Which has a higher rate of failure a SPG or a transmitter?

In today's world of diving, which has a higher rate of failure a SPG or a transmitter?

Both of these tools can fail, but which one fails
more often. Our experience is the Old reliable SPG.

High Pressure hoses break, gauges stick, flood or dynamic o-rings fail!

We use Galileo Sol dive computers in all our training.

However, our repair dept. has more problems with the SPG's that we service than transmitters.

I have seen (and used) SPGs with accuracy problems. I have only seen 1 SPG flood but it was, as should be expected, still working. I have seen SPGs bubbling away at the hose connection. That shortens the dive less than 1 minute and is easily fixed. I have seen LP hoses fail catastrophically, but never an HP hose. I have seen quite a few hoseless computers stop working, some in the middle of a dive.

I have not yet found any good reason to drop the SPG and simple wrist computer in favor of wireless computers. My typical SPG and computer set me back less than $200. The price of wireless is beyond any sensible rationalization based on utility.

I have had link issues with the transmitter. I have had my H brand gauge fail and start bubbling during the dive (They warrantied it). I found the transmitter got snagged on a lot of stuff like kelp and my long hose. Took it off and never missed it. Then again I have never used the remaining air time feature, but instead used min gas in one form or another.

My vote is if you are going to use a transmitter to have a gauge too. Makes setup much easier being able to immediately see what pressure the tank is at and if the transmitter fails you have a backup.

Oh and most of my spg's are 20 30 40 years old and work great never don a thing to them.

What have I learned from this thread?

Forty year old SPG's are reliable as they never go bad.

Transmitters even though 2" long snag on everything.

Low pressure hoses fail, HP hoses Bubble but don't fail.

SPG's are inaccurate but anything that costs more is not worth using.

I assume the accompanying stories of massive AI failure are completely accurate even if most don't own them?

Hmmm....

I paid $650 for my wireless AI computer six years ago and it rocks. My biggest complaint the battery rarely lasts over a year. However the transmitter batteries last a long time. One of my all time best purchases. One brass SPG failed after 2 years, or filled with salt water and is in the trash. One out of three mechanical SPG failure rate so far. My Epic AI is still going strong. So far more reliable than my Manual SPG's and a lot more functional as the manual SPG is a lousy computer, but the computer is a heck of an SPG!

BeaverDivers,

Does failure include both mechanical/electronic errors and human errors...or just one or the other?

The nice thing about SPGs are they are ... for the most part ... idiot proof. One connected, if not mistreated (which is a human error) all you have to do is look at it and it works...at least mine does.

Likewise, the four AI issues I have been involved in have all been have all been human error...three battery issues and once getting stuck in Guage Mode...the AI unit worked as designed (and that I have a few issues with...but I am full of issues).:bounce2:

I would suspect (with no real scientific data) that most failures, reguadless of SPG or AI transmitter, are due to human error...hence the forty year old and well maintained SPGs with an occational defect. RonFrank...your 1 out of 3 SPGs failure rate might be the experiemental outlyer to this hypotheses but I do like your lessons learned from this thread:geek:

Excellent comments!

I have been on a few dives where people transmitters would not link up. Three where batteries failed. My SPG only failed once and it was on rental gear. I cannot see giving up my analog gauge. Especially when these integrated computers cost what they do. And if they are so great why are trimix comps not using the technology. Shearwater, Liquivision, VR tech, etc. None of them use transmitters. And those are the only kinds of computers I'd pay more than say 500 bucks for. Heart Monitor? dumb.

So you are willing to pay $1200 for a computer with Tri-mix capabilities but $500 or less, unless it can do Helium? Sounds like yet another type of Kool-aide! Check out the Hollis DG05 Trimix Dive Computer. It has Gasp.... AI features and does trimix! Looks like all the other pricey OLED computers out there.
DG05 Dive Computer by Hollis Gear - Dive Gear Express

We shall see if others follow, me thinks for $1000+, yes! Lets face it, dive a rebreather you have become WAY dependent on technology. A transmitter is a drop in the ocean!

I honestly do not GET the whole Deep thing, so I don't have to spend a fortune on Trimix gas blending. That leaves me money for Drysuits and AI Computers. Then again I have plenty of friends that are on computer #4, #5, or even #8. Heck a Tech Diving buddy just spent $500 on a Liquivision bottom timer! I think that's computer #3 for him, but he is regressing! I have and use both my original computers, so I guess I'm ahead of the game. Then again diving Helium cost like $200 a fill, so what is that compared to the cost of a computer? Drink that Kool-Aide, but it's gonna cost you!