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Okay, I've had it for three dives, and here's the bottom line: If cost is no object, this is the computer to own.
What's cool about it: First off, the display. The OLED screen glows. You can read it in low light, or in the dark; the yellow on black display is beautiful, and the important numbers are so big I can read them without my bifocals (which, to me, is a safety factor). The lighting intensity is variable, and so far, I've been diving it on medium. In our water, I suspect LOW would be fine; in Cozumel or Hawaii, I suspect medium would be necessary in the high ambient light.
The display is organized the way I WANT it to be organized, and this is the first computer I've used (of five) that organizes data this way. Even when you are running the decompression software, the computer STILL gives you the depth and dive time as the biggest and most prominent pieces of information. NDL time is there, but it's smaller. Other data are available, like what gas you're set on, what your OTUs are (for us Nitrox divers), average depth, temperature, etc. But I don't have to put the computer into gauge mode to get the information I want. That's cool.
The computer can run a couple of different decompression programs -- Mine has V-planner live, which is the same software as V-planner, a program commonly used by technical divers to cut tables for their dives. V-planner live DOES compute a no-deco time and update it, but unlike my other computers, this one won't get huffy if I stay at depth into "deco", it'll just tell me what deco to do (and it's deco that makes SENSE, not 8 minutes at 10 feet and then quit diving forever). If I'm silly and forget to tell it I'm diving Nitrox, it will try to get me to deco out for an air dive, and if I ignore it, it will shrug and still help me through the next dive. No lockout!
And that's another great thing. Set it on 32%, and it stays on 32%. None of this reversion to air because maybe you forgot to reset it. (Bending my Suuntos by forgetting to reset for 32% each day is a large part of the reason I ended up in gauge mode.) This computer gives me credit for knowing what I'm breathing.
And, just like a backplate and wing can grow with you as you progress in your diving, here's a computer that can work for you just fine for recreational diving (which is all I do in OW) but will go with you into technical diving as well (up to 10 gases -- Can anybody think of a dive that would need TEN gases?)
Other cool stuff: Tobin makes a boot for it. I don't think I could put up with a computer that I couldn't put in one of Tobin's boots.
When you review your dive on the surface, the computer will give you a graphic of your profile, as well as numerical data on the dive depth, time, temperature, ascent and descent rates, etc.
The menus on this thing are the most intuitive of any computer I've used. I've gone through the manuals on all the others I've had, and I STILL forget which button to do what, or where in the decision tree you go to accomplish certain things. The X1 is easy. No buttons -- You just tap on the outside of the case to communicate with it, and the drop down menus are completely intuitive. It's just plain EASY to use.
The interface with my PC is via a little gadget you screw into the end of the computer. One of the few touchy things about the X1 is that it's fussy about what order you hook things up -- you have to have all the connections to the computer made before you connect it to wall power (which you need to do to download). Tobin's boot is designed so that you have to remove part of it to hook up to the download device, which reminds you to be careful about the hookup. One of the great surprises about using the computer is that, when you download your dives, you're automatically prompted to share them with DAN. You have a few information screens to fill out, and then you hit "send', and off the data go. Since I heartily applaud DAN's efforts to collect these data, I love the fact that this software makes it easy both to do it, and to remember to do it.
One of the only criticisms I have is that the logging software is kind of minimal. Compared with the software for the Aladin, there's very little information I can store. I can't keep track of gas consumption, for example, or easily index what kind of dive it is (which I'd like to do, because I need to submit my cave dives every three years to renew my cert, for example).
The Liquivision does not have air integration (which I've never used on any of my other computers, either). It has a rechargeable battery, and I haven't done enough repetitive diving yet to have any sense for how long it will go between charges, although I have read the reports of another diver who's been able to use his for a week of cave diving and only discharged about 25% of the battery capacity. The original units had no way to replace the battery, but the new ones (which I'm using) can have them replaced, although the company estimates that, with proper care, the battery should be good for about ten years. The kit comes with the USB cable, the charging attachment, and a set of international adapters for the plug (which is a nice touch!)
