had a chance to really play with the altimeter but its generally within 5 ft of the GPS unit I also use. I had to go into the programing and input the lat and long for my position (extreamly easy) to get a more accurate sunrise and set times and they are spot on now. I see some of the other reviews about the functions and I offer this. If your are trying to reach a barn a few miles north of your position then the watch will get you there (if you have oriented your map properly and know how to do terrain association of course). If you are looking for a roll of quarters on the ground the same distance away use a GPS. The only reason I didnt give it a 5 star rating is comfort. It has a great large face and unless you cinch it down tight (not comfertable) it will slide down and pinch the top of your wrist when you turn it up during some activities like pushups or holding a guardrail. Also It has two small "wings" underneath it that keep the watch centered really well on your wrist and support the bands. The draw back is that despite the fact that I am not a hairy man those little plastic parts have managed to pull and tug on all 4 hairs on my wrist...not comfertable. I typically wear my rugged time peices through just about anything...I take this one off before I go to sleep to keep the hair pulling and wrist pinching to a minimum.More detail ...

Another fine Casio Pathfinder

I have admired (well lusted after actually) the Pathfinder series of watches since they first came out. Imagine a watch that can do everything except fire lasers and talk to satellites--the Pathfinders fit this well. I like this particular version because of the slimmer-than-normal face and the reverse LCD screen. Very sharp looking and very easy to use (at least as far as watches that do everything under the sun can be to use).



Unless you are in bright light a lot I recommend turning off the auto-light-up option; each use of the light requires about 5 minutes of direct exposure to sunlight or several hours of office lighting to recharge from. The light only comes on when you move your arm into the classic "what time is is" pose and then stays lit for only about 2 seconds. I sleep with my watch on (I'm in Iraq--the less I have to grope for in the dark the better) and I apparently activate it a lot while I sleep.



The barometer thermometer and compass are all very accurate once you calibrate them--make sure you are wearing it when you calibrate for temperature.



A great watch that fits well and looks sharp.More detail ...