Why don't I see more Cochran Computers?

[Arduous]

My cousin is a 25 year veteran of the US Navy. He retires this year. He was a Navy diver for 14 years, but no longer. He now works closely with the current divers in the recompression chamber. Not sure what his actual function is, but it has something to do with the recompression of deep divers. I never see the guy, we are not that close. However I did get a chance to talk to him a few months back and I, myself was looking into the Cochran computers. I like the way the Cochran’s look and I like the large display and well, I like most things about it. But after having a conversation with my cousin over this computer, he talked me out of it. I have a friend who had a Cochran Commander and has never had a problem with it. He has stated to me that he would not trade it for anything. He loves it. I have never had or dove with a Cochran myself. Though I like the looks and concept of this computer, I am leery to purchase one.

 

[padiscubapro]

Dee once bubbled...
One of our favorite dive shops is co-owned by a Cochran sales rep. and of course he's always telling us how great the Cochrans are. I admit they sound good and the software looks cool but I have no desire to switch.

Beast and I did start wondering why we haven't seen more Cochran computers in use. Out of the hundreds of divers we know and have come across in our travels, from other countries as well as nationwide, we can only think of 3 who had them.'

So why is this? Are they just no good? Hard to use?

I don't want to start any wars, just curious!

I Assume you are talking about dennis....


I once hated cochran computers, I saw several fail 7 or 8 years ago along with one I had... then about 2.5 years ago, I met Larry Elseveir at a trade show and chewed his ear off.. He ended up giving me a version of the commander that wasn't available in retail as of yet..
I can honestly say its been one of the most reliable computers I have ever used.. I have compared it against many other computers as well... at 0 concervative factor its very agressive, and if your not in the best of shape I recommend running it at a 15% factor or more.. I even ran it over with my Jeep and it still functions like a charm... I carry it as a back up depth gauge on many dives and to log my deep trimix dives since my unit samples at 1 sec intervals and 550 hours.. I have about 250 dives logged with this unit to depths of 300 ft without any failures. It has the most accurate depth sensor I have seen and after taliking with some of their tech guru's I understand why.

I found it gives comparitive profiles to my Explorer and VR3 computers in both Open Circuit and PO2 mode...


The "nAVY" version runs profiles that are unfamiliar to many older divers who are familiar with haldsane models, hence the complaint.. the alg in the navy (I don;t have the specs) appears to be a bubble model like RGBM (some of the profiles I have seen lead me to believe its possibly a non sanctioned RGBM).


also some of the way things are programmed on the cochran are a bit confusing until you RTFM... then its pretty clear...

One thing thats appears to be unique to cochran is that it automatically determines the water density and adjusts depth accordingly.. remember dive computers traditionally dont measure "linear depth" they are a measurement of Pressure not length...

 

[Dee]

padiscubapro once bubbled...
.....I Assume you are talking about dennis....

Yeah...Dennis DeCamp and WW Diving in Humble. A good guy. I've taken the Cochran computers on several trips to record our dives for DAN research. I changed the Nitrox readings when applicable but other than that didn't pay much attention to it.

Thanks everyone for your comments....

 

[Aquamaniac]

Scubatooth once bubbled...


for the skeptics. how many dive computers you know of that have the capability to have 3 breathing gas mixes and 2 rebreather mixes programmed into one unit for diving? also the abilty if the tank unit fails to have the wrist unit take over with calulations (depth, temp, ascent, deco obligation(if needed), etc) to safely end the dive?

My Suunto Vyper does all of that!

 

[Texass]

They're a Dallas local outfit - actually Richardson, I think, which is full of communication & other techie companies.

There was a thread going a while back about the computer and a presentation he did for a local LDS. Link

 

[Soggy]

Silly...

because Zephram Cochran doesn't invent his warp ship until 2063 when we have first contact with the Vulcans.



Too much TV for me....

 

[Dee]

Very interesting!

 

[Texass]

One of the things I didn't care for is that it doesn't let you manually switch your gas. You program what depth you plan to do your switch at and it automatically changes over when you reach that depth.

Of course I don't know squat about gas switching so that may actually be a plus. I just think it would mess up tracking your deco obligation if for some reason you didn't switch straight away when you reached the programmed depth. Also they may have changed that since I talked to him.

 

[padiscubapro]

Aquamaniac once bubbled...


My Suunto Vyper does all of that!

Suunto doesn't do constant PO2 for CCR rebreathers.. only nitrox for SCRs...
The SUUNTO's also uses a bastardized version of RGBM, which is really RGBM limiting factors folded over a haldane model.. Ok if you don't do alot of dives or reverse profiles in a single day, but too restrictive for anyone doing alot of diving in a single day.. I test many computers against each other, 1 day I had FIVE different computers on me for the entire days diving, the only one i managed to "bend" was the vytec... every other computer easily allowed the profiles I was doing (I had my dives pretty much planned by desktop software before hand and knew they were ok).. AT times the gas switching was a pain in the butt, at least I nvere had to switch the commander..

The comptures we the vytec, explorer, commander, nitek 3, VR3

 

[Aquamaniac]

Well....

I have my Suunto Vyper configured to use a VPM model, I prefer it to the Cushy RBGM that it comes with.

I never worry about it locking me out either, it cant happen.

Dave