Choosing between Oceanic VT3 and Atom 2.0

[andrethediver]

I recently got an Atom 2.0 w/ transmitter. Have logged about 8 dives with it and absolutely love it!!

Thanks for your input. Although I am not planning on doing any deco dives in the near future I am thinking about signing up for nitrox course - so nitrox capabilities of the computer become essential. Did you get yours online or at a LDS? Did it come as a 'Complete' set with screen protectors and transmitter? Thanks.

 

[BigWilly]

Thanks for your input. Although I am not planning on doing any deco dives in the near future I am thinking about signing up for nitrox course - so nitrox capabilities of the computer become essential. Did you get yours online or at a LDS? Did it come as a 'Complete' set with screen protectors and transmitter? Thanks.

I bought it from a member here in ScubaBoards, but it was brand new. Yes, it was the complete set and came with the transmitter, USB cable, screen covers, etc.

Don't misunderstand me though. The Atom 2.0 WILL do nitrox up to 100% O2. it will accommodate your advancing skills if you are relatively new to diving, it is simple enough to take you through a dive safely, as you advance and you get more familiar with it is flexible enough to grow with you. it is a great little computer. That is why I got it, i'm re-begging to dive since i had an 8 year hiatus from diving, so i consider myself a newbie but i wanted to get a computer that will grow with my skillset and experience and I really believe the Atom can do just that.

That's just my $.02... the bottom line is that you should get what you think you will be comfortable with. any computer will take some time to learn but once you learn the computer it will be second nature and increase your level of comfort with the dive as a whole.

 

[andrethediver]

Atom sure sounds like a great buy...I guess its just a question whether a digital compass, deep stop calculation as well as user selectable deco algorithm (in addition to titanium case) worth the price difference with OC1...I am surprised there seems to be little 'chatter' about the upcoming model.

 

[BigWilly]

To me the digital compass is not a feature I care for. I prefer analog compasses, digital compasses tend to not be very accurate and have too much lag, at least the ones i've used. in the case of the compass i always go analog.

on the case... i prefer the plastic since it is more scratch resistant. i have a titatium watch and i like it a lot but scratches show easily.

another thing that i noticed on the OC1 is that the display numbers seem to be smaller than on the atom's, i don't know if it's just perspective but that is what it looks like to me. i wonder if it really it smaller, i wouldn't want the display to be much smaller than the atom's, i think it would start getting difficult to read.

BTW, i'm sure the OC1 is a great computer, i'm just trying to be the devil's advocate and try to help you consider all angles. that's what i like when i'm in the market for something it just makes me feel more confident about the buy. I hope i'm not being annoying

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

To me the digital compass is not a feature I care for. I prefer analog compasses, digital compasses tend to not be very accurate and have too much lag, at least the ones i've used. in the case of the compass i always go analog.

I think those of us that learned to navigate (both on land and underwater) with an analog tend to prefer the analog. My wife has a Galileo Sol computer and she's able to use the digital compass well. The one on the Sol is as accurate as my analog. However, it has the opposite of lag. The thing is so sensitive it's constantly jumping around. I've gotten better at using it, but still prefer my analog.

 

[andrethediver]

I think those of us that learned to navigate (both on land and underwater) with an analog tend to prefer the analog. My wife has a Galileo Sol computer and she's able to use the digital compass well. The one on the Sol is as accurate as my analog. However, it has the opposite of lag. The thing is so sensitive it's constantly jumping around. I've gotten better at using it, but still prefer my analog.

To me, integrated digital compass means less instruments on the console/hand...of course, that is only true if the compass works as good as an analog one. I understand people seem to complain about Suunto's implementation in the D9.

 

[andrethediver]

another thing that i noticed on the OC1 is that the display numbers seem to be smaller than on the atom's, i don't know if it's just perspective but that is what it looks like to me. i wonder if it really it smaller, i wouldn't want the display to be much smaller than the atom's, i think it would start getting difficult to read.

In the 2009 catalog they list all screens available on the OC1 - the fonts they used do seem on the smallish side. Of course they also seem to suggest the OC1 firmware can now be easily upgraded over the internet - which may or may not be true with the Atom and VT3.

