$100 for a $10 USB cable

[Sooner1]

I have an Oceanic Versa Pro computer. I would love to be able to hook it up to my PC so I could download the dive log. The computer came with the software but of course no cable. Oceanic wants to charge $100 for the USB cable. I just don't understand this. Well actually I do. There is NO WAY I'm spending $100 for a $10 USB cable. Does anybody know if I can get around this say by going to Radio Shack? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :06:

 

[Bob3]

Check the classifieds section on the board here: http://www.scubaboard.com/t43784.html

 

[smay28]

I have an Oceanic Versa Pro computer. I would love to be able to hook it up to my PC so I could download the dive log. The computer came with the software but of course no cable. Oceanic wants to charge $100 for the USB cable. I just don't understand this. Well actually I do. There is NO WAY I'm spending $100 for a $10 USB cable. Does anybody know if I can get around this say by going to Radio Shack? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :06:

The picture on Oceanic's website is kinda small.. but it looks like it may have some sort of proprietary interface. Maybe it's just a cover or hood that makes it appear that way. Definately wait until you get some feedback from someone who has one of these. Or, if you have an extra USB cable laying around you could check out the male/female connectors and see what's doin' ..
Good luck,
S

 

[Sideband]

I have an Oceanic Versa Pro computer. I would love to be able to hook it up to my PC so I could download the dive log. The computer came with the software but of course no cable. Oceanic wants to charge $100 for the USB cable. I just don't understand this. Well actually I do. There is NO WAY I'm spending $100 for a $10 USB cable. Does anybody know if I can get around this say by going to Radio Shack? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :06:

If it is anything like the ATMOS2:

It isn't a $10 usb cable. It is a USB cable with all of the comm hardware. The computer doesn't have any of that hardware built in so it resides on the cable, and I have found no help on the web to construct it myself.

Joe

 

[mikswi]

eBay bro- I got one for my Genesis React pro for $29.00! Listed Retail? Upwards of $119.99.

Ive had it for almost 8 months and it still works like a champ.

Do a search on eBay by model name, "Oceanic". Be patient, one will eventually show up for sale. If you are familiar with eBay, you can set it up so they email you when a match gets listed for sale.

 

[PurduEE]

I have an Oceanic Versa Pro computer. I would love to be able to hook it up to my PC so I could download the dive log. The computer came with the software but of course no cable. Oceanic wants to charge $100 for the USB cable. I just don't understand this. Well actually I do. There is NO WAY I'm spending $100 for a $10 USB cable. Does anybody know if I can get around this say by going to Radio Shack? Any suggestions would be appreciated. :06:

Problem is, it's more complicated than you think. In addition, Radio Shack couldn't sell you a straight USB cable for $10, let alone one that could hook to your dive computer. 6' USB cables are $24 on their website. Considering I can find the same thing online for less than $5, THAT's a rip-off.

Here's a picture of the innards of mine:
http://www.scubaboard.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5276

This isn't just a cable that connects three pins on the dive 'puter with the 4 pins on your USB port.

With everything else scuba, the prices are out of line because they sell in low volume. To make their R&D bucks back, we all are required to pony-up more of that cost. This is the situation for everything that you've purchased up until this point, why would this be any different?

Go look at a middle of the road PDA (color, bluetooth, video and mp3 playback, 65,000 color screen, etc.) for $200 and then tell me that you didn't get ripped off for a $300 dive computer that has a 2 color screen and is capable of running a single algorithm while sampling for depth and (maybe) temperature. Sure, there's pressure testing, water-proofing, liability, etc., but you get the point.

Same thing here. It's par for the course. You can either get upset, or just deal with the fact that it's a small volume business.

BTW, the cable used to cost around $150, so it's come down somewhat. The serial cable may be cheaper.

 

[hex92]

I just bit the bullet and bought the Aeris cable. $75... Had to download the software from their site (took <1 minute). Its alot of damn money for a cable, but if you want to be able to download your dive profiles into your computer you got to suck it up.

Lucky for me I set my sampling rate kind of low when I bought the computer. I was able to retrieve every dive except the very first. 81 logged dives according to the computer. I think I logged ~60 of those in my logbook - I haven't looked at all of the profiles yet to see what the extras were. I assume some pool sessions

 

[Bob3]

Dang, almost a good resaon to get a Suunto; they can use the $35 DIY cable kit.

 

[FengShui]

The Oceanic cable isn't simply a USB cable. There's a custom chip inside the adapter that's been programmed to talk to the dive computer. You'd have to reverse-engineer the programming on that chip by monitoring the chip directly. There's a couple of threads on the web where people have tried to do it, but no one has yet succeeded.

Leisurepro has the Oceanic cable for $85, I think, which is a bit of a deduction. Other than that, used is probably your only option.

 

[Cokedude]

I have the same question sort of, Is the sherwood wisdom cable the same as the aeris cable? Looking at the plug that connects to the dive comps they are the same .thanks for your help Paul