Ideal watch?

1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night
4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.
5) Nifty E6B ring around the outside that I really can't see, but really
impresses the chicks at the bar

I agree with what you're looking for in a watch. I even thought that I had
finally found the "almost perfect" flying watch in the Casio "Data Bank"
line. It does everything but #4 and #5 (I don't need a watch to pick up
chicks anymore.... :-). It even "projects" the digital display onto the
glass in front of the analog face, eliminating the need for a separate
"window" in the back of the watch -- which makes for a nice, compact sized
watch. It was even cheap, at around thirty bucks.

Unfortunately:

1. Under the store's bright lights, the display was clearly visible. Under
average lighting conditions, however, the "glass" that displays the
projected digital information is too dark, and obscures the hands of the
analog watch. As a result, to see what time it is indoors I usually have to
push the backlight button. This is unacceptable.
2. The menus are absurdly complex, and require WAY too much futzing around
to use the timers and time zones. Thus, I don't use them.
3. The control buttons are too similar and are thus easily confused.

So, I'm back in the search. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to make
a watch with those four (or five) features, but it has eluded me for many
years.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I got a $30 timex at Target that has features 1 - 3. It also has a
stopwatch which is useful for timing a trip, but isn't be so great for
timing holds in IFR. It has a big digital display behind the analog
hands, so it's easy to read from a distance. It has a molded-on band,
which I'm not crazy about, and I think the watch is a bit ugly, but
it's definitely useful.



1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night
4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.
5) Nifty E6B ring around the outside that I really can't see, but really
impresses the chicks at the bar

What say you?

Chris

Brinks wrote:
I've been off looking for a good aviation watch. I've looked at Citizen
Skyhawk watches, which look cool, but they don't have a backlight, which I
thought would be bad (good?) for flying at night. And I've seen some
others that are all digital, but I like having the hands for a timer. And I
found one that vibrates, which I thought would be really handy for switching
tanks and things, but it didn't have hands. So, I was wondering, what would
everyone like to see as a minimum set of features in an ideal watch? Here's
my list -

I haven't worn a watch for many years (including when I flew IFR), but..

1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night

You can get a fairly inexpensive Timex with these three features.

4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.

I seriously doubt you'd feel it vibrate. I know I've forgotten to turn
my cell phone off in the air, and I couldn't feel it when it started
vibrating.

-- Jay


__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino/ ! ! !

Checkout http://www.oc-adolfos.com/
for the best Italian food in Ocean City, MD and...
Checkout http://www.brolow.com/ for authentic Blues music on Delmarva

Jay Masino wrote:
Brinks wrote:

I've been off looking for a good aviation watch. I've looked at Citizen
Skyhawk watches, which look cool, but they don't have a backlight, which I
thought would be bad (good?) for flying at night. And I've seen some
others that are all digital, but I like having the hands for a timer. And I
found one that vibrates, which I thought would be really handy for switching
tanks and things, but it didn't have hands. So, I was wondering, what would
everyone like to see as a minimum set of features in an ideal watch? Here's
my list -


I haven't worn a watch for many years (including when I flew IFR), but..


1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night


You can get a fairly inexpensive Timex with these three features.


4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.


I seriously doubt you'd feel it vibrate. I know I've forgotten to turn
my cell phone off in the air, and I couldn't feel it when it started
vibrating.

-- Jay


__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino/ ! ! !

Checkout http://www.oc-adolfos.com/
for the best Italian food in Ocean City, MD and...
Checkout http://www.brolow.com/ for authentic Blues music on Delmarva

Why did they not put vg's on the full length of the wing? Can you now
get a much greater angle of attack before stalling ?

Thanks

Look at the Citizen Navitach watches. They do almost everything you
need (no vibrating) and look nicer than your average $30 timex. They
usually go for less then $100 on eBay. If you can find one of the
Citizen "Wingman" watches, they are the same as the Navitach but add
an E6B to the bezel (but I think the Wingman looks a bit clunky).


