Aladin Prime Uncommunicative

Hi guys
After last week's posts about logging dives on line, I realised my being too lazy to upload my dives from my computer to my laptop was a copout - especially it would take less time to upload than to enter the data... or so I thought.
So I choofed (that means went) to the computer store and bought a shiney good quality infrared adaptor. I installed the software (Smart Trak), installed the hardware (infrared thingy) and checked that it was functioning.
I turned on my Aladin Prime, clicked the transfer dive button and it search but couldn't find the dive computer. I tried a few times with different angles etc, but nada.
So I choofed off again, but to another computer store and bought a more expensive infrared device. Installed it, did a check on it, and again tried to download my dives... but it still wouldn't talk to the dive computer.
Any suggestions?
Paschen
PS. My computer literacy isn't crash hot, but I can follow directions and I can install and check hardware.

You should check that your PC is really activating the infrared interface. In mine, using Win XP, when something is close to the IR port and active, the PC makes a special sound indicating activity on the IR port, even if there is no running software available to talk to the device. You can try using another PC or your PC with something else like a Palm device to make sure the Ir port is working. Hope it helps!

Hi Guys, I have a similar problem with my Aladin Tec downloading data to Smarttrak. It was working fine until I upgraded to Symantec Cleint Firewall and Symantec Antivirus now its all goofed. I know this as prior to the upgrade the data downloaded and I had lots of data to play with.
Trouble is not sure what else the instalation of the firewall and antivirus upgrade changed.
You can check the status of the Infrared adapter via Control panel -> Systems -> Infrared devices. and this reports the device is working properly (indeed downloading an image via IrDA from a phone still works). The IrDA is an internal one on an IBM T41.
Disabling the firewall looked a good option but doing this doesn't make the Infrared Connection work. Ditto removing Symantec Antivirus.

What I currently get having started Smarttrak and the Aladin tec and starting to transfer dives is the IrDA monitor searching window which flashed no devices. The a new window that states 'Not connected to UWATEC dive computer'.

I baffled here and if anyone can suggest what's getting blocked and how to make the connection I'd appreciated it.

thanks Davey

I know that sometimes it can be tricky to get the computer lined up with IRDA in order to get a link. I use a SP Smart Pro, and sometimes it takes me a couple tries to get it lined up properly. If you know someone else that has an IR port, you might try it on their computer, or if you know someone that has another SP computer, you might try that one on your computer. If none of those options work, check with your LDS were you bought it and see if they can get it to work. Without having it in front of me, it is hard to diagnose.

hello,
paschen's problem report seems to negate the possibility of not getting the IrDA adapter (lense) lined up and previously I didn't have much of a problem if I held it close. So I don't think its anything to do with the range of the IrDA adapter it's just there is no connection.
Suppose what I really need is some guru to tell me how to trace the connection, and then another one to tell me what the trace means.... any gurus out there ?

Davey

Many PCs will have the IR port disabled as part of the standard config. Often, one needs to enable the IR port in the BIOS set-up.

Hello BeKanak,
Nope, fully enabled as shown by downloading images off a mobile via IrDA link. Is it possible the Aladin infrared adapter is faulty or broken. Has anybody heard of the Aladins having problems with data download?
(Smarttrak Aladin tec not Prime IrDA Connection problems ?)

I initially had this problem with my Aladdin Prime. The first problem was a communication issue with using McAfee Virus Scan/Firewall software, which after some wrangling and calling Scubapro and McAfee tech support found out it was with the e-mail filter process: To correct I had to go into the running processes and disable the e-mail spam filter process and the IR worked fine. BTW I called Scubapro Tech support and informed them of the solution I found and they should know about the fix. Secondly I have had two different Aladdin Primes where the IR transmitter had stopped working. The computer worked fine on dives and operated normally except when I went to upload dives to my computer. I took the computer back to my Scubapro dealer and found out through an e-mail that Scubapro had some problems with the first generation Primes where the IR transmitter went out. My dealer sent the computer back to Scubapro and they sent me a new computer. The downside to this is they cannot (or would not) recover any of the logged dive data to transfer into SmartTRAK, so write your stuff down before sending it in. Basically if your PC computer picks up other IR devices and you don't have the McAfee conflict then the IR transmitter on your Aladdin is probably out.

Cheers matie, I'll talk to the shop then. All the best. Davey.
PS. Sorry to have highjacked the thread but I think this may be the same as the OP's issue. I also wanted to explore the possibility of a known problem with the Aladin IR transmitter.

I took my dive computer back to my dive store and got a new one, it worked straight away - I have since learnt that this is a common problem with the Aladin Primes. Uwatec Switzerland is emailing my dives -they did say it would take a while