Reviewing the GW-9400-3

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Now, a few editions ago, we were looking at the GW-9400-1DR, the Black Rangeman. Well, due to popular demand, and because I have noticed even more things, we will be focusing on the GW-9400-3DR (camouflage green) version. As usual I’ll run through the specific features, and at the end tell you who I think the watch would be suitable for. Ready? Let’s get started!

One thing I didn’t mention before, is that the Rangeman is part of a special lineup called the “Master of G”. These watches are actually specifically made for extreme sports. That’s why lots of people have remarked that the Rangeman is more sturdy, it was built that way.

Now, a weird thing is that this watch touts a “triple sensor” because there’s actually four sensors (maybe quadruple sensor wouldn’t fit?). The four sensors are Thermometer, Digital Compass, Altimeter, and Barometer.

That’s perfect for climbers and adventurers! You can go hiking, and if you get lost, you can always get your bearings with the compass, while keeping an eye out on the conditions with the barometer and thermometer. (so you’ll know when it’s time to seek shelter). Plus, the altimeter lets you check just how high you’ve climbed.

The sensors are actually good for the military as well. I bought this watch as a present for one of my friends in the army, and aside from loving the olive green colour (which is great for when you’re camouflaged), he was impressed by how much more accurate the sensors made his shots. The Rangeman provides temperature and barometric pressure readings, which are two of the most useful non-wind weather readings for ballistics. This, along with Sunrise/Sunset information would help him when scouting out a location, because he could record the time of day, wind direction, as well as the location of the sun. Then he’d just use the thermometer to adjust for ambient temperature. Yeah I know, it sounds complicated, but if you’re in the military, or just like to shoot for fun, this is a great model for you.

I said before that this watch is tough, well it’s also 200m water resistant. So if you like swimming you don’t have to worry about the watch. Just make sure you’ve dried it off before pressing any buttons, or the seal will fail. But look on the bright side: If you’ve forgotten to take the watch off when you’re going for a bath/shower (and let’s face it, most of us are guilty of doing that at least once), the watch will still be working perfectly once you’re done.

One of the nicest things about the Rangeman, is that you don’t need to worry about setting the time. It’s got a radio controlled feature to do that for you. Now, by radio control I don’t mean that you can use the radio or a remote to control it. What I mean is that the radio frequencies from the atomic clock in your area, automatically update the time a little after midnight every night.

For runners, one of the most frustrating things I’ve found in other Casio watches is it takes ages to get to the stop watch mode (with some watches you have to press the mode button 6 or 7 times just to get to what mode you need). Well they’ve redesigned the features so all you have to do is press the lower right button while in time mode, and you’ve got the stopwatch. And if you want to get back to the home screen, you don’t have to keep tapping the mode screen, just hold it for a few seconds and you get back to the main screen. Personally, I’m really impatient so I kind of like that feature.

Now, this wouldn’t be a true review if I didn’t mention the frustrating bits, and there are only a few. The first is actually mentioned at the top of my article. The watch is HUGE. If you have a small wrist, it’s more likely to fall off, and it would look way too big on it. Sure it’s more of an aesthetic complaint, but in this day and age, looks mean a lot more.

The other annoyance, though quite minor, is the metal keeper on the watch (the keeper, for those who don’t know, is that rubber/metal “thing” [sorry actually can’t think of a better word for it] that keeps the excess part of the watch band in place). A few people have mentioned that they end up having to adjust the keeper every time because it wouldn’t hold in place. I did find myself adjusting it a few times but it was more of an annoyance than anything else.

So, who is the watch good for? Well, as mentioned earlier it is perfect for adventurers, hikers, and anybody who’s active, as well as people serving in the military, or those that like to shoot. The compass will help you keep from getting lost, the barometer and altimeter will help you keep an eye on the weather, and if you like to run laps, it’s easy to get to the stopwatch. There are a LOT more features than what I’ve gone through, but I have to stop somewhere or you’d get bored!

So, I hope you enjoyed this review, and if you feel I missed something, or you have an idea of what model you want me to cover next, then feel free to let me know in the comments.

 

Until next time.

 

Jimmy B.