The big downside to this unit is the price. I'm not exactly sure what the dealers are selling it for, but it's in the neighborhood of $1500 for the unit, and another $100 for the software. That's not that much more than my Vytec with the transmitter, but that DID give my husband air integration, which is what he wanted. It's definitely a high-end unit, and can do a lot of things that I don't need it to do (but then, that's true of the Aladin I was diving before, as well!) But the combination of the extremely easy use and the FANTASTIC display would be enough to make me try to scrape together the money to own one. In fact, I'll probably be doing that. After all, I own a Salvo can light . . .
Last edited by TSandM; August 5th, 2008 at 01:35 PM.
Reason: Peter made me redo the pictures :)
Can't say enough about this display. While doing a lights-out drill in Ginnie Springs, once our eyes acclimated, we are able to use the display of the X1 to illuminate the whole cave!
For CCR divers, this computer is the best I have used so far. No complicated sequence for changing setpoint, or bailing out - a few taps into the menu, and it's right there in plain English. No icons to figure out. The live PO2 interface is right around the corner and will support 3 O2 sensors.
Okay, I've had it for three dives, and here's the bottom line: If cost is no object, this is the computer to own.
I was real skeptical about the X1, before actually seeing it. We bought 4 of them through the shop at a nice intro price, but even then I was looking for what was really wrong with it. And, so far it is hard to tell that anything is. The display, as noted, is fantastic. I like my Vytec, really don't like my Nitek He. This one will probably be too small. Wrong. The display lighting is unreal! I thought that having to tap the unit to change screens / functions, instead of using those tried and true BUTTONS, would be a pain. Wrong. It has a rechargeable battery - must mean it has a short charge life, especially with that blinding screen draining all the juice. Wrong. The Nitek X is certainly going to have to be something out of this world, because the delays have allowed the X1 to tap into the pent up demand that might have gone to the X, and begin to make inroads in the dealer distribution network arena that otherwise would have favored a Dive Rite product.
Sounds like a nice computer. Wish I could afford one!
What makes them so dang expensive though, the fact that they can be taken underwater to several hundred feet (I assume?). If it wasn't for that, what justifies the price? $1500 is nearly as much as I spent on my MacBook Pro laptop which can do anything - except get wet!
For CCR divers, this computer is the best I have used so far. No complicated sequence for changing setpoint, or bailing out - a few taps into the menu, and it's right there in plain English. No icons to figure out. The live PO2 interface is right around the corner and will support 3 O2 sensors.
This computer is also the best for trimix divers (open circuit)?
I'm not a technical diver, but from my quick reading of that part of the manual, it looks like a very nice computer for trimix divers, especially if you are using VPM to cut tables. It has things you can change for contingencies (like lost deco gas) and the tap menus are easy to use (although I haven't tried them in dry gloves yet).
Sounds like a nice computer. Wish I could afford one!
What makes them so dang expensive though, the fact that they can be taken underwater to several hundred feet (I assume?). If it wasn't for that, what justifies the price? $1500 is nearly as much as I spent on my MacBook Pro laptop which can do anything - except get wet!
It's for deep, deco diving. Many divers will never need anything like this. As far as price, it is cheaper than a comparatively equipped VR3 by about $300.
It makes me laugh that the warranty is void if you take it deeper than 300 meters.
Originally Posted by Tomeck
This computer is also the best for trimix divers (open circuit)?
I've never dove it on OC, other than simulated bailout drills, but from the ease of use for CCR diving, what the manual says about OC use, it sounds like it would be great for OC trimix diving.
Originally Posted by TSandM
I have read the reports of another diver who's been able to use his for a week of cave diving and only discharged about 25% of the battery capacity.
That was me. I put 16 hours on it over the course of a week without charging. I used 30% of the battery.
That is probably the coolest dive computer I have seen so far And what a great write up.
The touch screen sounds perfect for this application and that screen looks fantastic. Look what you did now I want one and I know I can't afford one lol.
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Originally Posted by TSandM