 

[BigWilly]

i know the atom needs to be taken/sent to a service facility in order to do a firmware upgrade, i imagine it's the same with the VT3. but new firmware does not come around regularly, and shops usually upgrade it for free.

BTW, I was looking at the 2009 catalog and according to their description and matrices there is not much difference between the atom and the oc1. the differences i saw are the looks (obviously with titanium body), the dot matrix section on the display, digital compass, and that the gas setting on transmitter one can be set from air to a range of 21-50%, and the oc1 can do air and a range of 21-100%. keep in mind, this is on transmitter one, transmitters 2 and 3 on the atom can go all the way to 100% the same as the oc1.

Does anyone know of any other differences?

 

[StacyT]

I purchased a ATOM 2.0 before leaving on a trip to Maui. Prior to that I had an older oceanic AI computer. Overall I prefered the older computer that I had to this one. So far the ATOM has been nothing but trouble. The older computer was much easier to configure compared to the ATOM, and I could figure out everything without needing a manual.

Another issue I have is that it is easy to reset the ATOM if you are programing it using a PC. While on vacation I decided to hook it up to my laptop and enter in the settings for my buddies transmitter. I hooked up the computer, loaded the program, typed in the info for the 2nd transmitter, and than saved the info. By doing this I basically over wrote the settings for my transmitter, no warning message about this. What I realized later is that I should have downloaded from the computer, than typed in the info, than saved it back. So there I was on the beach trying to read the manual and reconfigure the comptuer to my transmitter the next morning. I couldn't figure that out using the manual and ended up aborting the dive. I have also had trouble with configuring some of the other settings using the manual, seems either there is something wrong with the watch, or the manual doesn't match the computer.

I suspect that the watch has some issues and spoke to the LDS that I purchased it from. I'll be taking it back to them later this week to see if they can figure out why some of the settings cannot be changed. Hopefully they'll be willing to just exchange it for one that is more user freindly.

For those that are curious I am computer literate, and tech savy. This watch could be more user freindly IMO.

 

[RAWalker]

I purchased a ATOM 2.0 before leaving on a trip to Maui. Prior to that I had an older oceanic AI computer. Overall I prefered the older computer that I had to this one. So far the ATOM has been nothing but trouble. The older computer was much easier to configure compared to the ATOM, and I could figure out everything without needing a manual.

Another issue I have is that it is easy to reset the ATOM if you are programing it using a PC. While on vacation I decided to hook it up to my laptop and enter in the settings for my buddies transmitter. I hooked up the computer, loaded the program, typed in the info for the 2nd transmitter, and than saved the info. By doing this I basically over wrote the settings for my transmitter, no warning message about this. What I realized later is that I should have downloaded from the computer, than typed in the info, than saved it back. So there I was on the beach trying to read the manual and reconfigure the comptuer to my transmitter the next morning. I couldn't figure that out using the manual and ended up aborting the dive. I have also had trouble with configuring some of the other settings using the manual, seems either there is something wrong with the watch, or the manual doesn't match the computer.

I suspect that the watch has some issues and spoke to the LDS that I purchased it from. I'll be taking it back to them later this week to see if they can figure out why some of the settings cannot be changed. Hopefully they'll be willing to just exchange it for one that is more user freindly.

For those that are curious I am computer literate, and tech savy. This watch could be more user freindly IMO.

From reading your post I find the failure was your's not the computer's!

It is foolish to think that you can strap on an advanced piece of equipment and use it without first reading the manual.

You say you are computer literate and tech savy but this is not a piece of technology to communicate with friends and associates or print your pictures on.
This is to help insure your safety while submerged in an aquatic environment.

The paperwork that comes with the computer states quite specifically to read the manual before attempting to use the computer.

I suspect that your computer literacy and tech savy ends with a PC keyboard and TV remote control.

Your review of this product is completely without merit. The failure was your's and your's alone. I hope your LDS hands you back the computer and tells you to go read the manual completely before wasting anyone else's time.