Pyle Weather Master VII

Caveman's Watch Forum

Pyle Weather Master VII, model PSWWM80.

Caveman001

August 24, 2012 03:02PM

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Registered: July 2012
Posts: 4,589

I ordered the Pyle on 9 August, and it arrived on 17 August. Not bad considering I chose Amazon's free "Super Saver" shipping. The listed price was US $46.31, but I had $12.85 in points on my Amazon.com

Visa, thus making my total $33.46 out-the-door.

Here are the specs according to the seller:

Quote
Amazon.com

Specifications

► Altitude range: -2,316 to 30,065 feet
► Altimeter resolution: 1 foot
► Altimeter recall: 24 hours (tendency and history)
► Barometer resolution: 0.1 hPa/mBar
► Range: 300 hPa/mBar to 1,100 hPa/mBar
► Barometer recall: 24 hours (tendency and history)
► Thermometer range: 14 to 140 degrees F
► Thermometer resolution: 0.1 degrees F
► Compass range: 0 to 359 degrees (digital), 1 to 60 pointer (graphical)
► Compass resolution: 1 degree (digital), 1 of 60 pointers (graphical)
► Other compass features: Bearing reading lock and backward bearing
► Weather forecast: 4 symbols (cloudy, cloudy with sun, sunny, raining)
► Chronograph resolution: 1/100th of a second
► Chronograph range: 99 hours, 59 minutes, 59.99 seconds
► Memory: 100 laps, recall lap memories, and total time
► Countdown timer resolution: 1 second
► Countdown timer range: 99 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds
► Quick set values: 6
► Pacer: 30 to 180 bpm
► Backlight: Yes, electroluminescent
► Water-resistance: 33 feet
► Warranty: 1 year

Be prepared the next time you head for a hike or climb with the Pyle Sports Weathermaster VII watch, which combines an altimeter, barometer, digital compass, and thermometer in a single unit. The altimeter measures your altitude up to 30,065 feet, in addition to recalling the last 24 hours of altitude data. Use the barometer to get a feel for the weather, including the current atmospheric pressure at a resolution of 0.1 mBar and the pressure trend indicators for the last 24 hours. The Weathermaster VII is also equipped with a weather forecasting function that indicates whether it'll be cloudy, cloudy with sun, sunny, or raining. And you can use the compass to determine the best route for your exploration. The compass--which features a bearing reading lock and a backward bearing--offers both digital (1 degree resolution) and graphical (one of 60 points) bearings. Other features include a running pacer with a range of 30 to 180 bpm, an electroluminescent backlight, and a built-in stopwatch.

The watch is constructed almost entirely of synthetic resins, with the only externally visible metal being the screws that hold it all together, and the strap's buckle and tang. It's quite a chunky beast at 50mm X 60mm x 18.8mm thick, yet weighs in at only 47 grams all-up. The crystal appears to be mineral glass,

OK! Let's have a photo!

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
Quite handsome in a no-nonsense blacked-out kind of way, with just enough color to keep it interesting. The bezel is a click-less bi-directional rotating affair which offers quite a lot of resistance. To the point where, frankly, it's almost useless. Oops! My mistake!

Smooth and featureless save for the small scallops at the cardinal points, it offers very little purchase for the fingers.

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
The pushers are likewise "click-less", but do offer feedback in the form of an audible beep when they are activated. The Timekeeping functions are Time, Second Timezone, Perpetual Calendar, Countdown Timer, Chronograph, Pacer, and Alarm. The volume of the Alarm is mediocre at best. It would never wake me from a sound sleep, I fear, and a noisy environment such as a machine shop renders it worthless. thumbs down

On the bright side the menus are very intuitive - No need to RTFM to figure out how to operate them. That being said the manual is clear and well-written, and came in handy for the more advanced features like Compass Bearing Lock and Backward Bearing.

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
Speaking of the compass, that yellow hash mark at 3 O'clock is the "needle", or pointer. After going through the calibration procedure, it seems very accurate. Astonishingly accurate, even! I have a pro-grade conventional compass (very similar to this one), and they agree down to the degree. But this watch is called "Weather Master", so let's look at the meteorology functions.