Chris



On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 19:30:47 -0600, "Brinks"
wrote:

I've been off looking for a good aviation watch. I've looked at Citizen
Skyhawk watches, which look cool, but they don't have a backlight, which I
thought would be bad (good?) for flying at night. And I've seen some
others that are all digital, but I like having the hands for a timer. And I
found one that vibrates, which I thought would be really handy for switching
tanks and things, but it didn't have hands. So, I was wondering, what would
everyone like to see as a minimum set of features in an ideal watch? Here's
my list -

1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night
4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.
5) Nifty E6B ring around the outside that I really can't see, but really
impresses the chicks at the bar

What say you?

Chris

I have the Citizen Wingman VI. I like it very much. If you set it to the
digital time mode, you can activate the back light by pressing any button.

I love the 31 time zones, and dial in the right one when traveling. It beats
trying to reset the watch constantly. I use the UTC zone when flying.

I must say, the really cute E6B bezel is useless, and totally impossible to
see in the air. After a few years of walking into walls, there are lots of
missing paint spots on the bezel.

I cannot hear the alarm in a quiet room, let alone a noisy plane.

Hey! If you have an extra $14,000, you can get a nice Breitling Emergency
with a built in ELT!!

Jerry Malin,
Warrior N82045


When flying IFR, my Westbend Kitchen Timer ($12 at Wal*mart) velcrowed to my
yoke is great. Those BIG numbers are easy to see.
"Chris" wrote in message
...
Look at the Citizen Navitach watches. They do almost everything you
need (no vibrating) and look nicer than your average $30 timex. They
usually go for less then $100 on eBay. If you can find one of the
Citizen "Wingman" watches, they are the same as the Navitach but add
an E6B to the bezel (but I think the Wingman looks a bit clunky).


Chris

"Jerald Malin" wrote in message
news
I have the Citizen Wingman VI. I like it very much. If you set it to the
digital time mode, you can activate the back light by pressing any button.

I love the 31 time zones, and dial in the right one when traveling. It
beats
trying to reset the watch constantly. I use the UTC zone when flying.

I must say, the really cute E6B bezel is useless, and totally impossible
to
see in the air. After a few years of walking into walls, there are lots of
missing paint spots on the bezel.

I cannot hear the alarm in a quiet room, let alone a noisy plane.



Hey! If you have an extra $14,000, you can get a nice Breitling Emergency
with a built in ELT!!

More like $4,000 :-)



Jerry Malin,
Warrior N82045


When flying IFR, my Westbend Kitchen Timer ($12 at Wal*mart) velcrowed to
my
yoke is great. Those BIG numbers are easy to see.
"Chris" wrote in message
...
Look at the Citizen Navitach watches. They do almost everything you
need (no vibrating) and look nicer than your average $30 timex. They
usually go for less then $100 on eBay. If you can find one of the
Citizen "Wingman" watches, they are the same as the Navitach but add
an E6B to the bezel (but I think the Wingman looks a bit clunky).


Chris

Hey! If you have an extra $14,000, you can get a nice Breitling
Emergency
with a built in ELT!!

More like $4,000 :-)

Hey -- this is aviation. What's ten grand? :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:anREb.595498$HS4.4381870@attbi_s01...

Hey -- this is aviation. What's ten grand? :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


The initial price of admission?

Don

Has anybody tried a Suunto? King Schools sells them. They're not
cheap! They are huge however. I've never found anyone who sells them
locally. I'd like to try one on. They definitely have a unique look.
Dave

Brinks wrote:
I've been off looking for a good aviation watch. I've looked at Citizen
Skyhawk watches, which look cool, but they don't have a backlight, which I
thought would be bad (good?) for flying at night. And I've seen some
others that are all digital, but I like having the hands for a timer. And I
found one that vibrates, which I thought would be really handy for switching
tanks and things, but it didn't have hands. So, I was wondering, what would
everyone like to see as a minimum set of features in an ideal watch? Here's
my list -

1) Analog hands and second hand for timing things
2) Digital clock set to Zulu time so I don't have to bother my small brain
with those pesky conversions
3) Backlight so I can see it when I'm flying at night
4) Vibrating alarm so I remember to do routine things like switch tanks.
5) Nifty E6B ring around the outside that I really can't see, but really
impresses the chicks at the bar

What say you?

Chris