Oceanic VT4.1 backlight

[Landstander]

I've got an Oceanic VT4.1 which was purchased new 5-6 months ago. While I really like it overall, one recurring issue is that the backlight (triggered by pressing the Select button) sometimes stops working mid-dive. When this occurs I can never invoke it again for the remainder of the day (even on subsequent dives, following a significant surface interval), but it's always been back to normal the next morning. No other functions appear to be affected, and the low battery indicator has never appeared.

I recently met another diver with the same computer during a visit to Bonne Terre Mine, and he indicated that his device does the same thing... I'm therefore assuming this is a common issue with the VT4.1, rather than a defect with my specific unit. With that in mind, does anyone know of a viable workaround to this problem? It was a bit of a nuisance at the mine, since the low ambient light made it impossible to read the screen (and they discourage use of your own light). Fortunately I have an analog SPG and Veo 2.0 backup computer on my console, so I simply switched to them for the remainder.

I haven't contacted Oceanic for support yet, but that's most likely the next step. It just seemed reasonable to check with real-world users first. (-;

Thanx!

 

[NCadiver]

The first thing I would try is changing the battery, A weak battery can cause that, the back light pull a lot of current and the computer will shut the backlight off automatically if it hit a certain voltage/ current level. If it is a defect oceanic will send you another defective one back unless they test it before they send you one.

 

[Landstander]

Yeah, I was coming to more-or-less the same conclusion... low battery definitely seems like the most likely culprit. It's a bit weird that the device hasn't displayed the low battery indicator, but I can see that happening if it's teetering just on the low voltage threshold. And receiving the device with a bad/weak battery is actually pretty plausible, when you think about it.

I'll go ahead and get the battery kit, and see how it behaves with the new beastie. Thanx!

 

[Landstander]

For the curious, this was indeed caused the battery. I replaced it just before another trip to Bonne Terre Mine last weekend, and the unit performed flawlessly. (-;