RonR
Contributor
Hi All,
What's the deal with the Cobalt 2s now? I know there were a lot of problems with the Cobalt when it was first released. Have these been mostly resolved? The reviews online still seem poor, but it is hard to tell whether these are the result of the earlier issues, or an ongoing issue with quality, reliability, etc.
I know a couple of people who own the Cobalt, but I'd love to hear the opinions of others, especially if you have a lot of RECENT experience with them (e.g., if you sell them at your shop).
P.S., The Oceanic Proplus X seems like a possible alternative, but who knows what's going on there?! Are they ever going to be available?
Thanks!
--Thumbsplitter
I’m one of the original designers of the Cobalt’s electronics, firmware, and interface design- parts of the computer that really have been very reliable.
The Cobalt 2 had an unfortunate debut in 2014, with a group of defective depth sensors that failed in the field, though not in factory wet testing. That wasn’t the fault of Atomic or the design, the sensors came with a contaminated protective gel that caused bad readings after a period of use. But it definitely gave the product a reputation, and caused Atomic to halt production until the issue was solved- and it was hard to figure out. The saga is archived here on SB. There were other problems- particularly with button magnets that rusted. Batteries have actually proven highly reliable overall. While Atomic’s customer service is outstanding, no one wants a computer to fail, especially one that expensive.
That said, experiences have been variable- I just got back some that had been on a charter boat, with in excess of 500 dives- they were working perfectly, but had reached the point that the Li-Ion batteries needed to be replaced, they were just worn out.
Almost two years ago now Atomic redesigned many internal aspects of the case, including all the seals, developed a new type of molded button magnet that has proven to be completely reliable, and has been extensively wet testing computers before they ship to filter out any sensor problems or leaks. I’ve seen the return and service reports, and the difference is night and day. The reliability is much better. Even if they look the same on the outside, the more recent case design is very different, and addressed the failure points that Atomic had uncovered. Unfortunately, once you have problems with a product, the reputation persist long after the fix is in place. I think that’s very much the case here.
-Ron