The watch displays four icons (Sunny, Cloudy With Sun, Cloudy, Raining) to forecast the weather, chosen by analyzing the historical trend in barometric pressure. In general the Forecast function seems pretty darned accurate. It has successfully predicted rain on one occasion, and it got today (partly cloudy) right. The Barometer Function will display observed barometric pressure in either metric (mb/hPa) or English (inHg) units. I have no way to check the accuracy save for comparing it to the online reading of my local TV station. That being said, it's pretty close, usually less than a 1% discrepancy. Today, for instance, the web site says 30.06 inHg, and the Pyle wacthes

reads 29.84 inHg. It can also display the history in graph form.

The thermometer is a mixed bag. When the watch is on the wrist, body heat distorts the reading, making it read higher than the true ambient temperature. The Instruction Manual is clear about this, and explicitly tells you to remove the watch if you want an accurate reading. What they don't tell you is that it takes nearly 10 minutes for the watch to stabilize once it's off the wrist. Whistling...

I ascertained this by removing the watch and placing it beside the thermometer which lives on my back porch. The good news is they agreed with 1°F. So high marks for accuracy, with the caveat that the watch must be removed from the wrist to achieve that accuracy. Still, it's my understanding that this is the case even with Very Rich Man's Watch

ABC Watches, so you can't really fault the Pyle. Kudos to them for providing the capability to display either Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F). As with the Barometer, the temperature history can also be displayed as a graph.

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
The last part of the Meteorology package, the Altimeter, is also something of a mixed bag. It can display altitude in either metric (Meters) or English (Feet) units, and there are four setting modes (Zero, Absolute, Sea Level Input, Factory Default). Thus far I have used on only the Default setting. It's practical resolution seems to be in the ± 1 foot range, though this might improve somewhat with the "Sea Level Input" option. The biggest compromise is the refresh rate, or "time lag". I tested this by placing the watch on the floor and waiting a couple of minutes to make sure the altitude reading had stabilized. I then quickly moved the watch to a shelf which is 6 feet 8 inches off the floor and timed how long it took to update. I did this test several times and the refresh time was consistently 27 to 29 seconds. IOW nowhere near a true Real Time display. This was especially evident while wearing the watch on the motorcycle. It's possible to crest a hill at 70 MPH, zoom to the bottom of a hollow and back up the other side and, while you know the elevation change was a good 10 meters, the watch never indicates a change at all. Mind you for a slower-paced mode of transport, hiking or bicycling, this would probably not be apparent. Here again, elevation changes can be displayed in graph form.

The backlight won't set any candlepower records, but is bright enough to be functional and practical. It's similar to Indiglo in that it's not a single-point light source, but rather the entire dial face illuminates. IOW it's smooth and even, with no "shadowing".

One last function worthy of note is the Power Saver Mode. This allows you to turn the LCD display off, while timekeeping and meteorological functions continue to be tracked "incognito". Very handy! Like the user-adjustable contrast, IMHO this is a feature that all LCD watches should have! thumbs up

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
The strap is 20mm wide, straight and and 2mm thick thick over most of it's length. The strap thickness is one aspect that I was initially disappointed in, as it struck me as being way too thin for a watch of this size. It has proven to be up to the task, however, and holds the watch firmly in place with no undue "wandering" or flopping around. Put this down to the light weight of the watch, perhaps. Even so, I still think this watch would feel like a more balanced package if the strap were ~ 3mm thick.

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo
So. To sum up...

Pros:

► Lots of capability for the money
► Good fit & finish
► Functions and menus are very intuitive
► Altimeter-Barometer-Compass functions are surprisingly accurate
► User-adjustable LCD contrast / Power Saver are Above And Beyond

Cons:

► Reverse LCD is not a paragon of legibility
► Alarm volume is mediocre
► Thermometer function is compromised when watch is on the wrist
► Very hard to get a grip on the rotating bezel
► The strap's on the ~~flimsy~~ thin side

If you're in the market for a watch with these functions, I strongly recommend that you consider the Pyle Weather Station VII.

Thanks for your time, Dear Constant Reader.

Sláinte! smileys with beer

-Ricky

Further Reading:

View (or DL) the Instruction Manual in PDF format HERE.

OEM Photos and Instruction Manual in JPEG format is HERE.

Pyle Official Web Site is HERE.

Order the PSWWM80 at Amazon.com HERE.

