Hoseless Air integrated computers

[scubadobadoo]

I have been diving an atmos elite on my wrist I guess for over 5 years now and have never had a problem. As has been said, check the battery and care for it properly and it should work for years. I used to dive with a backup brass SPG but I recently took it off and just use my computer. I can use one HP 100 tank for two dives and then some so redundancy isn't a major issue in my shallow recreational beach diving world. I still bring the spg in my bag though just in case. When diving more technical dives then I put the spg back on.

Have fun!

 

[Doc]

.... If you guys or gals have one do you use a redundant hosed depth and pressure gauge and if so why?

To answer your question specifically....

Redundant SPG: With an Air Integrated Hoseless, certain perfunctory pre-dive system checks (very few of which are taught by the standard cert agencies) likely can not be accomplished.

Before taking that big step... suck the reg three deep breaths while all the time watching the needle on your standard analog SPG gauge.

If the needle drops and stays at a level, then drops again at the next breath: You are merely sucking down the 3000psi in a "charged" reg set. The tank is turned off after you pressure tested it.

If the needle bobbles, even slightly, and returns to the full mark- you either have the valve cracked open only a wee bit- or you have it fully cranked open but have reached some kind of corroded high spot (same effect). This really does occur.

Either way, if you jump in with that condition, without having done the suck hard three times and watch the needle test, you could become the subject of a long running SCUBABoard thread where everybody has an opinion on what you did wrong. Well, you and I will know, anyway. Ok, then it's only me that will know- you'll be dead.

Having an analog pressure gauge and performing that test. Simple.

I have never found an Air Integrated Hoseless that will give me the instant response needed for testing of both of the dangerous scenarios. It is due to anomalies of the sampling rates.

I always use at least one hosed SPG. Brass? If you like shiny objects, by all means. I use a superlight MiFlex hose and a mini-SPG gauge that is usually screwed into a first stage of a pony bottle- about the size of a quarter.

Depth gauges? Never found much need for that redundancy in rec diving... maybe at night?

 

[mac.calder]

I have had a Vyper Air transmitter fail on me - primarily because I left the new battery at home when I flew out to Thailand. I dive with a regular, hard to screw up, needs no battery, hosed SPG as well... The only "effect" it had on me, was that whilst monitoring my air, I would check my dive computer first (never a bad thing) then check my SPG. When my buddy asked how much air I had, I would look a little foolish, because I would check my wrist first, but other than that, the total effect on my few days of diving... nil. Oh - and my dive logs have not got that lovely "air usage graph".

 

[soltari675]

I use the Galileo Luna and I love the integration. Others I dive with said they have had their Sol for 3 years and still have over half their battery life left. I did find that mine would lose signal in Florida when I went into a cavern. Probably its way of telling me I wasn't suppose to be there anyway. But I have never had a problem anywhere else and I dive as often as possible. I would not be happy diving without it.

 

[soltari675]

I have never found an Air Integrated Hoseless that will give me the instant response needed for testing of both of the dangerous scenarios. It is due to anomalies of the sampling rates.

I just tried it with my Galileo Luna because I never really considered what you said. I turned the tank on just enough to get air and for the computer to register the pressure. On all three breaths the PSI dropped from around 3200 to 2900 and went back up when I stopped. Not as instant as an analog, but it updated before I finished the breath. Might just depend on the computer?

 

[imwright1985]

I dive with just the Oceanic Atom 2.0. I have it drop out occasionally, but mostly if it drops I know OK i had 1200psi and last checked 3 mins ago let me wait a sec and then if it isnt back up start to surface. It is usually back up within 30 secs or so. My last dive when i pulled the log it dropped out 3 times during the dive.

 

[James R]

My Luna just turned a year old, and still has full battery power at 194 dives. It has not once failed me on a dive, failed to sync up with transmitter, or any other issue. My gf has a VT3 and she's not had any issues with it. It has about 50 dives or so in the year she's had it. Due to the VT3 staying on for so long after a dive, her battery is about 50% and will be replaced before we go on vacation. We do take one brass SPG on a 24" hose with us on trips should we have a transmitter issue, but thus far it's gone unused.

For recreational dives, I do not carry a brass/glass SPG. I monitor my gas/no-stop/RBT frequently enough that should it fail I would notice it before any real drama happens anyway. If diving doubles/technical I definitely DO carry a brass/glass SPG and I use the transmitter for the luna as well - it's on the right post, pointing down, no issue grabbing it hoping to grab a valve knob. I check the brass SPG a few times per dive, mainly to ensure the transmitter and spg readings match, etc.

 

[eelnoraa]

I have an Oceanic VT3 and was wondering what others opinions are on using a hoseless air integrated computer? Some people from my local area are totally against it due to the possibility of loss of signal, battery death, etc. If you guys or gals have one do you use a redundant hosed depth and pressure gauge and if so why?

I have Oceanic VT pro, the previous version of VT3. The potential issues you mentioned can be prevented or corrected in water.
1) lost of signal, yes, it can happen once a while, but it will come back after a few second. I have never not be able to read my PSI because of lost of signal. On top of that, I have a brass SPG connected to 24" HP hose as backup. If for some reason I cannot read from AI transitter, I can always look at SPG.

2)battery death. On every power up, battery is checked. A warming will display if battery is low for both the computer and the transmitter. The battery issue is the same as for any computer. What if your non AI computer's battery is dead. So just replace your transmitter battery together with your computer battery, you should be good.

Have that said, if I have to choose between AI transmitter and brass SPG, I will pick brass SPG any day. But they are not mutually exclusive (unless you only have one HP port on your 1st stage). I am using both.

 

[charlesml3]

Please do a search, man. This old topic has been discussed to death here.

 

[Rhone Man]

I use a D9 with wireless AI, but like most others I do it in conjunction with a regular gauge.

The wireless can be flaky on some models, and (I find) the Suuntos particularly so. But when they do flake, they almost always flake when syncing - not during the dive. I may be old school, but I would advise against jettisoning the conventional SPG except for highly benign dive profiles.