Where is the compass field in custom hiking mode?

[General_Witt]

Hi folks,
today I went out for my first hiking with the new custom sport hiking mode I set on my S9baro through the Suunto app.
I got my 7 fields watchface and the direction field (plus the view when you set a route) but I can’t find the compass anywhere.
Is it possible with the suunto app to add a compass watchface in a custom sport mode?
I usually go off route when I’m out and in thick woods I need the compass not to get lost.

Thanks.

[sartoric]

@General_Witt
It’s not possible to add the same compass view you see in Navigation mode, but you can use the breadcrumb view to check your path.

[General_Witt]

@sartoric It’ a pity because I really like to go off path in thick woods and try to get orientation from a compass like a “game” during some hikings. I can’t really understand why a feature that is already on the watch can’t be used during an exercise…

[jw cou]

@General_Witt the north is shown in the breadcrumb screen, what do you miss from the compass screen?

[sartoric]

@jean-william-cousin
If he wants to do some “old style” navigation maybe he’s missing the degrees.

[A Former User]

An ability to lock a direction (azimuth) and follow would be nice.

[General_Witt]

@jean-william-cousin said in Where is the compass field in custom hiking mode?:

@General_Witt the north is shown in the breadcrumb screen, what do you miss from the compass screen?

The degrees. You can miss the intended destination by a large margin for distances like 10+ kilometers. I don’t know if you ever hiked in woods, it can be the difference between going back on the beaten path and finding yourself on the edge of a ravine.

[jw cou]

@General_Witt I do a lot of hikes and find the breadcrumb enough… But like everything, there are hikes and hikes so I probably walk/run in less dangerous woods than you

[sartoric]

@General_Witt
Let’s say that you could use poi navigation to keep an eye on your target.

[A Former User]

@sartoric said in Where is the compass field in custom hiking mode?:

Let’s say that you could use poi navigation to keep an eye on your target.

Yep, POI navigation is good for that. I used it many times for things like “let’s explore a bunch of random trails in this park until I am tired and head to the exit point when I am about done”. Since you mentioned that SA still has to support setting POIs in advance.

[General_Witt]

@sartoric I still have to figure out how to add a poi knowing its coordinates to the watch directly or by suunto app. I know I can add a poi through the s9 navigation menu, provided I’m physically on the poi to add it with “my position”.

[A Former User]

@General_Witt said in Where is the compass field in custom hiking mode?:

@sartoric I still have to figure out how to add a poi knowing its coordinates to the watch directly or by suunto app. I know I can add a poi through the s9 navigation menu, provided I’m physically on the poi to add it with “my position”.

I don’t think either is possible. Suunto has effectively killed POIs and Waypoints with the combination of Spartan software and Suunto App.

On Ambit series, there is “Define POI” function where you start with the current position but you can change the latitude and longitute away from your position before saving it. That would allow you to enter a new POI based on a paper map. But Suunto 9 isn’t a true outdoor watch unlike Ambit series. Hell, you can’t even retrace your previous day activity back to safety if you end up in a whiteout in mountains and your phone battery is dead.

[sartoric]

Well, yes I forgot to mention the problem with SA and POI but you can use MC to set POIs.
Anyway, afaik, POI’s feature should come hopefully soon to SA too … we had a sort of sneak peek in route creations some versions ago

[Chocksta]

This has been a missing feature for years which I have been requesting on this forum, on the phone directly with Suunto and via the feedback feature on the Suunto web site. The ability to begin a hiking or mountaineering activity and from within the activity screens, to hold the centre button to access the options and have access to the full compass, and to be able to enter a GB grid reference or a lat long from on board the watch whilst on the go, and then navigate to that point would make these devices truly outdoor watches. If the weather should change and you had to make a break for cover as visibility decreases, to get the grid reference from the map, enter it into the watch and navigate to that point would be an invaluable asset for safety and would bring the Suunto watches up to the level of the Garmin fenix 3/5 series where this function is already available. I just hope that one day a watch firmware update appears that adds this functionality to my Spartan Ultra and I would be one happy man I will keep asking

[General_Witt]

Well, it is not even a new feature to ask. The compass watch face is already in the watch in the navigation menu. It only has to be included in the list of watch faces you can add when creating a custom sport mode. Seems not too complicated, but I’m no software engineer.