Brunton ADC Pro Owner Review

Name: Mark Verber
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Email: email address
Region: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Date: Oct 1, 2004

Item

Review Item: Brunton ADC Summit Pro
Weight as delivered: 1.7oz
MSRP: US$249

Description

Functions include:

  • "Predicts" the coming 12 hour's weather
  • Altitude (in m or ft)
  • Displays current barometric pressure (in hPa,mb or Hg)
  • Displays the past 24 hour pressure tendency
  • Water flow meter
  • Current, max and average wind speed (in km/h, mph, ft/s, m/s, or knots)
  • Shows current temperature with with chill information
  • Past 24 hour temperature tendency
  • Time, day and date
  • Chronograph operation (race timer, ski run counter)
  • Altitude, Altimeter, wind chill, storm alarm
  • relative humidity, heat index, dew point, wet bulb humidity, air density, relative air density, density altitude
  • Manual and automatic data logging
  • Logging to PC via optional IR adaptor

Conditions

Hiking around the bay area, California coast range, Sierras, Colorado, Ohio, and New Mexico.  Weather from 0s-110s, wind up to 50 MPH.

Performance

All measurements have been accurate.  I have compared to logging weather stations.  Attitude was calibrated against well known locations and then moved several thousand feet to new location at a known attitude within an hour.  The new altitude was accurate +/-30ft.  Temperature +/-.5 degrees F compared to other thermometers.

Can set logging to run at a specified rate.  Only down side is that whenever it logs data it makes a small beep.

Durability

Pretty good so far.  Haven't been willing to test the waterproof claim yet.  Maybe later this year.

Summary

Have been happy with the ADC Pro.  I don't understand why they didn't use the IRDA standard which would have permitted many devices to collect data without requiring a special "IR Adaptor".  I guess it's their way of extracting extra cash from people who want to store their logs.

Backpacking Background

I did a lot of backpacking from 1972 through the '80s. I started by going to various destinations in Ohio, West Virgina, and Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Destinations expanded to include sections of the AT, the PCT, the Rockies (Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone, Tetons), The Big Horns, and various destinations in Canada. In the '90s my outdoor activities slowed down to make room for other aspects of life. Nearly all my backpacking was heavy-weight style. In 2001 I started seriously backpacking again... mostly in the Sierras. Over the next three years I switch from a heavyweight to ultralight to lightweight style. My three season base weight is now 8-11 lb (3.5-5 kg). Full carry weight including food and water is typically 15-25 lb (7-11 kg) depending on the length of the trip. Winter trips run a bit heavier.