Ricky Lee McBroom

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

Messages In This Thread

Pyle Weather Master VII, model PSWWM80.	Caveman001	504	August 24, 2012 03:02PM
EXCELLENT REVIEW, Ricky! >>>>> I have a Adventure Tech, which is their ABT (Altimeter, Barometer, Temperature) which gives a weather forcast, based as you say on historic barometric pressures. However, my AT in giving altitute corrects IMMEDIATELY. My grandsons like for me to wear it when we take a road trip, so they can see the Altitute change. The AT changes altitude in 10 feet increments. Here's a pic of the watch. It's very unassuming, (not a pretty sight), but with the metal bezel and it's shockproof to ISO standards. I picked this up at the Factory Store for less than $30 bucks including tax, a few years ago. It retailed for about $100 at the time. Thanks for viewing!	EdH	32	August 24, 2012 04:57PM
Bro. Ed. And thanks also for.. ..taking the time to offer a comparison to the Adventure Tech. I hope that more folks chime in with a comparison to their favorite ABT/C Watch. Quote EdH However, my AT in giving altitute corrects IMMEDIATELY. ..in 10 feet increments. Interesting. While a 10-foot resolution seems a bit coarse compared to the Pyle, the ~ 30-second refresh rate is IMHO a fairly serious drawback. I'd be more than willing to meet in the middle! Say a 2-to-5 second refresh rate and 1-meter resolution. Quote EdH My grandsons like for me to wear it when we take a road trip, so they can see the Altitute change. It is a CooL feature! And the Instant Update nature of the Timex goes a long ways toward making it so, I'm sure. How is the Thermometer on the Adventure Tech? Does body heat also have an effect on it's on-the-wrist accuracy? Quote EdH It's very unassuming, (not a pretty sight).. Oh, I dunno. I think it's rather well-styled! Modern! Quote EdH I picked this up at the Factory Store for less than $30 bucks including tax, a few years ago. It retailed for about $100 at the time. Wow! GREAT Deal! The has a lower MSRP (US $59.95) despite the Street Price being a bit higher. But it also offers quite a few features that the Adventure Tech doesn't. Hard call! Let's call it A Draw, shall we? Thanks again Bro. Ed!	Caveman001	33	August 24, 2012 05:36PM
The thermometer function is affected by body temperature >>>> But, it stabalizes rather quickly after taking it off the wrist. I haven't timed the adjustment, but will do so and report back. Thanks, again, for your and for your kind words about the Adventure Tech. BTW, the model number of my AT is T41521. Have a GREAT weekend!	EdH	40	August 24, 2012 05:56PM
Re: BTW, the model number of my Adventure Tech is T41521. Bro. Ed.	Caveman001	35	August 25, 2012 07:42AM
How do you toggle from celsius to farenheight? It appears to be the same module as mine, but cannot change, atleast...that I know of!!	dano0	32	August 24, 2012 09:35PM
Your Pyle didn't come with an Instruction Manual? Kidding! Just kidding Bro. Dano! Quote dano0 It appears to be the same module as mine, but cannot change, atleast...that I know of!! That's one of the bits that's not real intuitive, and I confess that I had to RTFM meself to figure it out. OK, first make sure you're in the Altitude mode (the first Sensor selection). Then press and hold the 2:30 pusher (ST./STP.) and it will start cycling between °C/Meters, °F/Meters, °C/Feet, and °F/Feet. You'll want the last one, I reckon. The manual is actually borderline misleading in that it implies.. ..that you should be in Barometer mode to set the units. But, trust me, it's better to do it as described above. Do let me know if it works for you!	Caveman001	28	August 25, 2012 07:31AM
It works! Thank you big time!! The directions were abit fuzzy on that issue.....much better now! Glad you like yours! Weather forecast feature has been pretty spot on sans one day when it said cloudy and it ended up raining. CHeers!	dano0	28	August 25, 2012 09:18AM
My pleasure. Quote dano0 Weather forecast feature has been pretty spot on sans one day when it said cloudy and it ended up raining. That's the case here today. It ~~said~~ still says Cloudy, when in fact it's been raining off-an-on all morning. Ah well. 'tis only a light rain. A sprinkle, really. And goodness know we NEED the rain! So I guess it can be overlooked...	Caveman001	44	August 25, 2012 09:31AM
Excellent review!!! Despite being a bit of a gadget geek, I haven't yet >>> had much compulsion for a watch with those functions, until now you bugger.	DJM	39	August 25, 2012 12:11AM
Re: ..had much compulsion for a watch with those functions, until now.. Come now. Every well-rounded WIS needs an ABC/T Watch. Quote DJM ..you bugger. Always happy to help!	Caveman001	31	August 25, 2012 07:46AM

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