I've owned two, and Ascent, and Sports Instruments Fit 3.
The Ascent was very fragile, and finally the buttons just popped out. It was quite confusing to use. I never could operate it without refering to the manual. The strap didn't work unless skin was damp. It would lose the signal frequently.
Currently I'm on the third year with a Sports Instruments Fit3. This is a basic unit, but still has more features then I use.
Pros: Quite easy to use, and has stood up to all the abuse I've given it. The strap works well. No lubrication needed.
Cons: You can't change the battery in the watch unit. You have to send it in yearly to california. The battery was dead when I got it, so it required a shipment to CA right off the bat. You can change the battery in the strap yourself. There are two spots on my rides where it loses a signal. These are locations of strong AM RF noise. But I understand this is not uncommon with other brands.
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